26 CHARLES I. 
contributed about forty or fifty more, making in all about 
a hundred vessels, of from 50 to 150 tons. The fishers 
took their catch at a distance of 6, 10, or 20 leagues from 
the shore, never going nearer except in foul weather. They 
went to the fishing grounds “ victualled for six months 
with Bread and Beer.” For other provisions they relied 
on the resources of the Island, which could always provide 
them with “fowl and fish.’ One curious point noted by 
Coke is that many long winged hawks were taken, some 16 
or 20 faleoners going with the fleet to look after the birds. 
Concerning Irish fishings, Coke comments on the fact 
that whereas formerly no foreigners fished there without 
having first duly taken out a license to do so, the Dutch 
were now acting as if the fishing were really their own, and 
had actually established a company at Amsterdam, called 
“The Irish Company,” to exploit the Irish fisheries. 
Another contemporary writer! states that upon the east 
and south coasts of Ireland there was formerly a herring 
fishing, but at that time it had not been engaged in for 
some three or four years. Upon the north and north-east 
parts of Ireland, there existed a herring fishing, “ but so 
uncertain as no proportion can be made for the same.” 
The same writer speaks of ‘“‘ ane Pilchert fishing upon the 
south-west of Ireland belonging to the City of London,” 
and of the great Irish “ Salmond fishings.” 
From March till the beginning of September the Yarmouth 
fishermen were off the coast of Ireland in search of cod and 
ling. Ordinarily, about this time, some two or three hun- 
dred small vessels of from ten to thirty tons burden set 
out for this fishing, making two or three voyages to the 
fishing grounds from the first of March to the first of Sep- 
tember, when they set out for the herring fishing upon the 
banks of Yarmouth.” 
1MSS., about 1630, 31.2.16, Advocates’ Library, Edinburgh. 
2MSS. 32.1.16, Advocates’ Library, Edinburgh. ‘‘ Memorandum con- 
cerning the fishing along the coast of England, Cornwall, etc.’’ 
