THE EARLY COMMERCE OF PLYMOUTH. 305 
mouth of the Pool was defended by a boom as well as by a chain ; 
and in the next year we find entries of the charges incurred for 
hanging up the mast at the Cawse, while in 1524-25 2s. 8d. was 
paid “for wyndynge of the Chayne at dyuse tymes.” 
The corporators, wise 1n their generation, had no notion of 
spending all this money on the Cawsey without return. At any 
rate they did not see why any should benefit by it who did not 
pay towards it; and so in 1508-9 we find “It. recd of dyvers 
straungs this yere lj. hake gyven to the Cawse.” These were dried 
and sold for “ v" x* viij*” This is the first of many similar entries ; 
and when it is said that the hake were ‘‘gyven,” I take it that no 
compulsion was exercised, only that the “straungs” were made 
very clearly to understand that they must. What the hake were 
demanded for is shown by an entry in 1536-37: ‘“Itm. Ree. for 
the Castell hake recd. of straunge bots that mored themselffe w™ 
the Cawssey this yere viij* 1x* ob.” From that date the term 
“Castle hake” replaces ‘“‘Cawsey hake.” Whether the Castle 
needed more repairs than the Cawsey, or whether, seeing that the 
Corporation had a tonnage right within the Pool, the demand of an 
additional commercial impost was deemed illegal, I cannot say. 
The change, however, was made. If the Cawsey no longer served 
the turn of the Corporation the Castle did; and the impost has 
descended to our time. 
Hake were held in deserved estimation in these days. In 
1533-34, when the town got rid of its payment to the Prior of 
Plympton, a present of three quarters of hake, worth 20s., was 
sent all the way to London to ‘‘Mr. Crumwell.” This was evi- 
dently appreciated ; for in the following year 13s. 4d. was spent 
on certain dry hake sent to Mr. Secretary, the carriage of which to 
London cost 12s. 8d. And as to “gresyd congers,” whatever the 
operation of greasing may have been, they were deemed a dish fit 
for a bishop. 
From the fact that the Cawsey was supplemented during the 
sixteenth century by various wharves and quays in Sutton Pool, 
we may fairly assume that the commerce of the port was then 
recovering from the depression of which so much complaint had 
been made. ‘Thus a “Crane Key” is mentioned in 1519-20 with 
‘William Pull’s kaye,” and “Allyn is key.” In 1572-3 the “key 
on South side” was built ‘from the Barbican, under full sea mark : 
in length 130 feet, and in breadth 44.” Then we find. William 
