History, Wonder Tales, Fairy Tales, Myths and Legends The Flemish | Page 172

(1676), to take or seize as a privateer, to go a-privateering; ad. Du. kapen, te kaap
varen, to go a-privateering.
4. 13.
The financial policy by which heavy or prohibitive import duties were imposed, in order
to encourage the national industry or to raise revenue by the taxation of imported
luxuries, led at once to the smuggling of the articles, as soon as the tax was heavy
enough to make the attempt worth while. Such duties were very heavy in the 17th and
18th centuries, and smuggling in and out of the country was done on a large scale.
The Dutch and Flemish, being so favourably situated opposite our coasts, were large
participators in this illicit trade. The smuggling of wool to the Continent during the
period when the export was absolutely forbidden attained enormous proportions; it
was estimated in 1788 at 11,000 packs annually. In many articles of import, such as
tea and spirits, the illicit trade was probably of larger dimensions than the legitimate;
Sir Matthew Decker alleges the case of one man in Zeeland who exported to England
half a million pounds of tea; he had started life as a common sailor, but prospered so
that he had come to own four sloops which he employed in running tea.
Lorendriver (1649, once), a smuggler; ad. Du. lorendraaier, smuggler. Smuggler
(1661), one who smuggles; ad. LG. smukkeler, Du. smokkelaar, or LG. smugg(e)ler.
Smuggle (1687), to convey goods in or out of a country so as to avoid paying duty;
apparently of Low Dutch origin; the earlier form smuckle corresponds to LG. smukkeln
or Du. smokkelen, while the slightly later smuggle corresponds to LG. smuggeln
(whence also Da. smugle, Norw. smugla, Sw. smuggla).
Chapter V
Intercourse between English and Low Dutch Fishermen
5. 1.
THE oldest mention of the fishing trade of the Hollanders and Zeelanders in England
dates from the end of the 13th century; three ships were fitted out in 1295 by the king,
then at war with France, in order to protect the ships of Englishmen, Hollanders, and
Zeelanders, who were fishing on the coast off Yarmouth, and a proclamation was to
be read twice a week warning men not to hinder, injure, or oppress these men, since
they were friendly to the king. Two years later Edward I took fresh measures to protect
English and foreign fishers from vagabonds. Flemings were now named as well as the
Hollanders and Zeelanders. These measures for their protection presuppose that the
fisheries had attained considerable importance in the economic life of England and
merited thoroughgoing attention, and we can with safety assume that the fisheries
date from many years before, though their early history is only surmise. More
particulars are available for the next century. There were complaints by the Dutch in
1309 of the actions of the innkeepers, and these complaints keep cropping up during
the whole century. The importance of the fishery to the Dutch appears when we find
the Count of Holland taking up these complaints with the English Crown.
Ruinen has examined the evidence of the arrest of ships for debt at Yarmouth. Some
ships were seized with their rigging and nets; the cargo of others was arrested and
sold; sometimes also ready money was paid down, probably to redeem the cargo. The

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