Volume 1

Travels and works of Captain John Smith, President of Virginia, and Admiral of New England / edited by Edward Arber.

  • John Smith
Date:
1910
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Travels and works of Captain John Smith, President of Virginia, and Admiral of New England / edited by Edward Arber. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    398/552 (page 238)
    [1577- 1614] \.PP- 254. 743-1 [/. 197.] Ip 744-1 The henefite of Fishing, as that famous Philosopher Master Dee reporteth in his Brittish Monarchie [1577 a.d.] He saith, that more then forty foure yeares agoe [i.e., by 1577]> the Herring Busses out of the Low-countries, vnder the King of Spaine, were hue hundred, besides one hundred Frenchmen, and three or foure hundred saile of Flemings. The coasts of Wales and Lankashire was vsed by three hundred sayle of strangers. Ireland at Baltemore fraughted yerely three hundred sayle of Spaniards, where King Edward the sixt intended to haue made a strong Castell, because of the straite, to haue tribute for fishing. Black Rocke was yearely fished by three or foure hundred ^ayle of Spaniards, Portugalls, and Biskiners. Master [Tobias] Gentleman [of Yarmouth] and many Fisher-men and Fishmongers, with whom I haue conferred, report: The Hollanders raise yearely [i.e., in 1620] by Herrings, Cod, and Ling, 3000000 pounds [i.e., sterling], English and French, by Salt-fish, poore John, Salmons, and Pilchards, 300000. pounds. Hambrough and the Sound, for Sturgion, Lobsters and Eeles, 100000 pounds. Cape Blanke, Tunny and Mullit by the Biskiners and Spaniards, 30000. pounds. But diuers other learned experienced Obseruers say, though it may seeme incredible : That the Duke of Medina receiueth yearely tribute, of the Fishers of Tunny, Mullit, and Burgos, more than 10000. pounds. Lubeck hath seuen hundred shippes : Hambrough sixe hundred : Embden [but] lately a fisher towne, 1400 : whose customes by the profit of fishing hath made them so powerfull as they be. Holland and Ze[a]land, not much greater then Yorkeshire, hath thirty walled townes, 400. villages, and 20000. sayle of ships and hoyes; 3600 [i.e., vessels] are fishermen,