CHAPTER II.

THE HERRING FISHERY.

The British herring fishery-The Scotch fishery and take of fish-Mode of curing-Statistics of export-Definition of official brands-Statistics of the Norfolk fishery-Description of drift and other nets-Kippered herrings The Dutch fishery-The French fishery-The Norway fishery— The North American fishery.

OF almost equal importance to that of the cod is the herring fishery, which supports and gives employment to many thousand of persons. Herrings (Clupea harengus), when in prime condition, form a cheap, delicate, and nutritious article of food, and when promptly and efficiently cured, become valuable as provision. But their value in this respect must necessarily depend entirely on the quality of the fish when caught, and on the degree of promptitude and care which may be exercised in curing them.

The common herring, which is so abundant in all markets, is taken generally on the coast of Europe, from the extremity of Scandinavia as far as Normandy, and sometimes even lower down, but never so low as the Bay of Biscay. Swedes, Norwegians, Russians, Danes, Germans, Dutch, English, Scotch, Irish, and French, all take part in the herring fishery. The number of men employed in Great Britain is about 100,000, and that of vessels 3000—

not counting the number of small boats. Herrings breed with remarkable rapidity. The females are in number upwards of two-thirds more than the males, and some of them contain as many as 60,000 eggs. The abundance of herrings is such that it is not diminished either by the fishing or by the destruction committed by large fish and by innumerable birds. The herrings move in shoals, which are sometimes from eight to ten miles long by two to four wide, and of unknown depth. These immense masses, which advance very rapidly, are distinguished by the presence of birds flying above them, and by the agitation of the sea, and at night the place which they occupy is phosphorescent. In 1781 herrings came in such large quantities to Buscoé, on the coast of Gottenburg, that they were caught by the hand. In 1784 £56,000 worth of herrings were caught in the space of a fortnight in Loch Urn. In 1773 there was such an invasion of herrings in Loch Torridon, that 150 fishing-boats caught from 12 to 20 casks each in the space of a single night. In some cases 50,000 herrings have been caught by a single cast of the nets, and it is also said that the fishermen of Dunkirk, Calais, Dieppe, and Boulogne have frequently taken 280,000 herrings in a night. Not very long ago the fishermen of one English town, Lowestoft, caught in two days 22,000,000 herrings! And this at only one of a hundred such places. At the retail price of a penny each, this two days' catch would come to £91,666; but it was so beyond all the mercantile force or curing-power of the place, that tons had to be sold for

manure.

But few people know the great value of our legitimate fishing ground at home. At the same season when the pilchards arrive from the south, and swarm on the coast of Cornwall, herrings in myriads arrive from the north and

fill the bays and friths on the north-east coast of Scotland. During the herring season there are upwards of 15,000 fishing-boats, manned by about 62,000 men, employed on the coast of Scotland every year, and who land their fish, when they are successfully cured, barrelled, and the bulk of them is sent away to foreign countries. These delicious fish, although caught, cured, and sold by Presbyterian fishermen, neither pious Neapolitan, Portuguese, nor even the good Pope himself, ever hesitates to enjoy the relish of a heretical pilchard or herring.

The Herring Fishery of Scotland.-Mr. Bremner, in his work on "The Industries of Scotland," gives an interesting description of the outfit and results:—

"During the fishing season Wick presents one of the most interesting scenes to be witnessed in the whole range of industry. In the course of the afternoon the crews of the boats moored in the harbours or anchored in the bay prepare to start for the night's fishing. The nets are got on board, the masts are hoisted, the sails set, and soon the bay becomes shrouded in dark-brown canvas. With a breeze from the south-east, the departure of the boats is a splendid sight, for then they have to tack out; and the spectators are favoured by beholding a regatta on a grander scale than any to be witnessed elsewhere. The movement seaward is simultaneous along the coast, and by the time the last of the fleet gets outside the heads of Wick Bay, a dark line of boats extends continuously from Duncansby Head to the head of Clyth, a stretch of a dozen miles. Generally those in the boats have no fixed intention as to what spot they shall select for casting out their nets, and taking their draw from Neptune's lottery. If a good haul was previously got at a certain part, those who get it endeavour to return to that part; but in most cases the

boats which were successful on the previous night are watched and followed, notwithstanding the fact that it is an exceedingly rare thing for a boat to have two exceptionally successful nights following each other.

"Having chosen their water, the crew of each boat begin to shoot' their nets, which, while being laid' in their boats, were united in a continuous train or drift, by knotting together the 'back-ropes.' Each boat has a train of nets about half a mile in length and 10 yards in depth. By corks attached at the top and weights at the bottom, the nets are made to float perpendicularly in the water. This wall of netting is suspended from buoys which allow it to sink 20 or 30 feet below the surface. The nets are put into the sea immediately after sunset, and most of the crew then endeavour to snatch '40 winks' of sleep. In the course of an hour or two some of the nets are hauled up and examined to see whether the fish have been 'striking.' If there should be good signs of fish in the locality, the nets are allowed to lie for some time. The herrings are caught by getting fixed in the meshes while trying to pass through. The captain decides the proper time for taking in the nets, and when he gives the word, all hands fall to work. As the nets are got on board, the fish are shaken out of them and fall into the hold, where, after a gasp or two, they expire. If the night's labour has yielded 20 or 30 barrels of fish, the men think themselves fortunate; but it is no unusual thing for a boat to bring ashore 80 and even 100' crans,' or barrels.

"The return of the boats in the morning is an event of much more importance and interest to people on shore, and from an early hour anxious inquiries are made respecting the fortunes of the night, while those who have leisure go to make observations from the piers and cliffs. As the

boats crowd into the harbours, an opportunity is afforded for judging of the uncertainty of the fishermen's fortunes. A score or two of boats sail swiftly in, with barely as many fish on board as will suffice for the breakfasts of the crews ; then, at a toilsome pace, come one or two boats filled to the thwarts with herrings. In one case, the night's labour of six men, and the use and risk of property worth from £100 to £200, has produced a return of about 6d. ; in another, of £60 or £80. The average catch at Wick in 1868 was 413 crans, drawn from returns of individual boats which ranged from one to upwards of 200 crans, or barrels.

"When all the boats are in, the harbours are quite crowded; but, by mutual arrangement, the boats having large quantities of fish to land are allowed to get near the quays. The fish are shovelled into wicker baskets, and then carried to the 'station,' where they are measured and emptied into the 'boxes,' or enclosures of wood from 20 to 30 feet square, the sides of which are about 30 inches in height. As soon as a convenient quantity of fish has been deposited in the box, a troop of women, arrayed in canvas and oil-cloth, approach, and the 'gutting' and 'packing" processes begin. The gutters, each armed with a small knife, surround the box, and, taking a herring up in the left hand, operate upon it with the knife held in the right hand. The rapidity of their movements is surprising, a good worker being able to dispose of 1000 fish in an hour. As the fish are gutted, they are dropped into baskets and handed over to the 'packers,' who 'rouse' them with salt in a large tub, and then arrange them in layers in the barrels. A free use of salt is made, the herrings being first coated with it separately in the rousing process, and the layers in the barrels afterwards thickly overlaid with it. The barrels are temporarily covered and allowed to stand for 10 days,