iio THE SEA FISHERIES 



a sloop of war, the Spy, accompanying them to afford protection 

 from all " insults." 



The instructions to Fulcher Greaves, master of the buss Pelham, 

 were to take the orders of the Danish masters regarding everything 

 pertaining to the fishing-; one barrel of salt to three and a half 

 barrels of herrings, and two bushels more if repacked ; the early 

 fish to be dispatched to Hamburgh and Bremen. " If you can 

 conveniently and without loss of time, you may sort the herrings 

 that are caught, marking the barrels ' M ' f or Maties or Maiden, 

 ' F ' for Full and ' S ' for Spawn 'd." 



Danish fishing masters and seamen were employed because there 

 was at this time a large Danish deep-sea herring fishery from the 

 Elbe-Hoist ein coast. 



The King was asked to be the Governor of the Society, but he 

 declined ; the Prince, however, accepted. 



On the I2th July there is a letter from the agent at Hamburgh 

 sajdng that he had received twenty and a half barrels which were 

 sold at £80 per last,^ " but allowances made for the barrels not 

 being full." Another letter (i6th August) states, " received 164^ 

 barrels which were sold at 122 rixdollars per last of 14 barrels 

 for 12, by reason of their being loose packed."* 



Precise instructions were given to the masters of the busses, 

 they were warned to avoid disunion between the Danes and British 

 part of their crews. The evils of drink were pointed out. A letter 

 was sent (nth August, 1750) to the masters of two busses, exhorting 

 them to restrain their passions and to keep good order, and " doe 

 you direct perswade the most sedate and ingenious parts of your 

 English crews, nay, bribe them to it by a gallon or two of Brandy, 

 to learn the Dutchmen's secret in gypping, salting, packing and 

 curing of herrings." This was after they had unsuccessfully tried 

 to get a Dutch master. 



On the nth September, 1750, there were sold by auction at the 

 Royal Exchange Coffee House, where the meetings were now held, 

 two barrels, Maties, for £10 5s., and £10 lis., two of full herrings 

 for £9 and £10 12s., and fourteen half-barrels from £5 los. to £7 14s., 

 total for four barrels and fourteen half-barrels £130 4s. 



On the 27th September, at the same place, one barrel and six 

 halves from the Shetlands made £75 lis., the single barrel bringing 

 £18 17s. gd., and the halves from £8 i6s. to £10 6s. On the 19th 

 October, fifteen whole and nineteen half-barrels brought in £160 13s. 



On the 25th October, 1750, the Charter of the Society was pre- 



1 The figure 8 is obscure in the original manuscript, it certainly seems a large 

 sum, but it resembles 8 more than any other figure. . ,^ v„,„i= nf red 



» A rixdollar was about is. 6d. ; and a last of white herrmgs is 12 barrels, of red 

 herrings 20 cades or thousands (Tomline ; Law Dictionary). 



