BACKGROUND OF EARLY COLONIZATION 25 



thirty were gentlemen of refinement, was formed, but the 

 venture was a failure. Many of the colonists died of starva- 

 tion, while the miserable remainder, subsisting for a time 

 on the bodies of their dead comrades, seized a French ship 

 in Newfoundland waters and at last reached England. 1 



After France became consolidated under Francis I it was 

 in a position to profit by the skill of her fishermen in navi- 

 gation. Accordingly Chabot, admiral of France, entrusted 

 to Jacques Cartier, a native of Saint Mario, the command 

 of an expedition in 1534. Cartier explored the Gulf of 

 Saint Lawrence but his attempt at colonization was un- 

 successful, as was another expedition under his command 

 the following year. The French appear to have had es- 

 tablishments on the shore at Newfoundland for their fishery 

 in 1540, but the information concerning them is uncertain. 

 Under the influence of Sully, Henry IV placed the New- 

 foundland fishery under the protection of the French gov- 

 ernment. 2 



The first measure of encouragement to English fisheries 

 was enacted by Parliament in 1548, when heavy fines were 

 imposed on all persons who should eat flesh on fish days. 

 Another act passed the same year forbade admiralty offi- 

 cers to make exactions for the privilege of carrying on the 

 fisheries. This applied in particular to Newfoundland with 

 the result that from this time forward the Newfoundland 

 fishery became free for every inhabitant in the realm. In 

 1563, Parliament declared it to be unlawful to eat flesh on 

 Wednesdays and Saturdays, affixing a penalty of three 

 pounds, except by special license purchased from the gov- 

 ernment. 3 Again, in 1571, fishermen were encouraged by 

 being permitted to export their sea-fish free of customs; 

 while, by another act, foreign fishermen, anchoring on the 



1 Sabine, p. 36. 



2 Isham, The Fishery Question, p. 3. 

 aMcPherson, Annals of Commerce, pp. 102, 138. 



