LIv 
Gb: at oA aN calm. 
‘ture is Cod. As foon as the fifhermen take one, they cut-off-the head, wath, 
gut, and falt it in cafks, with either rock-falt or that, of Lifbon. The fithery 
commences in March, and ends in September. It begins at the point of Breder- 
wick, and extends round the North Cape, by the ifle of Grim, to the point of 
Langene/s. 
The Engli/h have entirely deferted this fifhery fince they have been in poffeffion 
of Newfoundland. It had been, in very early times, the refort of our veflels, as is 
evident by the proclamation of Henry V. in order to give fatisfaction for the ill 
conduct of fome of his fubje&ts, in 1415, on the coafts of this ifland *, in which 
he forbids them to:refort to the ifles of Denmark and Norway, efpecially to {celand, 
otherwife than had been antiently cuftomary. In 1429, the Engli/h parlement 
enforced this order, by making it penal for any of our fubjects to trade in the 
Danifh ports, except in North Earn or Bergen. At length, the Dazifb monarch 
wifely refolved to.referve the benefits of the fifheries to his own fubjects; and in 
1465 made it capital for any Englifbman to trade in the ports of Iceland +. 
Even thofe of Helgeland and finmark were fhut againft them, unlefs they were 
driven in by a ftorm. JI imagine that this feverity muft have arifen from fome 
glaring infolence of our countrymen. But the antient treaties were revived, which 
were renewable by a frefh grant every feven years +. In later times, even 
Queen Elizabeth deigned to afk leave of Chriftian 1V. to fifh in thofe feas ; but 
afterwards inftructed her ambaflador to infift on the right of a free and univerfal 
fifhery. The anfwer does not appear: but in the reign of her fucceflor, we had 
not fewer than a hundred and fifty veflels employed in this fifhery. Poflibly we 
might comply with the regulations infifted on by the king of Denmark; or perhaps 
a greater indulgence was given, by reafon of the marriage of ‘fames with his fifter 
Anne. Tobferve, that the Danifh prince excepts the port of Weffmony, it being 
referved for the peculiar fupply of the royal court |. 
The opprefled natives fifh in the bays in boats, containing one, and never 
more than four men. If they venture to fea, which they feldom do to above 
eight miles diftance, they have larger boats, manned with twelve or fixteen hands ; 
in thefe they flave for the benefit of the monopolifts, to whom they are com- 
pelled to fell their fifh at a trifling price. How weak muft be the feelings of 
that government which can add mifery to mifery ; and not attempt rather to be- 
ftow comforts on fubjeéts condemned to fuch a dreadful abode ! 
The fpecies of fith in thefe feas are few; but the multitudes, under feveral of 
the moft ufeful kinds, are amazing ; thofe of Cod in particular. Herrings pafs by 
* Rymer’s Feed. ix. 323. + Ibid. xvi. 443. t Ibid, xv. 443. | Cambden’s Life 
of Queen Elizabeth, in the Complete ijt. of England, ii. 550. 
this 
