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A60466 The trade & fishing of Great-Britain displayed with a description of the islands of Orkney and Shotland. By Captain John Smith. Smith, John, Captain, lieutenant under Col. Rainsborough. 1661 (1661) Wing S4097; ESTC R220078 12,883 24

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THE Trade Fishing OF GREAT-BRITAIN DISPLAYED With a Description of the Islands of ORKNEY and SHOTLAND BY Captain JOHN SMITH LONDON Printed by William Godbid and are to be sold by Nathaniel Webb at the Sign of the Royal-Oake in St. Paul's Church-yard 1661. To His Sacred MAJESTY CHARLES By the Grace of GOD Of Great-Britain France and Ireland KING Defender of the Faith c. May it please Your Most Excellent Majesty ENcouraged by the Proclamation Your Majesty was graciously pleased to put forth some Months since concerning the Fishing-Trade and having gained some little Experience in that Particular during my stay upon the Coasts of Shotland I presume humbly to offer to Your Sacred Majesty the following Discourse being a short Description of That and the Adjoyning Islands the Conveniency of the Place what course the Dutch have continually taken in order to their carrying on that great Business their Infinite Gain thereupon and by what means the Industry of the English may render all their Trade there inconsiderable Beseeching Your Majesty's Gracious Acceptance of this small Endeavour from one of the Meanest yet amongst the Faithfullest of YOUR MAJESTY'S Subjects JOHN SMITH Captain John Smith late of London Merchant his Observations of the Islands of Orkney and Shotland with the manner of the Hollanders Fishing in the North or Narrow Seas on those Coasts and the Coast of England and Scotland Which doth truly and lively set forth the great benefit that the Fishing Employments will produce IN the year 1633. being then an Apprentice to Mr. Matthew Cradock of London Merchant one of the Society for the Fishing-Trade of Great Britain was sent to Sea by the right Honorable the Earl of Pembrook and Montgomery and his Associates for the discovery of the Island of Shotland the manner and way of Trading the Profits and Customs thereof the setling a Staple building of Store-houses the viewing the ground on shore for landing and drying of Nets making and drying of Fish and the building of Block-houses for the security of Trade The manner of the Hollanders fishing for Herring with Busses and other Vessels for Ling and Cod according to the Journal kept thereof is as followeth We set sail from Gravesend the 27th of April 1633. and having Letters from the Earl of Pembrook to Mr. William Dicks of Edinburgh in Scotland we directed our course towards Scotland but by reason of foul weather was forced into Harwich and set sail from thence the 30th Ditto the wind not favouring us we came to an Anchor in Yarmouth-road and there going on shore was informed that the Hollanders Busses did drive at Sea for Herrings on that Coast and that from the Holms before Yarmouth to Bookness in Scotland North North-East is 96 Leagues and from Bookness to the South end of Shotland North and By-East about 53 Leagues The fifth of May we set sail from Yarmouth and by stress of wind was forced into Scarbrough and there going on shore was informed of the Hollanders Busses fishing on that Coast and that from Scarbrough Northward towards Catness in 45 Fathom or thereabouts in that fair way is usually the first Summer Herrings caught From Scarbrough we set sail and came to an Anchor before Leith in Scotland the 13th Ditto where going on shore and from thence to Edinburgh delivered my Letters to Mr. William Dicks who was at that time Governor of the Island of Shotland and did receive the Revenue of those Islands Having received my Instructions and Letters from Mr. William Dicks directed to Mr. James Scot who lived at that time in the North parts of the Islands of Shotland and was Agent or Deputy to the said William Dicks We set sail from Leith and came to an Anchor at Casten in the Islands of Orkney the 22 Ditto And because these Islands are very considerable as to the Fishing Trade I cannot pass them by without a brief description thereof which is as followeth The Islands of Orkney are 31 and lye from the North and North-East Point of Scotland the first and Southermost Island is called Elhey but the greatest and chiefest Island of Orkney is called Maland which lyeth Southermost from the Point of Catness on the North side of this great Island are the Havens where the Ships come to that Trade in those parts and to the Island called Lewis and the Islands thereabouts The Lewis Islands are the Islands on the West of Scotland and those Seas being also very considerable as to the Fishing Trade I make bold to give account thereof as followeth These Islands lying Westward from Scotland and to the Northward of Ireland are in number 34. There are four great Islands that lie near the main Land but the greatest and chiefest Island is called Lewis which lyeth Northward from the foresaid Islands but the Northermost of all the Islands which lyeth towards the Orkanes about sixteen Leagues from Lewis is called Rova betwixt Rova and Orkney lye some small Islands The Island Lewis lyeth from Shotland South-West or more Westerly about 58 Leagues and from the South end of Lewis to the North-West of Ireland is 27 Leagues In and between these Islands are many very good Sounds and Havens for Ships Lewis with the Islands belonging to it lye South and By-West and South South-west about 29 Leagues I shall farther add to my boldness and give You an account of the Islands of Fero. These Islands lie Northward from the Lewis Islands about ●4 Leagues and from Shotland Westerly about 58 Leagues and are in number 22. The Sounds and Havens are many The Southermost great Island is called Sugdro on the North side of this Island are several good Sounds and Havens but the best and chiefest of all the Havens and where all the Trade and Merchandise is is called Tor-Haven which lyeth on the great Island Strone But these Islands being out of my Road I shall return to my former Discourse on the Coast of Orkney and Shotland The South part of Shotland lyeth about 20 Leagues Northward from the Island called Maland but between the Islands of Orkney and Shotland lie two Islands the one called Fair-hill and the other called Fulo these two Islands lye about 10 Leagues one from the other Fulo lyeth North North-East from Fair-hill The Island Fair-hill lieth from the Noth-East point of Orkney about 9 Leagues and the Southermost point of Shotland lyeth from Fair-hill North and By-East about 8 Leagues and from Fulo East and By-South about four Leagues Being informed of the manner of the Hollanders Fishing for Herring Ling and Cod with Busses and Doger-Boats in those Seas and the Inhabitants of the Islands manner and way of Fishing we set sail from Casten and came to an Anchor by Sunbrough-head being the South part of Shotland the third of June and going a shore spake with the Good-man of Quandale one of the chief of those parts the said Gentleman with other of the Inhabitants did inform me of their manner of Trading with the
Hamburgers and others and of the Hollanders Fishing for Herring on that Coast also of their Doger-boats that fish onely for Ling and Cod. After I had received Information from the Inhabitants of the several Islands and the manner of Fishing and Trading there we set sail from thence and came to an Anchor in Bracey-Sound otherwise called Broad-Sound a very gallant Harbour where many Ships may lie Land-lockt for all Winds Having informed my self by the Inhabitants of those parts of the manner of their Trading and Fishing and the Hollanders fishing for Herrings driving on that Coast we set sail from thence and came to an Anchor in Evey-Sound the Northermost Sound in Shotland on the 12 Ditto and there going on shore I continued about 11 or 12 Months and in that time travelling the greatest part of the Island by Sea and Land did thereby better inform my self concerning the manner of Trading and Fishing by the Inhabitants and the Hollanders at Sea The Land of Shotland lyeth North and By-East and South or South and West about 60 Miles But their many Islands belonging to Shotland which I shall have occasion to mention hereafter That which is most considerable are the Sounds and Harbours On the West side of the Southward Point of Shotland there is a good Harbour and Sound called St. Magnus and on the East side near Sunbrough-head is a fair Sand-Bay where there is good Anchoring in ten or twelve Fathom to the Northward of this last Sound there is another Sound called Hambrough-Haven which is a lade-place for the Hamburgers and Scots About 9 or 10 Leagues from the Southward point of Shotland there is a Chanel that runneth through the Land the South part of the Land divided by the Chanel is called Swanberg the other part so divided or the North part is called Laxford within this Chanel aforesaid are several Sounds or Harbours but the best and chiefest Sound in Shotland is Brace-Sound or Broad-Sound as before mentioned out of this Sound the aforesaid Channel doth run Northward On the North part of Swanberg lieth the high hill of Hanglix from the said Hanglix about 9 Leagues Northward lie some out-Rocks called the Stars to the Northward of the Stars there is a very good Harbour called Bloom Sound to the Northward of this last Sound is another good Haven called Hue-Seund being the Northernmost or North-East Sound or Haven belonging to the Island called Ounst There are other Havens or Sounds which lyeth through the Land between and about that part of Shotland called Laxford and the Island called Jello There are also other Islands and Sounds which for brevitie sake I forbear to mention The Merchants which Trade with the Inhabitants of Shotland are Hamburgers Breamers Luberghers Scots and English The chief Inhabitants of the Islands are Scots the meaner or inferior sort are a mixed people of Danes and Scots The Islands of Shotland as I have been informed were given to King James of blessed memory by the King of Denmark with Queen Ann. being part of her Dowry The Commodities of Shotland which the Inhabitants do for the most part Trade withal is Ling and Cod which they take with Hooks and Lines in small Boats called Yalls about the bigness of Gravesend Oars the Ling they sell for 3d. a piece being a Ling of the largest size and is called a Gild Ling if smaller then we have two for one or three for two and so proportionable The Cod is sold for 2d the Gild Cod and is measured as the Ling. I bought of Fisher-men the Inhabitants of the Island called Ounst 11655 Gild Ling and 834 Gild Cod at 3d. the Gild Ling and 2d the Gild Cod which Ling and Cod were taken by the said Fishermen at several times in their small Boats and brought to my Booth or place of abode every morning as they were caught the said Ling and Cod being very good and Merchantable were salted aboard the Ship that landed me and within seven weeks after my landing I sent her for London with the said Fish to the Right Honorable the Earl of Pembrook as by my Books of Account delivered into his hands and left with him may appear There is also other small Fish which the Inhabitants do catch with Angles sitting on the Rocks and in their small Boats with Hooks and Lines in the Sounds and between the Islands and these small fish are very considerable for although they cannot spend them by reason of the multitude they take and have not industry to make use of them for Transportation yet the Livers they preserve and with the Livers of the Ling and Cod make Train-Oyle but if it were improved as taking them with Nets the Train Oyle I say would amount to a considerable sum And if this increase of Trade were carried through the whole Islands it would be a great encouragement to all Merchants Trading into those parts There were several other Merchants in the Island where I did inhabit that bought Ling and Cod of the Fishermen so that the quantity which I sent for England was not above the fifth part taken in that Island with which the whole quantity of fish that was bought by other Merchants throughout the whole Islands of Shotland being added together would amount to a very considerable Sum or Quantity to the lading of many Vessels which might be much more improved and encrease Trading thereby furnishing the Inhabitants with Mony and Commodities In the Islands of Shotland there were Beeves and sheep sold at a very reasonable rate I bought for my own use and the Victualing the Ship sent to London three Oxen for 3 l. and at an other time four Oxen for 5 l. which were fat and about the bigness of the small fort of Cattel we have in England There were also fat Sheep sold for 2s and 2s 6d per Sheep there were also other Creatures for food as Conies and Fowl But desiring not to multiply words I forbear to mention them The Fuel or Firing in Shotland is Peat and Turf There may be Salt-Pans set up there and good Salt made to serve all the Fishing Fleet. There are very good Shores for landing and drying of Nets and making and drying Fish There is no Night in the North of Shotland part of two months in the year as June and July In an Island North of Ounst being not inhabited but stockt with wild Cows and Conies I did kill with my Birding-piece ten couple of Conies in one night shooting from a little before Sun-set to Sun-rising and it was as light as a cloudy Winter-day I do not remember any Frost or Snow in Shotland if any it was not of long continuance the coldest weather is by reason of great Winds in the Winter-quarter the wind blowing so violent that no Ship dare look on the North-Coast so that the people of those Islands have little commerce with other Nations in that Quarter I can speak by experience being blown down flat to the