Noble Britons! Forasmuch as it hath pleased the Almighty GOD to make us
a happy Nation, by blessing and enriching this noble Kingdom with the
sweet dew of His heavenly Word truly and plentifully preached amongst
us; and also in situating our country in a most wholesome climate,
and stored with many rich and pleasant treasures for our benefit,
which also yieldeth in abundance all things necessary, so that we do
not only excel other nations in strength and courage, but also all
other kingdoms far remote are by our English Commodities relieved and
cherished: it seemeth also that the wisdom of our gracious GOD hath
reserved us, as some precious gem, unto Himself; in environing our
country with the plenteous ocean sea, and dividing of us from the whole
Continent of the rest of the inferior world by our rich and commodious
element of water, which in due seasons, yieldeth to us in abundance.
For although our champion [_champagne_] soil, by the diligence of the
husbandman, be plentiful unto us; yet doth these watery regions and
dominions yield yearly great variety of all kind of most wholesome and
dainty fishes: so that it may seem strange and disputable, and hard
to determine, which of His Majesty's Dominions, of the Land or Seas,
be richer? Myself being the most unworthiest of all, in that I am no
scholar, but born a fisherman's son by the seaside, and spending my
youthful time at sea about fisher [_fishing_] affairs, whereby now I am
more skilful in nets, lines, and hooks, than in rhetoric, logic, or
learned books: yet in those few which I have read, besides the instinct
of Nature, which maketh me to know that every one should endeavour
himself (the best he is able) to be beneficial and profitable to the
kingdom and common wealth wherein he is born; which was a forcible
motive to incite me to think of this present Discourse, the penning
whereof was thus occasioned.
It was my fortune, some two years past [_i.e., in 1611_], to be sent
for into the company of one Master JOHN KEYMAR, who is a man very well
deserving of his country; and he, knowing me to have experience in
fisher [_fishing_] affairs, demanded of me the Charge both of Busses
and Line-boats, after the Hollanders' fashion: and showed unto me some
few notes that he had gathered and gotten from other men of my trade,
which he seemed greatly to esteem of, for that himself was altogether
unexperimented in such business. And further I delivered to him certain
principal notes which he seemed greatly to esteem; for that, he said,
that "He did mind to show them unto the right honourable Council."
Whereupon I entered into the cogitation of writing this True Relation
out of my own experience and knowledge, touching the inestimable sums
of money taken yearly for fish and herrings out of His Majesty's seas
by strangers. Whereby they have not only maintained their wars against
the Spaniard, both by land and sea, he being one of the great Monarchs
of the world; and at length they have not only wearied him in the wars
and brought him to good terms and reasonable Composition: but also,
it is most apparent, notwithstanding the huge charge of their wars,
so long continued, which would have made any other nation poor and
beggarly; they, to the contrary, are grown exceeding rich and strong in
fortified towns and beautiful buildings, in plenty of money and gold,
in trade and traffic with all other nations, and have so increased and
multiplied their shipping and mariners, that all other nations and
countries in the world do admire [_wonder at_] them.
Moreover, whereas one haven in one of their towns did, in former times,
contain their ships and shipping; with infinite cost, now they have
cut out two havens more to a town: and at this present, are all three
havens scarce sufficient with room enough to contain their ships and
shipping. And by reason of their industrious fisher-trade, not one of
their people is idle, nor none seen to beg amongst them, except they
be some of our own English nation.
And what their chiefest trade is, or the principal Gold Mine, is well
known to all merchants that have used those parts, and to myself and
all fishermen: namely, that His Majesty's Seas are their chiefest,
principal, and only rich Treasury; whereby they have so long time
maintained their wars, and have so greatly prospered and enriched
themselves.
If that their little country of the United Provinces can do this (as is
most manifest before our eyes they do), then what may we His Majesty's
subjects do, if this trade of fishing were once erected among us? We
having in our own countries [_counties_], sufficient store of all
necessaries to accomplish the like business.
For the Hollanders have nothing growing in their own land for that
business; but they are compelled to fetch all their wood, timber, and
plank, wherewith they build and make all their ships of, out of divers
countries: their iron out of other places; their hemp and cordage out
of the Eastern [_Baltic_] Countries; the hoops and barrel-boards out of
Norway and Sprucia [_Prussia_]; their bread-corn out of Poland and the
East Parts; their malt, barley, and best Double Drink from England; and
also all their fish and chiefest wealth out of His Majesty's seas.
The which they do transport unto the foresaid countries; and return
for the procedue [_proceeds_] of fish and herrings, the forenamed
commodities: whereby their ships and mariners are set on work, and
continually multiplied; and into their countries is plentiful store of
money and gold daily brought, only [_solely_] for the sales of fish and
herrings.
And their country being, as it were, a small plot of ground in
comparison of Great Britain; for two of His Majesty's counties, Suffolk
and Norfolk, do equal, if not exceed, in spaciousness, all their
Provinces: and yet it is manifest, that for shipping and seafaring men,
all England, Scotland, France, and Spain, for quantity of shipping and
fishermen, cannot make so great a number.
Howsoever this may seem strange unto many that do not know it; yet do
I assure myself, that a great number besides myself, know I affirm
nothing herein but the truth. Wherefore seeing the great benefit
that this business by the Busses, bonadventures, or fisherships;
by erecting of this profitable and new trade, which will bring
plenty unto His Majesty's Kingdoms and be for the general good of
the Common wealth; in setting of many thousands of poor people on
work, which now know not how to live; and also for the increasing
of ships and fishermen, which shall be employed about the taking of
fish and herrings out of His Majesty's own streams; and also for the
employing of ships, and increasing of mariners for the strengthening
of the Kingdom against all foreign invasions; and for the enriching
of Merchants with transportation of fish and herrings into other
countries; and also for the bringing in of gold and money: which now is
grown but scarce, by reason that the Dutch and Hollanders have so long
time been suffered to carry away our money and best gold for fish and
herrings taken out of His Majesty's own streams; which His Majesty's
own subjects do want and still are like[ly] to do, if that they be not
forbidden for bringing us fish and herrings; and this worthy common
wealth's business of Busses fostered and furthered by His Majesty's
honourable Council, and the worshipful and wealthy subjects; by putting
to their helping Adventures now at the first, for that those that be
now the fishermen, of themselves be not able to begin.
Those poor boats and sorry nets that our fishermen of England now
have, are all their chiefest wealth; but were their ability better,
they would soon be employing themselves: for that it is certain that
all the fishermen of England do rejoice now at the very name and news
of building of Busses, with a most joyful applaud, praying to GOD to
further it! for what great profit and pleasure it will bring they do
well understand, and I will hereafter declare.
First, I shall not need to prove that it is lawful for us that be His
Majesty's own subjects, to take with all diligence the blessings that
Almighty GOD doth yearly send unto us, at their due times and seasons;
and which do offer themselves freely and abundantly to us, in our own
seas and nigh our own shores.
Secondly, to prove that it is feasible for us; for what can be more
plain than that we see daily done before our eyes by the Hollanders!
that have nothing that they use, growing in their own land, but are
constrained to fetch all out of other countries: whereas we have all
things that shall be used about that business growing at home in our
own land; pitch and tar only excepted.
Thirdly, to prove it will be profitable, no man need to doubt; for
that we see the Hollanders have long maintained their wars: and are
nevertheless grown exceeding rich: which are things to be admired,
insomuch that themselves do call it their _chiefest trade, and
principal Gold Mine; whereby many thousands of their people of
trades and occupations be set on work, well maintained, and do
prosper_. These be the Hollanders' own words in a Dutch Proclamation,
and translated into English; and the copy of that Proclamation is here
annexed unto the end of my book [_see p._ 350].
And shall we neglect so great blessings! O slothful England, and
careless countrymen! look but on these fellows, that we call the plump
Hollanders! Behold their diligence in fishing! and our own careless
negligence!
In the midst of the month of May, do the industrious Hollanders begin
to make ready their Busses and fisher-fleets; and by the first of their
June [_i.e., N.S._] are they yearly ready, and seen to sail out of the
Maas, the Texel, and the Vlie, a thousand Sail together; for to catch
herrings in the North seas.
Six hundred of these fisherships and more, be great Busses some six
score tons, most of them be a hundred tons, and the rest three score
tons, and fifty tons: the biggest of them having four and twenty men;
some twenty men, and some eighteen, and sixteen men a piece. So that
there cannot be in this Fleet of People, no less than twenty thousand
sailors.
These having with them bread, butter, and Holland cheese for their
provision, do daily get their other diet out of His Majesty's seas;
besides the lading of this Fleet three times a piece commonly before
Saint Andrew['s day, _October 24_] with herrings, which being sold by
them but at the rate of Ten Pounds the Last, amounteth unto much more
than the sum of one million of pounds [= £4,500,000 _in present value_]
sterling; only [_solely_] by this fleet of Busses yearly. No King
upon the earth did ever see such a fleet of his own subjects at any
time; and yet this Fleet is, there and then, yearly to be seen. A most
worthy sight it were, if they were my own countrymen; yet have I taken
pleasure in being amongst them, to behold the neatness of their ships
and fishermen, how every man knoweth his own place, and all labouring
merrily together: whereby the poorest sort of themselves, their wives
and children, be well maintained; and no want seen amongst them.
[Sidenote: Shetland is the greatest Isle of all the Oreades, and lieth
in the height of 60° N. Lat.]
And thus North-West-and-by-North hence along they steer, then being
the very heart of summer and the very yolk of all the year, sailing
until they do come unto the Isle of Shetland, which is His Majesty's
dominions. And with this gallant fleet of Busses, there have been seen
twenty, thirty, and forty ships of war to waft [_convoy_] and guard
them from being pillaged and taken by their enemies and Dunkirkers: but
now the wars be ended, they do save that great charge, for they have
not now about four or six to look unto them, for [_from_] being spoiled
by rovers and pirates.
Now if that it happen that they have so good a wind as to be at
Shetland before the 14th day of their June [_i.e., N.S._] as most
commonly they have, then do they all put into Shetland, nigh
Swinborough [_Sumburgh_] Head; into a sound called Bracies [_Bressa_]
Sound, and there they frolic it on land, until that they have sucked
out all the marrow of the malt and good Scotch ale, which is the best
liquor that the island doth afford: but the 14th day of June being once
come, then away all of them go, for that is the first day, by their
own law, before which time they must not lay a net; for until then the
herrings be not in season, nor fit to be taken to be salted.
From this place, being nigh two hundred leagues from Yarmouth, do
they now first begin to fish, and they do never leave the shoals of
herrings, but come along amongst them, following the herrings as they
do come, five hundred miles in length [_along_], and lading their
ships twice or thrice before they come to Yarmouth, with the principal
and best herrings, and sending them away by the merchant ships that
cometh unto them, that bringeth them victuals, barrels, and more salt,
and nets if that they do need any, the which ships that buyeth their
herrings they do call Herring Yagers [_now spelt_ Jagers]: and these
Yagers carry them, and sell them in the East [_Baltic_] Countries, some
to Revel and to Riga, and some so far as Narva and Russia, Stockholm in
Sweden, Quinsborough [? _Konigsberg_], Dantsic, and Elving [_Elbing_],
and all Poland, Sprucia, and Pomerland, Letto [_Lithuania_],
Burnt-Hollume, Stettin, Lubeck, and Jutland and Denmark. Returning
hemp, flax, cordage, cables, and iron; corn, soap ashes, wax, wainscot,
clapholt [? _clap-boards_], pitch, tar, masts, and spruce deals, hoops
and barrel-boards [_staves_]; and plenty of silver and gold: only
[_solely_] for their procedue [_proceeds_] of herrings.
Now besides this great Fleet of the Busses, the Hollanders have a huge
number more of smaller burden, only for to take herrings also; and
these be of the burden from fifty tons unto thirty tons, and twenty
tons. The greatest of them have twelve men a piece, and the smallest
eight and nine men a piece; and these are vessels of divers fashions
and not like unto the Busses, yet go they only for herrings in the
season, and they be called, some of them, Sword-Pinks, Flat-Bottoms,
Holland-Toads, Crab-Skuits, and Yevers: and all these, or the most part
do go to Shetland; but these have no Yagers to come unto them; but they
go themselves home when they be laden, or else unto the best market.
There have been seen and numbered of Busses and these, in braces
[_rigged_], sound, and going out to sea; and at sea in sight at one
time, two thousand Sail, besides them that were at sea without [_out
of_] sight, which could not be numbered.
It is Bartholomewtide [_August 24_] yearly, before that they be come
from Shetland with the herrings so high as [_down to_] Yarmouth:
and all those herrings that they do catch in the Yarmouth seas from
Bartholomewtide until Saint Andrew['s day, _October 24_], the worst
that be, the roope-sick herrings that will not serve to make barrelled
herrings by their own law, they must not bring home into Holland;
wherefore they do sell them for ready money or gold unto the Yarmouth
men, that be no fishermen, but merchants and engrossers of great
quantities of herrings, if that, by any means, they can get them. So
that the Hollanders be very welcome guests unto the Yarmouthian [!]
herring-buyers, and the Hollanders do call them their "hosts," and they
do yearly carry away from Yarmouth many a thousand pounds, as it is
well known.
But these Hollanders, with the ladings of the best, which they make
their best brand herrings to serve for Lenten store, they send some
for Bordeaux, some for Rochelle, Nantes, Morlaix; and Saint Malo and
Caen in Normandy; Rouen, Paris, Amiens, and all Picardy and Calais: and
they do return from these places wines, salt, feathers, rosin, woad,
Normandy canvas, and Dowlais cloth, and money and French crowns. But
out of all the Archduke's countries they return nothing from thence
but ready money, in my own knowledge; and their ready payment was all
double Jacobuses, English twenty-[five] shilling pieces. I have seen
more there, in one day, than ever I did in London at any time.
[Sidenote: I have seen a small haddock sold there for two shillings
[and] sixpence: and a turbot for a Jacobus.]
For at Ostend, Newport, and Dunkirk, where and when the Holland Pinks
cometh in, there daily the Merchants, that be but women (but not such
women as the fishwives of Billingsgate; for these Netherland women do
lade away many waggons with fresh fish daily, some for Bruges, and
some for Brussels, Yperen, Dixmuiden, and Rissels [_Lille_], and at
Sas by Ghent), I have seen these Women-Merchants have their aprons
full of nothing but English Jacobuses, to make all their payment of;
and such heaps and budgetfuls in the counting-houses of the Fish
Brokers, which made me much to wonder how they should come by them. And
also I know that capons are not so dearly sold by the poulterers in
Gratious [_Gracechurch_] Street in London, as fresh fish is sold by the
Hollanders in all those Roman Catholic and Papistical countries.
* * * * *
And whereas I have made but a true relation of their Fleets of Busses,
and only the herring fishermen that be on His Majesty's seas from June
until November: I will here set down the fishermen that, all the year
long, in the seasons, do fish for Cod and Ling continually, going and
returning laden with barrelled fish.
And these be Pinks and Well-boats of the burden of forty tons, and the
smallest thirty tons. These have some twelve men a piece, one with
another. There is of this sort of fisherboats, beginning at Flushing,
Camefere, Surwick Sea, the Maas, the Texel, and the Vlie, and the other
sandy islands, about five hundred or six hundred Sail which, all the
year long, are fishing for Cod; whereof they do make their barrelled
fish, which they do transport in the summer into the East parts, but in
winter all France is served by them and all the Archduke's countries
before spoken of: both of barrelled fish and fresh fish, which they
of purpose do keep alive in their boats in wells. And to us here in
England, for love of our strong beer, they bring us barrelled fish in
winter; and carry away our money and gold every day in great quantities.
Besides all these Pinks and Well-boats, the Hollanders have
continually, in the season, another fleet of fishermen, at the
north-east head of Shetland, which be of another quality: and there are
more than two hundred of these, and these be called Fly-boats. These do
ride at anchor all the season at Shetland, in the fishing grounds, and
they have small boats within them, which be like unto Cobles, the which
they do put out to lay and haul their lines, whereby they do take great
store of Ling: the which they do not barrel, but split them and salt
them in the ship's bulk [_hold_]; and these they sell commonly for four
and five pounds the hundred. These go by the name of Holland Lings:
but they are taken out of His Majesty's seas, and were Shetland Lings
before they took them there; and for these Lings they do carry away
abundance of England's best money daily.
* * * * *
Now having declared according unto truth, the numbers of their
fishermen in Holland for herrings upon His Majesty's seas; and also
of their Pinks and Well-boats; and their courses for taking, venting,
and selling of their barrelled fish and fresh fish; and also of their
Fly-boats at the north-east head of Shetland, for Shetland Lings:
I think it now best, truly to show the true number of our English
fishermen, and how they do employ themselves all the year long;
first beginning at Colchester, nigh the mouth of the Thames, and so
proceeding northward.
I can scarce afford these men of that Water the name of fishermen; for
that their chiefest trade is dredging for oysters: yet have they, in
the summer, some eight or ten boats in the North seas for Cod; which if
that they happen to spend all their salt, and to speed well, they may
get some twenty pounds in a summer clear.
But here, by the way, I will make known a great abuse that is offered
to the common wealth, and especially to all the herring fishermen of
England, only by those men of Colchester Water. For these men, from
Saint Andrew [_October 24_] until Candlemas [_February 2_], and
sometimes longer, do set forth Stale-boats, amongst the sands in the
Thames' mouth, for to take sprats, with great stale-nets, with a great
poke [_bag_]; and they standing in the Swinne or the King's Channel
on the back of the Gunfleet, they do there take instead of sprats,
infinite thousands of young herrings, smaller than sprats and not good
to be eaten, for one sprat is better worth than twenty of those Bleaks
or young herrings. But because they do fill the bushel at Billingsgate,
where they do sell them for sprats; the which, if that they were let
[a]live, would all be, at Midsummer, a fat Summer full Herring. And a
peck is sometimes there sold for twopence; which number of herrings
at Midsummer would make a barrel of summer herrings, worth twenty or
thirty shillings.
If that they could take sprats it were good, for they be good victuals
for the City; but for every cartload or bushel of sprats, they take
a hundred cartloads or bushels of these young herrings; which be the
very spawn of the shoals of the herrings that cometh from Shetland
every summer: and whereas they come into Yarmouth seas yearly about
Saint Luke's [day, _September 21_] and (sometimes before, if that it do
blow a hard easterly wind) do always at that season become roope-sick
and do spawn and become shotten [_empty_] betwixt Wintertonness and
Orfordness. And those fry of that spawn, those young little creatures,
by the wisdom of the great Creator, seeketh into the shore and shallow
places, there to be nourished, and also into the Thames' mouth into the
sweetest waters; for that the water nigh the shore and in the Thames'
mouth is not so briny salt as it is farther off in the deep water.
Where these Bleaks yearly seeking to be nourished, they be always at
that season taken and destroyed. But if that these men will needs use
their Stale-boats and nets, let them go where the good sprats be.
They must then stand at Orfordness and in Dunwich bay, where there be
excellent sprats: and for the good of all the herring fishermen of
England, I wish that they might be prohibited to sell that which is not
wholesome to be eaten; which is as much as to sell hemlock for parsnips.
The next to Colchester, is Harwich Water. A royal harbour and a proper
town, fit for the use of Busses (no place in all Holland comparable
to it, for there is both land and strand and dry beach enough for four
hundred Sail); but the chiefest trade of the inhabitants of this place
is with Caravels for Newcastle coals: but they have three or four ships
yearly that they do send to Iceland for Cod and Ling from March until
September; and some years they get, and some years they lose. But if
that they had but once the trade of Busses, this would soon be a fine
place: but those Caravels and Ships which they now have, be all their
chiefest wealth.
Six miles up Harwich water stands Ipswich; which is a gallant town and
rich. This Town is such a place for the Busses, as in all England and
Holland I know no place so convenient. First, it is the best place
in all England for the building of Busses; both for the plenty of
timber and plank, and excellent workmen for making of ships. There are
more there, than there are in six of the best towns in all England.
Secondly, it is a principal place for good housewives for spinning of
yarn, for the making of pouldavice [_canvas_]; for there is the best
that is made. Which town with the use of the making of twine, will soon
be the best place of all England for to provide nets for the Busses. It
is also a most convenient place for the wintering of the Busses, for
that all the shores of that river are altogether ooze and soft ground,
fit for them to lie on in winter.
[Sidenote: This Town is most fit and convenient place to make a Staple
Town for corn for all England, for the return and sale of the Busses'
herrings from Dantsic and Poland.]