A discourse of the fishery briefly laying open, not only the advantages, and facility of the undertaking, but likewise the absolute necessity of it, in order to the well-being, both of king, and people : asserted, and vindicated from all materiall objections / by R. L'Estrange.

§. 2. The Fishery lies fairer for the Subjects of his Majesty of Great Britain, then for the Hollanders.

As the Fishery is very Considerable, so it lyes much fairer for Us, then for Them, in regard that we have many advantages toward it, which the Dutch want, and that we hardly want any thing which they have; save only Industry, which may be easily Promoted by good Order, and Discipline.

First, We have the Fish upon our Coasts, (I might have said upon our Shoars) where in case of Storm, Vnlading, taking in Provisions, or the like; it is seldom above 4 or 5 hours work (and most commonly not so much) to Recover a Harbour, and without any losse of time, to refitt, and put to Sea again; whereas the Dutch have usually some 200 Leagues to sayl before they come to their Fishing; and there they lie at the mercy of the winds, for want of a Port to friend: and in Case of unlading, they have as far back again; which takes up a great deal of time, hinders their business, and endangers the loss of their Markets. It is true, that they have their Yagers many times, to take off their Fish at Sea, and refurnish them with Cask, and other necessaryes; but if it happens to be a Rowling sea, they must ly still, and wait for a Calm; whereas with us that are in Harbour, the work of unlading, Repacking, and sending our Fish away to the first Market, goes on in all weathers. So that in respect of the nearnesse of the Fishing, we have much the Better of them: And no lesse, in the Commodiousnesse of our Ports and Crecks to Receive the Busses upon all Occasions.

As to the Charge of a Fishing Vessell, with her Furniture, Tackle, Salt, Cask and Victualls; there is hardly any thing that belongs to it, except Pitch and Tarr, which We have not of our own Growth, whereas the Dutch have little of the••r own towards it, but Cheese and Butter, which is cheaper with Us too then with Them.

Now if the Fishery be so Profitable, and lie so open to Us, that we may master it with lesse Expence, Difficulty, or Hazzard then the Dutch, It is our own fault if We do not improve it to the Greatest Temporal Blessing (per∣chance) that Providence ever bestowed upon any People.

Some indeed will have it that We want Men; Others, that our men will never take to it.

To the First, I answer (under favour) that we have Men enough, but they are idle, and live upon the Publick (to the shame of the Government) without any Return of Labour and Industry for their Bread; let but these People be set at work upon the Fishery, and We shall have hands to spare.

The Second Exception is a Contemplation at large, viz. That the Genius of this Nation will never endure the hardships of that Employment▪

To which I Reply, That the English do daily run greater hazards, and suffer greater hardships in other Voyages, then they do in This; And that they are, in very many Cases, inured to harder Labour: For certainly the working of a Mine is incomparably beyond that of a Busse. But to come to the very Point it self, so farre are the English from an A∣version to the Fishery, that they do apply themselves to it; as Yarmouth, and Scarborough, and indeed the whole Coast will bear me Witness; For so soon as ever harvest is over (where the Herring-season comes on) the Boys, and Country Fellows presently flock to the Coast, to be hired into the Fishing, and upon tryal, find it so much to their liking, that after the second Voyage there is not one of Twenty of them but takes up at Sea for good and all, without ever returning to his former Condition.

To make it yet Clearer, it will not be amiss to take this Generall Ob∣jection to peices, and distinctly to Examine the severall difficultyes that oc∣curr under the notion of hardships. For to say that the English will never do any thing but where they may ly warm, and dry; fill their Bellyes, and take their Ease; and that the Hollanders will endure. Hardships better then the English, will never Carry the Question: but I would fain know what sort of hard∣ship it is (conducing to this affair) wherein the Dutch go beyond Us.

Are they Hardyer to encounter the Dangers of the Seas?

In this poynt, we may appeal to every days Experience, and leave the whole world to judge betwixt us.

Is it the Hardship of Lying exposed to Cold Blasts, and Storms?

Herein lyes a Mistake, which I must confess has gain'd some Credit, and it is worth the while to set it Right. Be it known then, that the Herring-sish∣ing in his Majesties Seas, begins in June, and goes out in November: and that for the first 4. Moneths, (which is the best time both for Profit and▪ Fair Weather) we never so much as look after it, but fall in upon the Winter Fishing, from September, to the end of November, which is the most Tem∣pe••tuous season of the whole year. And then in January, we fit out for the North-Seas, and spend the remainder of the Winter in all extremi∣ties of cold and hardship. This is enough to satisfie any man, that Our skins are as good proof against winde and weather as Theirs.

But I will put it yet further, by supposing that the Winter-Fishing would be too hard for us; What excuse have we now for not making our best of the Summer-Fishing, which is far the more gainful of the two?

And truly the Hardship of Course-Feeding, does not amount to much nei∣ther, though I know great stresse is layd upon it, how pittyfully their People Fare; and that an English Body will never be able to live upon a Dutch Diet.

If so it were, that an English Diet could not be had, and that a Dutch one would not serve the turn; it were something; but that is not Our Case; for here, he that cannot feed upon the One, may have the Other: and I am per∣swaded,

that the work will go on with Pease and Bacon, every jot as well as with Roots and Cabbidge; Not but that the English can bring their stomacks down too upon any Honourable Occasion, to the Grossest Food Imagina∣ble; as has been often seen among the Besieged in our late Troubles: but they are too generous, to mortifie their Carcases, purely to save their Purses; which in this particular, is the only ground of Exception; It will augment the Charge that is to say, whereas a Holland-Buss, after their way of Vi∣ctualling, clears about a 1000l. a year, an English Buss will not clear above 990l. according to Ours: which 10l. difference I do only admit for quiet sake, and to shorten the dispute; as being the most that any man can pre∣tend to; and more too, in plain terms, then the matter will bear. For the Dutch-Victualling is the same with ours, so far as to Beer, Biscuyte, Butter and Cheese; all which We can lay in much cheaper then They: so that 'tis but adding the Charge of Pease and Bacon, which (to take it at the worst) comes but to some 15 or 16l. more, and then discounting for the other victu∣alls which it saves; for the difference of Prizes; and for the Brandy, which their People drink more then ours, and there's the Accompt.

Besides that the very supposall of passing from a good Diet to a bad, is a great Errour, for the Countrey-men that put themselves into the Fishing, fare Incomparably better at Sea, then ever they did at Land; for beside the Ordinary Provision which they carry to Sea, they feed upon the Fish they Catch; which for variety and Delicacy, (being fresh taken) is a Treat, beyond what is to be had at any Noblemans Table ashoar: and improves them at such a Rate, that of Pittifull weaklings at Land, they come in a voy∣age or two to be hearty, stout, and healthfull persons.

There is another Objection raysed from the strictnesse of the States Go∣vernment; (where People must either work, or starve)which says, that the hardshipps of the Fishery are so great, that if it were not barely to keep life and soul together, no body would meddle with it, and that their Fishery is meerly Supply'd cut of such a sort of People.

My Answer is, First, that the Foundation is a mistake, for it is already made plain, that there are no such terrible hardshipps. Secondly, for Argument sake, I will take all for Granted, as well the hardshipps themselves, as the necessi∣ryes that make people undergo them; let it but be agreed, that by the force of those necessities, the thing is done at last. For then, by a stronger reason it may be done by Us, who have Ten men for their One, that have nothing to live upon but their Labour: Persons that are ready to starve for want of work, when the Nation is almost undone for want of People.

There are yet two Lions more in the way; 1st. Our Herrings are in no esteem abroad, because we have not the right way of Curing them. 2ly, we shall never make any thing on't, for the Dutch will under-sell us, by freighting chea∣per; and consequently beat us ont of the Trade, for want of Vent. To which in Order.

1st. There are two wayes of Cuting Herring; The One, at Sea; where they are Gipp'd, Immediately upon the taking, and so Barrel'd up: The Other, at Land, where they are Gipp'd, and Pack'd, some dayes after they are Taken, These we call shore-made Herrings and we know before hand, that one Barrell of the Other, (for Goodness) is worth a hundred of These; and that they will never take their Pickle kindly, unless their Throtes be cutt as soon as they are Caught. So that it is a great Errour, to take a shore-made Herring for a tryal of our Skill of Curing. But for those we make at Sea, they are as good, and as well esteemed abroad, as any Dutch Herrings whatso∣ever: and this very year, above 200 Barrells were sold into the East-Coun∣trey out of one small vessell of ours at near 4l. a Barrell. I wish we were not more to blame for not taking them, then for not Curing them. But what if Really we could not Cure them? Is it Impossible to Learn?

2ly The other suggestion, that the Dutch will beat us out of our Trade, is either of no force at all against the Fishery, or it is much more forcible against the Merchant, and the Collier; for this Trade lies under our Noses, and more in our Power then any other: And to discourage our Fishing upon this Consideration, is all one, as to bid us quitt all Navigation whatsoever, and leave our selves at the Hollanders Mercy; or in Effect, for a Prey to all Comers. And then to fear the want of Vent, is to Imagine that people will leave Eat∣ing: for a great part of the Trading World lyes yet unserv'd: neither can any man shew me that ever our Herring lay upon our Hands, for want of a Market.

Enough is sayd 1st. to shew the Advantages of the Fishery. And 2ly. that we may easily Master it, if we please. It remains now that we take pos∣session of it, and apply the Profit to our selves.