THE ASSOCIATION FOR THE FISHING 43 
had already demanded “all firthes, loches, bayes, and 
yles, with some distance from the land,” but this had 
been considered too much by the English commissioners, 
who desired that the reserved fishings should be confined 
to ‘‘so muche without the whiche the natives cannot 
subsist.” 
The matter of the reserve was referred to the commis- 
sioners from the burghs, who, after much deliberation, 
finally asked that the sea upon the coasts to a distance of 
14 miles and within all lochs, bays, and firths, should be 
reserved ; they pleaded ‘“‘if these seas should be exhausted 
by strangers of fishes, they should be deprived of all benefite 
of living” and the inhabitants “should be brought to 
extreme misery.” ! 
The Lords of the Privy Council, however, thought this 
reserve too great, and submitted a reservation of their own 
to the commissioners. “‘ Upon the east coast of Scotland 
from Sanct Tabsheid in the shiredom of Berwick, Directlie 
north to the Reidheid in Angus, whilk comprehends the 
coast of the Merce, Lothiane, the firth, Fyfe, and a part of 
the coast of Angus, and fourteene myles without the course 
from the said Tabsheid to the Reidhead. 
“Frome the Reidhead, north northeast alongs the coast 
of Angus, Mernes, Mar, and Buchan, to Buchannesse, and 
fourteene myles aff the said coast. 
“From Buchannesse, northwest and be north to Dungis- 
bieheid in Caithnes, Comprehending thairin the coast of 
Banff and Murrey upon the south side Murrey firth, and the 
coast of Rosse, Sutherland, and ane part of Caithnes upon 
the north, and 14 myles without the course from the said 
Buchannesse to the said Dungisbieheid. 
“From Dungisbieheid about the east side of the whole 
yles of Orkney to the northmost yle of the same callit north 
Rollandsey. And frome that west and south about the 
1 Act. Parl. Scotland, vol. v. p. 235. 
