UNDER THE STUARTS I JAMES I. : A NEW POLICY 129 



year to fish for herrings in " his Majesty's streams " ; that more 

 than 600 of them were "great busses," some of 120 tons, most 

 of about 100 tons; that the crews numbered from 16 to 24 

 men, so that there could not be less than 20,000 mariners 

 altogether. In addition to the great fleet of busses, the Hol- 

 landers had " a huge number " of smaller vessels of from 20 to 

 50 tons burden, with crews of from 8 to 12 men, which were 

 called " sword-pinks," " flat-bottoms," " Holland-toads," " Crab- 

 skuits," and " Yeuars," and fished for herrings along with the 

 busses on the east coast from Shetland southwards, carrying 

 home their catches or selling them at Yarmouth. Gentleman 

 says there had been seen at one time, "and numbered," at 

 Brassey Sound, in Shetland, where the busses rendezvoused, 

 either going to sea or at sea within view, 2000 sail of busses 

 and schuits, besides those that were out of sight. All these 

 fished for herrings during the season "in his Majesty's seas." 

 Then the pinks and well-boats, which caught cod and ling all 

 the year round, numbered between 500 and 600 ; they were 

 from 30 to 40 tons burden, and had crews of about 12 men 

 each. There were also more than 200 " fly-boats " which fished 

 with lines to the north-east of Shetland all the year round foi- 

 ling, which were split and salted in bulk and were known as 

 " Holland-lings," although, says Gentleman, they were really 

 Shetland lings before they took them from his Majesty's seas. 

 This author placed the total number of Dutch fishermen who 

 fished off the British coasts at not less than 37,000, of whom 

 32,000 were engaged in the herring fishery, and 5000 in fishing 

 for cod and ling. 1 



It would thus appear from the evidently honest account 

 of Gentleman, that early in the reign of James fully 2000 

 Hollander busses and fishing vessels frequented the British 

 seas. But the Dutch were not the only foreigners who reaped 

 the harvest of fishes along our coasts. Fishermen likewise 

 came from France, Spain, and Portugal, from Hamburg, Emden, 

 and Bremen. The French herring-boats, from Normandy and 

 Picardy, generally numbered about 100 ; sometimes there were 



1 England* Way to Win Wealth, and to employ Ships and Mariners ; or, A plaine 

 description what great profile it will bring vnto the Commomcealth of England, by 

 the Erecting, Building, and aduenturing of Busses, to Sea, a Pithing : With a true 

 Relation of the inestimable Wealth that is yearly taken out of his Majesty's Seas by 

 the Hollanders, d-c., by Tobias Gentleman, Fisherman and Mariner, London, 1614. 



I 



