228 THE SOVEREIGNTY OF THE SEA 



and " to make the store of fish of all kinds, being a necessary 

 food for the people on fish-days, to be had at reasonable prices, 

 and the overplus thereof to be a principal addition to the staple 

 commodities of our kingdom for the increase of trade." In 

 order that this common fishing might be extended and freely 

 exercised in "all places by his subjects of each of the three 

 kingdoms," he appointed them " with full power and authority 

 to confer severally and jointly, and to consider, treat, propose, 

 determine and conclude what they concurrently found fit and 

 expedient for the ordering, establishing, and advancing of the 

 said common fishing." Power was also given to them to call 

 for any of the records in the Tower or elsewhere which might 

 bear upon their labours. 



The commissioners from both countries met early in 1631. 

 In March the Privy Council of Scotland received a report from 

 the Scottish commissioners in London, stating that several 

 meetings with the English commissioners had been held, and 

 that the extent of the waters proposed to be reserved "was 

 thought too much," unless it could be shown that " the intention 

 was only to reserve so much without which the natives could 

 not subsist, and not to hinder the good public work," and they 

 craved full and particular instructions on this point. The 

 Privy Council at once summoned the Lord Provost and Bailies 

 of Edinburgh before them to furnish the information required, 

 but they replied that it was a subject which concerned all the 

 burghs, and that time must be given to consult them. After 

 some further delay the burghs submitted an elaborate and in- 

 teresting report to the Council on 21st April, in which, after 

 citing the clause in the Draft Treaty of Union, they proceeded 

 to define the bounds of the waters "without the whiche the 

 cbuntrie can not subsist," and "whiche trewlie is the bounds 

 whairupon if anie stranger sail resort this countrie sail suffer 

 utter ruine." These bounds were as follows: 



" Vpon the east side of Scotland, f rome Sanct Tabsheid [St Abb's 

 Head] in the shiredom of Beruick directlie north to the Reidhead in 

 Angus whiche comprehends the coast of the Merce, Lothiane, the 

 Firth, Fyfe and ane part of the coast of Angus, and 14 myles without 

 the course frome the said Sanct Tabsheid to the Reidheid. Frome 

 the Reidhead north north-east alongs the coast of Angus, Mernes, 

 Mar and Buchan to Buchannesse, northwards and be north to Dungis- 



