90 CHARLES II. 
had already been captured. As a result of this petition the 
Council ordered a frigate of 24 guns to proceed from 
the coast of Scotland to Iceland.1_ Throughout the period, 
indeed, the only fishery conducted without fear of molesta- 
tion was the whale fishery of the Muscovy Company in 
Greenland; this Company dispatched annually to the North 
some three vessels with thirty-seven harpooners and steers- 
men.” 
In such times of trouble as these, there was little to tempt 
either companies or individuals to risk capital in an attempt 
to revive the fishing industry of Britain. The attempt 
was contemplated; Sir Phineas Andrews in 1654, and 
Simon Smith in 1660, were allowed certain exemptions from 
Customs and Excise, upon their undertaking the Fishery, 
but neither of them seems to have carried his plans into 
effective execution.2 Except for various spasmodic efforts 
round the coast, therefore, the fishing industry was in a 
state of extreme depression when Charles II., at the Restora- 
tion, returned to Britain. It was not long before Charles 
evinced the same desire for the encouragement of the fishing 
industry that had actuated his father and his grandfather. 
He first directed his attention to the Scotch fisheries, and, 
on 12th June, 1661, had an Act passed authorising the 
erection of companies for the promotion of fisheries, called 
an “‘ Act for the Fishings and erecting of companies for 
promoteing the same.” * The new Societies for the Fishing 
were to be open to such Scotsmen and naturalised Scotsmen 
as subscribed to their funds not less than five hundred merks 
Scots. They were to have similar privileges to those of 
their predecessors, and were to be managed by a body of 
1Cal. S.P. Dom. Commonwealth, vol. 228, No. 44. 
2 Ibid. vol. 124, No. 62. 
3“ A Collection with some observations, touching the Royal Fishery of 
Great Britain and Ireland” (1696), p. 3. 
4 Act. Parl. Scotland, vol. vii. pp. 259-261. 
