A. D. i^iT. 265 



againft both the Englifli and Dutch, at the great mogul's court, and 

 elfewhere in India, upon a vain prefumption that their nation, being 

 the firfl difcoverers of a paflage by fea to India, had the fole right to 

 trade thither. 



The Ruffia company having fent a fhip in the preceding year to ex- 

 plore the coaft of Spitzbergen, now fitted out two fhips for the purpofe 

 of catching whales, which carried with them fix Bifcayners, that people 

 being fuppofed the moft expert in fuch a fifhery. Both fhips were loft ; 

 but the men were faved by a fhip belonging to Hull, which was upon 

 the fame fifhery. 



16 1 2. — From the year 1598 the Enghfh went on unrivalled with 

 their whale-fifhing at Greenland, till 161 2, when the Hollanders fir ft re- 

 forted thither; whereupon fome of the Englifti Ruffia company's fhips, 

 outward-bound, feized the whale-oil, fifhing-tackle, &c. of the Durch, 

 and obliged them to return home, threatening that, if ever they found 

 them in thofe feas thereafter, they would make prize of fhips and car- 

 goes ; their mafter the king of Great Britain having the fole right to that 

 fifhery, in virtue of the firft difcovery thereof, and of Spitzbergen ; and 

 in the following year the Englifli actually brought home two Dutch 

 fhips as prizes. 



The Hollanders now joined the Hanfe towns in a complaint to Chrif- 

 tiern IV, king of Denmark, of the heavy additional toll which, fince 

 the commencement of his war with Sweden, he had imposed on all fhips 

 paffing the Sound : whereupon the king gave them the choice of a hard 

 alternative, viz. either to pay that new toll, or elfe to let their merchandize 

 be thenceforth carried up the Baltic in Danifh bottoms. The Lubeckers 

 being from their fituation peculiarly affeded by that toll, loudly com- 

 plained to the emperor, whofe redrefs (if at all to be hoped for) being 

 likely to be very flow, they made a league with the Hollanders for the 

 mutual protedion of their commerce and navigation, determining to 

 fend an armed force to the Sound for that end. Seven eighths of the 

 expenfes were to be born by Holland, and the other eighth part by 

 Lubeck ; and the alliance was to laft eleven years, during which the 

 other Hanfe towns might come into it. Accordingly afterwards the 

 cities of Magdeburgh, and Brunfwick, Roftock, Straelfund, and Lunen- 

 burgh, agreed to pay each one per cent, and Wifniar, Gripfwald, and 

 Anclam, each one half per cent, at their affembly held at Brunfwick. 

 Hamburgh and Bremen are alfo mentioned by Werdenhagen, without 

 afcertaining their quotas. The Lubeckers alfo complained to the em- 

 peror that the Danes had feized and detained their fhips and merchan- 

 dize bound to Sweden: and the king of Denmark replied, that the 

 Lubeckers had had fair notice before-hand, that if they carried on any 

 correfpondence with his enemies he would make prize of them. And 

 with refped to the toll which he had laid on fhips pafling the Sound. 

 Vol. II. L 1 ' 



