UC-NRLF 
 
 331 
 
 B 3 fiT? 031 
 
THE LIBRARY 
 
 OF 
 
 THE UNIVERSITY 
 OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 PRESENTED BY 
 
 PROF. CHARLES A. KOFOID AND 
 MRS. PRUDENCE W. KOFOID 
 
 

 THE Society defires it to be underftood, that 
 as a body, they are not refponfibk for any opinion 
 or reprefentation of fqcJs, contained In the following 
 papers, and will be much obliged to any gentleman , 
 farmer, or other perfon, that will be pleafed to point 
 out any error ^ or improvement In the federal mat- 
 ters treated^ of, by letters addrejfed to their Acl'mg 
 Secretary, the Rev, DR. LTSTER, Hawkins -ft reet? 
 Dublin, 
 
TREATISE 
 
 U 
 
 ON 
 
 FISHING 
 
 HERRINGS, COD, AND SALMON? 
 
 AND OF 
 
 CURING, OR PRESERVING THEM* 
 
 AS PRACTISED BY THE DIFFERENT NATIONS OF 
 EUROPE. 
 
 EXTRACTED FROM SEVERAL AUTHORS, 
 
 ftp SDrtier of tfje 2)uHin Society, 
 
 PRINTED BY GRAISBERRY & CAMPBELL, IO, BACK-LANE, 
 
 - 
 
\ 
 
 T1 
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 THE fisheries form excellent failors. 
 Men accuftomed to fupport the fatigues, 
 which the fait element continually re- 
 quires, on which they pafs the greateft 
 part of their lives, embolden themfelves 
 even to raflinefs, and at length to brave 
 the winds and the waves, 
 
 A grown up man may become a good 
 foldier in one campaign, but to be a per- 
 fedt failor, he muft have been ufed to the 
 fea from his infancy ;. muft form his con- 
 ftitution to an element, which is not na- 
 tural to him, and muft acquire an acti- 
 vity, which, in fome circumftances, is 
 fuperior to that of thofe men, who get a 
 livelihood by feats of ftrength ; it re- 
 quires half his life to attain a thorough 
 
 a knowledge 
 
ii PREFACE. 
 
 knowledge of his profeffion ; nothing but 
 emulation can make him furmount all 
 thefe difficulties. 
 
 A fifherman's fon longs, from his child- 
 hood, to follow his father ; he familiarifes 
 himfelf, by degrees, to an element, which 
 is to furnifh his fubfiftence. After brav- 
 ing the dangers of the fea, they become 
 naturally courageous, and the moft ufeful 
 fubjefts of a maritime ftate. Having 
 ferved their firft apprenticeship in boats, 
 they ufually pafs into the merchants fer- 
 vice, as failors, and from thence to fhips of 
 war. Fifhermen, by toiling on our coafts 
 by night and by day, make excellent 
 coafting pilots. 
 
 The fea fliore prefents many different 
 objects. Here are very high and fteep 
 rocks; there the rocks have lefs elevation, 
 and are fbmetimes covered over by the high 
 tides : in other places there are downs, or 
 great mountains of fand ; fome coafts are 
 formed by earths, more or lefs hard, mixed 
 with ftones, which, falling into the fea, 
 grow round with the friclions of the 
 
 waves. 
 
PREFACE. iii 
 
 waves. Very extenlive flats are alfo found, 
 made up of fand, mud, or ftones, which, 
 having a gentle flope, are covered to a 
 great diftance by the tide. Here and 
 there are to be found the mouths of rivers, 
 creeks, and little bays, which ferve for 
 fhelter to the fiflherme. in a ftorm. In 
 getting farther from the coafts, the fame 
 varieties are found under water again ; fmall 
 iflands, rifing above the furface of the fea, 
 form little archipelagoes, where the fifher- 
 men may land ; others, being at a fmall 
 depth under water, caufe breakers, which 
 foretell very dangerous fhelving rocks or 
 lands. 
 
 The bottoms of the fea are rock, ftones, 
 gravel, fand, fragments of fhells, clay, 
 mud, fea-plants, &c. It is very effen- 
 tial to fifhermen, to know thefe varieties, 
 as alfo the depth of water, whether the 
 anchorage be good, what kind of fifh are 
 to be found there, and what courfe they 
 muft fleer in the night, either for fifhing, 
 or to regain the coaft. 
 
 a 2 This 
 
sr PREFACE. 
 
 This knowledge they owe to a long and 
 continued practice, which has enabled 
 them to form a kind of chart in their 
 minds, or rather a fection of the fea. 
 
 It is evident, that fifhermen, who fo par- 
 ticularly know the fhoals, which they fre- 
 quent, and who, belides, have experienced 
 the ftrength and direction of the currents, 
 make the bed coafting pilots. The lead, 
 with its bottom rubbed with greafe, or 
 tallow, tells them not only the depth, but 
 the nature of the bottom, and is fufficient 
 to point out their fituation : they know, 
 for example, that in fo many fathoms of 
 water, rocky, fandy, flielly, muddy bot- 
 tom, &c. they are at fuch a place, and by 
 means of the compafs, they again know 
 the courfe they are to fteer at night, 
 to get into port, as well as if they faw 
 the fea-marks, land-marks, or the fignals, 
 that guide them by day. 
 
 'It is for thofe reafons, that at Dunkirk, 
 and in all the other ports, where great 
 fiiheries .are eftablifhed, the Chambers of 
 commerce of France furnifh the oldeft 
 
 fifhermen 
 
PREFACE. v 
 
 fifhermen for pilots to the ihips of wax- 
 going to the North. 
 
 In the marine department of France, 
 there are alfo hydrographers, raifed and 
 paid by government, to teach the theory 
 of Navigation to pupils, who, after an ex- 
 amination, and on the atteftation of the 
 hydrographer, are received pilots on board 
 mips of war. Thefe fchools are of the 
 greateft ufe, particularly to form pilots, 
 who can take the height of the poles. 
 Thefe are employed in long voyages. 
 Some principles of navigation are alfo 
 ufeful to coafting-pilots ; but it is the 
 practice of fifhing, which gives to thefe 
 laft a perfedt knowledge of the bottoms, 
 depths of water, and currents. 
 
 The beft regulations made by the wifeft 
 legiflatures, for the protection of young 
 fifh, have been ineffectual : for example, if 
 nets are ordered to be made with mames of 
 certain dimenfions, (that young fifh may 
 efcape) the fifherman knows, that by in- 
 creafing the weight at the bottom of the 
 net, and preffing the boat with a little 
 
 more 
 
ri PREFACE. 
 
 more fail, the mafhes will clofe, and frnall 
 fifh and large are equally carried down to 
 the cod of the net, whence none can ef- 
 cnpe. Therefore, in France, government 
 has permitted the fiihermen to form a kind 
 of confular jurifdiction among themfelves, 
 who are called elders. 
 
 It has appeared neceflary to confide the 
 police of fisheries to thefe elders, as the 
 judgment in fifheries depends upon an infi- 
 "nity of combinations, which can only be 
 known to thofe, who have a long time fol- 
 lowed the profeffion. 
 
 All difputes between fifhermen, relative 
 to the exercife of their trade, is determined 
 by them, without appeal, and Letters 
 patent are granted to them. Their laws, 
 or rather their cuftoms, are religioufly ob- 
 ferved, though not written, and their 
 forms of judicature are very fimple. For 
 example, at Marfeilles, when a fiiherman 
 thinks he has a right to complain of ano- 
 ther, he puts a penny only into the box of 
 the luminary of St. Peter, and he makes a 
 declaration, that it is to bring fuch a one to 
 
 judgment 
 
PREFACE. vii 
 
 judgment ; he, that is fummoned is oblig- 
 ed to appear before the elders. Each lays 
 down his reafons. The men on board the 
 two verTels are called, and interrogated, 
 and en their depofition, judgment is im- 
 mediately pronounced and executed ; for, 
 if he, that has been condemned, refufes to 
 fubmit to what has been adjudged, his 
 boat is feized, and he cannot exercife his 
 trade, until fuch time as he has fubmitted 
 to the fentence ; but the cofts are reduced 
 to the one penny only, which have been 
 given to the luminary of St. Peter. 
 
 It were to be wiihed, that this fubaltern 
 jurifdic~tion was more general, as it appears 
 to be conformable to the fimple law of na- 
 ture. They mould be obliged to fupprefs 
 the abufes, which tend to the deftrudion 
 of fiih, and it appears efiential to prefer ve 
 to the elders the fmall privileges granted 
 them, and which are the only honourable 
 recompence of their toils and labours. 
 
 As the elders at Marfeilles confidered 
 what might render the fifheries more 
 abundant, by preferving the fmall fifh, 
 they judged itneceflary, at certain feafons, 
 
 to 
 
iii PREFACE. 
 
 to prohibit the ufe of fmall hooks, that, by 
 ufing larger, the fmall fifh might not be 
 taken. 
 
 . With this view, they ranged by claffes, 
 under different numbers, the hooks of dif- 
 ferent fizes, fo that each number fpecified 
 the ftrength, height, and opening of the 
 hooks, which were to be ufed for fuch or 
 fuch fifhing, and they had prohibited 
 themfelves the ufe of thofe, that were 
 fmaller, and which might take fifh too 
 young to be expofed to fale. This law, 
 though not written, was excellently obferv- 
 ed. When fome Catalonians came to fifh 
 near Marfeilles with fmall hooks, the 
 elders perceiving the mifchief the derogati- 
 on from their law produced, renewed the 
 prohibition, and forced all fifhermen to 
 comply, both French and foreigners, 
 
 A very fingular phenomenon is, that 
 fifh of paffage, coming in regular feafons, 
 offer us much more abundant fi filings 
 than thofe, which the native fifh of our 
 coafts can furnifh. What riches are 
 brought in, at certain feafons, by mackarel, 
 
 herrings, 
 
PREFACE. ix 
 
 herrings, pilchards, cod, and falmon ! 
 Though thefe fifli are delicious eating 
 frefh, they are fo abundant, when they 
 come on certain coafts, that the greateft 
 part would be loft, if they were not pre- 
 pared after different manners. Fifh falted, 
 pickled, dried, or fmoaked, forms a very 
 considerable branch of commerce, and is of 
 much more importance than frefh fifh for 
 the markets. 
 
 It is true, that the eftablifhment of a 
 fifhing company in Ireland has hitherto 
 failed, notwithstanding the great bounties 
 offered by parliament. 
 
 Thofe of France at firft failed alfo, tho' 
 the French were more folicitous in culti- 
 vating the fiming trade, than all the 
 branches, which tend to increafe their ma- 
 ritime power, When Lewis XIV. was 
 moved to admit the Dutch and Englifli 
 timing-boats into Dieppe, Dunkirk, &c. 
 with herrings, the king anfwered : No ! 
 By no means : if my people will have her- 
 rings, 'why do they not catch them, as the 
 ftnglijh and Dutch do ? Upon which the 
 
 merchants 
 
x PREFACE. 
 
 merchants of thofe ports immediately fitted 
 out veflels, and took herrings fufficient for 
 all the country. From that time the 
 French have taken every meafure to im- 
 prove their fifherks, in which capital arti- 
 cle of commerce they have been increaf- 
 ing ever fince the treaty of Utrecht, and 
 have become our moft dangerous rivals 
 herein. 
 
 " About ten miles below Aftracan," fays 
 the ingenious and public fpirited Mr. 
 Hanway, " is a fmall ifland, called Bof- 
 * c makoff, remarkable for its large ftore- 
 " houfes of fait, which is made about 
 u twelve miles to the Eaftward of it. In 
 " this place are very large fisheries. The 
 ** firft eftablifher /of them was Tokin 
 " Demedoffa, a common carrier, who fet- 
 " tied there about fifty years ago ; his 
 '* whole fortune then confifted of two 
 " horfes, but through his induftry and 
 " ability, he became the greateft mer- 
 < f chant in that country. The crown, 
 " which, before his time, was a ftranger to 
 * thefe advantages, has, of late years, be- 
 
 " fides 
 
PREFACE. ;d 
 
 ' fides the fait, eng- oiled fome of the 
 " fisheries alfo." 
 
 If a private perfon, a carrier too, with 
 no larger fortune than two horfes, fhould, 
 by his induftry and abilities, become the 
 great inftrument of eftablifhing fo confide- 
 rable a fifhery at Aftracan ; what may 
 we not expect from a well eftablifhed 
 company in this country, with the affif- 
 tance of government and wifdom of parli- 
 ament. 
 
 Nature is favourable to us. Our fhores 
 are bold, our coafts high and eafily difco- 
 vered, and our anchor-hold is good. Our 
 weftern harbours, are preferable to thofe of 
 Holland, France, or Great Britain, and, 
 as the wind blows, above one-half of the 
 year, Wefterly, we are on the weather, 
 and the French and Dutch on the lee- 
 fliore. 
 
 What a prodigious advantage is this ? 
 Trie wind, throughout the year, fcarce 
 ever interrupts us, while they don't enjoy 
 the benefit of it above one-half: nor are our 
 
 harbours 
 
xii PREFACE. 
 
 harbours ever frozen, or choaked up with 
 fand as the Dutch. 
 
 The Nymph bank, fo abundant in fifh, 
 extending in length from Waterford har- 
 bour to Cape Clear, is not quite twenty 
 leagues from our coaft ; it is more than 
 double that diftance from the coaft of 
 Cornwal in Great Britain : yet how little 
 advantage is taken of this lituation ! 
 
 The confumption of cured fifh in Spain 
 is incredible. That fage Spaniard Uztariz, 
 after mewing the advantages, which the 
 Dutch, French, and Englifh have reaped 
 from their fiftieries, takes no little pains to 
 animate the Spanish nation, fanguinely to 
 purfue the like commerce and policy ; he 
 goes fo far as even to aflert, that the Spa- 
 niards have a right to fiih at Newfound- 
 land. Speaking of the confumption of 
 fim in Spain, this politic Spaniard fays ; 
 ct it ought to be a principal concern of 
 the government) to prevent foreigners from 
 enervating the kingdom fo much as they 
 do, by the importation of fait fifh, and 
 the great confumption it meets with in 
 
 Spain 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 Spain, that of bacalao* in particular, which 
 is known to be fo confiderable a part of 
 the food of all its provinces in general. 
 In order to calculate the confumption, it 
 is to obferved, that in the provinces of the 
 crown of Caftile, the faft days, amount to 
 one hundred and twenty in a year, and 
 that they exceed one hundred and fixty in 
 thofe of Arragon, and in Navarre, where 
 flefh is prohibited on Saturdays, which is 
 not the cafe in Caftile. The computation 
 may be a little over or under, on account 
 of fome variation there is in the devotional 
 fafts. But, if we rate the number to be 
 one hundred and thirty in the year, one 
 kingdom with another throughout Spain, 
 upon a moderate fuppofition that every fa- 
 mily, one with another, fhall expend only 
 four ounces of bacalao every faft -day, 
 (which is not an ounce to each perfon) 
 there will be confumed, in a million and a 
 half of families, fix millions of ounces, 
 
 which 
 
 * Bacalao, a Spanifh word, which the French pronounce 
 bacala, or bacaliau. By this laft name the Bafques moft 
 commonly call the fifh we ftile cod : and thofe people call 
 the ifle of Newfoundland, the ifle of Bacaliau, becaufe of 
 the great plenty of cod, that is catched there. 
 
xir PREFACE. 
 
 which amount to 3750 quintals per day, 
 and for one hundred and thirty faft days in 
 a year, 487,500 quintals : which at the 
 rate of five dollars, the current price, a lit- 
 tle more or lefs, when foreigners fell to us, 
 amount to 2,437,^00 dollars And, if we 
 .add the great quantities of cured falmon, 
 herrings,' pilchards, and other fiih. from 
 abroad, which is alfo expended in Spain, 
 one may reafcnably imagine, that the mo- 
 ney they annually drain from us, by this 
 article, is above three millions of dollars : 
 and it is one of the principal caufes of our 
 unhappy fituation." 
 
 The fleets of our enemies are almoft 
 annihilated in this war. We are mafters of 
 the Northern feas, aud the Dutch dare not 
 put out their bufles as ufual, which may 
 in great meafure account for the plenty of 
 Jierrings laft year on our coaft ; for it is 
 well known, that the Dutch ufed to meet 
 the great columns of herrings more to the 
 Northward, than any other nation ; and by 
 their nets, and calling out the offals of the 
 fifh, to the Weftward fide of the column, 
 
 thev 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 xv 
 
 they endeavoured to drive them to the 
 Eaftward, and fo to their own coaft. 
 
 Now this appears a favourable time to 
 pum on our fisheries, and to partake of 
 that wealth, which the Dutch and French, 
 have fo long enjoyed. 
 
 Fifhing with hooks moft advantageous. 
 
 Hook-fifhing may be pradifed on all 
 kinds of bottoms, even in the midft of 
 rocks j at all feafons of the year ; and 
 almoft in all weather : for the fea muft run 
 very high indeed to prevent this fifhery. 
 
 Furthermore, it is within the reach of the 
 rneaneft fimerman, and at the fame time it 
 may be fo extended, as to form one of the 
 greateft fifheries carried on at fea. 
 
 Befides, it is beyond doubt, that this 
 mode of fifhing contributes leaft to the 
 deftrudlion of the fifh : it does not over- 
 turn and fpoil the flats and herbage, 
 where the fim depofit their fpawn, and 
 where the final! fifh retire to take ihelter 
 
 from 
 
XTI PREFACE- 
 
 from the currents, and to fcreen themfelves 
 from the larger fifh, that purfue them : 
 therefore, this fifhery does not hurt the 
 places, which facilitate the growth of fifti 
 in the fea or rivers. 
 
 It is certain, that, if this kind of fifhery 
 alone was pradtifed, there would be always 
 fifh in abundance , and this is almoft the 
 only kind of fifhing ufed at Mexico, 
 where the fea is remarkably full of fifh ; 
 and at Cadiz, it is principally carried on 
 in fummer for frefh fifh for market. 
 
 Net fifhing wounds and bruifes an in- 
 finity of fifh, which, in that ftate, can- 
 not be tranfported to diftant places. Nets 
 are prodigioufly deftruclive of fifh, which 
 neither turns to the profit of the fifher- 
 man, nor to the advantage of the public. 
 On the contrary, in hook fifhing, the fifh 
 which takes the bait, is commonly fuffi- 
 ciently big for fale, is very frefh, and in a 
 manner, ftill alive when brought on fhore, 
 becaufe moft of the fifhermen ufing but 
 fmall boats, frequently run afhore to land 
 their fifh, aud immediately return to their 
 
 fifhing 
 
 
PREFACE. xvii 
 
 fifhing. The filh- carriers, knowing the 
 time, repair to the coail, and tranfport 
 them far into the internal part of the 
 kingdom, before they are ftale. On the 
 contrary, thofe, which have been bruifed 
 and fatigued by nets, are often dead when 
 taken out of the water, and if they have 
 remained long in the nets, are often fpoiled 
 before expofed to fale. 
 
 The beft conditioned fifh, therefore, 
 are thofe, which are taken with hooks ; and 
 for this realbn, they are bought at a higher 
 price by the fifh -carriers, than thofe 
 caught with nets. 
 
 If any fault can be found with hook- 
 fifliing, it is the confumption of a great 
 quantity of fifli for baits, as they ufe fmall 
 fifli of all kinds, fometimes requiring fix 
 for one hook alone; >this is certainly a 
 great prejudice to the increafe of fifh on 
 the coaft : and as it often happens, that the 
 fifhermen are obliged to buy large ones, 
 there are confiderable expences, of which, 
 fometimes the produce of the fifhery does 
 not clear them. 
 
 b But 
 
xviii PREFACE. 
 
 But this may be faid to the advantage 
 of hook -fi fliing^ that they take almoft all 
 kinds of fim, as foles, plaice, dabs, brets, 
 flounders, turbots, rays, &c. and almoft 
 all kinds of round-fim, fuch as whitings, 
 mackarels, mullets, cods, and fometimes 
 fturgeons, porpoifes^ &c. 
 
 OF LINES, 
 
 For common fiming with the rod, fine' 
 lines are made with horfe-hair, or filk ; 
 but for fea-fiming, when large fifh are to 
 be caught, that might cut the lines with 
 their teeth, the end of the lines next the 
 hook are made of horfe-hair, or of brafs- 
 wire, fometimes fingle, fometimes double, 
 or elfe rolled in the form of a fmall cord ; 
 fometimes alfo, they are made with a kind 
 of a fmall chain. Lines made of hemp 
 mould be tanned, not only to make them 
 laft the longer, but alfo that the fi(h, de- 
 ceived 
 
PREFACE. xU 
 
 ceived by the colour, may take the line 
 for fea-weed, and be lefs afraid of it : 
 with the fame view, in France, they are 
 fome times dyed green. 
 
or THE 
 
 HERRING FISHERY, 
 
 TRANSLATED FROM AN EfcSAT IN DUTCH, ENTITLED, 
 
 BESCHRTriNG FAN DE HARINGFISSCHERrf:, 
 
 J[ HE Herring inhabits the Northern feas, and 
 probably amidft the great Ice iilands, fpawns in 
 the months of Auguil and September, and multi- 
 plies fo aftonifhingly, that notwithftanding the great 
 deftru&ion of them by the fifh of prey and men, 
 the fpecies is not fenfibly diminifhed. The her- 
 ring belongs to that clafs which emigrate. They 
 make their appearance yearly in prodigious num- 
 bers. The great fhoal, in its progrefs from the 
 North, divides into two principal branches ; the 
 right wing oes weftward, falls towards the coaits 
 of Iceland in the month of March ; the left 
 inclines to the eaftward, Thefe two grand divi* 
 fions are afterwards fplit into feveral fubdivifions : 
 fome bend their courfe towards Newfoundland, 
 others towards the coafts of Norway, and partly 
 fall into the Baltick through the Sound ; while 
 another part turns the North point of Shetland, 
 
 where 
 
t m ftERRING FISHERY. 
 
 \vhcre it ftretches along the coaft, until it joins the 
 divifion (through the Belt,) which entered ' the 
 Baltick. They feparate again, to cover the coafts 
 of Holftein, the Texel, the Zuiderzee, &c. 
 
 The wefterly column, or right wing, which 
 is alfo the greater, goes on {trait forward towards 
 the Orcades, (where the Dutch fifhers impatiently 
 lie in wait for them) and from thence to Scot- 
 land, where they again feparate, one wing fleering 
 by the coaft of Holland, England, and France, 
 the other taking the route of Ireland. After 
 patting all thefe iflands, they again meet, and 
 form into a column, which {tret dies along the At- 
 lahtic ocean and difappears. But what juftly 
 challenges our admiration, is, that after feparating 
 into fo many different branches, they know how 
 to rally their fcattered fquadrons, and find the 
 way back to their native abode. The time of 
 meeting, and the place of rendezvous, are fettled, 
 fo that after the general retreat not one ftraggler 
 is to be met within thefe feas. 
 
 How regular foever the period of yearly emi- 
 gration appears, it is not free from anomalies. It 
 may appear furprizing, that thefe animals, who 
 are fecured from the perfecution of their enemies, 
 in. the unfathomable depths of the Northern 
 ocean, by an impregnable rampart of ice, fliould 
 forfake their -fafe retreat yearly, in myriads, ex- 
 
 pofed 
 

 Cfl 
 
HERRING FISHERY. * 
 
 \ P 
 
 pofed on our coafts to great and unavoidable ha- 
 voc. Is it not a ftriking inflance of the goodnefs 
 of divine providence, to draw this prodigious 
 fwarm of ufeful fifti into our nets ? This explana- 
 tion, however pious, affords little light to the na- 
 tural hiftorian, who may be inclined to aik; 
 fmce divine providence is fo gracious in this ref- 
 pec*t, why does it not fend us a troop of whales to 
 furnilh us with train oil at lefs labour and coft, 
 than we can now procure it ? The celebrated bur- 
 gomafter of Hamburg, Mr. Anderfon, is of opini- 
 on, that the emigration of herrings is owing to the 
 overflow of young ones, who not finding fufficient 
 room in their old habitations, fally out in queft of 
 new fettlements, as fo many colonies. This opini- 
 on does not at all account for the phenomenon. 
 How can periodical emigrations, always taking 
 place at ftated feafons, proceed from fo uncertain 
 a caufe as the mere accident of an overflowing po- 
 pulation ? 
 
 How will this hypothelis account for the con- 
 ftant adherence to the fame tracl:, the feparation 
 and reunion of the main body, at ftated places and 
 at ftated times ? Whereas, mere want of room 
 would drive them indifcriminately towards any or 
 all places. sdly, So far from being the effect of 
 cxceflive multiplication, it feems to be the motive 
 of it. They are not the only fpecies, which un- 
 dergoes long voyages, for the fake of propagation. 
 B 2 Many 
 
I HERRING FISHJERY. 
 
 Many birds of paffage, fuch as the woodcock, 
 wild goofe, &c. do the fame. In faft, the herrings 
 multiply more on the route than they do before it ; 
 we know that many kinds of fiih leave the fea, 
 and feek the rivers to depofit their fpawn ; fo 
 that one very probable caufe of the emigration, is 
 the inilinfi: of emigration, the fecond the plenty of 
 food, which the quickening influence of fpring 
 prepares, by the fwarms of infefts and flies. The 
 king, or leader of herrings, is much larger than 
 the common, being two feet long ; fifhers think it 
 criminal to deftroy it ; the whole column follows 
 and obferves his motions. In a {trait they con- 
 traft, in an open fea they expand their order of 
 march with admirable dexterity, without ilacken- 
 ing their pace. They live on fmall fifties, and young 
 crabs, as appears from their jaws being furnifhed 
 with teeth : L&wenhoeck found in the ftomach of a 
 herring, the indigefted remains of a little fifli. 
 
 To form-fome conception of the innumerable 
 multitude of herrings, that fill the feas, extending 
 more than the breadth of England and Ireland toge- 
 ther, and in order to give a clear inflght into this 
 profitable branch of trade, we fliall ift, treat of 
 the fliips and implements ufed in the fifliery. 2dly, 
 Of the time and manner of taking them. 3dly, Of 
 the regulations and right of carrying on the fifliery, 
 *he gutting, faking, packing, &c. 4thly, Of the dif- 
 ferent forts and appellations of herrings, which 
 
 make 
 
HERRING FISHERY. 5 
 
 make an article of commerce. 5thly, Of the in- 
 fpe&ors and overfeers of this commerce. 
 
 The veffels employed in this fiihery, are, time 
 out of mind, called Bttfzzfn. The Englifh ufe 
 a kind of veflels, carrying from 60 to 70 tuns. The 
 Dutch veiTels are from 25 to 30 lafts, fome are 
 40, but feldom fo much. Each of thefe have 
 ten, twelve, or fourteen men aboard, who are 
 hired at fo much per week, except the fteerfman, 
 who receives 5 florins, for each laft of herrings. 
 The crew receive, over and above their pay, a pre- 
 fent of herrings proportioned to the take, which 
 prefent is the only wages of the younger part of the 
 crew or apprentices. A Dutch fifhing fmack cofts 
 new, about nine thoufand flonns ; the cofls of 
 fitting for two voyages, are about fix thoufand 
 florins, and for three voyages, about eight thou- 
 fand. Mr. Semeyns computes the expence of 
 fitting out a veffel of 60 lafls (including prime 
 coft) to amount to 7,530 florins, to make 
 three voyages in the courfe of a year. 
 
 Here 
 
HERRING FISHERY. 
 
 Here follows on accurate lift of all the veffels 
 fent out yearly, from 1763, to 1776, on an average 
 of thirteen years. 
 
 1763 1764 1765 1766 1767 1768 1769 
 
 Rotterdam, 
 
 7 
 
 6 
 
 6 
 
 2 
 
 a 
 
 2 
 
 2 
 
 Schiedam, 
 
 5 
 
 6 
 
 7 
 
 II 
 
 ii 
 
 IO 
 
 9 
 
 Ulaardingen 
 
 64 
 
 7* 
 
 69 
 
 60 
 
 58 
 
 61 
 
 64 
 
 Maaflandfluis, 
 
 7 
 
 M 
 
 15 
 
 14 
 
 15 
 
 12 
 
 12 
 
 Delfshaven, 
 
 7 
 
 9 
 
 9 
 
 8 
 
 7 
 
 7 
 
 7 
 
 Delft, 
 
 
 
 o 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Enkhuizen, 
 
 40 
 
 40 
 
 40 
 
 40 
 
 4i 
 
 4i 
 
 41 
 
 De Ryp, 
 
 *4 
 
 14 
 
 M 
 
 *4 
 
 16 
 
 16 
 
 14 
 
 144 160 160 149 150 149 149 
 Befides Jaagers, 13 15 17 17 17 17 20 
 
 1770 1771 1772 1773 1774 1775 *77 6 
 
 Rotterdam, 3577666" 
 
 Schiedam, 8775222 
 
 Ulaardingen, 62 64 68 76 74 66 84 
 
 Maaflandfluis, 14 14 15 18 18 17 21 
 
 Delfshaven, 77777^6 
 
 Delft o I o o o o o 
 
 Enkhuizea, 41 4* 4^ 4 2 44 4* 4* 
 
 De Ryp, 14 14 X 3 *3 J 4 I<5 16 
 
 149 153 J 49 ^8 165 154 176 
 J'aagers 20 2,0 23 20 20 20 22 
 
 \ 
 
HERRING FISHERY. * 
 
 In 1774? the number of veflels fent out .amount- 
 ed to 165, and in 1776, to one hundred and feven- 
 ty-fix. From this brief expofition of the number of 
 veflels employed in the fifhery, it appears that a 
 great decline has taken place fincethe year 1601, 
 when 1500 veflels were fent out yearly from the 
 United Provinces. The caufe of this decline feems 
 to be the greater attention, which other nations 
 pay to this branch of fifhery. It remains, howe- 
 ver, certain, that the Dutch method of curing is 
 fuperior to that of their neighbours. The di- 
 minution of trade was neceflarily accompanied by 
 a proportional diminution of national profit ; 
 formerly thoufands were fupported by this branch 
 who are now out of employment. Government 
 omitted nothing that could revive this declining 
 branch of trade. Thus on the i Qth of May 1775, 
 the government offered a premium of five hun- 
 dred florins for any fhip, which fhould be em- 
 ployed two years fucceflively in the herring fifli- 
 cry, and for the lecond two years, 400 florins j 
 yet fome abufes happened in confequence, for 
 fome having got the premiums, difcontinued to 
 fend out their veffds. As the felling prices 
 of herrings vary with the feafon and plenty, it is 
 fcarce poflible to afcertain with exaftnefs the profits 
 of one voyage. We (hall, however, attempt au 
 average account, from which it will appear, that the 
 herring fifhery h worthy of every encouragement, 
 
 a? 
 
8 HERRING FISHERY. 
 
 as a branch of induflry highly advantageous to 
 the community. A bufs of thirty-two lafts, fit- 
 ted out for three voyages, cofts, as we already 
 obferved, between iixteen and feventeen thoufand 
 florins, each lafl of herrings contains twelve tuns, 
 and each tun about eight hundred herrings ; the 
 whole lading then of the bufs amounts to about 
 380 tuns, and if each herring be eftknated at half 
 a ftiver, (/'. e., twenty florins the tun) the amount 
 will be 7600 florins, which multiplied by three 
 voyages, yields a fum total of 22,800, from 
 which 1 7000 florins being deducted for prime coft, 
 a furplus remains of 5800 florins for each bufs, 
 all net profit : 
 
 Which multiplied by 1 60, the number of buffes 
 yearly fent out to the fifhery, yields little fhort of 
 a million of florins. 
 
 Let us In the fecond place examine, with what 
 inftruments, and after what manner this amazing 
 quantity of herrings is taken as foon as the buffes 
 are all aiTembled. They take their courfe from 
 Shetland, N. N. E. and caft the nets off Fair- 
 hill, on St. John's night, the 2 5th of June, 
 after midnight. The fifhery is always carried on 
 at night, as well to obviate the inconvenience of* 
 the fifli difcovering the nets., as alfa to entice them 
 by the light of the lanterns a of which they are 
 fond, and towards which they make. Mr. Spoa 
 in his travels through Italy, makes mention of a 
 
 fimilar 
 
HERRING FISHERY. g 
 
 fimilar artifice ufed by the fifliers, on the coaft of 
 Dalmatia ; they carry lanterns in order to entice 
 the fardines, which are there in great abundance. 
 
 The nets are very long, confifting of fifty or 
 fixty webs, fortified with narrow net maflies, in 
 order that the herring may be entangled by his 
 gills. The mouth of the net may be fortified 
 with good hemp, or ftrong Perfian filk, as being 
 more durable than hemp, being capable of hold- 
 ing good three years : moreover they are tanned, 
 or coloured brown with fmoke, that they may be 
 the lefs perceptible by the fifh. The nets are 
 thrown out at fun fet, betwixt two bufles, which, 
 on account of their fize, require much time and 
 labour. They are fattened, and; buoyed up with 
 calks to prevent finking, which ferve as a diflm- 
 guilhing mark, and a,lfo, by reafon of their weight, 
 inilead of an anchor ^ To prevent them from get- 
 ting entangled in one another, the bufles fliould be 
 fo arranged, that each may preferve its nets free. 
 During night the fifh runs into the nets fpread out 
 for them* and about five or fix in the morning 
 they are hawled up. This labour will give full 
 employment for three hours,, as the take is com- 
 monly from three to ten lails, and fometimes even 
 fourteen lafts. The day is taken up in dreffing 
 the fifli ; they begin the operation by cutting out 
 the gills, as tliofe parts are liable to fpeedy putre- 
 faction 
 
TO HERRING FISHERY. 
 
 faftion ; they are then put into barrels and falted ; 
 all that are taken under five lafh are thus prepared 
 for the market. The overplus, \vh ich' they call Jla- 
 hers, are alfo gilled, lightly falted, and thrown 
 into boats to be fent afhore after the firft faking. 
 The herrings are left on deck throughout the fol 
 lowing night. On the fecond morning they are pro- 
 perly packed, and the barrels, being filled up, are 
 placed in the hold. In the beginning a part of the 
 take is fent aftiore in the lighters called Jaagers. 
 When the herrings are fully cured 5 the bufs herfelf 
 goes towards land, difcharges her freight, and lays 
 in provifion for a fecond expedition. As experience 
 has taught, that herrings caught at certain feafons 
 keep longed, and are beft for ufe, the time for 
 beginning the fifhery is fixed by law. Before the 
 25th of June, all maflers of fifhing fmacks, previ- 
 ous to their departure from Holland, are bound 
 over not to trefpafs this ordinance, and at their 
 return are obliged to declare upon v oath, that they 
 have not, by their own deeds or by the miniftry 
 of others, contravened the law. Teflimonials of 
 this are given to each fhip, marked with the place 
 of donation, to the end that none be deceived or 
 the trade fufFer by improper goods The place 
 of the fifhery changes with the feafons. From St. 
 John's to St. James's /. e. from the 24th of June to 
 the 25th of July, the feat of the fifhery is be- 
 tween Fairhill and Shetland} during this period 
 herrings of the befl quality are taken j from St. 
 
 James's 
 
HERRING FISHERY. II 
 
 James's day to the i4th of September, the pur- 
 fuit is carried on to the north of Scotland, and 
 from thence to the 25th of November, along 
 the coafts of Yarmouth and Norfolk. All the 
 herrings taken the firfl three weeks after the 
 25th of June, are cured and packed up toge- 
 ther, unforted, and fent to Holland by fwift 
 failing veffels called yaagers, after which all the 
 herrings taken are carefully forted and feparated 
 into three divifions : Maatijes herrings, fu//, and 
 fhotten herrings, which are all feparately cured 
 and packed up in diftincl: barrels. 
 
 In the Maatijes herrings is found neither roe nor 
 milt. They are very fat and palatable, but dont 
 keep well. Full herrings are thofe, that are 
 full of milt or roe, and in their moil perfect flate ; 
 this fort is fitted for market and prefervation. 
 The third fort confifls of fuch as having cafl their 
 fpawn or roe are fpent, or are on the point of 
 fpending ; this lafl fort is inferior in quality, and 
 cannot be kept fo long as the former, or full 
 herrings. 
 
 The lading of the bufTes on their return to 
 Holland confifls of thofe three forts, which arc 
 again infpecled, packed, and falted afrefli, before 
 they are fent to any foreign market By this frefh 
 packing fourteen fea barrels are reduced to 
 twelve, which make up a lafl. In order to bring 
 this branch of commerce to a flouriflxing ftate, 
 
 the 
 
13 HERRING FISHERY. 
 
 the governments of this and many other coun- 
 tries have made fundry regulations concerning the 
 manner of cutting out ^he gills, falting, and pack- 
 ing, an account of which I fhall lay before my 
 readers. 
 
 The Englifh have always looked on the com- 
 merce of Holland with an eye of envy, which 
 often burfts out into open a&s of violence, never 
 omitting any opportunity of difturbing, and, if 
 poflible, of ruining our herring fifheries; the more 
 fo as Dutch herrings have always had the pre- 
 ference of the Englifh, as well as of rhofe of every 
 other nation. In order to cut off all pretext of 
 quarrel, our fi fliers are forbidden to cafl their nets 
 within ten miles of the Englifh fhore, which pro- 
 hibition is the lefs detrimental to the fifhery, as 
 herrings of the bell quality are taken at fuch a 
 difhnce froin the fliore. * 
 
 Thofe, which come into the bays of Norway, 
 Shetland and Ireland, being of an inferior quality 
 are lefs fit for prefervation or faking, for which rea- 
 fon it is forbidden by an ordinance, dated 1620^ 
 to take any herrings at the forementioned places. 
 Among the regulations, that have been made for 
 the fupport of the herring filliery, the following 
 are the principal ones. 
 
 The appointment of a hearmeefter, or over- 
 feer, at all die landing places where herrings are 
 
 brought 
 
HERRING FISHERY. 13 
 
 brought in, to take flrict care that the herrings 
 Should get a fecond faking and packing ; to him 
 is alfo intrufted the infpe&ion of the fait and 
 cooper's work, or barrels in which they are pack- 
 ed. Their province is in a fpecial manner to pre- 
 vent foreign herrings being mixed with our own, 
 (in cafe any foreign cargoes arrive) and to have the 
 barrel branded with fuch marks as may prevent a 
 miftake on this head* that our trade may not fuf- 
 fer from the quality of fuch fifii. 
 
 2dly.- He is to take care, that all damaged her- 
 rings or of bad quality, e. g. fuch as take fick af- 
 ter having cafl their fry, or on the eve of doing 
 jt, in a word, unmerchantable, be thrown afide 
 in the packing,, left fuch bad fifh corrupt the 
 found or give them a bad flavour. That moreo- 
 ver the fifh be properly falted and packed. 3dly. 
 That the mailers and crew of one bufs do not 
 put any hindrance in the way of another. In cafe 
 they were unlucky, or could not fucceed where 
 they had caft nets, they mud not remove to the 
 ground of others to diliurb their operations, nor 
 damage their nets, boats, or other implements ; in 
 cafe they do, they muft make good the damage. 
 No bufs employed in the fifhery can be fold to 
 foreigners, or hired out to them for the purpofes of 
 fiming. 4thiy. That the faid overfeer do mfpeft 
 dl the barrels before they are taken on board the 
 buffcs, reje& fuch as (hall appear unfit, and mark 
 fuch as he approves with the name of the cooper, 
 
 and 
 
FISHERY. 
 
 and his place of refidence ; after having examined 
 the quality of the timber, conftru&ion, hoops, 
 &c, &c. 5thly. He fhall not fufFer any bufs out 
 on the, fifhery before the 24th of June, and he 
 ftiall require a declaration upon oath, before any 
 of the herrings are landed, that there are none 
 aboard taken before that period. 
 
 6thly. He muft take care, that in faking her- 
 rings a diftin&ion fhould be made. Thus, for e^c- 
 ample, the herrings taken between St. John's 
 and St. James's day, fliall be faked with coarfe 
 and chofen fait* Thofe taken from St. James's 
 day to the i4th of September, muft be pack- 
 ed up with the beft fine fait. No herrings 
 can be packed, except fuch as are taken from 
 the 1 4th of July to the ift of January. Each 
 fort to be packed up feparatcly in barrels pro- 
 perly filled up, flopped, hooped, &c. Laftly, no 
 herrings can be fold or brought to market in this 
 country, that are not picked and for ted in the fol- 
 lowing manner. By this forting and marking the 
 different kinds of herrings, and the time they were 
 taken, are difcriminated and named accordingly : 
 thus are to be met with in the market St. 
 John's herrings, St. James's herrings, St. Bartho- 
 lomew's herrings none but thefe can be packed. 
 The take of St. John is fent afhore in lighters, 
 in- order to be fold immediately for confumption. 
 
 The 
 
FISHERY. i$ 
 
 The St. James's herrings undergo a fecond pack- 
 ing, are reduced from fourteen barrels to twelve* 
 then marked by the overfeers ; thefe are fent off 
 in a commercial way. 
 
 The take of St. Bartholomew, the 28th of 
 Auguft, are marked with the arms of the city, and 
 commonly fent to Cologne in Germany. The 
 take of the I4th of September are Hkewife marked 
 with the arms of the city, and fent generally to 
 Rouen in Normandy ; they are not marked, until 
 they have remained in the ririt pickle eight or ten 
 days. Laftly, they muil have remained in fait 
 ten days, before they can be fold. No Scotch, or 
 other foreign herrings can be worked, cured, and 
 packed, as if they were Dutch : they may be 
 fimply packed up in barrels without any {lamp. 
 The precaution on this head iscarried fo far, that 
 no empty barrels of ours, marked as above, can 
 be exported to any other country. This extract 
 of regulations concerning the important commerce 
 of the herring Sftiery, poiTeiTed as well by the 
 States General as by the ftat.es of the province of 
 Holland, is drawn from the Great Placart book, 
 from the treaty with the city of Hamburgh, from 
 the book of Handvoeflen, all which the reader 
 muft examine, if he requires a more exaft know- 
 ledge of the matter. 
 
 We have faid above, that the infpeHon of the 
 curing, packing, &c. is entrufled to overfeers, 
 who are appointed by government, and take up 
 
 their 
 
l6 &ERRINC4 FISHERY. 
 
 their refidence conveniently to the harbours, or 
 place where the bufmefs is going forward. 
 
 I have faid already and the common fuiFragc of 
 all nations confirms it, that the Dutch herrings arc 
 the beft. No other caufe can be affigned for this 
 general preference, than the fcrupulous adherence 
 to the regulations and provifiojis juft now menti- 
 oned, it being by no means true, that the art of 
 curing, falting, and packing herrings is confined to 
 the Dutch alone. Other nations are as expert at do- 
 ing all that as we can be, but in no other country is 
 fo much attention paid to this branch of commerce 
 as in our republic, which is of fo much the greater 
 confequence to our Hate, as the necefTary expences 
 of {lores and fitting for the whale fifhery are al- 
 moft all defrayed from the profits of it. As long 
 as thefe wife ordinances and regulations are punc- 
 tually obferved, and no breach of them allowed, 
 notwithflanding the high wages, which may be 
 confidered as one caufe of its decline, it 
 faurijh. 
 
 OF 
 
r THE 
 
 HERRING FISHERY, 
 
 TRANSLATED FROM THE FRBNCH OK 
 
 M. DUHAMEL AND OTHERS. 
 
 Of the Spawning Seafons. 
 
 T is well known, that herrings do not all fpawi 
 at the fame time, and it is generally obferved, that 
 in the years, that the air is mild, they fpawn 
 fooner, than when the feafon has been very cold. 
 Sometimes, for inftance, a great quantity of (hot- 
 ten herrings is caught in the beginning of Decem- 
 ber, whereas in other years, great numbers of 
 full ones are found in January. This is a genera! 
 obfervation ; and if we inquire more particularly 
 into the bufmefs, we fhall find, that foms herrings 
 fpawn much fooner than others : fo that in Ofto- 
 
 c ber 
 
l HERRING FISHERY. 
 
 ber, when almofl all the herrings that come into 
 the Channel are full, there are fome fliotten ones 
 found among them. 
 
 Some fifhermeri think, that in the Englifh fea, 
 the fpawning feafon is in Oftober : this may be 
 the cafe as to fome herrings, but not as to the 
 greateft number. However, towards the middle 
 of November they take flaotten herrings at Yar- 
 mouth, though not in as great quantities as in the 
 Channel, where fliotten herrings are fometimes 
 found in the middle of October. The common 
 opinion is, that herrings fpawn but once a year, 
 and that they come into our feas for that purpofe. 
 It is certain, that they fpawn near our coafts ; and 
 the condition of the eggs of the herrings, that are 
 taken at Shetland, compared with that of the eggs 
 of thofe, that are taken at Yarmouth, and in the 
 Channel, adhially feems to prove, that they come 
 into our feas on purpofe to fpawn. Neverthelefs, 
 ifweconfider the immenfe quantities of them, that 
 come from the North, we fhall be inclined to 
 think, that fome of them fpawn there. They arc 
 perhaps like the bees, that multiply in their hives, 
 and fend out fwarms^ when they become too nu- 
 merous. 
 
 Shotten herrings do not conftitute a diflincl: ipe- 
 cies from the others. They are thofe, which have 
 difcharged their eggs or milt, and are therefore 
 generally worfe than the full ones, on account of 
 the ficknefs that they are fubje& to at the time of 
 
 fpawning* 
 
HERRING FISHERY. Ig 
 
 ipawning, and becaufe the moft of them are 
 caught bjfore they are recovered, whereas, the 
 greateft part of the herrings quit the coafls a fliort 
 time after they have fpawned. 
 
 Of the feafons^ in which Herrings are found in 
 different place s^ and of the variations, that oc- 
 cur in the courfes they take. 
 
 In the beginning of fpring, the inhabitants of 
 the North take a great quantity of herrings in their 
 own feas. In June and July, the fifliery is carried 
 on near the Shetland iflands. In September and 
 Oftober, the fimermen take up their quarters at 
 the entrance of the German fea, and near the 
 coafls of the North of England ; this is called the 
 Yarmouth fifliery. When it is over, they follow 
 rhe herrings into the Channel in O&ober, Novem- 
 ber, and December. It appears, therefore, that 
 the herrings come from the North by the Orkney 
 iflands, and that after having touched upon the 
 coaft of Norway, they crofs the North fea to come 
 to the North of Scotland and England, whence they 
 proceed through the Streights of Dover into the 
 Channel, where the greateft part of them fpawn ; 
 after which they difappear, and feveral are of opi- 
 nion, that they return to the North along the coafU 
 of Ireland. 
 
 It having been obferved, that the herrings leave 
 
 the North towards April or May, the Dutch ufed 
 
 c 3 formerly 
 
5a KIRRING FISHERY. 
 
 formerly to go in queft of them near the ifland of 
 Helygeland and the coaft of Norway. But as that 
 fifhery often proved but middling, they don't fet 
 out now until June, at which time they go to meet 
 them between Shetland and NewcafHe. 
 
 OF THE HERRING FISHERY IN THE CHANNEL, 
 
 Of the Orders ijjiied by the French Government , 
 not to continue the Herring Fifhery in the Chan- 
 nel after the month of December. 
 
 There are two things that contribute to the prof- 
 perity of a branch of commerce. The one con- 
 fifls in meriting the confidence of the purchafers, 
 by taking particular care to have the article well 
 conditioned, and above all, in obferving great fide- 
 lity in the expediting of it ; the other confifts in 
 obtaining a preference, by keeping the article at a 
 moderate price. It was with a view to thefe ob- 
 jefts, that the Dutch having perceived, that the 
 herrings caught between the rocks of Ireland, Shet- 
 land, and Norway, were not of a good quality, 
 have prohibited fifliing in thofe places. They have 
 alfo made regulations concerning their falt-works, 
 fo as to have fait of a good quality ; and for the 
 purpofe of keeping it at a low price, they have 
 not only no falt-tax, but they even give encourage- 
 ment to thofe, who carry on falt-works. And in 
 France, the merchants, that cure falt-fiflj ? get fait 
 
 at 
 
HERRING FISHERY. 21 
 
 at a moderate price, that they may be enabled to 
 fell their fifli at nearly the fame price that the 
 Dutch do. For fimilar reafons regulations have 
 been made concerning the time, that the herring 
 fifhery Ihould ceafe. 
 
 The herrings come from the North of England 
 into the channel ; they are certainly poorer there, 
 than they were in the North, or even on what is 
 called the Tarmouth coaft. However they are {till 
 very good either frefh or falted ; and as we have 
 faid elfewhere, the fatteft herrings are not the 
 beft for faking. The fifliing for herrings has 
 therefore been always allowed, from the time that 
 they come into the Channel, until the latter end of 
 December ; but from that time it has been 
 prohibited by feveral orders of government. We. 
 fhall now mention the reafons of this prohibition, 
 
 It is certain, that a great quantity of herrings 
 fpawn in the Channel, and efpecially towards the 
 Mouth of the Seine, in the end of the feafon, 
 whereby they lofe much of their good quality, par- 
 ticularly for faking. About that period there 
 are fome fliotten ones taken, that are very good 
 frejh ; but when they have not ha4 time to recover 
 from the fpawning ficknefs, they dry up in the fait, 
 and become what they call horny ; whereas in Oc- 
 tober and November numbers of them are full 
 and very good, either frefh or falted. This, how- 
 ever, mud be underflood of what ufually happens ; 
 for there are fome late feafon-s, in wfcdch the abun- 
 dance 
 
22 HERRING FISHERY. 
 
 dance of iliotten herrings does not come on, until 
 January or even February. As fait fhotten her- 
 rings were known to be inferior to the full ones, 
 it was prohibited by a decree of March 24, 1687, 
 to continue this fifhery after the month of Decem- 
 ber, or to purchafe herrings from foreign veffels 
 after that time ; and in confirmation of this prohi- 
 bition, another decree was iffued in 1759, where- 
 in is added an order not to bring any fuch her- 
 rings to market, which has been fmce confirmed by 
 feveral regulations. 
 
 The motives of thefe prohibitions were, that 
 the herrings falted in that feafon were bad, and 
 that thereby all thofe of the Channel were brought 
 into difrepute : that they were unwholefome and 
 caufed difeafes : and that the fifhing for herrings 
 in that feafon was deftruftive of the fpecies. 
 
 There were fome reprefentations made againft 
 thefe decrees, and the filhermen of feveral ports 
 alleged, that herrings do not fpawn on the coafl 
 of Normandy. But this plea could not (land, as 
 it was manifeftly falfe. 
 
 They added, that the Irlfh do not prohibit this 
 fifhery on their coafts, where there are great quan- 
 tities of fhotten herrings. But fhould the Irijh 
 be wrong in allowing it, it does not follow, that 
 the French fhould imitate them. 
 
 On the other fide the herring merchants, who 
 applied for thefe prohibitions, had probably their 
 own advantage in view, viz, the felling their fifh 
 
 dear, 
 
HERRING FISHERY. 23 
 
 dear, rather than that of commerce. They 
 alledged, that fhotten herrings were un whole- 
 fome and caufed difeafes. But there is no 
 foundation for this aflertion, although we fhall rea- 
 dily grant, that they are not as pleafing food as 
 full herrings. 
 
 And as to the third plea, viz. that the fifhing 
 for herrings after December was definitive of the 
 fpecies, it was a very nugatory one, not only be r 
 caufe the quantity of herrings, that the fifhermen 
 can take, is a mere trifle compared with the im- 
 menfe quantities of them, that are deflroyed by 
 multitudes of fifh a that feed upon them, but alfo be- 
 caufe, were the multiplication of the fpecies to 
 be confidered, it would be much more proper to 
 prohibit the fiihing for full herrings. 
 
 The only plaufible reafon for making the above- 
 mentioned regulations was, that, as Qiotten her- 
 rings are not as good as full ones when faked, it 
 was to be apprehended, that, if the taking and 
 falting them were allowed, it would bring all the 
 faked herrings of the channel into difrepute, which 
 would be very hurtful to trade,. But ftill it is 
 hard,that the poor fhould be deprived of an ar- 
 ticle of food, which could be procured very 
 cheap. 
 
 The fifliermen of Dieppe having reprefented, 
 that herrings were abfolutely neceffary for baiting 
 their hooks, have obtained leave to fiih for them 
 with a few fmall boats, under condition of cutting 
 
 off 
 
24 HERRING FISHERY. 
 
 off the heads and tails of fuch as they fhould take-. 
 This favour has been granted alfo to fome other 
 ports. Now, if a regulation of this kind were ge- 
 nerally adopted, it would be of great fervice to 
 the fifliermen, and to the poor, without injuring the 
 herring trade. For by taking care, that the heads 
 of fuch herrings, as are caught after December, 
 fliould be cut off, it will be eafy to diftinguifh the 
 good ones from thofe of an inferior kind, and the 
 purchafers of fait herrings will be fure not to. be 
 impofed upon. 
 
 Of the circumftances^ thought to be favourable 
 to. the Herring Fijhery* 
 
 The fifhery is expe&ed to be good, when after 
 a troubled fea there comes on a calm, accompanied 
 with a mifl or thick fog ; when the wind blows 
 from the North or North Weft, or rather from that 
 part of the horizon, whence the herrings ufually 
 come : for in thefe cafes they come fooner and in 
 greater numbers to our coafts, Thofe winds ge- 
 nerally blow from a northern direction, and are the 
 fame that bring woodcocks to our coafls, and, 
 therefore, it is fuppofed that the herring feafon 
 will be good, when there is plenty of woodcocks. 
 
 When a great number of fea-birds affemble in 
 any particular place, it is an almofl certain fign, 
 that there is abundance of herrings there. It 
 is alfo a good fign to catch Jea-dogs., as they follow 
 
 the 
 
HERRING FISHERY. 2 
 
 the herrings to feed upon them. Another good 
 fign is, when the water is agitated to a certain 
 depth ; likewife when there are fat or greafy fpots, 
 floating like oil upon the fea, when not muck 
 troubled. 
 
 Lights kept in the fifhing-boats are rather 
 ferviceable than hurtful to the fifhery, but great 
 lights coming from land drive the filh away. It is 
 alfo to be obferyed, that the ebbing or flowing of 
 the tide is immaterial, but that the greateft quantity 
 of fifti is ufually caught, when the water is fmoo.th. 
 
 Of the Pec Herrings, or thofe taken moft early 
 in the Northern feas by the Dutch. 
 
 Thefe herrings are very fat and large ; they arc 
 delicate and pleafing to the tafte, and are good 
 when falted ; but as they are fat and oily, it re- 
 quires much care to preferve them, and they are 
 never as white as the herrings, that are falted on 
 our coafts, There are but very few fliotten ones 
 found amongft them. The greateft part of them 
 have milt or eggs, which are only beginning to be 
 formed.. 
 
 Of the Herring Ft/her y near Shetland. 
 
 The Dutch ufually fet out for this fiftiery 
 towards the middle of June, but never begin it 
 until the evening of St. John's day. They don't 
 
 fifli 
 
26 HERRING FISHERY. 
 
 fifh in the day time, and the manner of filhing 
 there is nearly the fame as that of the Tamwuth 
 Jijhery. The beft fituation for this North fifh- 
 ery, is from the fmall ifland of Fairhill, to the 
 Northweil of the Orkneys and round 
 
 OF THE YARMOUTH FISHERY. 
 
 The Dutch and French carry on this fifhery as 
 well as the Englifh, with this difference, however, 
 that they are not allowed to come near the coafl of 
 England, in the vicinity of which the Englifh fifh 
 themfelves. It is called the Yarmouth fifhery, be- 
 caufe a great part of the herrings, that are caughtby 
 the Englifh, are brought frefh to Yarmouth, where 
 they are cured. This fifhery is generally more 
 profitable to the Englifh than that of green or dry 
 cod ; and therefore to encourage it they have ex- 
 empted it from all forts of duties. The fifher- 
 men take only a licence. As the Dutch and 
 French are not allowed to bring their herrings to 
 England, they fait them on board their bufles. 
 
 Defcription 
 
HERRING FISHERY. QJ 
 
 Defcription of the Yarmouth Herrings. 
 
 They are not as large or as oily as the pec or 
 North fea herrings, although they are originally 
 the fame. But they are firmer, their milts are 
 larger, and the eggs better formed, on which ac- 
 count they are much better for faking and keeping 
 than the pecs. For this reafon, the Englifh and 
 Scotch do not fifti for herrings at a great diflance 
 from land, where they are very fat. In facl:, the 
 Yarmouth herrings are the bed of all for fak- 
 ing. 
 
 It is eafyto conceive, that herrings lofe their fat 
 and oil through the change of climate, water, and 
 food. The different qualities, however, of cured 
 herrings, depend very much upon the care, that is 
 taken in faking them, as will appear hereafter. 
 For inftance, as it is a matter of great importance, 
 that herrings Ihould be put in fait on their coming 
 out of the water, thofe, that the Dutch and French 
 take in the Yarmouth fifhery, have this advantage, 
 becaufe fuch, as are caught at night, are faked on 
 board in the day time, which is not the cafe, when 
 herrings are carried frefli into port, on account of 
 the contrary winds or other accidents, that prevent 
 the landing and delivering them, as foon as would 
 be requifite. 
 
2 HERRING FISHERY. 
 
 Of the Herring Fijhery on the coajh of Ireland and 
 Scotland. 
 
 The herring fifiiery of Ireland is very like that of 
 Yarmouth, and the Irifh fea abounds with herrings 
 from Augufl to O&ober. In Scotland, inftead of 
 finoking their herrings, as was formerly the cuf~ 
 torn they make white herrings, either becaufe, 
 on account of the herrings having removed from 
 the coait, they are obliged to fait them on board 
 their veflels, or becaufe, white herrings are pre- 
 ferred in Italy* 
 
 Of the falling of Herrings at fea. 
 
 The Englifh, engaged in the Yarmouth fifhery^ 
 keep very near the coaft, and therefore bring their 
 herrings to land foon after they are caught. But 
 the fiihers of the Channel, as they often go out 
 far from land, and are therefore apprehensive the 
 fim may be fpoiled before they can return to port, 
 take with them fame barrels of fait for the pur- 
 pqfe of at lead corning the herrings, fo as that 
 they may keep for fome days ; however, this fort 
 of preparation is not fufficient for the herrings, that 
 they take in the North and Yarmouth fiiheries ; 
 they muft be at lead calked, and even barreled 
 as far as poffible. The Dutch and French, that go 
 out on thefe fifheries, praftife this preparation, 
 and the method of doing it is generally as fol- 
 lows. 
 
HERRING FISHERY. 29 
 
 lows. The Norman fifhermen place the herrings 
 m different compartments upon the deck : they 
 open their necks a little with a fmali knife, and 
 take out the gills, and at the fame time draw out 
 the ftomach and interline ; this is called drejjlng 
 the herrings ; they are then put into bafkets and 
 carried behind to be poured into large vats with a 
 quantity of fait. In thefe, the herrings and fait 
 are ilirred about, after which the herrings are put 
 into tubs ; but in this flate they could not keep 
 many days, and therefore, when the men cannot 
 return foon to port, they put them into barrels, 
 prefling them together as clofe as poffible. They 
 are often obliged to go through thefe operations 
 in- too great a hurry, on account of bad weather, 
 or for the purpofe of clearing the deck &c. fo that 
 fometimes they corn or barrel herrings, that were 
 not dreffed. There is an order of parliament 
 againft faking or barreling fuch herrings. But, 
 whatever precautions may be taken at fea, the 
 barrels muft be emptied on land, and the herrings 
 made up again with greater care, as will be ex- 
 plained hereafter. 
 
 Of the Salt ufed in the various methods of 
 curing. 
 
 In whatever manner herrings are to be cured, 
 fait mull be ufed, but there are different forts of 
 falt,fome of which are not good for this purpofe. 
 
 The 
 
30 HERRING FISHERY. 
 
 The forts of fait, that the French ufe, arc thofc 
 of Poitou, Saintonge, Britany, and Normandy. 
 Every one allows that of Brouage to be the bed of 
 all. It is made in the fait marfhes of Brouage, 
 Marans, the ifle of Re, and other parts of Sain- 
 tonge and Poitou. 
 
 When the Brouage fait is old, and has become 
 dry and fweet, it leaves to the herrings their good 
 tafte, without communicating any fharpnefs, or 
 breaking them, or making them tough orftirivel- 
 ed. As to the fait of Britany, befides what is 
 ufed in the province, the Flemings and Picards 
 take fome of it, which they refine and make 
 white. This refined fait is thought to be more 
 lharp and corrofive than the grey fait of Brouage ; 
 however for this very reafon fome people think it 
 Is advantageous to mix fome of it with that of 
 Brouage, when the herrings are fat and oily. Some 
 ufe the fait brought back from Newfoundland. 
 The reader may fee what we fliall fay of this fait, 
 in the Elfay on cod fifh. Provided it be not old fait 
 that fell from the heaps of cod, it may do very 
 well, particularly if care has been taken to dry it 
 well in the fun, upon fails. 
 
 The neighbouring nations ufe white Spanift* 
 and Portuguefe fait, in which the Englifh and 
 Dutch carry on a confiderable trade. The greateft 
 part of the fait, ufed by the northern nations, is 
 brought from St. Ubes in Portugal. 
 
 This 
 
HERRING FISHERY. 31 
 
 This fait looks infinitely finer than that of 
 Brouage, but is of a much inferior quality ; and 
 the Dutch, who know this well, fometimes mix 
 Brouage fait with Spanilh or Portuguefe fait, 
 which mixture is allowed to be preferable to pure 
 Brouage fait, when the fiih is fat and oily ; and it 
 is faid, that it contributes to the fuperiority of the 
 Dutch fait herrings. This may be true; we 
 {hall fee however in the fequel, that the perfefti- 
 on of the Dutch herrings in general, is owing to 
 the great care they take during the whole pro- 
 cefs of curing them. 
 
 In Holland all the fait to be ufed in curing her- 
 rings muft be examined, before it is embarked, by 
 juries of the refpeftive places, to mew that it is of 
 a good quality and clean. The fifhermen mufl 
 get a certificate to this purpofe, under the penalty 
 of paying a fine of twenty-five florins. 
 
 Of the Barrels for fait Herrings. 
 
 There is an order in Holland, that the barrels 
 muft be marked with the cooper's mark, and then 
 examined in public by juries, who reje& fuch as 
 are not of good wood, or which might give a bad 
 tafte to the fifh, after which the mark of the city 
 is put upon them. There are alfo in France 
 many regulations relative to the fize, condition of 
 barrels, &c. 
 
 A GFN2RAL 
 
32 EkRING FISHERY* 
 
 A GENERAL IDEA OF THE CURING Of 
 HERRINGS* 
 
 The French, Dutch, and Engliih cure her-* 
 rings, fome white and fome red, and fome like 
 anchovies. But the French and Dutch cure but a 
 fmall quantity of red herrings in comparifon of 
 the white ones ; the Englifh, on the contrary $ 
 redden the greatefl part of the herrings taken in 
 the Yarmouth fifhery". ifa 
 
 We have faid already, that, when the fifliermen 
 are near enough the coaft, fo, as to deliver, in, the 
 day, the herrings that they catch at night, they fell 
 them frefli ; but when this delivery cannot be made 
 quickly, they corn them in the veflels j fometimes 
 they throw them into cafks together with fait in a 
 confufed manner, and fometimes pack them upon 
 barrels. As thefe operations, which neceflity 
 fometimes requires to be done at fea, are executed 
 better on land, we have referved a more particu- 
 lar account of them for this place. 
 
 Of half-falted, or, corned Herrings. 
 
 When the fifliermen cannot bring their herrings 
 to land within twenty four hours after they are 
 caught, they give them a half-falting ; it is an im- 
 portant point, that this fliould be done almofl im- 
 mediately 
 
HERRING FISHERY. 33 
 
 mediately after the herrings are taken out of the 
 water. 
 
 This half-faking is ufed likewife on land, when 
 the herrings are to be cured either in the white or 
 red way ; when it is done at fea, it is as it were 
 provifional, and ferves to keep the fifli for two or 
 three days without fpoiling. It is done in dif- 
 ferent manners. At fea, as it muft be done expe- 
 ditioufly, they don't drefs the herrings, that is, 
 they don't take out the gills and entrails ; which 
 is very wrong* as undrefled herrings are fit only to 
 be reddened, or half reddened. As to the half 
 falting itfelf, it is fometimes done in this manner : 
 they put a fmall quantity of herrings in a tub, 
 and pour fome fait upon them with their hands ; 
 upon this layer of fait they place one of herrings, 
 and then another of fait, after which they turn 
 both herrings and fait up and down together. 
 Another method of doing it, is, to put a fmall 
 quantity of herrings with fome fait in a fort of 
 copper pah, and then to mix and turn them about. 
 Thefe half-faked herrings are fometimes thrown 
 pell-mell into a cafk, which is flopped up after a 
 little fait has been put between the herrings ; fuch 
 herrings will keep for a long time, provided they 
 have been dreffed, and that there be fait enough 
 put into the cafks. 
 
 Sometimes the half-faked herrings are made up 
 
 in bulk, by laying them on fome part of the vef- 
 
 fel, after they have got the half-faking, and adding 
 
 i) a little 
 
34 HERRING FISHERY. 
 
 a little more fait according as they are laid, and then 
 covering the bulk with a fail to prevent the fait 
 from falling off. This method is not near as good 
 as the former, and herrings made up in this way 
 are only fit to be half reddened. But calks are 
 not to be had always at fea, and it often happens, 
 that the men have not time to drefs the herrings, 
 or to half fait them in a proper manner. 
 
 On land, the half-falting does not take place, 
 until the herrings have been firft warned, dreffed, 
 &c. and there are different methods of half- 
 falting. 
 
 In feveral ports they pour a certain meafure of 
 herrings into a large tub, and immediately ftrew 
 upon them a thin layer of fait, which is repeated 
 every time, according as other meafures of herrings 
 are put in, until the tub is full. They don't ftir 
 them, but let them take a proper proportion of 
 fait, before they pafs to any other preparation. 
 
 In other ports, the women, after having dreffed 
 the herrings, put them in a trough, which is raifed 
 two feet above the ground, and is open at one 
 end ; this end is a little lower than the other, for 
 the purpofe of letting the fifh flide out of the 
 trough, after they have been half-falted. Accord- 
 ing as the herrings are put into the trough, the 
 women ftrew fome fait upon them, and turn them, 
 until every part of them is equally covered with 
 fait. They ufe about 150 Ib. of fait for every laft, 
 that is, from ten to twelve thoufand herrings. 
 
 When 
 
HERRING FISHERY. 35 
 
 When this operation is over, the herrings are 
 drawn down into a bafket, which is placed in a tub, 
 that receives the fait, which falls from the herrings. 
 They are afterwards cafked, as (hall be defcribed 
 in the iequel. 
 
 Of the Operation of DrefTmg, preparatory to the 
 making of white Herrings. 
 
 The herrings, that are delivered frefli to the 
 falters, as likewife thofe that have been half- 
 faked at fea are treated in the fame manner, 
 unlefs the herrings of the fecond fort have been 
 dreifed already at fea, which would be of great 
 advantage : for the herrings, that are falted be- 
 fore they are dreffed, are much inferior to thofe, 
 that are firfl drelfed and then falted j and in fact 
 they never turn out well. There an order of the 
 parliament of Rouen, prohibiting the mixing of 
 them with the other fort ; the fifhermen, how- 
 ever, find means to fell them to thofe who make 
 red herrings. According as the frelh herrings are 
 brought to the faking place, they are poured 
 into large lavers full of water, fome of which may 
 contain feveral lafls of herrings. The women 
 then fet about dr effing them, and firfl of all they 
 take them one by one near the head in the left 
 hand, and then prefs them between the fingers 
 of the right, which they drawn downwards from 
 the head to the tail, fo as to cleanfe them and 
 take off part of the fcales ; after which, railing up 
 D 2 the 
 
36 HERRING FISHERY. 
 
 the cover of the gills, they take them out with the 
 firfl fingers, and along with them the ftomach and 
 inteftine, fo that nothing remains in the body but 
 the pey or milt. They ufually make a light inci- 
 fion in the neck with a fmall knife, but care mufl 
 be taken not to cut off the head ; for herrings 
 thus mutilated would be thrown among the refufe. 
 According as herrings are prepared in this man- 
 tier, they are put into bafkets, the milt herrings 
 feparately from the pey ones, to be carried over to 
 the man that is to fait them. All the offals are 
 thrown into the fea. 
 
 Of the Salterns bufinefs. 
 
 To frefh. herrings, prepared as we have now 
 defcribed, the falters give a half-faking, fuch as 
 has been explained already. They then throw 
 them without order into calks or large barrels, 
 which they fill up without prefling the herrings, 
 and let them fink by themfelves for fome hours ; 
 after which the coopers put on the heads of the 
 calks. This is called cafking^ or falting in urak. 
 The herrings are left in thefe calks fora fortnight 
 or three weeks. This preparation is much the 
 fame as that, which is ufed at fea. During that 
 period the herrings fink and difcharge their water, 
 and there is formed a brine that covers them. 
 Care muft be taken not to let it flow off, for, if 
 the herrings were left dry, they'd be fpoiled. 
 
 Of 
 
HERRING FISHERY. 37 
 
 Of the manner of barreling Herrings. 
 
 When it is fuppofed that the herrings have 
 got fait enough, they are taken out of the cafks, 
 at fea or on land no matter, and barreled. They 
 are firfl poured out of the cafks into a laver, in 
 which the women wafh them in their own brine. 
 In the ports, where there is plenty of fait, fome 
 wafh them in new brine, which method appears 
 beft, becaufe the old brine, being mixed with the 
 blood and lymph of the herrings, is more apt to 
 be fpoiled than the new brine. But if new brine 
 be ufed, it fhould not be too ilrong. Be the brine 
 what it will, the herrings mufl be well cleanfed 
 from whatever dirt they may have contra&ed. 
 They are then taken out of the brine with perfo- 
 rated pallets or boards, and left to drip in wide 
 bafkets ; when they have dripped fufficiently, 
 the fame women take them one by one, and place 
 them in the barrels, prefiing them as clofe toge- 
 ther as they can, and always placing the bellies 
 uppermofL To prefs them the better (as it is of 
 great confequence that they fhould be well preifed) 
 the coopers ufe falfe bottoms, upon which they 
 jump, and fometimes preiling machines. This 
 precaution is particularly neceflary in the barreling 
 of flatten herrings. 'Tis alfo to be remarked, 
 that fuch herrings as are parched, fplit in the 
 belly, &c. are thrown among the refufe. 
 
 Salt 
 
38 HERRING FISHERY. 
 
 Salt is not generally ufed in the barreling of 
 herrings ; however, if the barrels are made up to 
 be fent by fea to hot climates, a fmall quantity of 
 large fait is fcattered between the beds of her- 
 rings. 
 
 In fome ports they leave the barrels, after they 
 have been headed, near one another with the 
 bung-holes uppermofl:, through which they pour 
 in at different times fome of the Lrine, in which 
 the herrings had been wafhed, after it has flood 
 twenty-four hours in large cafks, to clarify by pre- 
 cipitation. The bungs are then clofed, and the 
 herrings are fit to be fold. 
 
 It is to be noticed, that old brine, clarified^ is 
 preferred to new brine, and that fome falters dif- 
 approve of the cuftom of pouring in brine by the 
 bung-hole, for they fay it makes the fifli lofe part 
 of the brine, which it had imbibed. But it does 
 not appear how adding of new brine, ihould make 
 the herrings lofe their own brine ; it is probable 
 that new brine is preferable to the old, which is 
 mixed- with the lymph and blood of the herrings. 
 But as fait is very dear in feveral ports, it is the 
 intereft of the falters to be fparing of it. 
 
 Of curing Herrings in Brittany. 
 
 After having drefs'd and half-falted them, they 
 make them up in barrels, with a layer of fait in 
 the bottom, upon which they place a row of her- 
 rings, 
 
HERRING FISHERY. 39 
 
 rings, then another layer of fait, and fo on alter- 
 nately, until the barrel is full, ending with a layer 
 of fait. This quantity of fait forms a good deal 
 of brine ; and as in fome time, the herrings fink, 
 they pour in new brine to fill up the barrels. 
 
 Salt is cheap in Brittany, and in fad, according 
 to their method, much more fait is ufed than would 
 be requifite. But perhaps their herrings would 
 not keep otherwife ; for their method is in reality 
 the fame as that in urak^ viz. mere calking, which 
 we have defcribed already. It would be much 
 better, if experienced falters were employed, who 
 would regularly go through the operations, of 
 which an account has been given in the preceding 
 paragraphs. 
 
 Of the barreling of Herrings in Holland. 
 
 As herrings are fometimes fcarce near the coafts 
 of Holland, the Dutch fifh for them towards Shet- 
 land, to the North of Scotland, or at Yarmouth j 
 and as fuch herrings cannot be brought frefh to 
 Holland, the fifhers fait them in cafks, and bring 
 them home in that flate. 
 
 But whether the herrings be brought frefh or 
 falted, the bufTes go up the canals, and the fifh is 
 delivered to the merchants. 
 
 Every merchant gets his herrings prepared be- 
 fore his houfe, the lower part of which is ufually 
 a ftore-room. If weather permits, the herrings are 
 
 made 
 
40 HERRING FISHERY. 
 
 made up on the bank of the canal ; if not, this 
 is done in the (lore-room, but always as foon as 
 the fifh has been delivered, whether frelh or falted. 
 The herrings are poured into vats ; the freih ones 
 are dreffed ; the bad ones are thrown afide ; in 
 ihort, the whole procefs is the fame as that which 
 is ufed in France, with this only difference, that 
 in France, women are employed in it, and in Hol- 
 land, men, who, being flronger, pack up the 
 herrings more clofe together, and more equally. 
 
 Their herrings Ihould be falter than the French 
 ones,becaufe they throw a little white fait between 
 every bed of herrings ; but they ufe white fait, 
 which, as we have faid elfewhere, is thought to 
 be weaker than that of Brouage ; it is for this rea- 
 fon, and becaufe the 'herrings of the North fea 
 are fat and oily, .that fome intelligent fakers 
 mix fome Brouage fait, with the white, which 
 makes the flefti of thofe herrings firm.- Some 
 people find fault with the Dutch herrings for not 
 being as free from liquor as the French ones ; but 
 let them fay what they will, the Dutch herrings 
 are of an excellent quality, when half-falted and 
 calked immediately after they are taken : and 
 there are none among them of two or three 
 nights Handing. The white Spaiiiih, and For- 
 tuguefe fait, they ufe, makes their herrings appear 
 to advantage ; it is true, that fuch fait gives a 
 certain fliarpnefs to them, but they, know how to 
 
 corre<5l 
 
HERRING FISHERY. 41 
 
 correct it by adding fome Brouage fait. In bar- 
 reling, they often make ufe of a preffing machine, 
 and it is fuppofed, that the brine, which they add 
 after the herrings are barreled, makes them look 
 well, becaufe they ufe new brine, clarified by pre^ 
 cipitation, and pafs'd through a fine fieye. 
 
 Of feme Defcfls particular to white Herrings. 
 
 Such herrings as have been too much cut in the 
 neck, fides, or belly, in drefTmg, are confidere4 
 defective. 
 
 Burnt or rufty herrings are thofe, that are too 
 much dried up by the fait, which happens, either 
 when new fait or too much fait has been ufed, or 
 when the herrings are faked foon after fpawning. 
 On the cdhtrary, they are foft arid flabby, when 
 fait has been ufed too fparingly. This imper- 
 feftion, if it has not gone too far, is remedied by 
 putting fome ftrong brine, or a fmall quantity of 
 large fait into the barrels, or, if there are but few 
 of them, by making them up together with her- 
 rings, that have been properly cured. 
 
 There are fome fhoals of herrings of a bad qua- 
 lity, either becaufe they are near their fpawning 
 time, or becaufe they have been on bad bottoms. 
 When faked they corrupt, and are called, her- 
 rings of bad water. 
 
 Some 
 
42 HERRING FISHERY. 
 
 Some herrings lofe their water after being bar- 
 reled, and become yellow, fetid, and nifty. 
 
 The Miers and falters are of opinion, that her- 
 rings don't keep well, unlefs the milt and pcy her- 
 rings are put in the fame barrels ; but picked her- 
 rings, all milts, have been cured, that kept won- 
 derfully well. 
 
 Of the Regulations for preventing Abujcs in the 
 Salting of Herrings* 
 
 At Dunkirk, there is a police eftablilhed both 
 for the fifliing for and curing of herrings, and 
 every owner of a boat, before he goes out, pre- 
 fents himfelf to a magillrate, and takes an oath 
 that he will obferve the regulations. Among other 
 conditions, he promifes not to fait any herrings but 
 fuch as are caught in the 24 hours ; and, to guard 
 againft frauds in the faking, there are infpcctors ap- 
 pointed, who are to be prefent, when the herrings 
 are falted in the town, and fix a mark upon the 
 barrels. Such herrings, as could not be falted 
 within the 24 hours, are made into red herrings. 
 
 One of the greatefl abufes is that of putting 
 
 into the barrels fome refufe herrings, and it is a 
 
 ftiil greater one to make white herrings of thofe 
 
 ^ of more than two nights taking. The herrings of 
 
 ( *one night being much better than thofe of two, it 
 
 is proper to barrel them fcparately. 
 
 On 
 
HERRING FISHERY. 
 
 43 
 
 On tins account the arrete of the parliament of 
 Rouen, Anno 1765, prohibits the bringing into 
 port, or unloading as frefli, any other herrings, 
 but thole of one, two, or three nights. 
 
 It orders, in Art. 2, the makers of vefTels going 
 out on the fifhery, and the falters on land, not to 
 drefs, fait, or barrel any herrings but thofe of one 
 or two nights. The herrings of three nights 
 mult be half-reddened, (bouffis.) When we fay 
 herrings of one night , we mean the herrings, that 
 were caught preceding the day of delivery. 
 
 The North fea and Yarmouth herrings, which 
 are falted at fea, have ufually the advantage of 
 being falted in due time, before thofe that are 
 brought frefli into, port ; and the picking out of 
 large mijt herrings diminjfhes the value of thofe, 
 that are made up for commercial purpofes. 
 
 The council of (bate has iflued feveral orders 
 againft the abufes. It has ordered, 
 
 1. That the herrings, which are taken in the 
 German fea, and in what is called the Yarmouth 
 fifhery, and which are calked at fea, be bar- 
 reled feparately, in barrels marked with three 
 flower-de-luces, befides the merchant's mark. 
 
 2. That the channel herrings of one night and 
 falted, be marked with two flower-de-luces, and 
 thofe of two nights with one alone. 
 
 3. That out of eighteen barrels in cafk^ there 
 fhall be formed only twelve made up barrels, each 
 of which muft weigh at leaft 282 Ib. 
 
 4. That 
 
44 HERRING FISHERY. 
 
 4. That the faking merchants do put their own 
 marks upon the barrels which is a very impor-" 
 tant point. 
 
 Of Red Herrings, 
 
 The Englifh red herrings ought to be naturally 
 the bed of all, becaufe they are made of Yar- 
 mouth herrings, and therefore of the bed kind ; 
 befides that, they are of one night, becaufe they 
 are delivered on the coaft immediately after being 
 taken, and none of them are faked in the veflels. 
 On the contrary, the red herrings, that are cured 
 in France, are not Yarmouth herrings, (of which 
 the French make white ones) but are caught near 
 the coafls of France, and they are of different 
 nights* Yet, notwithstanding thefe and fome 
 other eircumftances, the red herrings of the Chan- 
 nel fell more and look better than the Englifh ones, 
 which' is attributed to their being fmoked with 
 very dry beech ; but they cannot bear navigation, 
 or heat as well as the Engliih herrings. The brown 
 colour of thefe herrings, and their keeping better, 
 may proceed from their being fmoked and dried 
 more than the French herrings ; or it may be 
 owing to their being fatter. This matter may re- 
 ceive fome elucidation from the fequel. 
 
 As to the Dutch, when the herrings do not 
 come to their coafts, as it happens in fome years, 
 they make white ones of all they take, both in the 
 
 North 
 
HERRING FISHERY. J r 
 
 f 
 
 North and at Yarmouth ; for they do not make 
 red herrings, but of fuch as are caught near their 
 own coafts, and which have not been fold frefn. 
 
 Of the Uten/ils, that are itfed in making Red 
 He r ' 
 
 There are large tubs, like thofe which are ufed 
 in the dreffing of white herrings. There are, alfo, 
 feveral forts of ballets, fome of which ferve for 
 the herrings to drip in, and fome for other pur- 
 pofes, befides a quantity of fwitches, iliarp at 
 one end, barrels, &c. 
 
 Of the Stoves^ or Drying Places. 
 
 There are ftoves of different dimenfions. Some 
 of them are in the lower part of the houfes, others 
 in the upper part. Some of them are fmall fepa- 
 rate houfes covered with tiles, which are placed fo 
 as to let out the fmoke. I ihall defcribe one of the 
 largeft of them. It is divided into three parts, by 
 two rows of a fort of ladders, raifed about fix 
 feet above the ground, and which reach up to the 
 roof. As the herrings are about ten inches long, 
 the laths, which form as it were the fteps of the 
 ladders, are placed at the diftance of eleven 
 inches from each other, fo as to leave an inch 
 between the tails of one row and the heads of 
 another. On thofe laths or fteps are placed the 
 
 fwitches 
 
46 HLRRING FISHERY. 
 
 fwitches, or little wooden fpits, from which 
 the herrings are fufpendecL In each of thofe 
 fpaces or funnels, in which the herrings are 
 placed, there are two windows or vent-holes, 
 which the director of the procefs opens, when- 
 ever he thinks proper, to prevent the herrings 
 growing black. To this circumftance is probably 
 owing the good colour of the French herrings. 
 Underneath is a large hearth for the fire. The 
 whole is clofed up like a ftove, but fo as to admit 
 a paffage into it, when neceffary. 
 
 Of the Curing of Red Herrings in France. 
 
 The fpecies and quality of the herrings, 
 whether red or white, are the fame. The only 
 difference is, that greater care is taken not to cure 
 in the white manner, but thofe of one or two 
 nights, whereas red herrings are fometimes made 
 of thofe of three nights, although they are not near 
 as good for this purpofe, as the herrings of one 
 night. 
 
 They are not drefTed, that is, the gills are not 
 taken out, nor are they gutted, but they are half- 
 falted ; for which purpofe, when they are brought 
 from the boat, they are put in a flore-houfe on a 
 large table, or on the floor, wliich mufl be very 
 even. Two men turn about an hundred of them 
 at a time with wooden pallets, whilft another man 
 throws fait upon them. In fliort, they are half- 
 falted in the fame manner as the herrings, that are 
 
 to 
 
HERRING FISHERY* 47 
 
 to be cured in the white way, and this may be done 
 in large tubs or otherwife. The Ordinance of 
 1680 allows for every Jail of herrings (between 
 ten and twelve thoufand) three minots (about three 
 bufhels) of fait. If they are intended for the 
 provinces fomewhat diilant, they lie in the fait 
 tubs for twenty-four or thirty hours ; if for the 
 Mediterranean, forty-eight hours, and for Ame- 
 rica, a little longer. After this they are waflied 
 with great care in frefli water. It is prohibited to 
 wafli them in the brine of white herrings, or in 
 that which flows oif after the half-falting ; if fuch 
 brines were ufed, the herrings would turn infal- 
 libly in three or four days time. Some perfons 
 think, that weak brine, made with new fait, is 
 preferable to water quite frefli, and they fay, that 
 it makes the herrings look well. 
 
 They are waflied in baikets, which are plunged 
 feveral times into tubs of water. This is repeated, 
 until the fait is diflblved., According as they are 
 warned and have dripped, they are fpitted, that is, 
 lining by the head on the fwitches. Care mud be 
 taken not to let them touch one another, fo that 
 they may receive the warm air and the fmoke iu 
 every part. According as the fwitches or fpits arc 
 thus made up, they are handed to men, who place 
 them in the Moves beginning from the top. The 
 lowell row of fwitches is about fix or feven feet 
 above the hearih. When the rows are all made 
 
 UP, 
 
48 HERRING FISHERY. 
 
 up, they are left fo for twenty-four hours, that the 
 herrings may drip before the fire is kindled. 
 
 When the dripping is over, they light the firfl 
 fire, which is kept up day and night without in- 
 termiiTion for fourteen or fifteen days, and in- 
 fpefted every two hours for the purpofe of adding 
 fuel to it, or of flirring it ; for an equal degree 
 of heat mud be kept up. The fire is alfo now 
 and then puftied from one part of the hearth to 
 another. The management of the fire requires 
 an experienced man, who can keep the fire always 
 at the fame degree of heat, and proportionable to 
 die quality of the herrings. The fatter they are, 
 the longer the fire mufl continue, but flill it mud 
 be a gentle fire ; and it mud ceafe, when the her- 
 rings are fit for the next part of the procefs. 
 
 After the fire has been kept for a fortnight, or 
 fometimes for twenty days> more or lefs, it is dif- 
 continued for three days to let the herrings dif- 
 charge their oil, which is called the plffing of the 
 herrings. When this is over, the fire is lighted 
 again, and kept going with the fame precautions 
 as before, for five, fix, and fometimes feven, or 
 eight days. When the herrings are found to be 
 perfeftly dry, they are taken down and put on a 
 table to be infpe&ed, picked, &c. 
 
 We may obferve, that fifteen days in the drying 
 place are fiifficient for the herrings, that are to be 
 contained in France \ but thofe that are to be fent 
 
 to 
 
HERRING FISHERY. 49 
 
 to the Mediterranean, require twenty or five and 
 twenty days, and fometimes more. 
 
 In the picking of them, fuch as are fhotten, too 
 much dried, &c. are fet apart, and fold as refufe 
 to the hucfters, &c. The reft are merchantable, 
 and are barreled. 
 
 The fire mull be made of wood, which produces 
 great heat and fmoke, but little flame. In fome 
 ports they ufe oak, in fome beech, and in others 
 alder. They take care to keep the door of. the 
 drying place conftantly fruit, and to warm the 
 place gradually ; for which reafon they begin with 
 lighting a fire in the middle of it ; twenty-four 
 hours after they light two other fires, and then two 
 more, if the drying place is large. 
 
 Care muft be taken not to let the herrings get 
 too warm ; however, about the end of the procefs 
 a fmart fire is made to give them a perfeft drying, 
 and the entrance of the ftove is clofed with a large 
 cloth. 
 
 Of the Preparation of Red Herrings in England. 
 
 The method of curing red herrings at 
 mouth is very nearly the fame as that we have 
 now defcribed. But, as the Englifh make red her- 
 rings of almoft all thofe they take, their eftablifh- 
 ments for this purpofe are generally larger than 
 ours. Some of their drying places are fifty or 
 fixty feet high, and may contain fix or feven hun- 
 
 E dred 
 
50 HERRING FISHERY. 
 
 dred thoufand herrings, which caufes a great eco- 
 nomy of wood and of hands. 
 
 When the herrings have dripped, the fires are 
 lighted much in the fame manner as in France, 
 and are continued for thirteen days, after which 
 the herrings are left for three days in the pifs. 
 Then the fires are lighted again and kept for eight 
 days, at the expiration of which they are left 
 again in the pifs for four days, and then they get 
 the laft fire, which lafts three days. 
 
 Thus their herrings remain in the drying places 
 for near five weeks, whereas, in France, this pro- 
 cefs lails only about twenty-one or twenty-three 
 days. It is true, that, as the Yarmouth herrings 
 are fatter than thofe of the Channel, they take 
 more time to dry, and that, if they were not dry 
 enough they would corrupt, particularly if they 
 were to befent to remote and hot countries. 
 
 Some people find fault with the Englifh her- 
 rings, on account of their being of a darker co- 
 lour, than the French herrings ; but this is not a 
 real imperfe&ion, as their colour is owing to their 
 being fatter, on which account, they mufl be kept 
 longer in the floves ; fome are of opinion, that, 
 when the Englifh ufe beech in their (loves, their 
 herrings are lefs brown than when they burn oak ; 
 and we are not to imagine, that they heat their 
 floves with pit-coal. It is certain, that the Yar- 
 mouth herrings are of a fuperior quality, and 
 that they are cured very foon after being taken, 
 
 which 
 
HERRING FISHERY. 5! 
 
 which is a confiderable advantages But, as there 
 is no police to regulate the package of them, as 
 there is in Holland, and in feveral ports of France, 
 bad herrings are often found in the Yarmouth 
 barrels intermixed with the good ones. 
 
 Offome imperfections peculiar to Red Herrings. 
 
 Such herrings, as have ftuck together when 
 drying, lofe their fkin in the feparatlng of them, 
 and are therefore unmerchantable. Thofe, that 
 have got too much fire, or, what is worfe, are 
 burnt, are likewife fet apart with the refufe. 
 
 Although it is allowed to cure herrings of three 
 nights taking, yet it would be proper to put thofe 
 of one, two, and three nights in feparate barrels, 
 as the herrings of one night are infinitely better 
 than the others, and thofe of three nights are of 
 a very inferior quality. As to the herrings of 
 four nights, it is not allowed to fell them at all, 
 There fhould be alfo a prohibition againft faking 
 with old brine, of any fort whatfoever, thofe her- 
 rings, that are to be cured in this manner. 
 
 Of a fort of half-cured Herrings , called Bourn's, 
 (fuelled,} Craquelots, or Appetits. 
 
 Thefe herrings do not keep long, an$ are 
 
 ufually made of fhotten herrings, and of thofe of 
 
 feveral nights, which are not fit to be cured in the 
 
 E 2 white 
 
52 HERRING FISHERY. 
 
 white, nor even in the red manner. As they arc 
 ready fooner than the red herrings, they find pur- 
 chafers, and would be very delicate, if they were 
 made of good herrings, and attention paid to the 
 curing of them. They are called Bouffis (fwelled), 
 becaufe the fmart fire they are put to fwells them. 
 
 It is not allowed to fait the herrings, that are to 
 be cured as red herrings, in the brine of the white 
 ones ; but, on the contrary, it is ufual to make 
 ufc of this brine for faking the herrings we are 
 now treating of. For they fay, that new fait 
 would make them crack, which indeed is not pro- 
 bable. Be this as it may, this method of curing 
 hcrrirgs is entirely left to the women. 
 
 According as the women receive the herrings, 
 they put them into large tubs, containing a quan- 
 tity of brine, without prefling them againft one 
 another. Many of them are falted enough in the 
 courfe of twenty-four hours ; but the iliotten her- 
 rings as they difcharge more blood than the full 
 ones, are left in the brine for feveral days, and 
 there is no danger of their taking too much fait. 
 When they are taken out of the tubs, they are 
 filed upon fwitches, or rods, and then hung up in 
 fmall (loves, that may contain five or fix thoufand 
 herrings. It is not ufual to let them drip ; but, as 
 foon as the laft rows are placed, the fire is lighted. 
 However, at firft they put up only one half of 
 them, and keep the fire going for fix hours, after 
 
 which 
 
HERRING FISHERY. 53 
 
 which they put up the other half, and a clear fire 
 is continued for nine hours more. The ftoves are 
 heated with alder alone, dry pieces of which are 
 ufed for the firfl fifteen hours, after which the 
 herrings fwell, as they had not difcharged their 
 water. After fifteen or fixteen hours, the fire 
 made of dry wood is flopped ; and for the purpofe 
 of giving the herrings a gold colour, the fire is 
 then made of pieces of green wood, which are kept 
 burning, fo as to emit a great deal of fmoke, and 
 no flame. This fire is made merely to give the 
 herrings a colour ; for they have been dried 
 already by the aftion of the fmart fire. When 
 the fecond fire has ceafed, the herrings are left to 
 cool in the ftove for about an hour, and are then 
 taken down. 
 
 If there happens to be a great demand for 
 herrings, cured in this manner, they fometimes 
 put frefh herrings, that have got no fait at all, in A 
 the floves. They are very nice to the tafle, im- 
 mediately after they are taken down, but do not 
 keep ; and accordingly this practife ihould not 
 be allowed. 
 
 Herrings of one night, when prepared, and 
 properly cured in the manner already defcribed, are 
 very delicate ; but as they mud fwim in brine, 
 a great quantity of it is requifite for a laft of 
 herrings. 
 
 Of 
 
54 HERRING FISHERY. 
 
 Offmoked Herrings, according to the Meclenburgh 
 method. 
 
 It is faid, that, as foon as the herrings are 
 taken, they are put in brine for a fhort time, and 
 then filed upon rods, and hung up in a fort of 
 tower, made of brick or wood, which is open at 
 the top. A fire is made below of wood covered 
 with mofs, and, when a great quantity of fmoke is 
 produced, the top of the tower is covered with 
 mats. The herrings are left there, until they are 
 fuppofed to be fufficiently dry, and then taken 
 down, and fold immediately. They fay thefe her- 
 rings are excellent, but they do not keep long. 
 
 Of the manner of curing Herrings, that are to 
 be ufed as baits. 
 
 About the end of the feafon, when the her- 
 rings are bad, the fifhermen cure fome of them., 
 for the purpofe of baiting their hooks. Some 
 fifliermen fait them firfl in cajk, that is, they 
 give them ' a half-falting ; but others cut off the 
 heads, and open them, from one end to the other, 
 on the fide of the belly, and take out the inteftine^ 
 as likewife, the milt and pey, if there be any. 
 They alfo fcrape the infide of the herrings with a 
 knife, and, when they have taken out the blood as 
 much as poffible, they throw them into a tub full 
 
 of 
 
HERRING FISHERY. 55 
 
 of frefh water, in which they wafh them, rubbing 
 them with their fingers, particularly near the long 
 bone. From that tub they remove them into ano- 
 ther, containing clean water, in which they wafh 
 them again. When they are well wafhed, they 
 are put into bafkets, and left to drip until the next 
 day. About an hundred of them are then put 
 into a balket, in which, while two women lhake 
 them, another fcatters fome fait upon them, until 
 every part of them is falted ; after which they 
 are poured into a tub, in the bottom whereof is a 
 layer of fait. When the tub is filled up to with- 
 in about four inches of the brim, it is covered. 
 The herrings will keep in this manner for baits, 
 but are not fit to be eaten. 
 
 FROM THE TRANSACTIONS OF THE HIGHLAND 
 SOCIETY OF SCOTLAND. VOL. I. 
 
 In the curing of herrings, it is a matter of the 
 utmoft confequence to attend to their condition, 
 during and after the firft falting. If they be al- 
 lowed to lie in the firft pickle long, efpecially in 
 barrels, expofed to the fun in hot weather, they 
 are very apt to fpoil, at lead that portion of them, 
 which is neareft to the warm fide of the barrels. 
 Now, a fpoiled herring, is not only itfelf incapa- 
 ble of being cured, but it fpreads corruption to 
 
 the 
 
56 HERRING FISHERY. 
 
 the others packed around it : and thus the evil 
 fpreads. If the weather be rainy, and the fifh- 
 barrels be left uncovered ; or, if the weather be 
 warm ; or, if the herrings before falting have been 
 Jong in a fituation unfavourable for their keeping 
 found ; or if they have acquired from any caufe^ 
 as from the garbage not being well removed, &c. 
 &c. a tendency to fpoil ; they ought to be exa- 
 mined carefully and repeatedly, fhould be foon 
 changed, and, on being re- faked and packed, 
 {hould have every unfound or fufpe&ed one 
 thrown out. The time, therefore, which they 
 may be allowed to lie in the firft pickle, muft 
 depend entirely on circumftances. Perhaps, the 
 firft pickling may be done in troughs, or large 
 tubs, with more eafe, expedition, cheapnefs, and 
 fafety, than in barrels, in the common way. The 
 Dutch, it is faid, frequently ufe troughs, for this 
 purpofe, filling them well up with fifh, which 
 touch and get the full effect of the preflure of the 
 lids or covers. Thefe are even made to prefs the 
 fifh more firmly, by means of weights, fcrews, 
 wedges, levers, or other mathematical powers. 
 
or 
 
 COD AND SALMON FISHING, 
 
 TRANSLATED FROM 
 
 M. DUHAMEU* TRAITE* GENERAL DES PESCHES. 
 
 Of Cod-fijh in general. 
 
 UNDER the name of Cod-fifh, are omprized 
 feveral forts of fifties, which naturalifts refer to 
 one family, under the general denomination oiAfel- 
 lus, Gadus, Morhua, or Molua. That fiih, which 
 in Holland, and on the Flemifh coaft, is called Ca- 
 blllaud^ by the Bafques Eacaillau^ in the interior 
 of France Morue, and on fome coafls Molue, is 
 all of one and the fame kind. According to the 
 places, where this fifli is taken, it receives different 
 appellations. Thus the Greenland cod, is called 
 Afellus Greenlandicus, that of Newfoundland 
 Afellus Oceani Septentrionalis 9 &c. 
 
 The generical marks of Cod-fijh. 
 
 All fifhes of this family muft be round and 
 fcaly. They have bones, fcveral fins on the back 
 
58 COD FISHERY. 
 
 and belly, and behind the anus, of which almoft 
 all the rays are pliable, beiides two fins, one behind 
 each- gill, and two more under the neck or 
 breaft. Some of them have a kind of beard at 
 the lower jaw, others not. 
 
 Of the common Cod-fijh. 
 
 Cod-Mi comes originally from the North, and 
 fpreads itfelf into a great part of the ocean. When 
 the weather is very cold, they retire into deep 
 bottoms, but, as foon as it becomes milder, they 
 appear on the banks near the coafts, and in gulfs. 
 They come, however, fooner or later to certain 
 places, according as there are banks, or flioals of 
 fuch fifli, as they feed upon. 
 
 Fifoing for Cod-fijh on the coafts of France. 
 
 Although cod-fim is not very common on the 
 French coafts, yet fome of them are taken there 
 either in wiers, or with lines and hooks, or in 
 nets, laid out for taking other forts of fim. Large 
 cod is feldom taken by thefe modes of flming \ 
 but in the Channel they frequently take young 
 ones, that are not bigger than whitings. 
 
 Large cod-fifh is taken more commonly at the 
 opening of the Channel, or at the entrance of 
 the German fea. For this purpofe, they throw 
 cut, on the bottom of the fea, large lines furniihed 
 
 with 
 
COD FISHERY. 59 
 
 with hooks. This cod-fifli is confumed frefh, 
 in the towns near the fea, and in cool weather 
 fome of them are carried far in land. 
 
 Fijhingfor the Cod-fifo called Cod of the Meufe. 
 
 The cod, known by the name of Cod of the 
 Meufe i is of the large kind ; fome of them weigh 
 2olb. It is more delicate and more efleemed than 
 that of the Great Bank, or of Iceland, and ac- 
 cordingly fells at a higher price. Part of it is 
 confumed freih ; the Dutch fait the remainder, 
 as we (hall explain hereafter. As this cod can be 
 eaten foon after being corned, this circumflance 
 contributes much to the eftimation it is held in. 
 
 Fifhing on the coafts of Scotland. 
 
 In fummer, the Scotch fifh forced along their 
 coafts with hooks in fmall {loops, and return every 
 evening to land ; but they have more confiderable 
 fifheries on the reefs and banks to the North of 
 Scotland ; the great eft part of the cod they take 
 is confumed frefh. 
 
 When the fifhermen go out to the diftance of 
 twelve or fifteen leagues, and become apprehenfive 
 that the fifh may be fpoiled, they give it a half- 
 corning, which makes it firm, and gives it a more 
 pleating relifh, than if eaten frefh. 
 
 About 
 
60 COD FISHERY. 
 
 About the middle of June, they give up this 
 fifliery, and proceed ftill more to the North, either 
 to fifli there, or to procure fuch fifh, as the natives 
 of the more northern countries have already taken 
 and prepared ; and at their return, they fettle 
 themfelves upon Dogger's bank. 
 
 The people of Dieppe have frequently fent large 
 boats with eighteen or twenty men, to fifh for cod 
 on the coafts of Scotland. They always quit thofe 
 coafts about the 2oth of Augufl to, return home, 
 take in provifions, and then fet put for the her.* 
 ring fifliery at Yarmouth, 
 
 Fijhing for Cod in Ireland. 
 
 The part of Ireland mod abundant in cod is the 
 Weft, about the Bay of Dingle ; the fifliery con- 
 tinues from Michaelmas until May. It is faid, that 
 they fifli for cod in the mouth of the Suir, from 
 June to November. 
 
 Fijhing for God on Dogger** Bank. 
 
 They fifli for cod on feveral banks and reefs in 
 the German fca. Dogger's bank, is probably fo 
 called, from there being fometimes found there, a 
 prodigious number of fea-dogs,, which come in 
 ikuls or fhoals, like other fifli of paflage. 
 
 As the fifliermen of all nations are allowed to 
 fifh in open fea, provided they remain in then- own 
 
 veflels 
 
COD FISHERY. 6l 
 
 veffels, they are accordingly authorized to fifh on 
 Dogger's bank ; but, as it is near Holland, the 
 Dutch refort to it more than any other nation. 
 They have veffels, of from 60 to 80 tuns, befides 
 fmaller, that make two or three voyages a year 
 for this purpofe. Some of them continue fifhing 
 there for five or fix months without interruption > 
 in which cafe they fend the fmall veflels with the 
 fifh, to different ports of Holland. Others quit 
 this fifhery in September, to go in purfuit of her- 
 rings at Yarmouth, and afterwards return to Dog- 
 ger's bank; never returning home, but when they 
 are forced by bad weather, or by want of provi- 
 fions, or when they have made up their cargoes. 
 
 Although this bank is about fifty leagues from 
 the coaft of Holland, yet they bring live cod-fifli 
 over, by means of well-boats ; fome of which 
 contain one thoufand cods ; but care mufl be taken, 
 that the fifh has not been too much hurt by the 
 large hooks, that they ufe in this fifhery. However, 
 it is well known 5 that having carefully taken out 
 a hook, that had dragged the ftomach out of the 
 mouth, and having replaced the ftomach in the 
 fifh, by means of the end of a ftiiFrope, the cod did 
 not die in the boat ; but they fay, that in this ope- 
 ration the ftomach becomes full of air, which would 
 kill the fifh, if vent were not given it, by piercing 
 the ftomach with a fmall pointed knife under the 
 gill ; and, when the air has been let out, they put 
 the fifh in the boat along with the reft, 
 
 v Some 
 
62 COD FISHERY. 
 
 Some imagine, that the cod-Mi grows fat in thefe 
 boats, wherein they get nourifhment ; but this is 
 not the general opinion, and the men are well 
 pleafed, if they can bring them to their deftination 
 alive ; for it happens fometimes, that many of 
 them die, on the paffage, when the weather is 
 bad. 
 
 The cod-fifli of Dogger's bank is the fame, as 
 that of the great Bank of Newfoundland. It is 
 more white when falted, which is owing to the 
 manner of preparing it, as fhall be fhewn hereafter/ 
 It has always the advantage of being very frelh, 
 newly falted, and much better than that of New- 
 foundland. 
 
 There are fome places on Dogger's bank only 
 twelve or fourteen fathoms deep, which renders 
 the falling there very convenient ; there is but a 
 fmall quantity of fiiih to be found in fuch places, 
 as cod-fifti likes deep water of fixty or eighty fa- 
 thoms. 
 
 They cure green cod (i. e. falted but not dried) 
 on this bank, which we fhall fpeak of, when treat- 
 ing of the filheries on the great Bank of New- 
 foundland. 
 
 Of bottoms , or grounds, and certain circumjlances 
 favourable for fijking. 
 
 The feamen call good bottoms, thofe, where 
 there are rotten rocks, or fhells, as likewife where 
 
 there 
 
COD FISHERY. 63 
 
 there is a fat foil. Red bottoms ufually abound in 
 ihell-fiih. As cod-fiih finds nourifhment in fuch 
 places, great quantities aifemble there, as alfo upon 
 grey bottoms, where there is plenty of horn-fiih. 
 
 It is fuppofed, that certain marine productions, 
 eaten by cod, make them flabby ; it is faid, that 
 floating weeds and muddy fubflances are of this 
 kind. Bottoms of fine fand, and of hard un- 
 broken rocks, are looked upon as bad, becaufe the 
 cod is poor there, and it is faid, that in fuch places 
 there are zoophytes, which communicate a bad 
 quality to the fifh. 
 
 The moil favourable weather for this fifhery, 
 and for every fort of fiihing with hooks, is, when 
 the iky is covered, and the fea fmooth. High 
 winds and a troubled fea are bad, on account -of 
 the toiling of the veifel ; the leads are dragged 
 from the bottom, and the lines are entangled. 
 
 Baits for Cod-fijh. 
 
 The choice of baits is a matter of very great 
 importance. Cod-fifh is exceedingly voracious, 
 efpecially that of the great Bank, owing, perhaps, 
 to the enormous quantity of them, that come there. 
 When hungry, they fwallow up every thing, that 
 falls into the fea. There have been found in their 
 ilomachs knives, ilones, &c. and, although gorged 
 with fiih, they fometimes dart at hooks, which are 
 not baited. On the firil arrival of the ihips, it is 
 
 often 
 
64 COD FISHERY. 
 
 often fufficient to fliew them a lure, which confifts 
 of a piece of tin or lead, coarfely made in the form 
 of a fifh, but which muft be of a fhining colour. 
 The lure is fometimes no more than a fcrap of 
 cloth of fome bright colour ; but it often happens, 
 that they will not bite at fuch baits, on which ac- 
 count the fifhermen offer them baits of falt-meat, 
 or lard, or of fait mackrels, or herrings. But as 
 foon as they take any cod, they ufe their hearts, 
 or bloody jaws, or even the entrails, for baits. 
 They fometimes apply the heads and even the 
 flefti of fome fmall cod to this purpofe, but never 
 the liver, which they lay a part, to make oil of. 
 
 Although cod-fifh devour one another, there are 
 however, other kinds of fifh, that they are m'uch 
 fonder of, fuch as mackrels, herrings, pilchards, 
 and all forts of fliell fifh ; but as the moft part 
 of baits of this kind are fcarce, the fifliers fome- 
 times ufe, after having baited the hook with the 
 ofials of cod-fifh, to add a little bit of them, at 
 the point of the hook. 
 
 Whenever they have delicate baits of that 
 kind, the cod rufh on in fuch numbers, that the 
 veffels, which have no other baits but the offals 
 of cod-fifh, are obliged to take another pofition 
 diftant from that, where the good baits are ufed. 
 When they find any fifli in the cod's ftomach, that 
 is not digefled, they make ufe of it for baits, and 
 they are almoft certain that it will turn out well. 
 
 On 
 
COD FISHERY. 65 
 
 On this account the fifliermen open the cod's belly, 
 to take out whatever fifli may be in its ftomach. 
 
 As there are found in the flomach of cods feveral 
 forts of fifli, fuch as cruftaceous fifli, crabs, lob- 
 fters, fhrimps, we may conclude, that fuch kinds 
 of fifli are good baits. 
 
 The fifhermen of Picardy and Flanders collect a 
 great quantity of frogs, with which they take cod, 
 not far from their ports. They hook them acrofs 
 the legs, and, as they live a long time in water, they 
 allure the fifli the better. 
 
 On the fame coafts, as about Boulogne, they 
 take fmall cod-fifh with hooks baited with fand- 
 worms, or with herrings and mackerels, both frefh 
 and fait. 
 
 The Bafques find anchovies and pilchards very 
 good baits. 
 
 The fifhermen of Iceland and Ireland, make 
 ufe of mufcles, when herrings are wanting ; and 
 in the fame cafe the Dutch bait their hooks with 
 very fmall frefh- water lampreys, which they keep 
 alive in refervoirs. 
 
 We read in the Natural Hiftory of Iceland 
 (Tom. i. page 167) that the inhabitants look upon 
 the flefh of an animal, which has been jufl killed, 
 as an excellent bait, and efpecially the hearts of 
 fome birds. They fay, that with fuch a bait, 
 twenty fifties can be taken, fooner than one, with 
 any other bait. If is alfo faid, that there are fome 
 
 F fpecies 
 
66 COD FISHERY. 
 
 fpecies of fifti, of thegenus of cuttle -fijhjhak make 
 good baits. 
 
 The Englilh fifli for herrings early in the feafon, 
 on the coafts of Newfoundland. But, as herrings 
 become fcarce there about the middle of June, 
 they pick up afterwards a variety of whatever fmall 
 fifli they can get for baits. 
 
 As it is not poiTible to have this bait-fifh frefh 
 at all times, it is ufual to keep fome of them corned, 
 nor does the cod-fifh rejeft them, particularly if 
 care be taken to freflien them, before they are put 
 to the hooks. 
 
 Of the preparation of Green Cod, that is, Cod 
 failed^ but not dried. 
 
 Cod-fifh is prepared fometimes in the round 
 way, and fometimes in the flat way, according to 
 the Dutch method ; it is alfo falted either in bulk, 
 or, in calks and barrels. To diftinguifli thefe 
 methods from one another, we {hall call the cod, 
 cured in the round and bulk manner, cod prepared 
 according to the French method, and that, which 
 is prepared flat and in barrels, cod prepared accord- 
 ing to the Dutch method. 
 
 Of certain commodities , drawn from, 
 ' Cod-fjh. 
 
 ^When the filhers intend to make rave, rogue, or 
 roe 9 for the pilchard fifhing, they lay afide the peys 
 
 or 
 
COD FISHERY. 67 
 
 orroes to fait them. The roe is a bundle of 
 eggs, wrapt up in a membrane or fkin ; fome of 
 them weigh one or two pounds, according to the 
 fize of the cod ; they are faked apart in barrels. 
 This roe is an excellent bait for pilchards ; the 
 Bafques fell it to the Spaniards of the coaft of Bif- 
 cay, at the rate of from fixty to one hundred and 
 twenty livres per cafk, of about five cwt. The 
 heart and fpleen are fometimes kept for baits ; 
 but the livers are always referved for the purpofe 
 of making oil. The reft of the entrails are 
 thrown away, except the air-bladders, or fwims, 
 which are laid by, and .faked apart, together with 
 the tongues, and fuch parts of the heads, as have 
 not been confumed by the men. 
 
 Of the air-bladders, vulgarly called Swims, or 
 zounds. 
 
 This fort of fubftance is found in feveral kinds 
 of fifh, particularly in the fhaid, which is taken 
 near Vienna, in fturgeons, &c. and 'tis of this 
 they make the fine ifinglafs in Ruffia. On the 
 banks of Newfoundland glue, alfo has been made 
 of thefe fwims, or zounds ; it is not as fine as what 
 we get from Ruffia, but dill it is very good. Take 
 off the ligaments about the fwim, pafs a firing 
 through it, and then dry it. This fort of glue is dear, 
 and the cod-fiflaers would probably find more ad- 
 F 2 vantage 
 
68 COD FISHERY. 
 
 vantage in getting glue made of the fwims, than 
 in faking them for fale, in Europe ; for, when 
 faked, they are not fit to make glue of. To 
 make.ufe of this glue, it mufl be broke in fmall 
 pieces, then fleeped for fome days in water, and 
 afterwards boiled. The fwims of the largefl fifh 
 only, are preferred. 
 
 Remarks on the French manner of preparing green 
 Cod. 
 
 As far as the cod is opened, the large bone is 
 taken out, but they dont open it further than 
 from the neck to the anus, or, as it is improperly 
 called, the navel. This is owing to the cuftom 
 the French have of faking Newfoundland cod, fo 
 as that it may remain of a roundifh form towards 
 the tail, on which account it is called round cod. 
 
 On the contrary, the Englifti take out the whole 
 bone, and fplit open the cod in its full length, and 
 fo prepare it flat. The Dutch prepare it in the 
 fame manner, and barrel it up. The dry cod is 
 alfo prepared fometimes round and fometimes flat, 
 but of this we fiiall treat in the fequel. 
 
 The manner of faking Cod, in bulk, according to 
 the French method. 
 
 To give cod a firft faking, take care to put as 
 much fait as poffible in its body, then rub the 
 
 whole 
 
COD FISHERY. ^ 69 
 
 whole fkin with fait, and lay them in a particular 
 part of the middle deck, or of the hold, in fuch a 
 manner, that their tails ilope downwards ; cover 
 them with a bed of fait, and lay others over them 
 and along fide of the firit. Let them remain thus 
 piled together, fo that the water and blood may 
 run off, for twenty-four or forty-eight hours, ac- 
 cording as time will allow. 
 
 When the blood and water are fufficiently dif- 
 charged, give the fifh a full faking, for which pur- 
 pofe they are to be removed from the place they 
 were in, and ranged in piles, in the middle deck, or 
 in the hold. To form thefe piles, or layers, make 
 a floor of pieces of wood, or of dry branches of 
 trees, covered with matts, on which lay a bed of 
 fait. The firfl layer confifls of the offals, which 
 generally belong to the crew. Then place the cod- 
 fifli in rows, and between each layer throw a bed of 
 fait, fo as to prevent their touching one another ; 
 however, there muft not be too much fait, as it 
 would injure the filh. 
 
 A great deal depends upon the fldll and atten- 
 tion of the falters. The Normans and Bretons 
 engage ikilful men for this employment, at a good 
 falary, but fome entrufl the fliip-boys with it. 
 In large veffels, two men are employed, one of 
 whom attends to the firft faking, and the other, to 
 the full one ; but in fmall veffels, one man does 
 both ; fome of them place the large cod in the firfl 
 rows, then the middling ones, and the fmall ones 
 
 on 
 
7O COD FISHERY. 
 
 on the top ; but the mod of them negle& this 
 precaution, which is very troublefome, and of no 
 great uie. The tongues, heads, and zounds, are 
 falted, and placed under the cod, as already ob- 
 ferved. But after the cod has been taken out at 
 the landing place, they raife the tongues, and 
 zounds in bafkets, and {hake them in a kind of 
 ileve, fo as to throw off the overplus of fait. 
 They are then put in barrels, wherein they keep 
 a long time without being fpoiled. 
 
 When the tongues are to be dreiTed for table, 
 they muft be firft fleeped in water, to make them 
 tender and frefti ; but as to the zounds, it is fuffici- 
 ent to wafli them. 
 
 The Englifh fifhers, on the Bank, give the cod, 
 whether large or fmall, only a half-faijting, and 
 fend them in fmall veiTels to fhore, where, after 
 having waftied and ileeped them for a fhort time, 
 they let them dry a little, and then give them a 
 full falting, if they intend to make dry cod, 
 
 Remarks on the good quality of Green Cod. 
 
 Befides the attention neceiTary in falting cod, 
 the good quality of it depends upon feveral other 
 circumflances. i. Cod, like all other fifh, is 
 flabby and bad, in the time of fpawning. 2. 
 Nothing can be falted as well in hot, as in cool 
 weather. 3. The fifhermen fay, that in certain 
 feafons, the cod feed upon mire, or weeds, that 
 
 float 
 
COD FISHERY. ji 
 
 float on the water, and which make them of a 
 bad quality ; and that, the bed feafons for faking 
 are, fpring and autumn. 4. In winter, befides 
 the danger of being furrounded with ice, there is 
 only final 1 cod to be found. 5. The choice of 
 fait is alfo an important confideration. 'Tis gene- 
 rally imagined, that old French fait, that has loft 
 its fharpnefs and bitternefs, is preferable to white 
 fait, and that it gives the cod a delicacy, which is 
 more to be valued, than the whitenefs caufed by 
 other forts of fait. 
 
 Of Salt brought back after tie Ft/king feafon. 
 
 Salt is often brought back from the bank of 
 Newfoundland. It is diftinguiftied into two forts ; 
 the one is called new fait, the other old fait. 
 
 New fait is that, which had been carried out, 
 and not been made ufe of. The filhermen fay, 
 that this fait contracts a bad quality, and that its 
 ftrength is weakened by having been kept at fea, 
 and they aflert, that feveral perfons have loft their 
 cargoes on account of their having ufed this fort 
 of fait, and that, at leaft, it makes the cod red, 
 which the purchafers dont like. 
 
 It is probable, that the caufe of fome cargoes 
 being fpoiled, was not the ufe of this fait, but, 
 that the fifli had been taken and faked in a bad 
 feafon. When trade was carried on with the 
 North, this fait ufed to fell as high as the other, 
 
 and 
 
72 COD FISHERY. 
 
 and it is ufed at prefent with good fuccefs for falt- 
 ing herrings. 
 
 It appears, alfo, that this fort of fait could be 
 improved, by expofing it to the air and fun, or 
 by putting it under ftieds. As fait, which has 
 been kept in the holds of veffels, imbibes a great 
 deal of moillure, it has lefs ftrength than dry fait. 
 Befidcs, dry fait, by attracting the moifture of the 
 fifh, contributes more to its prefervation, than 
 damp fait can do. By the name of old fait, they 
 underfland fait, which has been made ufe of in 
 fal ting cod, and which remains after unloading the 
 cargoes. It is fit only for faking hides, yet, fome 
 people make ufe of it for other purpofes, by mix- 
 ing it with new fait, and fometimes they barter it 
 for new fait, giving three barrels for one. 
 
 Of the Oil of Cod-fijh. 
 
 The Icelanders collect the cod's livers with great 
 care, and put them in cafks, wherein they fer- 
 ment and melt, for about fix weeks, after which, 
 they take out the oil. They often mix it with 
 whale oil, without boiling ; but afterwards, they 
 boil the grofs part, and extract from it an inferior 
 fort of oil, which they mix with other oils of the 
 fame fort, and call it thran brun. The whole of 
 it is fold to Danifti merchants. 
 
COD FISHERY. 73 
 
 Of the prefervation and difpofal of Green 
 Cod, &c. 
 
 Cod, to be good, muft be entire, the Ikin on, 
 be white, firm, not fpotted, and not have a bad 
 fmell. It muft be kept in cool, but not damp, 
 flore-houfes. It keeps very well until fpring, but 
 heat fpoils it. They have, however, very good 
 cod the whole year round in the northern provin- 
 ces of France ; but it cannot bear the heat of the 
 South, much lefs that of the Levant. Therefore, 
 green cod muft be confumed in France, and as it is 
 much efteemed, it often happens, that there is not 
 a fufficiency of it, and that they are obliged to 
 have recourfe to foreigners for a further fupply. 
 
 In July and Auguft, the French are fupplied 
 with excellent cod, cured in the north of Ireland, 
 and Scotland, on Dogger' s-bank, in the German 
 fea, &c. 
 
 Of the preparation of Green Cod, according to the 
 Dutch method. 
 
 Although the greateft part of the French 
 fifhers prepare cod-fifh in the round manner, as 
 before defcribed, there are fome of them, howe- 
 ver, who cut it flat, and fait it in calks and bar- 
 rels, which we have called the Dutch method. 
 
 When 
 
74 COD FISHERY. 
 
 When they take a cod, they do not immediate- 
 ly take out the tongue ; nor do they open it to 
 take out the flomach. They throw it behind 
 them on the deck, and men, whofe bufmefs it is to 
 prepare it, take off the head, and hang up the fifh, 
 with its tail downwards, by a hook, to a flake fix- 
 ed for that purpofe in the back part of the vefTel. 
 The tongue is the only part of the head, that they 
 referve for fale. Having taken off the head, and 
 let the blood flow out, they open the fifh as far as 
 the anus, or navel, and take out the entrails for 
 bait. They alfo open the flomach, to get whate- 
 ver may be in it fit forbait. The crew fometimes 
 drefs what they call cod's tripes, which are no- 
 thing elfe but the flomach, which they wafh and 
 beat, as if wafhing linen. They hang it up for a 
 couple of days, and then wafh it again, and boil 
 it ; it is but indifferent food. 
 
 The livers are carefully referved, for the fake 
 of the oil ; and as to the fwims, or zounds, they 
 take out only thofe of the large fifh. 
 
 They fplit the fifh in its whole length, and take 
 out all the large bone, except a fmall part of it to- 
 wards the tail, and clip the ends of the fins. A 
 boy then wafhes it in a tub full of fea- water, until 
 all the blood is got out : when warned, 'tis left to 
 drip in a balket. 
 
 Before the fifh have quite done dripping, they 
 are packed in barrels, and a little fait is thrown 
 upon them. Care is taken to put more fait in 
 
 their 
 
COD FISHERY. 75 
 
 their bellies than elfewhere. They are left for 
 two days in this ftate, after which they are pour- 
 ed into tubs, and wafhed in their brine. Then 
 they are let drip again, and packed anew, in 
 the barrels, in fuch a manner, that a bed of fait, 
 and a bed of fifh. are placed alternately. They 
 are prefled very clofe together, and, when thus 
 made up, are in a ftate to be fent to France, or 
 elfewhere, where they are to undergo fame new 
 preparations as we fhall explain. 
 
 Of the barreling of Cod-fijh, as it is praftifed 
 at Treport) in France. 
 
 When the veffels arrive, they fet apart fuch 
 barrels of filh, as have loft their brine, and want 
 to be faked again. However, the whole cargo is 
 lodged in ftore-houfes, where it remains, until the 
 barrels are to be re-packed. Befides large ftore- 
 houfes, and a place for keeping fait, there muft be 
 a fpacious flied, provided with large tubs, two 
 feet four inches high, and ftx or feven feet in dia- 
 meter, fo that fix or feven women can wafli fifti in 
 them at the fame time. There muft be alfo fome 
 benches to let the fifti drip, as will be explained 
 hereafter, and a prefs for the purpofe of preffing 
 the cod clofe together, in the barrels. 
 
 The fiih having been faked and barreled twice 
 at fea, are now to be barreled and faked a third 
 time, fo as to prepare them for fale, and to make 
 
 keep 
 
76 COD FISHERY. 
 
 keep good for a long time. The greateft part of 
 this operation, which they call dry faking, is left 
 to the women. 
 
 Into one of the large tubs, 45 or 46 barrels of 
 cod are emptied together with their brine ; when 
 there is not brine enough in the barrels, they make 
 new, with fait diffolved in water ; for there muft 
 be brine enough to cover the fifli. 
 
 The women, that are around the large tub, wafli 
 the cod, fifli by fifli. This is done by holding 
 them with the left hand againft the fide of the 
 tub, fo as to keep them dipped in the brine, and 
 by rubbing them with a fmall broom, in the right 
 hand, taking care not to injure the fldn ; hav- 
 ing repeated this operation, three or four times, 
 they put thofe, that are wafhed, in heaps, in the 
 fame large tub, which contains the brine. 
 
 Then they take out the fifh, that have been 
 thus waflied, and holding them by the tail, dip 
 them four or five times in the veffel full of frefli 
 water. When this water becomes fait, they pour 
 it out and renew the water. 
 
 After about a barrel and a half of cod has been 
 thus waflied in the brine, and twice in frefli water, 
 a woman takes them one by one, and examines 
 them. With a knife ihe takes off all the blood, that 
 may have remained on them, and every thing elfe, 
 that might injure the fifli, as to its quality and 
 whitenefs. She wafties them again, if neceflary, 
 and then the cod is in a condition to be left to 
 
 drip 
 
COD FISHERY. 77 
 
 drip on the benches or frames. Thefe benches 
 are made of ftrong fhingles, laid upon thick 
 planks, that ferve for flocks. A little opening is 
 left between the fhingles, for the flowing off of the 
 water, that drops from .the fifh. 
 
 The floor under the ihed is paved and Hoping, 
 fo as that all the water, that falls, may flow off into 
 a channel. 
 
 If the fliingles, laid over the benches, touch the 
 wall, that part is lined with planks, to prevent the 
 gravel from falling upon the fifh. 
 
 As to the manner of arranging the fifh, they 
 double up fome of them, leaving 'the flefhy part 
 infide, and the fkin outfide. Thefe are placed 
 longways, at the back part of the edifice, to ferve 
 as pillows for the others, which are laid croffways 
 on the boards. The fifli, that are thus laid crofs- 
 ways, and that form the pile, are fo placed, that 
 towards the head they are elevated on the pillows, 
 while the tails incline downwards, forming an 
 angle of about forty-five degrees. They form a 
 pile, by laying divers beds of fifh, one over the 
 other, with this precaution, however, that in the 
 firft bed, which lies immediately on the fliingles, 
 the fkin is undermoft, and the flefhy part upper- 
 moft, whereas, in all the other beds, the flefhy 
 part is placed undermofl, and the fkin uppermoft, 
 to prevent the air's acting upon the flefh, which 
 would make it yellow. 
 
 In 
 
78 COD FISHERY^ 
 
 In this manner, beds of cod are arranged, fo as 
 to form a pile of thirty, forty, or fifty barrels, in 
 fhort, of as many as can be got ready in one day ; 
 and on the next day, the fame operation is recom- 
 menced. 
 
 'It is eafy to conceive, that the fifli, which is in 
 the lower part of the piles, is, as it were, under a 
 prefs, and that it drips better than that, which is 
 in the upper part; on this account, after three or 
 four days the piles are changed, fo as to place un- 
 dermoft, what was uppermoft before. It is of 
 great confequence to keep the ,fh from the fun- 
 fliine, even when it is in barrel, on which account 
 all thefe operations are carried on under a fhed. 
 
 Eight days after, when the cod has dripped 
 enough, it is put into barrels, that have feveral 
 holes near the rim, for the purpofe of letting out 
 the brine, formed by the fait that is put into them ; 
 but, before this is done, the fifh is weighed : for, 
 in France, every barrel mufl contain 26olb. of 
 fifh, (fixteen ounces to the pound) and forty Ib. 
 of white fait. 
 
 When weighing the fifh, they fort them ; 
 fuch as are fmall, poor, red, or fpoiled, arc 
 laid afide ; they keep, however, thofe that are not 
 very fmall, as it is ufual to fell this fort of fifli 
 by the pound. It is afterwards carried under 
 the ftied to be barreled, which is done in the fol- 
 lowing manner. 
 
 The 
 
COD FISHERY. 79 
 
 The women, whofe bufmefs it is to barrel the 
 cod, begin the operation by putting a couple of 
 handfuls of fait in the bottom of the barrel, and 
 then a little fait on the flefliy part of the fifh. They 
 turn up the gills, and adapt the fifh to the interior 
 form of the barrel. Two pieces of cod, form nearly 
 a bed ; they cover it with a little fait, and continue 
 to make up fuch beds of fifh and fait, alternately. 
 
 When the barrel is half full, the cooper puts a 
 falfe bottom on the fifli, and jumps upon it. Hav- 
 ing preffed them well, he takes off the falfe bot- 
 tom*, and the women continue to fill up the barrel. 
 It happens very often, that they are obliged to pile 
 up the fifh, to make the proper weight, higher 
 than the brim of the barrel, in which cafe, they 
 make ufe of a fort of prefs, which a&s upon a falfe 
 bottom, until the fifh is preffed down to the pro- 
 per level. The falfe bottom is then taken off; the 
 women throw what remains of the forty Ib. of fait 
 on the pile ; and the cooper clofes up the barrel. 
 
 The whole operation terminates with piercing 
 eight holes between the lirfl and fecond hoop. 
 Through thefe holes they run fome packthread, 
 which is fattened, with a leaden mark, flamped 
 with a feal. This is done by a perfon named, 
 the Commiffary of the Salt Ferme, or at leaft, in 
 his prefence, to fhew that the barrel has been pro- 
 perly made up, and that the due quantity of fait 
 has been ufed. 
 
 Of 
 
8o COD FISHERY, 
 
 Of the method of barreling Cod at Dunkirk. 
 
 Although the Dunkirk method differs but lit- 
 tle from that already defcribed, yet, as fome little 
 precautions may contribute very much to the good 
 quality of cod, it will not be amifs to give a Ihort 
 account of it. 
 
 As foon as the cod are taken, and brought on 
 deck, they cut off the heads, to make them bleed, 
 and that the flefh may become the whiter. Then, 
 they open them in almoft the whole length, and take 
 out the large bone, leaving only a fmall part of it at 
 the tail, in the fame manner as flat cod is opened, 
 according to the Dutch method. The fifh is 
 then put into a tub full of frefh water, in which 
 it is waftied, and all the blood taken out, by rub- 
 bing it with a fmall broom. After this, it is put 
 into a bafket, and left to drip for a quarter, or 
 half an hour. 
 
 The fifli is then taken out and put into barrels; 
 the fkinny part is always placed undermoft, and 
 they throw upon each fifh a fmall plateful of white 
 fait. In this hrfl barreling, they generally ufe 
 four barrels of fait, for every fourteen barrels of 
 cod. 
 
 The fifh remains in this fait three or four days, 
 which produces as much brine as ferves to wafh 
 it, after it is taken out of thefe barrels, to be put 
 anew into others. In this fecond barreling, a very 
 fmall quantity of fait is fcattered between the fifh, 
 
 and 
 
COD FISHERY. 8l 
 
 and when the barrel is full, they pour into it about 
 a quart of ftrong brine. In this operation, they 
 ufe a barrel of fait, for every fourteen barrels of 
 fifh. This quantity, viz. of fourteen barrels, 
 makes what they call a lot. 
 
 Each barrel contains from thirty to fifty fifties, 
 and weighs above 3oolb. After the fecond bar- 
 reling, they clofe up the barrels, and depofit them 
 in the hold of the veiTeL 
 
 Of barrelled cod^ which is fold in brine. 
 
 When the fliips arrive at Dunkirk, the fifti is 
 taken out of the barrels, and waftied in new brine, 
 feparating the large, well conditioned, and fit for 
 fale, from thofe, that are fmall, or are any way 
 fpoiled. Thefe laft are put into barrels apart, and 
 fold as an inferior fort of fifli. 
 
 In this third barreling they ufe from twenty to 
 twenty-five Ib. of white fait, and when the bar- 
 rels are full, they clofe them up and pour in fome 
 ftrong brine, through the bung-hole, after which 
 the fifli is fit for fale. 
 
 
 
 Of dry falted Cody in barrels. 
 
 For cod, barreled in the dry way, they obferve 
 the method we have juft defcribed, until they arrive 
 in port. The cod is then taken out of the barrels, 
 and the good feparated from the bad. As they 
 
 G take 
 
82 COD FISHERY. 
 
 take them out, they wafli them in tubs, and then 
 place them on floping boards, with their tails 
 againft one another. Having thus left them to 
 drip for feveral days, they make them up in cafks, 
 or barrels, and throw fome white fait upon them, 
 after which they make feveral holes in the bottoms 
 of the barrels to let out the brine, formed by the 
 moiflure of the fifh, and then flop up the barrels. 
 The fifhermen of Grandville, who fifh on the 
 great bank, to accommodate their friends, make 
 choice of fmall cod of two or three Ib. weight, 
 which are more delicate than the large ones, and 
 put them in barrels, throwing fome fait upon 
 them, without cutting them in pieces As they are 
 kept from the contaft of the air, they remain frefli 
 .for a long time. The Grandville fifhermen never 
 prepare cod in brine. Small cod is ufually neglect- 
 ed, as unfit for commerce ; but it appears, that, if 
 they were prepared in this manner, they would 
 bear a preference, on account of their delicacy. 
 
 Of the Police of Dunkirk, with regard to 
 barreling. 
 
 The magistrates of Dunkirk have eflablifhed the 
 following regulations : 
 
 i . The barrels muft be made of good oak, and 
 there muft be at leaft twelve ftaves to each bar- 
 rel. They mufl contain one hundred and thirty 
 pints, Paris meafure, and the firfl letter ofthemafler 
 
 cooper's 
 
COD FISHERY. 3 
 
 cooper's name is to be marked upon them with a 
 red hot iron. They are then to be infpe&ed by 
 the warden of the coopers, who puts the mark of 
 the city upon them, and is allowe4 fix deniers for 
 every barrel. 
 
 2. The empty barrels muft weigh about thirty, 
 or thirty-one Ib. (fixteen ounces to the Ib.) and, 
 when the cod is put into them, in the moift or brine 
 way, they muft not contain lefs than three hun- 
 dred and twelve Ib. of mil. 
 
 3. For preparing fifh in this manner, it requires 
 from forty to fifty Ib. of white fait, in brine, fo 
 that the grofs weight of the barrel is to be about 
 three hundred and eighty-eight Ib. 
 
 4. The barrels for cod, in dry fait, muft weigh, 
 when empty, thirty, or thirty-one Ib. like the 
 others. 
 
 5. They muft contain three hundred Ib. of fifh, 
 from which the old brine has run off, and thirty- 
 feven, or thirty-eight Ib. of fait, fo that the grofs 
 weight of a barrel of cod, in dry fait, muft be 
 about three hundred and fixty Ib. 
 
 6. The men, who make up the barrels, muft 
 feparate the cod, fit for fale, from fuch as are fmall 
 poor, black, yellow, or otherwife injured, which 
 are to be put into other barrels, marked with the, 
 word REBUT, that is, refufe^ or, trajh. 
 
 7. Thefe men muft be fworn. The number of 
 them is fixed at thirty, and their falary at five fous 
 per barrel, whether the barreling be in brine, or 
 
 G 2 |I 
 
#4 COD FISHERY. 
 
 in dry fait. They dont form a corporation, and 
 every trader can employ whichfoever of them he 
 pleafes. 
 
 8. To prevent any trader from eluding the ex- 
 ecution of thefe orders, he muft mark the barrel 
 of his own falting, with the firft letter of his name. 
 
 N. B. Thefe regulations refer merely to the 
 lad barreling and faking, which takes place after 
 the {hips arrive in port, and have nothing to do 
 with any prior preparations. 
 
 Of the relative goodnefs of green Cod, prepared 
 according to the methods defcribed. 
 
 The green cod of Newfoundland, prepared as be- 
 fore, is much efteemed in France, when it is new; 
 but, according as it grows old, it lofes its value, fo 
 that towards the middle of Lent, when the warm 
 weather begins to fet in, it is looked upon as a very 
 common kind of fifh. The preference is then 
 given to barreled cod, that has been prepared 
 according to what we have called the Dutch 
 method. 
 
 Some people always prefer barreled cod, becaufe 
 it is whiter ; but as the whitenefs only proceeds 
 from the ufe of white fait, it makes the fifli tough, 
 and even changes the tafte of it. The chief rea- 
 fon why barreled cod fells well, is, that it keeps 
 better, and therefore, about the middle of Lent, 
 it is preferred to the other, although, at nrft, it 
 was not as delicate. 
 
 Cod 
 
COD FISHERY. 85 
 
 Cod, barreled in brine, is confidered more deli- 
 cate than that, which is barreled in dry fait : feve- 
 ral perfons, however, prefer the fecond fort, be- 
 caufe, in dreffing it for table, it fwells, whereas 
 the firfl fort {brinks. 
 
 As fmall cod, at lead that of a middling fize, is 
 more delicate than the overlarge kind, and as 
 every one allows, that the old fait of Brouage is 
 better for cod than white fait, the Dunkirk traders 
 make choice of fmall cod, and fait them in barrels, 
 and in brine, with Brouage fait. Such fmall cod 
 keeps longer, is more delicate, and fells a.t a 
 higher price, than that made up in bluk. 
 
 Of the Cody called L'ANDOLIUM. 
 
 In Flanders, they have a particular method of 
 preparing fome cod, which they take on their 
 coafls ; it is faid to be preferable to frefli cod, as 
 it has a little relilh of fait, tha makes it very 
 pleafmg. It is called Andolium ; they fay it is 
 prepared in this manner. The fifh is put, alive, 
 into a tin veffel, and killed, by throwing a great 
 deal of fait over it and under it. It keeps but for 
 a fortnight at mod, but, if drefled for table, in 
 the manner of frefh cod, it is faid to be delicious. 
 
 Of 
 
COD FISHERY. 
 
 Of the preparation of green Cod, in Northern 
 countries, which is called ABERDEEN, or AB- 
 
 BERDAHN. 
 
 The author of the General Hiftory of Iceland 
 is of opinion, that this name of Aberdeen, &c. 
 comes from the town of Aberdeen, in Scotland, 
 where he fuppofes, that cod was firfl prepared in 
 the manner we are going to defcribe. 
 
 In northern countries, there are various me- 
 thods of- curing cod ; fome people cut off the 
 head, and take out the large bone ; others leave 
 the head, and prepare it along with the reft of the 
 fifh ; but the general mode ufed in thofe coun- 
 tries is, to dry the fifh without faking it. Howe- 
 ver, they prepare a fmall quantity in the green 
 way, of which we fhall now treat. 
 
 The method of making Abberdahn, or Aberdeen, 
 is as follows. When the cod is brought into the 
 fifliing boats, they cut off the heads, and gut them 
 as far as the anus, without fplitting them into two 
 pieces, They then carry them to land, and 
 throw fome of the country fait upon them \ after 
 which, they wafh them in fea water, or in brine, 
 and fait them anew in barrels, with Spanifh, or 
 Portuguefe fait. This cod is not near as good as 
 that of Newfoundland, not only on account of the 
 fait which they life, (of which hereafter) but 
 
 likewife, 
 
COD FISHERY. 87 
 
 likewife, becaufe, in Norway, they cut the green 
 cod badly, fo that its flefh is often red with blood. 
 They give it a firft faking, in large tubs, and hav- 
 ing left it for eight days in this brine, they lay the 
 fifli in heaps, over one another, until the brine has 
 dript of ; it is then put into barrels with coarfe 
 Portuguefe fait. This method might be very good, 
 if they had the attention to wafbt the fifh, before it 
 was barreled. 
 
 Norway produces a great deal of fait, but it is 
 fit only for the firft faking, which ferves to make 
 the flefli firm, and to foak the blood. The laft 
 and real faking, which preferves the fifh, mull be 
 done with French, Spanifh, or Portuguefe fait ; 
 the laft is more commonly ufed by the Norwegi- 
 ans, on account of the trade they carry on with 
 Spain and Portugal. The inhabitants of Den- 
 mark, Holftein, and of the countries bordering on 
 the Elbe, make ufe of white Hamburgh fait, 
 although it is fuppofed to have little ftrength. 
 
 The cafks, in which they put their cod, are of 
 deal, and are of a much worfe make than the 
 Dutch ; and they often put bad cod, and even 
 other forts of fim, in the middle of them, between 
 the better fort of fifh, which is placed at both 
 ends. 
 
 The Dutch, that fifh for cod in the northern 
 feas, prepare it better than the Norwegians. They 
 cut off the heads, and open the cod as far as the 
 anus ; and, after a firft faking, to make the flefh 
 
 firm 
 
88 COD FISHERY. 7? 
 
 firm, they arrange it in barrels, with coarfe falt> 
 one layer over another. Thus they make what 
 is called Abberdahn^ which is more efteemed 
 than that of the Norwegians, although both me- 
 thods are nearly the fame ; but the Dutch abber- 
 dahn is prepared with more care and cleanlinefs, 
 
 and with better fait. 
 
 \ 
 
 Of jijhing for Cod y near Iceland. 
 
 Several French traders go to Iceland, to fifli for 
 cod. We have obferved already, that the tra- 
 ders of Olonne^ who go to Newfoundland, fet out 
 as foon as poffible, and that they often return to 
 France, without having completed their cargo, on 
 account of the great profit arifing from the fale of 
 new cod. But fliips cannot fail fo foon for Ice- 
 land, becaufe of the great dangers from the ice. 
 They ufually fet out from Normandy in the be- 
 ginning of March, and return in September and 
 O&ober, or fometimes fooner. A veifel of fixty 
 or feventy tun, can bring back one thoufand, or 
 one thoufand two hundred barrels of cod. 
 
 On the bank of Newfoundland, the iimery is 
 carried on at fixty or eighty leagues from land, 
 but at Iceland they fiih in fight of land. As cod 
 is ufually larger far out at fea, than it is near fhore, 
 the Newfoundland cod is generally larger than 
 that of Iceland, but not fo grey, or fo much 
 ipotted. It is, however, the fame fifh, and, the 
 Iceland cod is of a very good quality. 
 
 Such 
 
COD FISHERY. 89 
 
 Such a veffel, as we have mentioned, carries thir- 
 teen men, befides fome boys. They take out 
 from one hundred and fifty, to one hundred and 
 fixty barrels of white Portuguefe fait, which has 
 been refined at Etaples, near Boulogne, in 
 Picardy. 
 
 This fort of cod is prepared much in the fame 
 manner as the Dutch abberdahn^ and ufually fells 
 for one-fourth, or one-third, more than that, which 
 is falted in bulk. 
 
 Of watering Cod for market. 
 
 In watering cod, fait water is preferable. If 
 freili water be ufed, it mud be changed often, as, 
 otherwife, the fifh would contract a bad fmell, on 
 which account, running water is preferable to any 
 other. 
 
 Of grappling for Cod. 
 
 When there happens to be a fkul, or fhoal of 
 cod, if the fimermen have not bait, or if the fifli 
 will not bite, they throw out their fifhing hooks 
 at random, taking care at the fame time, not to let 
 the hooks touch the bottom. The fifh, de- 
 ceived by the brightnefs of the metal, are apt to 
 bite, and it often happens, that fome of them 
 are drawn up. But as they throw out, and draw in 
 the lines, at random, without waiting until the filh 
 
 have 
 
COD FISHERY. 
 
 have bit, the hooks frequently flick in vari- 
 ous parts of the cod's bodies, fome of which are 
 drawn up, and others efcapc wounded. A much 
 greater number is wounded than is drawn up, and 
 many of thofe, that are fo wounded, either die, 
 which is a lofs to the fifhery, or, by their bleeding, 
 frighten the other fifh, which quit the place. 
 This mode of fifhing, therefore, mould not be 
 allowed, except in fome rare inftances. The rea- 
 fon of its being called grappling is, that, in the 
 boat, each man has too lines, which he throws out, 
 and draws up, alternately, at each fide of the boat, 
 to right and left, as faft as poflible, fo that the 
 whole a&ion and operation is fomewhat fimilar to 
 that which is ufed in mowing, and is therefore 
 called by the French, faux, or fey the fifhing \ we 
 have named it grappling* 
 
 Of the Weather moji favourable for fijhing. 
 
 The beft time to fifli for cod, and for every 
 fort of hook fifhing is, when there is a mizling 
 rain, and a covered iky, with a breeze from 
 S. W. or S. S. W. Cod is not apt to take the 
 bait, when the fky is clear. Cloudy weather is 
 more favourable,. 
 
 How 
 
GOD FISHERY. 
 
 How to make what they call Pine Cod. 
 
 To prepare cod in this manner, when the fifti 
 is more than half dry, it is laid out on the ftrand 
 in cloudy weather, with the flelhy part upper- 
 moil. Having imbibed ibme moiflure, it is laid in 
 heaps for fome days, whereby it grows warm and 
 tender, after which, it is expofed to the funfhine, 
 until it becomes quite dry. It acquires a fort of 
 fmoaky colour, but it is more delicate than white 
 cod, although the people of the Levant prefer the 
 white kind. 
 
 As this preparation depends upon a light fer- 
 mentation, it is plain, that cod, which has been 
 heaped up, before it was well dried, becomes ten- 
 der and delicate in the fame manner ; on which 
 account, at the unloading of the cargoes, there 
 is often found fome pine cod, though it had not 
 been prepared intentionally. 
 
 OF THE COD FISHERIES IN THE NORTH, AND 
 OF VARIOUS .METHODS OF CURING COD. 
 
 There is fcarce any cod taken in the Mediterra- 
 nean. There is fbme found on the weftern coafts 
 
 of 
 
g2 COD FISHERY. 
 
 of France, but' it is more abundant in the Ger- 
 man fea, efpecially at the North of Scotland and 
 Ireland. There is, however, a much greater quan- 
 tity of it in North America, as alfo in the North 
 of Europe, at Iceland, Shetland, Greenland, 
 Denmark, Norway, Ruffia, &c. 
 
 Anderfon, in his natural hiflory of Iceland, 
 multiplies the different fpecies of cod-filh too much. 
 The Northern words Dorfch and Torjk^ are gene- 
 rical denominations of all forts of fiih of the 
 genus of the Afellus^ gadus^ or cod, which, how- 
 ever, does not prevent the application of thefe 
 names, in a particular manner, to one fpecies, 
 rather than to another. Mr. Horrebows, who 
 lived for fever al years in Iceland, afferts, that the 
 Torjk of , the northern fiihers, is the fame as the 
 Cabillaud of the Dutch, ( Afellus major vulgarisj 
 and that the Torfchet, or Ti/ling of the Icelanders, is 
 . a diminutive of Torjk^ that is, young T~Q%ft 9 which 
 is called Bergen-fifh^ in Denmark. He adds, 
 that the Tor/X 9 of a middle fize, is called Titthing, 
 in Iceland, and Mittel-dorfch > in Denmark. Ac- 
 cording to him, there are three forts of cod near 
 Iceland ; the firft fort, which they call dorfch^ is . 
 the beft, and is known in Denmark, under the 
 name of Kabllau ; the middle fort is called in 
 Iceland, Stuttingen, and the fmall kind, Tt/ling. 
 Thefe three fpecies are allowed to be torfks of dif- 
 ferent ages, and do not differ from each other, but 
 in their fize. He fays alfo, that the lingen^ or 
 
 ling 
 
COD .FISHERY. 93 
 
 {ing, which is called tips, by the Icelanders, and 
 oefs, by the Norwegians, is the afellus longus, 
 which is likewife a fpecies of torfk, but longer and 
 lefs thick than the other kind. We may, there- 
 fore, conclude, that, according to M. Horrebows, 
 the tor/k, or cabillaud, that is, our common cod, 
 is the fitted fifh for making the different forts of 
 ftockfifh, whereof we intend to treat ; befides the 
 flockfifh, that is made with lize, wittelingue, &r. 
 which feem to be fifh.es of the genus of melwe/s, 
 iv bit ings, &c. 
 
 Of the fjheries, which the Dutch, Englijh, French, 
 &c. may carry on in the Northern feas, toge- 
 ther with a general Idea of their Jljheries and 
 trade. 
 
 People of all nations may fifh in the northern 
 Teas, provided they keep at certain diftances from 
 land ; for, the Icelanders, Norwegians, &c. will 
 not allow foreigners to come near fliore to pre- 
 pare their fifh, on which account they are oblig- 
 ed to cure their cod in the green way. If, how- 
 ever, any veflels have been damaged, they are al- 
 lowed to enter port for the purpofe of refitting ; 
 but they are watched, to prevent the curing of 
 fiih on land. Accordingly, all the foreign fifhers 
 make up their fifh in the green way, in barrels. 
 
 In 
 
94 COD FISHERY. 
 
 In fome places, the fifhery can be carried on 
 early in the year, fometimes, as early as the 
 month of January ; the traders, that go to thofe 
 feas, can get the ftart of the Newfoundland 
 fifhers, who cannot eflablifh themfelves on the 
 bank, before April or May ; but then the traders 
 ftiould agree among themfelves, that, as foon as be- 
 tween them all they had caught enough for one 
 cargo, the veflel fliould be difpatched to the port, 
 where they intend to difpofe of it. 
 
 The moil ufual places for carrying on this 1 ' 
 fifhery, are Iceland, Ferol, Shetland, Denmark, 
 Norway, and Kola in Ruffia. But one of the 
 bed fituations for foreigners, is a. bank, or 
 reef, between the fmall ifland of Ingland^ and 
 the coaft of "Jutland^ which, being very elevated, 
 defends them from florms. The Englifh, French, 
 Dutch, Hamburghers, &c. go to the North, not 
 only to Mi for cod, but likewife to purchafe that, 
 which has been taken and cured by the inhabitants 
 of thofe. countries. Some French traders go with 
 fmall veflels of, from twenty to fifty tons burden, 
 but thefe dont go farther than Shetland, where, 
 befides fifliing themfelves, they barter provifions 
 for full. They fet out about the latter end of 
 April, and return about the latter end of July. 
 The Dutch, befides the trade, which they carry 
 on with the Icelanders, and other natipns of the 
 North, fijQa in the Iceland and Shetland fea. They 
 
 'make 
 
COD FISHERY. 95 
 
 make up the fifti in barrels, and on their return 
 they often continue the fifhery on Dogger' s-bank 
 until winter, unlefs they go to Yarmouth, in Sep. 
 tember, to fifti for herrings. 
 
 The traders of Yarmouth fet out for this fifli- 
 ery with the fame ketches, that they make ufe of 
 for the herring-fifhery, having twelve men on 
 board. They are but a fhort time running to 
 Iceland, and Shetland, where they barter goods 
 for flock-fifh, and take a fituation for fifhing at 
 fifteen or twenty leagues diftance from the Ork- 
 ney Iflands, where they remain for fome weeks. 
 They ufually cut their cod flat, and cure it in 
 bulk. 
 
 The Englilh, Dutch, and French, who carry 
 on this fifliery in the North, fifti alfo for herrings, 
 
 pilchards, &c. which ferve them for bait. 
 
 , 
 
 Of curing cod-fifh in the North, as pracJifed by 
 the inhabitants of thofe countries. 
 
 The northern fiihers prepare fome green cod 
 in barrels, and with fait ; they call it klippjifh* ; 
 it differs but little from what the Dutch call by the 
 fame name, or by that of Abberdan., and is pre- 
 pared by the Danes in the following manner. 
 When the cod are brought on ihore, they cut ofF 
 
 the 
 
 * M. Horrebows derives klipp-fift), from kbppfn, which 
 fignifies ftones, becaufe the fifh is covered with /tones. 
 
96 COD FISHERY. 
 
 the heads, open them, take out the entrails, and the 
 large bone, and then put them into veflels, where 
 they are fteeped eight days in ftrong brine, made 
 with French fait, if they have any, or, if not, 
 with Portuguefe fait. Then they take them out 
 of the brine, and lay them one over another, to 
 let the brine drop out. They even put them under 
 a fort of prefs, formed o boards, covered with 
 flones, and then barrel them with the larger! Por- 
 tuguefe fait they can procure. This method is 
 very good, according as it is praiifed by the 
 Danes, but not fo when pra<ftifed by the Iceland- 
 ers, who cut the fim, and go through the whole 
 procefs fo badly, that their klipp-jijh is little 
 eileemed. 
 
 The difficulty of procuring calks forces the 
 Icelanders, and particularly the inhabitants of 
 Norway, from Drontheim, to a degree of latitude 
 above Bergen, to cure fifh in a manner called 
 plat-fijh (or flat fifh,) which comes near the dry 
 cod prepared in North America, but with- 
 out being near fo white or good, becaufe proper 
 care is not taken to extraft the blood. In curing 
 plat-fijh) they fometimes leave the heads, and 
 at other times cut them off. Having emptied and 
 wafhed the fifli, which they fplit open entirely, 
 they deep them for half a day in water, to let the 
 blood flow out, after which they wafli them a fe* 
 cond time, and leave them heaped up with Spanifh 
 fait for three day. Then they make them up in 
 
 new 
 
COD FISHERY. 97 
 
 new piles, to let the brine run off; and when the 
 fifh is become fomewhat firm, they put it for fome 
 time under prefles, to flatten it, and to prefs out 
 the brine ftill more. And laft of all, they lay it 
 out on rocks, or other places, where it is expofed 
 to the cool air. 
 
 As the Shetlanders have but fmall boats, and the 
 fea furrounding their iflj|nd is fubjeft to ftorms, 
 they cannot filh in winter, but make flack-fijh, of 
 what they take^|Hjfummer, which is prepared 
 much like the plat-fijh above mentioned. They 
 corn it with white Scotch fait, and having left it to 
 drip, lay it out on rocks. They preferve the 
 heads, which they fplit open and fait ; when the 
 heads are dried like the reft of the fifh, they keep 
 very well. 
 
 The fifti, that has got a faking, is more tender 
 than that dried without fait. It keeps alfo for a 
 long time, is more efteemed, and fells dearer than 
 the other. 
 
 Of Stock-fjh, or fijh dried without fait. 
 
 The vfor& Jlock-fijh, which is a compound of 
 two German words, viz. flock ^ which fignifies 
 wood or flick, and Jifh, is a generical term for 
 fifh, that, by drying alone, becomes as hard as a 
 flick) and is ufed in all the northern languages, to 
 fignify every fort of fifh, which is preferved with- 
 
 H out 
 
9o COD FISHERY. 
 
 out fait, merely by being dried. The Norwegi- 
 ans, and the fifliers of the Baltic, dry almoft all 
 the fifh they take, by hanging it by the tail, over 
 ftoves, with a cord fixed to the cieling of their cab- 
 bins ; and the fifh, dried in this manner, (which 
 might be called fmoked fifh^) as well as that, 
 dried by the wind, is called Jlock-fijh, without 
 diftinftion. 
 
 Rondelet fays, that the merchants of Antwerp 
 have fhewn him, under the name of ftock-fifh, all 
 forts of fifh dried in the air, or with fmoke, fuch 
 as rays, foles, plaices, turbots, &c. Stock-fifi^ there- 
 fore, is not a particular fpecies of filh, as fome 
 authors have imagined ; it is from the method of 
 preparing it, that this name is given indifcrimi- 
 nately to every fort of fifh. The Dutch mer- 
 chants, however, do not provide any other flock- 
 fifh, but torfch, or cod ; and in the French provin- 
 ces, no other fifh is known under the name of 
 ftock-fifh, but cod, dried without fait. Befides the 
 generical name of Jiock-fijh^ there are fome other 
 names nfed in the North, owing to the different 
 methods of curing the fifh : fuch w* flackfifh ^ heng- 
 fh^ roifchair^ langfifh^ rondfijh. We fliall en- 
 deavour to give an account of all thefe. 
 
 Anderfon remarks very properly, that a perfon, 
 who had no knowledge of any other climates, but 
 of thofe, temperate and damp like ours, could 
 fcarce conceive, how fo laige and flat a fifh, as the 
 torfch, or cod, could be kept for feveral years with- 
 out 
 
COD FISHERY. 99 
 
 out fait ; for it is a faft, that, if well cured and 
 laid up, it will keep for ten years, and bear to be 
 carried to various climates. The cold and dry 
 North winds, that prevail in fpring, which is the 
 proper feafon for curing fifh, prevent fermentati- 
 on, and dry the fifh much better, than the damp 
 heat of our climates can do. Even in northern 
 countries, the fummer is not a proper feafon for 
 drying fifti, as the fun breeds infecls, and caufes a 
 fermentation, which is always hurtful to it. This 
 fhould be particularly attended to by all rKhermen. 
 
 Of Round-JiJh, or round Stock-fijh. 
 
 The name of round-fifo is given to torfch, or 
 cod, which, when dry, is long, round, and ftiff, as 
 a ftick. 
 
 They make round-fim in all parts of the North ; 
 as the Norwegians have the reputation of prepar- 
 ing it better than others, we fhall defcribe the me- 
 thod they follow. 
 
 Cod cannot be prepared in this manner, but 
 from the beginning of January until the latter end 
 of April, after which time, the air is not dry 
 enough for fuch large and flat fifh, which remains 
 almofl whole. 
 
 In the fouthern part of Iceland, it is ufually too 
 warm in May, to prepare round-fifh well. It is 
 not fo on the North fide of the illand, where the 
 fifhery does not begin until the middle of May, 
 on account of the ice, that comes from Greenland. 
 HS The 
 
ICO COD FISHERY. 
 
 The curing of round-fifti is very fimple. Hav- 
 ing cut off the heads, and opened the fifh, as far 
 as the anusy to empty them, they tie them two by 
 Wo, by the tail, with a firing, and hang them up 
 on poles, laid croflways. They remain thus ex- 
 pofed to the air, for feven or eight weeks, more or 
 tefe, according to the temperature of the weather. 
 The mod favourable time is, when there is a cold 
 and dry North wind; the fiih, becoming dry* 
 drinks, and grows round. When it is in this 
 condition, and very ftiff, there is no danger from 
 infe&s. The Norwegians then lay it up in heaps, 
 like wood for fuel, waiting for purchafers. It is 
 one of the chief branches of trade, that the Dutch 
 have with Norway. The round-fifh of Iceland, 
 is not as much efteemed as that of Norway ; whe- 
 ther the difference be owing to the nature of the 
 fifh, or to the relative drynefs of the air, is 
 Uncertain. 
 
 Of Klipp-fijh) without fait. 
 
 We have fa id before, that, the Danes cure 
 torfch, or cod, in the green way, by faking them 
 in barrels, much in the fame manner as the Dutch 
 make abberdan. They call it Klifp-fijh. The 
 Shetlanders make another fort of klipp-fifh, which, 
 except its not being falted, is very like the dry 
 cod, that the French prepare at Newfoundland. 
 
 The 
 -i.-'i ' *. 
 
 f-r 
 
COD FISHERY. 
 
 The word, klipp-fi/h, is faid to fignify, rock-fifh, 
 in the language of Shetland, becaufe the fiih is 
 laid on rocks to be dried. 
 
 The manner of preparing it is as follows. 
 Having cut off the heads, fplit the fifh. ill 
 almoft their whole length, and take out the 
 greatefl part of the large bone, after which, Jay 
 them in rows over one another, in large wooden 
 veflels, which may contain about five hundred 
 fiflies. 
 
 Thefe veflels are placed on the fliore, and are 
 filled with fea- water, in which the fifli is left for 
 feven or eight days. It is then taken out, and 
 laid up in heaps to let the water flow off. Put 
 ftones upon them, to prefs out the water, and 
 to flatten them. After fome days, lay them out 
 on rocks, or large ftones, &c. When the fifli is 
 perfectly dry, lodge them in ftore-houfes, and 
 take care to keep them from getting damp. This 
 precaution is neceflary aMp, w^en the fifh is to be 
 fliipped; for klipp-fifh, when ^eH- prepared, keeps . 
 very well, provided it be kept dry, and in tl\e 
 fhade. 
 
 Of Tlackjjh. 
 
 As, in Iceland, the wind is not cold nor dry 
 enough in May, at leaft in fome parts of the 
 ifland, to dry up whole fifli ; inftead of making 
 round-fifli, they make fiock-fijh^ a terra, which 
 
 fignifies 
 
102 COD FISHERY. 
 
 fignifies fplit'fijh ; according to M. Horrebows, it 
 comes from jlack^ which means to lay flat. Hav- 
 ing cut oft the head, and opened the body in its 
 whole length, on the fide of the belly, to take out 
 the entrails, and the large bone, as far as the third 
 vertebra below the anus, they lay them out, if 
 the weather promifes to be fair, two by two, flefli 
 againft flefh, on benches made of dry ftones, or on 
 beds of gravel, &c. a foot and a half high. If 
 the weather is not favourable, they form little 
 heaps of filh, which are called cafes ^ putting 
 always the ikin uppermoft, and leave them in this 
 lituation, until there comes a dry, cold, and con- 
 ftant wind, which fometimes does not blow for 
 three or four weeks. If this wind comes too late, 
 the fiih fuffers fome alteration, which makes the 
 merchants call it cafe. 
 
 As foon as favourable weather appears, the wo- 
 men undo the cafes ^ and lay out the fiili on the 
 beds, taking care to turn them two or three times 
 a day, and placing them fo as that the tail of one 
 correfponds to the neck of the other ; and when 
 it rains, they put the fkin uppermoft to prevent the 
 flefli from being fpptted. Fourteen or fifteen days 
 are fometimes requifite to dry it ; but, if the North 
 wind is tolerably ftrong, and very dry, a much 
 ihorter time will do. They are, however, afraid 
 of a fliarp froft. 
 
 When the fiih is well dried, they make great 
 Jieaps of it on the beds, putting heads againft tails, 
 
 and 
 
COD FISHERY. 103 
 
 and then there is no danger of its becoming cafe. 
 In this ftate it is left, until the Danifh merchants 
 come to carry it off. On the way to the fhip it is 
 covered, to protect it from rain ; for it wou!4 be 
 fpoiled at lea, were it (hipped wet. 
 
 Fifh, which has been prepared in this manner, 
 is looked upon as more delicate, and fells, better, 
 than round-fifli. They make flack-fifh, in Iceland, 
 of fome other forts of fifli ; but the merchants 
 don't efleem it, and will take no other but flack- 
 fifh of cod or ling, except wlien it happens to be 
 very fcarce. 
 
 Of the Rothf chair 9 or Rodfchier, of Norway ', or 
 Rotfkaering) of Denmark. 
 
 Thefe terms fignify fifh fplit through the whole 
 length of it, which, when dry, forms, as it were, 
 two long roots. 
 
 What the Norwegians call rodfcbier, differs but 
 little from flack-fifh. They fplit the fifh as far as 
 the tail, and take out the large bone. Thefe two 
 pieces, being united or kept together by the tail, 
 are dried, by hanging them up like round-fifli. The 
 greateft part of it is made of fmall cod, taken near 
 the coafls. This is more delicate than round-fifli, 
 and is called the zaart-fijh of Norway. Some of 
 it is prepared in the iflands of Froe and Weft- 
 menoe ; but that of Norway is more efteemed. It 
 is made in April, at which time round-fifli could 
 not be made. 
 
 Of 
 
IO4 COD FISHERY. 
 
 Of Heng-fish. 
 
 The term, heng-fish, fignifies in the Icelandic lan- 
 guage, hung fifh ; however, it is prepared in a dif- 
 ferent manner from flack-fifh and rodfchier : for, 
 inflead of opening the fifh by the belly, they fplit 
 it in the back, and having quitted it, and taken 
 out the large bone, they hang it up on poles, in a 
 kind of cabbin or flied, which they call hialder, 
 covered with planks, and fo conftru&ed, that the 
 air can pafs through it. But before they hang it 
 up, they lay it in heaps, to ferment a little, which 
 makes it tender, and then lay it out on a rocky 
 foil, or on gravel-beds, &c. to dry a little ; after 
 which, it is hung up in the bidder , until it be- 
 comes perfectly dry. When drying, it does not 
 become round, like round-fifh. Although it fells 
 at a higher price than flack-fifh, yet there is but 
 little of it made, on account of the great trouble in 
 preparing it. The Danes make fome heng-fifh of 
 Torfch, for their own ufe ; which, as it is better 
 prepared, is much preferable to that of the Ice- 
 landers. 
 
 Of Shell-fish-Cod, and Abberdahn. 
 
 The term, Shell-fish, fignifies fcaly fifh. Some 
 fay, it is fo called, becaufe when boiled, it comes 
 off in flakes or fcales ; but the name comes from 
 
 the 
 
COD FISHERY. 105 
 
 thejhe/l-fob being made of a kind of fifti, which 
 is more fcaly than Torfch ; for in Holland, and in 
 Low Germany, the fcales of fifh are called fchelfen. 
 It is made of various forts of good fifh, prepared 
 much in the fame manner as ftock-fifh. As to the 
 Abberdahn, which is made of different forts of 
 fmall fifh, falted and dried, there is none of it fent 
 out of Denmark and Lower Saxony. 
 
 OF THE METHODS OF FISHING FOR COD, 
 PRACTISED BY THE NATIVES OF DIF- 
 FERENT PARTS OF THE NORTH OF 
 EUROPE. 
 
 The manner of fifhing for cod, or torfch, in the 
 north, differs but little from that, which is praftifed 
 at Newfoundland. When the fea is not too high, 
 three fifhermen go out in fmall boats, about twelve 
 or fourteen feet long, called fchuts, and fifh with 
 fimple lines, at a fhort diftance from the coaft. 
 Each fifherman fometimes throws out four lines, 
 two at each fide of the boat. As the fifh, which 
 comes near the coaft, is ufually of a fmall kind, 
 their lines are fine, and the hooks very fmall. 
 
 When they go out farther from fhore, or 
 if the fea is high, they ufe fchuts ftronger built, 
 of four or five tons burthen, with four or five fifh- 
 ermen, and, for the moft part, ufe oars. But, if 
 
 they 
 
106 COD FISHERY. 
 
 they are to eftablifli their fifliery in diftant quar- 
 ters, they go, eight, ten, or twelve men, in boats 
 of feven or eight tons, which they call feules, and 
 carry fome provifions with them. 
 
 They bait their hooks with herrings, pilchards, 
 and other forts of fmall fifh, or, in failure of thefe, 
 with mufckSj five or fix of which are fometimes 
 fufficient to bait a hook. They ufe, alfo, lug- 
 worms, or black- worms, which they gather on the 
 ftrand at low water. 
 
 It is particularly requifite to have good baits in 
 the north, as the cod is ufually not hungry there : 
 it would bite but feldom at the hooks, wer-e they 
 baited only with cad's offals, 
 
 They fiih alfo for cod, with large lines extended 
 on the bottom, called fpillars ; fome of which are a 
 thoufapd fathoms in length, and carry twenty or 
 thirty dozen of hooks. To the end of the leading 
 line they faften a large flone, to keep it fixed ; and 
 at the other end of it is a line, at the extremity 
 whereof is a buoy, or leather bag, filled with air, 
 which they ca.ll blaque, or> a littk empty barrel, 
 that ferves as a mark to iliew where the leading 
 Mne is. Sometimes, inflead of this blaque, they 
 faften the line to a rock or a flake. 
 
 This mode of fifhing is pra&ifed alfo by. the 
 fifhers of the north of Scotland. The lines are 
 laid out in the morning, and taken up at noon ; it 
 often happens, that three-fourths of the hooks are 
 loaded with cod, or fome pther forts of good fifh ; 
 
 the 
 
COD FISHERY. 
 
 the baits are renewed immediately, and the lines 
 laid out again, to be taken up in the evening. 
 Thefe large lines cannot be laid out, but at a little 
 diflance from the coaft, and where there is no great 
 depth of water ; on which account, it is ufually 
 fmall Mi, that is taken with them. This method 
 of fifhing cannot be ufed in deep water. 
 
 It happens fometimes, that the cod, without 
 being purfued by large fifties, collect in great 
 numbers in creeks, where the fiftiery is very good. 
 
 When purfued by large fifties, they come in 
 fwarms into the creeks, and fometimes, fo precipi- 
 tately, that many of them are daflied againfl the 
 coaft. As they are frightened, they will not bite at 
 the hooks, and therefpre, in this cafe, the fifher- 
 men lay out nets at night acrofs the creeks, and 
 ufually find a great quantity of fifh in them the 
 next morning. 
 
 Cod of the Meufe.. 
 
 There is no cod taken either in the Meufe, or 
 near that coaft. However, the name of Cod of 
 the Meufe is famous in Holland and Flanders. It 
 is called fo, becaufe the people, that live in the 
 towns near the mouth of the Meufe, go out into 
 the German Sea to fifh for cod, in large boats 
 called hookers^ in which is a well for keeping the 
 fifti alive. Such fifb, as th,ey bring home alive, 
 they put into refervoirs, through which the water 
 
 of 
 
108 COD FISHERY. 
 
 of the Meufc runs. If they get nourifliment, they 
 will live for a long time, and become more deli- 
 cious, than when firfl taken. This is what is pro- 
 perly called the Cod of the Meufe, although a con- 
 fiderable quantity of frefh cod, of other forts, is 
 fold under the fame name. 
 
 The Dutch take fmall cod-fifh with large nets, 
 which they call Kol, and with fmall ones, called 
 Beug. 
 
 They fell the ftock-fifh, which they buy in 
 northern countries, in two different manners, viz. 
 firfl, without any alteration, and fuch as it comes 
 in the fhips ; fecondly, after having fteeped it for 
 fome days in river water, impregnated with lime. 
 This fort fells dearer than the other, but is thought 
 to be more hard of digeftion, 
 
 Cod-fishing^ with Nets. 
 
 Fifhing with nets was introduced feveral years 
 ago, in the province of Sundmmr, in Norway, on 
 the coaft between Bergen and Drontheim, and is 
 now univerfally praftifed there ; having been 
 found, by experience, to be much more produ&ive 
 than fifhing with hooks. It is gaining ground 
 more and more every day ; fo that hook-fiihing is 
 fcarce in ufe in many parts of Norway, except 
 where fifhing with nets is not pra<ftkable. 
 
 Thefe 
 
FISHERY. IO9 
 
 Thefe nets are made of Dutch or Englilh twine ; 
 the mefties are three inches and a half fquare.* 
 
 Every piece of net is thirty or thirty-five fathoms 
 long, and twenty-four pieces form the whole, 
 which the Norwegians call garn foettning. They 
 join them all together, when the fifhing-banks are 
 large enough. The fifliermen make all their nets 
 themfelves, and the women fpin and twift the 
 thread. 
 
 The nets are mounted on cords, the uppermoft 
 whereof is as thick as the little finger : to the 
 lower cord are fixed feveral little rings, which 
 carry fmall bags, full of {tones, whereby the net 
 finks to the bottom, and is kept there. 
 
 To the uppermoft cord there are faftened pieces 
 of very light wood, about fixteen or eighteen 
 inches long, and two inches broad in the middle, 
 and only one inch broad at the ends. One fide is 
 fomewhat curved, and the other quite flat. It is 
 by the flat fide that they are faftened to the cord, 
 and fuch pieces are placed all along the cord, at 
 the diftance of eighteen inches from each other : 
 they ferve to keep the nets fufpended vertically and 
 firm, ftiould there even be a high fea, currents, &c. 
 
 In a certain feafon of the year, cod quit the 
 bottom of the fea, and keep in ten^ fifteen, or 
 twenty fathom water : to keep the nets at that 
 
 * More or lefs ; for, as the cod 13 fometimes larger, fome- 
 times finaller, they adapt the rnefhes to the fize of the fifh. 
 
 depth, 
 
HO COD FISHERY. 
 
 depth, and prevent them from going to the bot- 
 tom, the fiftiermen make life of fmall barrels made of 
 oak or deal, whereby the nets are buoyed up, or 
 fufpended, at the depth required ; ten or twelve 
 of thefe barrels, being placed at equal diftances., 
 float on the furface. 
 
 At each end of the fall of the net, is a double 
 cord, fome fathoms in length, to which is fixed a 
 kind of anchor, called by the Norwegians krake ^ 
 that ferves to keep the nets in the proper direc- 
 tion. This krake (called a killoe in Ireland) is 
 formed of two pieces of wood, joined together in 
 .the form of a compafs, the ends whereof are 
 fattened in another piece of wood, on which is 
 placed a ftone fufficiently large, that is wedged in 
 and kept firm, by the two branches of the krake. 
 The form of this machine prevents it from fattening 
 in the rocks, on which account it is preferred to 
 anchors. To every krake is annexed a rope, and 
 two cords, at the end of which there are placed one 
 or two barrels, made of deal, that float on the fur- 
 face of the water. The firtt krake has one barrel, 
 which ftiews the beginning of the net, and the fe- 
 cond, two, which fhew the other end of it. 
 
 This fifhery is carried on in boats, much like 
 a yacht, with fix men ; fome of whom row, as oc- 
 cafion requires. The drefs of the Norway fimer- 
 men is very well contrived, fo as to flicker them 
 from wet and cold. 
 
 They 
 
COD FISHERY. Ill 
 
 They fifh for cod twice a year in Norway. In 
 July, they have what they call the fummer-fijhery^ 
 and from Candlemas to Eafter, what is called the 
 winter-fishery, which is carried on after the her- 
 ring-fifhery, and after the cod has been well fed 
 with herrings. Thus, glutted with food, the cod 
 give up the chace of herrings, to depofit their 
 fpawn on the banks, on the coaft of Norway. This 
 fifhery is general, both in Sundmeur, and in 
 Northland, as likewife at Bergen, and fupplies the 
 cod's eggs (or fpawn in bags), ufed in Brittany, in 
 fifhing for pilchards. 
 
 When they fet out, they take provifions, nets, 
 and whatever utenfils may be necefTary. Arrived 
 at their ftation, which, according to the feafon of 
 the year, is from two to ten leagues from the coaft, 
 with fifteen, thirty, forty, fifty, or even eighty or 
 ninety fathom water ; two men row, according to 
 the direction the nets are to be placed in, and two 
 others (one of whom is always the pilot) are en- 
 gaged in putting out the nets. They firft throw 
 out the krake, which is fixed to a double rope, 
 longer or fhorter, according to the depth of water, 
 that the net is to be placed in. The pilot then 
 puts out the nets, which he does by little and lit- 
 tle, taking care to unravel them well ; then, let- 
 ting down the bags of (tones, which two men falten 
 to the rings or handles, according as the nets are 
 let out. All thefe precautions are requifite., in 
 order to make the nets fall perpendicularly. When 
 
 they 
 
CO FISHERY. 
 
 they have done with one piece of the net, they 
 put out another, and fo on, until all the twenty- 
 four pieces are let down, after which they throw 
 out the laft krake, which communicates, as has 
 been faid already, with two barrels, that indicate 
 the laft end of the net. 
 
 The net is left there the whole night, and, if the 
 weather is fair, the men flay out near it. If not, 
 they return to fliore, and fix fome landmarks, that 
 they may be able to find the net the next morning. 
 The pilot then fets about drawing it up ; he be- 
 gins, by taking up the firft krake, and then draws 
 the nets, taking care not to pull them when the 
 waves lift the boat upwards, but only when it goes 
 down with the water. Meanwhile, two men row 
 on$ according as the nets are drawing up. If 
 any part of the nets happens to be faftened to the 
 rocks, they feparate the piece, that has been 
 already drawn up, from thofe that remain below, 
 and they draw them up by the other end, where 
 the two barrels are. The more Mi there is in the 
 nets, the eaiier it is to draw them, and, in general s 
 the haling of nets requires more dexterity than 
 ftrength. 
 
 Formerly they ufed to prepare their fifh in Bund- 
 meur, in the fame manner as they do in North- 
 land, that is, in the ftock-fifli way. But fmce the 
 beginning of the laft war, they have learned to 
 cure cod, according to the method of the Bafques, 
 which, as it brings a better price for the fifli, is 
 
 the 
 
COD FISHERY. 1 13 
 
 the only one they pra&ife at prefent. They call 
 it klipp-fijh, becaufe it is dried upon rocks. The 
 preparing of it is, however, lefs troublefome to 
 the Norwegians, becaufe the pure and fmart air of 
 their climate dries it up very foon. It is alfo 
 whiter than that of the Bafques, and keeps as well. 
 There is a great confumption of it in the Mediter- 
 ranean, where it is much efteemed. 
 
 It will not be amifs here to mention the reafons, 
 that induce them to prefer fiftiing with nets, to 
 that with hooks. 
 
 It is proved by experience, that the caufe of a 
 fifhery being unproductive, is not fo much the 
 fcarcity of fifh, as that the fifh will not bite at the 
 hook, which always happens, when the cod finds 
 fifh enough to feed upon, which they prefer to 
 the fifhermen's baits. In this cafe, which is very 
 common, the hook becomes ufelefs, and no other 
 mode of fiiliing will do but that with nets. 
 
 It is with nets that the largeft and fattefl fifh 
 are taken. In the fifhing feafon, in Norway, if 
 the water is very clear and tranfparent, one may 
 fee the largeft and fattefl fifh lying at the bottom, 
 while the poorer fort of fifh keeps nearer the fur- 
 face of the fea. The firfl fort can be taken only 
 with nets, and the other fort bites at the hook, if 
 it finds nothing better to feed upon, but that is 
 alfo. taken in nets. 
 
 The cod, that is taken in this manner, affords 
 a much greater quantity of oil and eggs, than that, 
 
 i which 
 
U4 COD FISHERY. 
 
 which is taken with the hook. The diftricl: of 
 Sundmeur furnifhes us with a proof of this afford- 
 on ; for it appears from the regifter-books of the 
 cuftom-houfe of Bergen, that, although the pro- 
 duce of the fifheries of Sundmeur is lefs by two- 
 thirds than that of Northland, yet the difference 
 in the quantity of oil is, but one third.* 
 
 Thefe are the principal reafons, that are afligned 
 in favour of fifhing for cod with nets, befides 
 fome others of lefs confequence, which it is not 
 neceffary to mention. It would be well worth af- 
 certaining, if this method, which has been found 
 by many years experience to be fo advantageous 
 in Norway, could be pra&ifed with equal fuccefs 
 by our fifhers at Newfoundland, Iceland, &c. &c. 
 
 In the province of Northland, which belongs to 
 the government of Drontheim, and extends fixty 
 or eighty leagues along the coaft, the cod filhery 
 is carried on twice in the year, juft as in Norway. 
 It is very abundant, for there are two or three 
 thoufand boats, and feven or eight thoufand men 
 employed in it. The entire produce of their 
 fifliery is calculated at 180,000 cwt. of dry fifh, 
 called Jlock-fijh, of which they diflinguifh two forts, 
 one called rodjkiaer, and the other, round-fijh. 
 Thefe are the only methods they have of prepar- 
 ing it ; they make rodfkiaere of the fatteft and 
 thickefl fort of cod, and round-fiih of the reft. 
 
 To form an idea of the importance of the cod- 
 fifhery, of the diflrift of Sundmeur, M. Framery 
 
 fays, 
 
 * In Northland, l^y fifli only with hooks. 
 
COD FISHERY. 1 15 
 
 fays, that out of nine parifhes, which it contains, 
 three alone, (which he had an opportunity of be- 
 ing better acquainted with) fit out two hundred 
 and fifty boats called Fieurrmgs^ with fix men to 
 each boat, in the whole one thoufand five hundred 
 men. Thefe boats, one year with another, take 
 fifty-two thoufand five hundred vogue of fifli. 
 Each vogue weighs thirty-fix Ib. (of fixteen ounces 
 to the Ib.) and ufually fells for a rix dollar, or 
 four livres ten fous, French money. Add to this, 
 that every twenty-fix vogues p'roduce a barrel of 
 oil of two hundred and fifty Parifian pints, which 
 we may value at eleven rix dollars per barrel ; and 
 then add two thoufand barrels of cod's eggs, or 
 roe, each of which is fold at two rix dollars, and 
 one-third ; fo that the fum total amounts annually 
 10318,836 livres, about 13,500 pounds Englifli 
 money. From this fum muft be deduced the 
 expence of fitting out the boats, of keeping the 
 nets, of the barrels, fait, &c. &c. all which is 
 calculated at 9000 livres. There remains then a 
 clear profit of 228,836 livres, or 9600 pounds 
 Englifli, for three pari flies only. It is proper to 
 obfervc, that nothing can be more frugal than the 
 living of the Norwegian filhermen. At fea they 
 ufually live on frefh fifli. Their greateil expence 
 is in brandy and tobacco, which, however, they 
 dont ufe to excefs. It is very rare to fee one of 
 them drunk. 
 
 I 2 
 
 OF 
 
OF 
 
 SALMON, 
 
 OTHER FISH OF THE SAME CLASS. 
 
 Salmon pafs from the Sea into the Rivers. 
 
 .LAYING afide fyftems, and adhering to fads, 
 it is clearly afcertained, that falmon come into the 
 rivers to fpawn. If any of them are found without 
 eggs or milt, the reafon of it is, that they have 
 been taken a long time before fpawning, or a long 
 time after ; at which time they were recovered 
 from the ficknefs, that they are fubjeft to in the 
 fpawning feafon. 
 
 When long, thin, and poor falmon are found 
 in rivers, we are not to believe, that they become 
 fo on account of the frefh water's being hurtful to 
 them, as fome think ; but that is owing to their 
 having but juft got over the ficknefs caufed by 
 fpawning. When they recover from that fick- 
 nefs, 
 
SALMON FISHERY. 117 
 
 nefs, they grow fat again, and become excellent. 
 Some falmon may remain the whole winter in deep 
 rivers, as Camden tells us ; but if the fifhermen 
 did not lay mares for them, and would allow them 
 a free regrefs, the greateft part, if not all, would 
 return to the fea to fearch for deep water, and to 
 proteft themfelves from frofts. After fix months, 
 they would return again into the frefli water. 
 What makes this conje&ure probable is, that, as 
 every filherman knows, feveral kinds of fifli come 
 up near the coafls in fpring and fummer, and, on 
 winter's coming on, retire again into deep bottoms. 
 Some falmon depofit their eggs in the fea ; and 
 thefe are, perhaps, they, which are lean and lick, 
 when they come into the rivers. 
 
 Of the quality of Salmon, according to the places 
 where they are taken. 
 
 Salmon are efteemed, when the head is fmall 
 proportionably to the body, which ought to be 
 large and round, and the fcales of a brilliant colour, 
 which is looked upon as a mark of good health ; 
 for thofe that have the fpawning ficknefs, arc 
 faded, and the fpots are lefs marked. According 
 to M. Mafuelle of Dunkirk, falmon fpawn in 
 fre(h water from September to December, during 
 which time they are reputed bad ; but, as the 
 greatefl part of them have not fpawned when they 
 come into the rivers, almoft all thofe, that are 
 taken at the mouths of rivers, are good in every 
 
 feafon. 
 
Il8 SALMON FISHERY. 
 
 feafon. In January and February they are in 
 their greatefl perfe&ion. When they are full of 
 eggs, their flefti is dryer than at other times ; they 
 are bad during fpawning, and for fome ftiort 
 time after. It is generally believed, that falmon 
 taken in the Loire, the Seine, the Garonne, the 
 Meufe, the Rhine, and the Thames, are ftronger 
 and fatter than thofe of Scotland, and that, on this 
 account, the Scotch falmon is better for faking. 
 That of Brittany is fomewhat lefs efteemed, than 
 the falmon of the rivers we have mentioned. 
 
 The falmon of the Baltic is large and fat ; but 
 its flefh has little colour, which is attributed to 
 the frefli water that abounds there, efpecially in 
 the Gulf of Finland. It is faid, that the Norway 
 falmon is the firmeft of all ; and that the Irifh fal- 
 mon lofes its colour, when cured, more than that 
 of Scotland. 
 
 The rivers, that fall into the German and Baltic 
 feas, ufually afford but fmall falmon, which are 
 brought from Hamburgh, and other ports near the 
 Elbe. To this fiih, which is packed up of all 
 forts pell-mell, the merchants prefer Englifli and 
 Scotch falmon ; it being properly chofen, and 
 each fort packed by itfelf. 
 
 The 
 
SALMON FISHERY. 119 
 
 The following Account of a fingular Method of 
 multiplying and breeding Salmon and Trout, is 
 taken from the Hanover Magazine, No. 62, 
 1 7 '65, and 'from a Memoir, communicated by Count 
 de Golftein, Chancellor of the dutchies of Bergues 
 and Juliers, and publi/hed by M. Duhamel. In 
 the Hanover Magazine, No. 23, 1763, it is f aid, 
 that this method of breeding Jifh had been brought 
 to great perfection by a Mr. Jacobs, of the county 
 of Lippe, in Germany. We do not, however, 
 vouch for the truth of the facls alledged in this 
 Jiatement, as a greater number of experiments 
 would have been necejfary to confirm them* 
 
 A NEW METHOD OF BREEDING SALMON 
 AND TROUT. 
 
 i. Let there be conftru&ecl a wooden box, or 
 trough (oak is the befl), of whatever dimenfions 
 you pleafe ; for example, twelve feet long, a foot 
 and a half wide, and fix inches deep. 
 
 2. At the head of the trough, where the water is 
 to run in, is laid a thick board about two and a 
 half or three inches thick, about a foot wide, and 
 as long as the trough is wide ; in the middle of this 
 board is made a hole fix inches long, and about 
 four inches wide in the clear, with a ravet on all 
 the four fides of this hole, about an inch and a 
 half wide and deep, fo as to admit a fquare frame 
 
 with 
 
120 SALMON FISHERY. 
 
 with an aperture of fix inches by four inches, or of 
 the fame fize of the hole ; which frame muft be 
 covered with a brafs grating (for iron will ruft) of 
 a moderate ftrength, and clofe enough to prevent 
 the fmalleft water-moufe from paffmg through ; 
 otherwife all the fpawn and young fry will be in 
 danger of being devoured by them. 
 
 3. Near the middle of this box or trough, lay 
 another piece of thick board acrofs, as long as the 
 width of the trough, and about fix inches or more 
 wide, which, when nailed upon the edges of the 
 fide pieces, will keep them more fleady and firm. 
 
 4. Let the lower end board, where the water is 
 to run off again, be at leaft three inches thick, as 
 the greateil preflure is againft it ; have an opening 
 cut in at the top, fix inches wide, and four inches 
 deep ; have a ravet made on the outfide, and ano- 
 ther on the infide, deep enough to leave at lead 
 an inch thick of the folid board in the middle, and 
 wide enough to admit a frame with a brafs-wired 
 grate on the outfide, which can be fhoved in from 
 the top ; the wires fliould not be above a line and 
 a half afunder, no more than thofe at the top, for 
 the fame reafon as mentioned before. In the in- 
 fide, oppofite this opening, fhove a bit of a board 
 in its groove downwards, to ftem the water either 
 entirely, or to regulate its running off, according as 
 you find it neceffary, or to pull it entirely out, 
 when the whole of the water is to run off. 
 
 5. There muft be two flrong covers, one at 
 each fide of the middle crofs piece ; both covers 
 
 muft 
 
SALMON FISHERY. I2i 
 
 muft be fattened behind with ftrong hinges, and 
 before with handles, to lift them conveniently up 
 by ; and as the boards are apt to warp, on account 
 of the water within, and the air without, it is re- 
 quifite to have each clamped with two or three 
 crofs pieces. 
 
 6. If you think fit to give the young fifh more 
 air than what enters at the two brafs grates, you 
 may have in each cover a hole made of the fame 
 fize, and guarded with a brafs-wire grate ; this, 
 however, has been found, after repeated obfer- 
 vations, to be unneceffary. 
 
 7. Spring water, out of rocks or ftony ground, 
 is the propereft for breeding of trout and falmon ; 
 but, where it is not to be had, any other fpring 
 water may do, provided the current be ftrong 
 enough, fo as not to freeze in hard frofty. weather. 
 
 8. If the fpring has not fall enough, you muft 
 raife a dam around it, one or two feet higher than 
 the top of your trough ; convey the water from 
 thence through a pipe or gutter, to the firft grate 
 in the opening, on the head part of the trough, of 
 one decimal fquare inch diameter, and determine 
 its length at leaft two inches above the grate ; the 
 remaining water from the fpring can be led off 
 fide-ways. 
 
 If you have an inclination for more breeding 
 troughs than one, they fhould be fixed in the fame 
 dire&ion as the firft, and a larger pipe muft be 
 placed to the head of the fpring, which muft empty 
 itfelf into finaller pipes, laid acrofs the water- 
 troughs, 
 
122 SALMON FISHERY. 
 
 troughs, fo that each trough may have its proper 
 quantity of water conveyed into it ; or it may be 
 managed by means of brafs cocks ; but this is left 
 to every one's own choice, as the mofl convenient 
 method will be foon found out. 
 
 9. After the box or trough is properly fmifhed, 
 it muft be placed horizontally upon two legs of 
 wood, ftone, or brick ; and within upon its bottom 
 put fome; clean-wafhed gravel, level, about the fize 
 of peafe and beans, two inches high ; afterwards 
 fprinkle fome coarfe gravel or pebbles over it, the 
 fmalleft of them of the fize of beans, and fome big- 
 ger than hazel-nuts. This lafl is done, that upon 
 the furface of the fmaller gravel, many deep holes 
 may be formed to prevent, that the continual mo- 
 tion of the water may not carry away the eggs, 
 but that they may remain, where they were at 
 firft fprinkled in. 
 
 10. Then let the water run into the trough, 
 and rife it higher or lower, according to the in- 
 ftru&ions, No. 4, fo that the water may cover the 
 gravel always one or two inches. Take care not 
 to let it run too rapidly, left it may carry off the 
 eggs, or difturb them ; for they ought to remain 
 unagitated between the pebbles. 
 
 This done, you have accomplifhed all that is 
 neceflary to the apparatus, for breeding trout and 
 fahnon. 
 
 1 1 . The time of fpawning is ufually the month 
 of November, at which time the falmon, both male 
 
 and 
 
SALMON FISHERY. 
 
 and female, meet in rivulets in great numbers; 
 and fuch as are ready for fpawning, pitch upon a 
 place, where there is large gravel, and where the 
 water has a quick current. 
 
 As a fmgle drop of fperma contains vafl num- 
 bers of animalcula, fufficient to animate hundreds 
 of eggs, and as the water is loaded at this time 
 with the fperma, it is no wonder that almofl every 
 egg becomes a fifh. 
 
 Every egg or fpawn, in the female, comes to its 
 perfection and ripenefs at the fame time and day, 
 but it is not fo with the fperma of the male; for the 
 fperma, or white roe, lies like a folid fubflance, 
 divided into two parts, in its body, clofe to the 
 back, and grows gradually fluid, and diffolves it- 
 felf into a creamy liquid, beginning at the lowelt 
 part, and difcharges about the fixth part of each 
 divifion every day, fo that within eight days all 
 the fperma becomes liquid, and runs off. 
 
 1 2. To breed young falmon, according to this 
 invention, you muft have fome of them taken out 
 of the rivulet in November, when they gather to- 
 gether to fpawn ; as in fome rivulets their fpawn 
 becomes later ripe, you may, in the latter end of 
 the month, let part of the water drain off, by 
 {lemming the water above, that you may take as 
 many out as you want ; if, after gently ftroking 
 their bellies with the fingers, fome fpawn or fperma 
 goes off, it is a fign that both are ripe, and thofe 
 muft be put into a large pail or tub for ufe. 
 
 13. Then 
 
124 SALMON FISHERY. 
 
 13. Then take a wooden, earthen, or copper 
 bowl ; put into it a pint, quart, or more, of clear 
 water ; take out of your pail one filh after another; 
 flroke them with the hand or fingers downwards, 
 till the fpawn difcharges into the bowl ; you need 
 not fear that it will hurt them, for they can, with- 
 out danger, bear great prefling ; then rub the 
 belly of the male trout in the fame manner, till 
 fome of its milk difcharges into the water (a little 
 is fufficient), then flir the whole with your hand 
 fo as to mix it well, and all the eggs or fpawn will 
 be fru&uated ; then mix more clear water to them, 
 to difperfe them more afunder : after the eggs are 
 impregnated with the fperma, they are apt to clog 
 together, which hurts them in the end \ it is there- 
 fore neceflary to thin them with more water, after 
 which they are to be poured into the breeding* 
 trough. 
 
 A fmall fpace will receive a great quantity of 
 fpawn, yet they mud not lie too thick ; otherwife, 
 they will get in a few days into putrefa&ion, 
 and have the appearance, as if a fine downy wool 
 was fpread over them. To prevent this, take a 
 thin flice of wood, or a paddle about the breadth 
 of a hand, and paddle with it backwards and 
 forwards, on the fpot where the fpawn lies too 
 thick, to fpread, by this motion, the fpawn 
 afunder. 
 
 14. ft 
 
SALMON FISHERY. 
 
 14. It will be neceffary to repeat this manoeu- 
 vre twice a week, or at leaft once a week ; and by 
 paddling with your wooden flice in all parts, you 
 will bring the water upon the eggs into motion ; for 
 let the water be ever fo clear, there will adhere to 
 the eggs, in a few days, a fubtle filth, which lays 
 the foundation to their corruption, even when the 
 fifh is already alive in the egg ; therefore it is 
 neceffary to cleanfe them by this gentle means. 
 They may be clean fed alfo with a feather. 
 
 1 5. After the eggs have been about three weeks 
 in this ftate, one may perceive through the hard 
 ikin, a divided black fpot, which are the the eggs 
 of the young fifh ; the body is too tranfparent to 
 be feen with the naked eye, but after four weeks, 
 if you fqueeze one of the eggs between your fin- 
 gers, you will fee the fifh make a motion and turn 
 within, then you may perceive his form. However, 
 the time neceffary for the forming of young fal- 
 mon, is not always the fame. If the water of the 
 ftream be warm, lefs time is requifite : there is a 
 difference alfo, according to the temperature of 
 the air. 
 
 At laft, after lying fome weeks in this ftate, and 
 under a continual current of running water, the 
 young fifties will bore their heads through the 
 fhell of the egg, and under motion with their bo- 
 dies will, in about half an hour, free themfelves 
 entirely from the (hell, with the yolk of the mother 
 egg hanging to their bellies like a fmall bag ; as 
 
 foon 
 
126 SALMOK FISHERY. 
 
 foon as they are out of the egg, they will flill be 
 in the cavities between the gravel, and have then 
 the appearance, as if the head of a pin was fattened 
 to a reddifti field pea, on account of thefe hanging 
 bags. For three or four weeks they receive their 
 nourifhment from the fubftance contained in this 
 bag, till by degrees, as the fifties grow larger, the 
 bag difappears ; then they begin gradually to af- 
 fume the ftiape of fifties, and having no further 
 fuflenance from this bag, they will feek for food 
 themfelves. But as in fo fmall a compafs as this 
 breeding-trough, there cannot be a fufficient quan- 
 tity of fmall infefts to be found for their fufte- 
 nance, they feek for more room, where they may 
 meet with them in greater abundance ; they fol- 
 low then the current of the water, and flip through 
 the brafs grate at the end of the box, where you 
 fliould have a large wooden tub, like a brewer's 
 cooler, or a fmall clean fifh-pond, covered with 
 gravel, to receive them, in which they will grow 
 in about fix months confiderably. 
 
 1 6. The young fifti can be kept alfo, after 
 they come out of the eggs, for ten weeks in 
 a large clean vafe of glafs, china, or earthen-ware, 
 &c. But, in removing them, care muft be taken 
 not to hurt them.* 
 
 'no lijtfr* 4iw 42^4 loac ';3*iSMJ ii^-/g'i 3$ 
 
 * The author fliould have faid foraething of the manner 
 of nourifliing the young fifli in the veflels. It is difficult to 
 
 find worms at that feafon. 
 
 Trout 
 
SALMON FISHERY. 127 
 
 1 7. Trout may alfo be bred and multiplied in 
 the fame manner. 
 
 I fhall only obferve, that their eggs and 
 milts are ripe and abundant, in the months of 
 December and January ; and as trout are fmaller 
 than falmon, it is therefore more eafy * to ex- 
 traft their eggs and milt, without endangering 
 their lives. , 
 
 1 8. Fifhes do not couple together, for the pur- 
 pofe of generation, as other animals do ; their 
 eggs are not fecundated by the males, before they 
 are dropped. 
 
 19. Trout's eggs, efpecially if they are come to 
 maturity, are quite feparate from one another, as 
 likewife, from every other part of the fifh, and are 
 covered with a very hard ikin or fhell. There is 
 not then much circulation, If any at all remains, 
 between the liquids of the fifh, and thofe of the 
 egg. Accordingly, trout's eggs do not putrify as 
 foon as the fifh ; and I have feen eggs, that were 
 kept found for four or five days, after the fifh was 
 putrified. 
 
 20. To convince myfelf of this by experience, 
 I took the ripe eggs of a trout, that had died four 
 days before, and which was quite putrified and 
 {linking. I covered them with the milt of a live 
 
 * It is not eafy to comprehend the reafon of this greater 
 facility, unlefs it be, that trout, being fmaller than falmon, can 
 be held with greater eafe over the veflel, that receives the eggs 
 and milt, and that they ftruggle lefs. 
 
 male, 
 
128 SALMON FISHERY. 
 
 male, and I got fifli out of them, juft as if the trout 
 had been alive. 
 
 21. And whereas, the life of the animalcula of 
 the milt is not fo clofely connected with that of the 
 fifli, which produces them, that the death of the 
 fifli fliould caufe immediately the death of the ani- 
 malcula ; but on the contrary, the animalcula pre- 
 ferve life, and their reproductive power, as long as 
 the fluid, which contains them, does not contraft 
 any putrefa&ion : the following fort of paradox is 
 a fa& proved by theory and experience. 
 
 22. Young trouts can be had by means of the 
 milts and eggs of trouts already dead, and partly 
 putrified. 
 
 23. From the fa&s alledged it appears, that it 
 would be no hard matter to breed trouts in a place, 
 where there never had been any before. 
 
 24. The example of mules among quadrupeds, 
 and of breams among fifties, fliews, that the mix- 
 ing of two fpecies produces a third one, which has 
 great affinity with the two firft. During the 
 months of November, December, and January, 
 falmon and trout have their eggs and milts in a ftate 
 of maturity. Thefe two fpecies then can be mixed, 
 and an experiment be made, if there can be pro- 
 duced filhes, that are neither trout nor falmon, 
 but a middle fort between both. 
 
 25. We are not to conclude from this, that we 
 fhall breed falmon-trout ; for it will not conftitute 
 a different fpecies from the white trout. I havj 
 
 iM 
 
SALMON FISHERY. 
 
 129 
 
 made a great number of experiments, which prove, 
 that the difference between falmon-trouts and 
 thofe of the other fort, proceeds in part from the 
 nature of the water in which they live, and prin- 
 cipally from their food.* We have in our neigh- 
 bourhood a pond, wherein all the trouts, that are 
 thrown into it young, become almoft falmon-trouts 
 in the courfe of a year. It receives a ftream, the 
 water of which is of the befl quality, very fit for 
 diflblving foap, and contains a great number of lit- 
 tle barbels. We generally find falmon-trout in all 
 the ftreams, that have water of this fort, and that 
 abound in barbels. 
 
 26. Pikes fpawn in March ; and trouts, as we 
 have faid, in December and January. Some trouts 
 fpawn in February, but this happens very rarely. 
 If, then, trout's eggs could be kept until March, 
 we might try if pike's milt, poured upon trout's 
 eggs, would produce a third fpecies. 
 
 27. It is proper to obferve, that mongrel ani- 
 mals have not the power of reproducing them- 
 felves*; whence it is evident, that God, in the 
 creation of nature, has determined the number of 
 fpecies, that were to exift. 
 
 28. The eggs of falmon and trout rot infallibly, 
 if there remains any dirt upon them, or, if they 
 continue for a confiderable time to lie on earth, 
 
 * M. Duhamel has elfewhere fome obfervations, which do 
 not accord with what is faid here, of the colour of trout's 
 ftefo, 
 
 K even 
 
130 SALMON FISHERY. 
 
 even fhould the young ones be already formed. I 
 have been allured of it by feveral experiments, 
 and this is the reafon, why they have received from 
 nature the inftinft of depofiting their eggs on the 
 gravel of ftreams, in places, where the running 
 water keeps them conftantly clean. 
 
 29. Trout, in ponds, do indeed depofit their 
 eggs and milt in them, in the proper feafon. Thefe 
 eggs inevitably fall upon mud or earth ; but, if 
 there happens to be a gravelly, rocky, or fandy 
 bottom, it is there that the trout fpawns, and by 
 moving itfelf, it works as hard as it can to cleanfe 
 its eggs : but, the mod it can do is to keep them 
 clean for about eight days. It is a certain fact, 
 that whatever remains conftantly in water, let the 
 water be ever fo clean, contracts fome dirt from 
 day to day. It is impoffible to keep trout's eggs 
 in it for the fpace of ten weeks, without their be- 
 coming dirty. On this account, the fpawn of trouts 
 never turns out well in ponds, unlefs in places 
 where there is a gravelly bottom, and where there 
 are fprings, or ftreams of running water. 
 
 30. However, fometimes young fry of trouts 
 are found in ponds, and people think they were 
 produced there. But, in fuch cafes they will find, 
 that near the pond, there is fome fpring or ftream 
 with a gravelly bottom. The trouts afcend, in 
 December and January, from the ponds into thefe 
 ftreams, for the purpofc of dropping their eggs 
 
 and 
 
SALMON FISHERY. 13! 
 
 and milt. The young ones afterwards come down 
 into the ponds, in fearch of water and nouriftiment. 
 
 31. From thefe obfervations, it appears, that 
 trouts cannot multiply in ponds. On the other 
 hand, we know, that it would be impoflible to pro- 
 cure every year a young brood out of dreams. Be- 
 fides, we don't "find trouts in every dream, although 
 there ftiould be ponds near, fit for feeding them. 
 Therefore, this method of procuring trouts, by 
 means of the eggs and milt, mud be ufeful in many 
 places, beiides the pleafure and amufement of 
 breeding them. 
 
 32. Salmon in their fpawning feafon pafs, as 
 trouts do, from deep rivers into pebbled dreams, 
 and having fpawned there, return to the rivers, 
 where the fry come to feek them as foon as they 
 can. Such is the indinft which nature has given 
 them ; whence we may conclude, that young fal- 
 mon do not remain in dreams, and that it is diffi- 
 cult to keep them in ponds, if large dreams run 
 through them. 
 
 33. The voracious fifties of our countries, fuch 
 as pike, trout, &c. when they are kept in ponds, 
 feed principally upon water-rats, frogs, &c. and as 
 falmon ufe the fame food, it would be well done to 
 throw a great quantity of them into the ponds, 
 where they are intended to be reared. 
 
 34. The water of ponds or lakes fit for feeding 
 carp, is ufually of the fame degree of warmth, as 
 that, in which falmon like to remain ; fo that ponds 
 
 K 2 of 
 
SALMON FISHERY. 
 
 of a certain temperature are fitter for them than 
 cold ponds, which are preferred by trouts. 
 
 35. As falmon do not fpawn in ponds, and as it 
 i$ very difficult to procure a flock of young ones 
 from rivers, our method, therefore, of multiplying 
 them, may be very ufeful, provided there be food 
 enough for them in" the ponds. 
 
 36. I have now actually * 430 fmall falmon, of 
 the firft experiment that I made. When they were 
 fix weeks old, I diftributed them into feveral fmall 
 ponds. At the end of the year I fhall be able to 
 determine, whether it be profitable to keep and 
 feed falmon in ponds.f 
 
 Of THE USE, THAT IS MADE OF SALMON, 
 THOUT, AND OTHER FISH OF THIS SPECIES, 
 AND OF THE DIFFERENT METHODS OF PRE- 
 SERVING THEM. 
 
 Offrefh Salmon. 
 
 Salmon can be kept frefh for a confiderable 
 time, provided the weather be cool. Fifh, if 
 frozen, keeps as long as you pleafe. In this man- 
 ner the Canadians preferve their provifions during 
 
 * Thefe are the words of the author of the Memoir, com- 
 municated by x Count de Golftein. 
 
 f We know not the refult of this experiment. 
 
 the 
 
SALMON FISHERY. 
 
 '33 
 
 the whole winter, if no thaw come on. The Chi- 
 nefe build a kind of ice-houfe on their boats, by 
 means of which fifh is brought frefh and in good 
 order to Canton, from very diflant provinces. In 
 France, the chaiTes-maree, or fifh-machines, carry 
 fifh to a great diftance in frofty weather ; but in 
 that country the frofl does not ufually lafl long 
 enough, fo as to fpeculate with certainty upon this 
 manner of keeping fifh ; for it often happens, that 
 thaw; come on all of a fudden, whereby the fifh* 
 carriers fuffer great lofTes. 
 
 But even without frofl, falmon can be carried 
 in good condition to the diflance of fifty, fixty, or 
 eighty leagues, if the weather be cool ; for it is 
 brought frefh by fea from fome ports of Scotland 
 to London in cool weather, and, when the paflage 
 is not retarded by calms or contrary winds, is good* 
 For this purpofe, the Scotch take out the gills* 
 and gut the falmon. They do not wafh them, 
 but put bundles of very clean flraw into them, and 
 lay them in bafkets upon long ftraw, fo that they 
 do not touch one another. If, during the paffage, 
 they have contrary winds, warm weather, or 
 florms, whereby the fifh might be fpoiled, they 
 fait them, or pickle them, as we fliall explain here- 
 after. 
 
 Of keeping Salmon in melted butter* 
 
 By this method, which is ufed in Holland, fal- 
 mon can be kept for a fortnight or three weeks, 
 
 almoft 
 
134 SALMON FISHERY. 
 
 almoft as good, as if it were taken only three or 
 four days before. It is indeed too expenfive and 
 troublefome to form an objeft of trade, and is 
 done in the following manner. 
 
 As foon as the fifh is caught,' they cut off the 
 end of the fnout, and hang it up by the tail, to 
 let the blood flow out as much as poffible. A 
 fhort time afu r ? they open its belly, and empty it, 
 and waih it carefully. Then they boil it whole, 
 in a brine of white fait, often fkimmed. Before 
 it is quite boiled, they take it out of the brine, and 
 are careful not to injure the Ikin, after which, 
 they let it cool and drip on a hurdle. Then they 
 expofe it for a day or two, to the fmoke of a fire 
 made of juniper, which mult make no flame. 
 Finally, they put it into a tin box, the fides^ of 
 which mud be about an inch higher than the 
 thicknefs of the fifli, and fill up the box with frefli 
 butter, falted and melted. When the butter is 
 coagulated, they put on the cover, and foder it to 
 the lower part of the box. Some perfons eat the 
 full without boiling it again, but it is better, when 
 it gets a fecond boiling. In winter, good oil of 
 olives may be ufed inflead of butter. 
 
 
 
 Of pickled Salmon* ^ 
 
 Salmon ought to be pickled, before the warm 
 weather fets in. They dont pickle falmon in 
 Scotland, after the beginning of May ; from that 
 time, they fait and barrel it. 
 
 In 
 
SALMON FISHERY. 135 
 
 In Holland, as foon as the falmon is caught, 
 they cut off the jowl, which they fplit into two 
 parts, and cut the reft of it (as far down as below 
 *he anus) into pieces about three inches thick. 
 The tail may be left long at pleafure. All thefe 
 pieces are put into a large veflel full of frefli water, 
 in which they are wafhed with care ; the water is 
 changed three times, fo as to take out all the blood. 
 Each piece is faftened feparately to fmall laths, 
 to prevent their touching one another. They 
 then boil, apart, as much water, as may ferve to 
 cover all the fifh, to which they add two bottles of 
 Rhenifh wine, a bottle of good vinegar, fome 
 mace, cloves, pepper in grain, or long Portuguefe 
 pepper, coriander feed, thyme, leaves of laurel, a 
 clove of garlic, and more or lefs fait, according as 
 they intend, that the falmon fliould keep for a 
 longer or a ihorter time. When this water boils, 
 they put the pieces of falmon into it, placing the 
 jowls uppermoft, as they boil fooner than the reft, 
 and when the whole is boiled, they take it out, and 
 let it drip on a linen cloth. When the water has 
 cooled, they pafs it through a fearce, or fleve ; 
 then they put the falmon, in pieces, into an earthen 
 jar or pot, upon a bed of leaves of laurel, and 
 throw between the pieces a little fait and fome 
 dices of lemon. They then pour upon it the 
 fauce, in which the falmon was boiled, until it is 
 quite covered, and fill up the veflel with the jowls 
 and tails ; after which they pour good oil upon 
 it, and clofe the veflel. Salmon, prepared in this 
 manner, will keep a confiderable time. 
 
 Of 
 
136 SALMON FISHERY. 
 
 Of fmoked Salmon. 
 
 This method of curing falmon comes near to 
 that of curing herrings. It is praftifed in Eng- 
 land, Scotland, and Holland, but not near fo much 
 as in the North. As the methods are nearly the 
 fame in all thefe countries, we will defcribe that, 
 which is ufed in Holland. 
 
 When a falmon is caught, they cut off its 
 fnout, and hang it up by the tail to let the 
 blood flow out ; then they open it from one end 
 to the other, without feparating the jowl from the 
 body ; they take out the gills, gut it, and wafh 
 it. They put white fait upon it, and leave it in 
 this flate for twenty-four or thirty-fix hours, more 
 or lefs, according to the time they intend it fliould 
 keep. 
 
 Thus covered with fait, fome place it between 
 two boards, which they hang up in a cool and dry 
 place, not only for the purpofe of flattening it, but 
 likewife to make the fat and lymph drop out. It 
 is then to be expofed to the fmoke ; but to make 
 the fifh retain a flat form, they place fome fmall 
 thin laths acrofs, which they faften to the fkin of 
 the back. 
 
 It is fmoked with pieces of oak, or juniper, 
 which are burnt in fuch a manner, as to give 
 fmoke with flame. Having been thus fmoked 
 for three days, it is hung up in the air for twenty- 
 four 
 
SALMON FISHERY. 137 
 
 four hours, and they continue to expofe it, alter- 
 nately, to the air and fmoke for a fortnight or 
 three weeks. 
 
 Smoked falmon muft not be piled up like dry 
 cod ; for, as it is a very oily fifh, it would be 
 fpoiled. It mufl be hung up in the air, and it is 
 even necefTary to expofe it from time to time to the 
 fmoke. 
 
 When it is to be carried from one place to ano- 
 ther, each fifh is wrapped up feparately in long 
 flraw, fo that they do not touch one another. 
 
 Salmon cured in this manner keeps as long as 
 herrings ; however, it is never fo good as after a 
 month or two. 
 
 They make fmoked falmon in Ruffia, Livonia, 
 Sweden, &c. The preparation of it differs but 
 little from that, which we have juft defcribed. 
 They empty the jowl and belly, and fplit it on the 
 belly fide from one end to the other. They 
 take out the large bone, and wafh the fifh in water, 
 and in its own blood ; they put it then into a fort 
 of trough filled with ftrong brine, and leave it 
 there for two, three, or four days. Then, after 
 having pierced it with fome thin laths, or flicks, to 
 keep it open and flat, they hang it up for four or 
 five days in a fquare chimney, which is almofl 
 clofed above, and fmoke it with juniper or alder 
 roots, which muft emit no flame. Afterwards 
 they barrel it, and, although it has been cured in 
 a very negligent manner, they export an iramen. 
 
 fity 
 
138 SALMON FISHERY. 
 
 ty of it to a great many different countries, efpe- 
 cially to Germany. 
 
 We fhall conclude this fubjecl with the fmoked 
 falmon of Bergen and Finmarck, which is confi- 
 dered as fuperior to any other, that is made in the 
 North. There are exported e^ery year from Fin- 
 mark and Bergen, five or fix hundred barrels of 
 falmon, each of which weighs more than three 
 hundred and twenty Ib. This quantity of falmon 
 is amply furmfhed by three gi--:?,t rivers, in which 
 the natives fifli with nets, taken up and laid out, 
 evening and morning. 
 
 As foon as the falmon are taken, they cut off 
 the jowls and tails, and fplit them into two, from 
 one end to the other. Then they lay them out 
 upon gravel or rocks, with the fleiliy part upper- 
 moil, much in the fame manner as is done with 
 cod ; after which they fait them with French fait. 
 When they have taken the fait for twenty-four 
 hours, they are wafhed carefully, and then hung 
 up extended in the funnel of a chimney, and ex- 
 pofed to the* fmoke of juniper without flame, 
 A great quantity of this falmon is exported to 
 Holland, Hamburgh, &c. 
 
 Of dried Salmon. 
 
 They make heng-fifh, flac-fifli, round-fifh, &c. 
 of falmon in the North, as we have already ex- 
 plained of cod. 
 
 In 
 
SALMON FISHERY. 139 
 
 Offalted Salmon. 
 
 In places, where a great quantity of falmon is 
 taken, and where it cannot be all confumed frefli, 
 it is falted, efpecially after the warm weather fets 
 in ; for then it is not good either pickled or fmoked. 
 Although Hamburgh and feveral other Northern 
 ports carry on this trade, almoft all the fait falmon, 
 that is confumed in France, comes from England, 
 or Scotland, as it is of a good quality, properly 
 falted and made up. 
 
 Some falmon are falted in the fame manner as 
 green cod is. They empty the heads and bellies, 
 walli them, cut them by the back, without taking 
 out the large bone, and then give them a firft fak- 
 ing for three or four days, fometimes in boxes, 
 layer upon layer, with fait between the layers, and 
 at other times in ftrong brine. When the fifti has 
 taken the fait, they let the water drop off, and 
 then barrel them, putting in frefli fait. The Irifli 
 keep their fifli for a month or fix weeks in the firfl 
 fait, after which, in barreling it, they give it ano- 
 ther faking. In Weft Bothnia, they gut the 
 falmon, and, having cut them into four pieces, 
 put them into large veifels, and cover them en r 
 tirely with fait. They leave them in this ftate for 
 feveral months, until the beginning of Autumn, 
 at which time they take them out, wafli them 
 carefully, and then pack them up in barrels made 
 
 of 
 
140 SALMON FISHERY. 
 
 of deal, without putting in any fait. But, when 
 the barrels are full, they pour into them as much 
 ftrong brine as poffible, which is fufficient for pre- 
 ferving the fifh. We (hall now defcribe the method, 
 that is pra&ifed in Scotland. 
 
 We have remarked before, that the Scotch fal- 
 mon is not too fat ; a circumftance, which contri- 
 butes much to its prefervation. As foon as poffible 
 after they return from fifhing, they fplit the fal- 
 mon in the fame manner as is done with flat cod, 
 except, that cod is cut along the belly ^ and faimon 
 along the back, from the head, to where the fin of 
 the tail begins, and often leave the large bone 
 flicking to the flefh of one of the fides. 
 
 Having cut the fifh in this manner, taken out 
 the gills, emptied it, and, fometimes, taken off a 
 part of the large bone, they wafh it in fea water, 
 if they have it convenient to them, or, if not, in 
 frefh water, to take out all the blood, which has a 
 great tendency to putrefaction. This feems to be 
 a much better method, than that of wafhing the 
 fifh in its own blood, as is ufed in the North, pro- 
 bably for the purpofe of making the flefh redder. 
 
 When the fifh has dripped, they put it into large 
 tubs, with French or Spanifh fait over it and un- 
 der it. It is fuppofed that Spanifh fait gives it a 
 more reddifh colour than French fait, but that 
 French fait gives a lefs fharp tafle. Some leave 
 the hfh in fait for eight or ten days, and then bar- 
 rel them. Others put them without fait into large 
 
 tubs, 
 
SALMON FISHERY. 14! 
 
 tubs, filled with ftrong brine, and leave them there 
 for a month or fix weeks, and fometimes longer, 
 waiting until there may be a call for them : for it 
 is thought, that falmon keeps better in thofe large 
 veflels, than in barrels ; but care mufl be taken to 
 have it conftantly covered with brine. Laftly, it 
 is to be taken out of the tubs, and barrelled. 
 
 In the bottom of the barrel, they put four or 
 five fmall falmon, and then lay on the large good 
 falmon, prefling them together as much as poifible, 
 and putting a little fait between them. In the top 
 of the barrel, likewife, they put fome fmall falmon. 
 When the barrel is full, they pour in a fmall quan- 
 tity of ftrong brine, and immediately clofe it up ; 
 for it is neceflary to guard the fifti again ft the con- 
 taft of the air, and to prevent the brine from being 
 loft. Without thefe precautions, the falmon would 
 grow yellow and nifty, and would contraft a bad 
 fmell. Large falmon is more liable to thefe incon- 
 veniencies than the fmaller fort, and, therefore, re- 
 quires more fait in the barreling of it. It is more 
 difficult to preferve falmon than cod. The Scotch 
 take care not to mix falmon of different forts and 
 qualities, in the fame barrels, and not to export fuch 
 as are bad. There is a bounty on every barrel ex- 
 ported, and there are infpeftors in every port of 
 Scotland, whofe bufinefs it is to enquire into, and 
 certify the good quality, fpecies, &c. of the fiili. 
 When the barrels arrive at their place of deftina- 
 tion, they ought to be filled again with frefli brine. 
 
 From 
 
142 SALMON FISHERY. 
 
 From the firft Volume of the TranfaElions of the 
 Highland Society of Scotland. 
 
 Kippered falmon are prepared by cutting them 
 fmoothly along the back, from the tail to the head. 
 The chine, or back-bone, is then cut out, and all 
 the blood and garbage cleared away. The fifties 
 are then faked, and laid above each other, with 
 the fiefhy fides in contact, in a trough, commonly 
 fcooped out of a folid piece of beech, placed in a 
 cool fituation. A lid, which exactly fits the aper- 
 ture, is placed above them, and prefled down by 
 heavy weights. After the fifties have imbibed a 
 fufficient quantity of the pickle, they are ftretched 
 upon fmall fpars of wood, and hung up to dry 
 where there is a current of air. Sometimes they 
 are hung in the fmoke of a kitchen fire, which 
 preferves, indeed, but conveys a bad flavour. Some, 
 in order to communicate a particular flavour, mix 
 fpices with the fait ; or, they rub the fifti with 
 fpices, before they are hung up to dry. 
 
 But might not falmon, and every fpecies of 
 frefh-water trouts, be preferred by fmoking, in the 
 way -hams and fmoked herrings are preferved ? 
 They might alfo be cured in the way, that what 
 are called potted falmon, and herrings, are com- 
 monly prepared ; or in the way the people in 
 Cumberland preferve their char. The Loch- 
 Leven trouts are conveyed to London, packed in 
 
 ice. 
 
 Fr&ni 
 
SALMON FISHERY. 143 
 
 From Dr. Fuller's HISTORY OF BERWICK, 
 
 
 
 P- 395- 
 
 Fifty years ago, the veffels, employed to carry 
 falmon from Berwick to London, generally took 
 feveral weeks in performing the voyage. They 
 were well- veffels, of about forty tons burden each. 
 Thefe veffels belonged to Harwick and Graves- 
 end ; and as they came here folely on account of 
 the falmon trade, they always went away again at 
 the clofe of the fiihing feafon, and two of the 
 largeft remained all the winter, for the purpofe al- 
 ready mentioned. There are at prefent twenty- 
 one fmacks employed by two filhing companies of 
 this place, in that trade, and in carrying other 
 goods to and from London and Leith. 
 
 The confequence of the lalmon-fifhing here, 
 may appear from the following tolerable exaft 
 itatement. The yearly rental of the fifheries in 
 the Tweed, for the courfe of a few miles, amounted 
 to between 7000 and Soool. in which between 
 Icventy-five and eighty boats, with about 300 men, 
 are conftantly employed during the falmon fifhery, 
 between the loth of January and the loth of 
 October. There have been known to have been 
 40,000 kits, or upwards (of pickled falmon), fent 
 from this town in the courfe of the feafon, befides 
 
 a vail 
 
144 SALMON FISHERY. 
 
 a vaft quantity of falmon-trout, fent alive to Lon- 
 don. The number of kits has not been fo great 
 for a few years paft, owing to a method of fending 
 great quantities of falmon frefh to London, dur- 
 ing all the fummer feafon, packed in ice^ collected 
 in the winter feafon, and preferved through the 
 whole fummer for that purpofe. 
 
NOTE. 
 
 3TO Jhe w the great importance of the Herring Pt/hery, when 
 Herring's are cured in the Dutch manner, as detailed in 
 the foregoing Jheets ,- and to point out to our merchants the 
 great advantage of this trade, we haw fdecled part of the 
 Report of the Committee of the Britifo Houfe of Commons 
 on the Eritijh Fijheries, made in the lajl Sejfions of Parlia- 
 ment. The gentleman ivhofe examination forms part of 
 the Report, is one ivhofe literary talents are defervedly 
 ejteemed, and on ivhofe judgment, a very confiderable de- 
 gree of reliance may be placed. 
 
 EXAMINATION OF THE 
 
 REV, HERBERT MARSH. 
 
 HAVE you refided a eonfiderable time in Germany ; and 
 how long ? 
 
 About twelve years at Leipfic, and have travelled for about 
 twelve months in other parts. 
 
 You having refided fo long in Germany, ftate what you may 
 know refpecling the quantity of herrings, and other failed fi fli 
 confumed in that country ; the places where they are fold and 
 oonfumed; the prices given for theraj the forts which are pre- 
 ferred; 
 
HERRING PISHERY. 
 
 ferred ; the manner in which they are conveyed into the interior 
 of the country, and the mode of cooking and eating them ? 
 
 The quantity of white faked herrings confumed during the laft 
 two or three years in Germany (including all the dominions of 
 the king of Pruflia) may be eftimated at about an hundred and 
 thirty thoufand barrels annually, which is much lefs, however, 
 than ufed to be confumed in that country, as complaints are con- 
 tinually heard at prefent in Germany about the fcarcity of that 
 article. The grounds on which I eftimate the confumption of 
 white faked herrings in Germany during the laft two or three 
 years, are the following : In the year 1798, the exadl number 
 of barrels imported to Hamburgh was 12 674, and in 1799* 
 they amounted exactly to 13,067, as appears from the printed 
 lifts which are annually publiflied at Hamburgh. J do not know 
 the exact number imporred at Bremen within the laft two years ; 
 but according to a lift of the year 1790, the number of barrels 
 of herrings brought to that part amounted to 10,205, and in the 
 fame year the number of barrels of herrings brought to Ham- 
 burgh, amounted to 17,179. If we make therefore a propor- 
 tional deduction for Bremen, we muft eftimate the prefent im- 
 portation then at only about 8,000. The port of Altona, which 
 is contiguous to Hamburgh, is fupplied by the bufTes, which are 
 fitted out at Altona, and carry on the herring fifhery from the 
 Shetland Iflands Southward, in the fame manner as the Dutch 
 ufed to do. The number of bufTes, which failed in 1799 from 
 Altona, amounted to about 26, as I was lately informed there ; 
 and as it is a very moderate eftimate that each of thefe buffes 
 caught a thoufand barrels between the 24th of June and the end 
 of the fifhing feafon, we may aflume that at leifl 26,000 barrels 
 were brought to Altona in 1799. The exaft number of buffes 
 which failed from Emden laft year I do not know ; but as 40 
 have failed from that port feveral years ago, and there is no 
 reafon to fuppofe that their number has diminished fince the 
 Dutch have been prevented from getting out, we fhall hardly 
 exceed the truth, if we fuppofe that at leaft 40,000 barrels were 
 
 brought 
 
HERRING FISHERY. 
 
 brought laft year to Emden. According to the foregoing efti- 
 mate then, to the four German ports, on the North Sea, Ham- 
 burgh, Altona, Bremen, and Emden, were brought about 
 87,000 barrels of white faked herrings. To determine the quan- 
 tity brought to the German ports on the Baltic, I have no other 
 method than by comparing the number of veflels laden with 
 herrings which pafled the found, with the probable mare of them 
 which went to German ports on the Baltic : now it appears, 
 from the lifts publifhed at Elfineur, that the exaft number of 
 vefTels laden with white falted herrings, which pafled the found 
 in 1799, was 338, of which 287 were Swedifh (from Gothen- 
 burg, Marftrand, Uddewalla, &c.) 43 Norwegian, five from 
 Emden, one from Altona, one from Aalborg, and one from 
 Leith. We mall hardly exceed the truth, if we aflume, that 
 one-third of thefe veflels were bound to German ports on the 
 Baltic, as Lubec r Roftock, Stralfund, Wolgaft, Stettin, Dant- 
 zick, Pellan, Konningfberg, &c. and that each vefTel held, on 
 an average, 400 barrels. According to this computation, the 
 German ports on the Baltic received more than 45,000 barrels, 
 which, added to thofe received by the German ports on the 
 North Sea, eftimated at 87,000, make a total of 130,000; and 
 I have been informed by feveral merchants in Germany, who 
 import herrings, that before the Dutch were prevented by the 
 war from fending out their bufles, the confumption of white 
 falted herrings in Germany was very greatly fuperior to the pre- 
 fent confumption. 
 
 Of the quantity of other merchantable fifti, fuch as falted 
 cod, dried cod, tufk, ling, &c. annually confumed in Germany, 
 in general I am unable to form any particular eOimate ; but it 
 appears from the Hamburgh printed li(ls, that the importation 
 of the preceding kinds of fifh. to that port is very considerable ; 
 and that the country from which they are chiefly brought at pre- 
 fent is Norway. It is probable alfo that Norway will continue 
 tofupply the German market at all times with dried cod, becaufe 
 in the northern part of Norway, where the cod fifhery is carried 
 
 on 
 
HERRING FISHERY. 
 
 on in the middle of winter, the cold is fo fevere, and the air at 
 the fame time fo very ferene, that the mere drying of the cod in 
 the open air, without the ufe of fait, is fufficient to preferve it, 
 \vhich is an advantage and a faving not to be had elfewhere. 
 Befides, the Germans are more fond of the Norwegian unfalted 
 dried cod, than they are of the dried cod which had been pre. 
 vioufly failed. The falted or pickled cod, called by the Ger- 
 mans Laberdan, is lefs valued by them than the dried cod, 
 which they call ftock fifh, infomuch that in the year 1798, only 
 488 barrels of falted cod (or Laberdan) were imported at Ham- 
 burgh, and in 1799 the importation was reduced to merely eight 
 barrels, which were brought from Shetland. But falted ling 
 appears to have met with better fuccefs ; and it is highly probable 
 that Seottifh falted ling, efpeciaily the barra ling, which is in 
 great estimation, might be fent to Hamburgh with advantage. 
 An attempt at an exportation of faked ling was made from Leith 
 to Hamburgh in 1798, and the fpeculation mufl have been at- 
 tended with fome fuccefs, as in the following year, 1799, were 
 imported from Leith to Hamburgh 140 cwt. of falted ling, as 
 appears from the Hamburgh printed lifts. It is true, that this 
 Quantity was very fmall in comparifon of what was brought to 
 Hamburgh in the fame year from Bergen, Drontheim, and 
 Chriftiana ; but it may ferve at leaft as an encouragement to 
 future adventurers from North Britain. 
 
 With refpecl: to the places in Germany where herrings are 
 chiefly fold and confumed, it may be obferved, that in addition 
 to the above-mentioned fea ports, almoft every town in Germany 
 expofes falted herrings to fale, either wholefale or retail ; and 
 the adjacent villages are fupplied by hawkers from the refpe&ive 
 towns. The mode of conveying the herrings into the interior 
 of Germany is partly by means of the rivers, and partly by land 
 carriage. Herrings fent to Leipzig, Drefden, and other parts 
 of the Electorate of Saxony, are carried on the Elbe from Ham- 
 burgh to Magdeburg in Barges, and from Magdeburg to Leip- 
 zig, &c. they are brought by land. Thofe fent to Berlin have 
 
 the 
 
HERRING FISHERY. 
 
 the whole way water carriage both from Hamburgh and Stettin ; 
 herrings imported at Bremen are fent up the Wefer, and formerly 
 immenfe quantities ufed to be fent up the Rhine by the Dutch, 
 to Cologne, Mayntz, Frankfort on the Mein, Manheim, Sec. 
 whence they were fyrther fent on the Mein and the Necker into 
 the interior of Franconia and Suabia. Herrings deftined for 
 Bohemia and Auftria are fent by fea to Stettin, and are thence 
 conveyed in the Oder Barges, as high ug^.as poflible into 
 Silefia, whence they are further carried by land. 
 
 In regard to the value fet on different kinds of herrings, a de- 
 cided preference is given in Germany to Dutch herrings ; info- 
 much that though Swedifli herrings were latterly fold at a third 
 and even fourth of what Dutch herrings were fold for, none but 
 the pooreft people would purchafe Swedifh herrings, as long as 
 they could get Dutch, or at lead herrings cured in the Dutch 
 manner. The people of Emden and Altona have learnt from 
 the Dutch their method, though they have not hitherto in every 
 point the Dutch excellence ; and I have been told by perfons 
 in the trade, that herrings cured by the people of Altona do not 
 keep fo well as the Dutch herrings. 
 
 Of the prices of Dutch herrings, as fold per barrel in the 
 Dutch ports. I have procured a lift for ten fucceflive years, 
 from i 788 to 1797, which was the laft ytar that Dutch herrings 
 could be procured. 
 
 Thefe prices were as follows : 
 
 Years. 
 
 Rix Dollars. 
 
 Years. 
 
 1788 
 
 '3 
 
 *793 
 
 1789 
 
 '3 
 
 1794 
 
 1790 
 
 12 
 
 '795 
 
 1791 
 
 12 
 
 1796 
 
 1792 
 
 8h 
 
 1797 
 
 Rix Dollars, 
 i oh 
 
 17 
 
 - 16 
 
 '9 
 
 - 25 
 
 When the courfe of exchange is at par, fix rix dollars are 
 equivalent to one pound fterling and five or fix pence ; fo that 
 
HERRING FISHERY. 
 
 in 1797 Dutch herrings were fold, even in the Dutch ports for 
 more than 4!. per barrel. Since that time the Altona and 
 Emden herrings, which are the only fubftitutes at prefent for 
 Dutch herrings, have borne a ftill greater price. Laft year 
 (1799) Altona herrings were fold at Altona for more than 30 
 dollars, or 5!. per barrel ; and 1 was a|Tured laft September by 
 a merchant who had been lately at Magdeburg, that though there 
 was water carriage from Altona to Magdeburg, Altona herrings 
 were then fold at Magdeburg for 38 dollars per barrel, and that 
 the Emden herrings where fold there at a ftill higher price ; yet 
 in the very fame Summer two cargoes of herrings were fent from 
 Leith to Hamburgh, and I was aflured by the merchant who 
 mipped one of the cargoes, that though he bought the herrings 
 lat Leith at about 2os. per barrel, no Hamburgh merchant would 
 give him even prime coil for them. I afterwards tafted fome of 
 the Leith herrings, and found that they had not only no refem- 
 blance to Dutch herrings, but that they were as badly cured as 
 it was poflible for herrings to be. About the fame time, how- 
 ever, a cargo of falted herrings arrived at Hamburgh from Storno- 
 way in the Ifland of Lewis ; and though they did not fetch above 
 half the price of the Altona herrings, they were fold for three 
 times the price of the Leith herrings, the Stornoway cargo being 
 fold for about 33 marks (about 2!. of our money) per barrel. 
 Swedifli herrings fold laft year at Gotenburg (namely, in 
 March 1799, which is about two months after the Swedifh her- 
 ring fifhery is ended for 4^ Swedifh tix dollars, or about il. 2s, 
 of our money, which is the price that North Highland herrings 
 bore laft Summer at Greenock ; being equal therefore in price, 
 the Greenock herrings would every where meet with a more 
 rapid fale, even than the Gotenburg herrings, if their quality 
 was decidedly fuperior ;-but at prefent it is difficult to fay on 
 which fide, upon the whole, the preference lies. The great 
 objection to the Greenock herrings (of which i procured fome 
 barrels to be fent laft October to Saxony) is their inequality in 
 the very fame barrel ; for though many fmgle herrings had a 
 good flavour, and were much fuperior to the Swedifli, there were 
 
 others 
 
HERRING FISHERY. 
 
 others again in the fame barrel which were greatly inferior to the 
 Swedifh. Of the caufes of this inequality, which never can take 
 place according to the Dutch method, I fliall offer a conjecture, 
 in the anfwer to one of the following queftions. The Norwe- 
 gian herrings brought from Bergen, Drontheim, and Chriftiana, 
 are inferior even to the Swedifh herrings, of which one principal 
 caufe is, that the hen ing cafks in Norway are made of fir wood, 
 which communicates a difagreeahle tafte to the herrings, and af- 
 fecls the pickle throughout the whole barrel. The Swedes, on 
 the contrary, though, on account of the fcarcity of oak in Sweden, 
 they do not make ufe of oaken cafks, as we, as the Dutch, as 
 the people of Emden and Altona do, make their cafks of beech. 
 The price of Danifli herrings I do not know ; but they muft be 
 made cheaper even than the Swedifh, or they would not meet 
 with a fale. In 1799 were bro.ught to Hamburgh 3,291 barrels 
 of Swedifh, and 1,593 barrels of Norway herrings. 
 
 Laftly, in regard to the manner of eating white falted herrings, 
 the Germans always eat Dutch herrings raw, like anchovies, for 
 which purpofe it is neceffary to be much more nice in the curing 
 them, than if they were cooked before they were eaten. But 
 the want of Dutch herrings at prefent in Germany, and the high 
 price of the Altona herrings, vthich obliges the poor to ufe 
 Swedifh herrings, has induced fome perfons to broil or roaft them, 
 though this cuitom is even now far from being common ; but I 
 know of no intlance of any one's boiling therh. 
 
 Is the confumption occafioned principally by the tafte of the na- 
 tion, or by the principles of the Roman Catholic religion, or -any 
 other public inftitution ; and does it prevail equally in proteflant 
 and catholic itates ? 
 
 As far as 1 know of Germany, white falted herrings when 
 good, are every where equally efreemed in that country, and have 
 been purchafed partly becaufe when cured according to the Dutch 
 method, they are very agreeable to 'he palate of the Germans, 
 
 and 
 
HERRING FISHERY. 
 
 and partly becaufe, before they had rifen to fo great a price, they 
 afforded with a few potatoes, not only a wholefome but a cheap 
 meal. In the Roman Catholic part of Germany, the want of 
 fifli for the fall days occafions an additional demand for them ; 
 but, on the other hand, this additional demand is rendered lefs 
 powerful in its operation, by the circumftance that the Roman Ca- 
 tholic part of Germany lies wholly to the fouth, the confequence 
 of which is, that the length of the land carriage greatly enhances 
 the price of herrings before they arrive there. 
 
 Do you know of any inftance of Britifh herrings being fent to 
 Germany Did the attempt fucceed 1 and what were the caufes 
 of its fuccefs or failure ? 
 
 Since I have been acquainted with Germany, I have not heard 
 of any importation of Britilh herrings into that country before 
 the latter end of 1798, when a veflel arrived from Ifle Martin in 
 Loch Broom, laden with 301 barrels; and about the fame time a 
 veflel arrived at Hamburgh from Greenock, with 30 barrels on 
 board. Of the quality of the herrings brought from Ifle Martin 
 or of the price which they fetched, I was not able to gain infor- 
 mation ; but as no veflel came from Ifle Martin in the following 
 year, 1799, it is probable that the herrings which had been 
 brought in 1798, were not cured in fuch a manner as to fetch a 
 price which made it worth while to make a fecond voyage to Ham- 
 burgh. In 1799 were brought to Hamburgh from Leith 664 
 Wrels, from Alloa 260, a lading from Stornoway, and fome 
 iading.from Shetland, making together (namtly, from Shetland ) 
 1, 208 barrels.' Thefe brought from the Firth of Forth, as well 
 as thofe brought from Stornoway, I have mentioned above ; of 
 the reft I could get no other account, than that they were not 
 fuitable to the tafte of the Germans. In addition to the prece- 
 ding, twelve barrels of herrings from Greenock were fent for on 
 trial, by a Saxon merchant ; fix of them were north highland, 
 and fi-< were Loch Fyne herrings ; they were all large herrings, 
 "hufr were far from being fo fat as the beft Dutch herrings ; the 
 
 Loch 
 
HERRING FISHERY. 
 
 Loch Fyne herrings were better cured than the north highland, 
 and bore an higher price : but both forts were much inferior to 
 Dutch-cured herrings : one grand objection to them was, their 
 great inequality of tafte ; many of them had a tolerable good fla- 
 vour, while others in the fame barrel had a very difagreeable fla- 
 vour. This inequality arofe probably from a circumftance which 
 I will explain in the anfwer to the next queftion. 
 
 Do you know any reafon which gives Dutch herrings a pre- 
 ference to Britim, and if (b, in what refpecls are they prefer- 
 able ? 
 
 There are various caufes which give Dutch herrings a preference 
 to the Britifh : Firft, the Dutch are much more exacl in regard 
 to the quantity of the fait, fo as neither to render the herrings 
 too fait, nor on the other hand to endanger their {linking from 
 ufing too fmall a quantity. Secondly, in regard ta the quality as 
 well as quantity of fait, whence the Dutch herrings derive their 
 peculiarly fine flavour. Thirdly, in regard to the forting of her- 
 rings before they are falted the fecond time. The fecond faking 
 of the herrings is performed after the herrings are brought to port, 
 by a fet of men called fifh wardens ; and it is the (kill of thefe 
 men which gives to the Dutch herrings their peculiar excellence. 
 
 Another material caufe of difference between Britifh-cured and 
 Dutch-cured herrings, conftfts in the mode of treating them when 
 they are, iirft taken out of the water. It is well known, that the 
 fooner a herring is gutted and falted after it is taken out of the 
 water, the better it is, and that by being fuffered to lie only a feu 
 hours in the open air, efpecially if the fun mines, it is rendered 
 lefs capable of receiving a fine flavour ; hence the Dutch never 
 expofe their herrings uncovered to the open air, but the moment 
 they draw the herrings out of the water they throw them into 
 brine or pickle ; then they immediately gut and pack them ; and 
 if any remain, when they (hoot the nets again, they are obliged 
 by the laws of Holland, to caft that remnant overboard as unfit 
 
HERRING FISHERY. 
 
 for ufe ; hence arifes that equality obferved in the Dutch herrings. 
 But in North Britain, when the herrings are taken out of the 
 net, they lie expofed till they have been gradually gutted, failed, 
 and packed ; thofe which are packed firft, therefore, have a much 
 better flavour than thofe which are packed laft ; and hence arifes 
 probably the inequality in the fame barrel (tho* they are after- 
 wards re-packed) which was obferved above. Wherever the 
 boat-fifliery is adopted, and the herrings are cured on more, it 
 might be difficult perhaps to adopt this part of the Dutch method, 
 unlefs curing-houfes were built on the different lochs, as already 
 on loch Torridon, to which the fifhing-boats might, carry their 
 draughts of herrings as loon as they get them ; but as many 
 buffes are fent out every year from Greenock and Campbeltown, 
 no reafon can be affigned why thofe bufies mould not in all ref- 
 peels imitate the Dutch bufles ; and if after the firft curing on 
 board the bufles had been regulated according to the Dutch me- 
 thod, fifli wardens were eftablimed at Greenock and Campbeltown, 
 or other places, to receive all the herrings which arrive, to ar- 
 range them in fifh-houfes on the footing of Enkhuyfen and Vlar- 
 dingen, then to unpack, fort, and re-falt the herrings according 
 to the different markets for which they are intended, Britim- 
 cured herrings might attain the excellence of Dutch herrings. 
 It muft be obferved, however, that not even the Dutch mode of 
 curing will do for the German market, if the herrings themfelves 
 are meagre, whatever may be their fize ; the herrings muft be 
 round and fat, called by the Dutch Volehering, and fuch as they 
 caught in the deep fea after the 24th of June from the Shetland 
 Iflands fouthward. Meagre herrings, caught late in the feafon, 
 the Dutch fent to the Weft-Indies. 
 
 Do you think the fale of Britifh herrings might be promoted in 
 Germany ; to what extent might it be carried ; and what would 
 be the beft means of encouraging it ? 
 
 The fale of Britifh herrings might certainly be promoted in 
 Germany to a very confiderable extent ; but it is impoffible, even 
 
 to 
 
HERRING FISHERY. 
 
 to conjecture, with any probability at prefent, how many thoufand 
 barrels might be difpofed of annually. That the confumption of 
 herrings in Germany, which was eftimated above at only i 30,000 
 barrels annually under the prefent circumflances might be more 
 than double is evident, not only becaufe with the prefent importa- 
 tion, there is an univerfal complaint of fcarcity, but becaufe the 
 Dutch aJone, when their herring fifhery was in its moft flourifhing 
 ftate, and they ufed to employ above 2,000 buffes in it, are fup- 
 pofed to have furnifhed Germany with more than 300,000 barrels 
 annually. With refpecl to the beft means of encouraging the her- 
 ring trade with Germany, t\\z Jtne qua non is the immediate adop- 
 tion of the Dutch method of curing; and when that is adopted, 
 the herring trade between North Britain and Germany will efta- 
 blifh itfelf without any kind of difficulty, becaufe the advantage of 
 catching the fi(h on our own coaft will enable us to underfell the 
 Dutch, the Emdeners, and the people of Altona, who have a 
 long voyage to make before they get to the fifhing grounds : 
 And as the Swedim herrings, which a few years ago were much 
 cheaper than our herrings, have been gradually rifing in price, 
 till they have at length (I do not mean the prefent year 1800, 
 after the failure of the Swedim herring fifhery in November and 
 December 1799, but I allude to the two preceding years in 
 which there had been no dearth) reached the price of herrings at 
 Greenock, it is evident, that as foon as our herrings have attained 
 the excellence of Dutch herrings, not even the Swedim. will be 
 able to hold out the markets againft them. 
 
 What parts of the Britifh coaft are beft fituated to carry on the 
 herring fifhery for the German market ; at what feafon mould ic 
 be purfued ; and what regulation may be necefTary for its fuccefs? 
 
 Thofe parts of the Britifh coaft which lie the neareft to thofe 
 fifhing grounds, on which fuch fat herrings may be caught as arc 
 fit to be cured for the German market, are undoubtedly bbfl fitu- 
 ated to carry on the herring fifhery, with a view of fupplying thr, 
 German market. Hence neither Yarmouth, nor a^y other port 
 
HERRING FISHERY. 
 
 on the eaftern fide of fouth Britain, is to be recommended for 
 this purpofe ; a very advantageous place appears to be Wick, in 
 the county of Caithnefs, becaufe it is to the north-eafl, eaft, and 
 fouth-eaft of that coaft, that the Dutch ufed to catch the beft her- 
 rings. We might even eflablifh there a colony of Dutch feamen 
 flailed in the herring fifhery, of \vhich we have now many hund- 
 reds ferving partly on board our mips of war, and partly on board 
 our merchantmen ; but if fuch an edablifhment be made, it muft 
 not be forgotten to procure profefled fim-curers like the Dutch 
 wardens, to put the finishing hand when the bufles return to port ; 
 and thefe fifh-wardens mould be fubjec~Ud by law to the fame re- 
 gulations, as thofe to which the Dutch fifh wardens at Enkhuyfen 
 and Vlardingen are fubjeft. The time for carrying on the fiftiery 
 off the coaft of Caithnefs, is from the 2Oth of June to the end of 
 July, when the herrings are in their highefl feafon. An efta- 
 blimment might likewife be made on the Weflern coafts of Scot< 
 land for the purpofe of catching and curing herrings for the Ger- 
 man market : for inftance, a colony of Dutch fimermen might be 
 fettled in the neighbourhood of Loch Crinan, who, when they had 
 given their fifh the firft curing, according to the Dutch method, 
 might fend them through the Crinan canal (which will foon be 
 fmimed), to be fold to merchants at Greenock ; thefe herrings 
 would then be brought to a fifh-houfe propofed above to be efta- 
 blifhed there, and be rendered by a fifh-curer fit for the German 
 market. The Clyde and Forth canal affords them an eafy method 
 of tranfporting them to Hamburgh. 
 
 N. B. I recommend the employment of Dutch fimermen be- 
 caufe when the Scottim fimermen and curers once fee how much 
 is to be got by the adoption of the Dutch method, they will 
 be the more inclined to embrace it : Thus the Dutch method 
 will be gradually adopted at Oban, Tobermory, Stein, Ullapool, 
 and other fifhing eftablimments. 
 
 Are Swedim or Pomeranian herrings confumed in Germany in 
 targe quantities ; and if not, what reafons impede their intro- 
 duction ? 
 
 Since 
 
HERRING FISHERY. 
 
 Since the time that the ufual fupply of Dutch herrings has 
 failed, on account of the war, a very great quantity of Swedifh 
 herrings is confumed in Germany ; for, though the Germans do 
 not relifh Swediih herrings, yet the lower clafTes are obliged to 
 purchafe them or go without, becaufe the Altona and Embden 
 herrings bear at prefent fo great a price ; but laft year the Swedifh 
 herring fifhery (which is carried on in November and December, 
 when a fhoal of herrings from the North Sea ufually fills all tha 
 bays and creeks from Gotten burg to Strom ftadt) was very defec- 
 tive, and therefore the exportation of faked herrings from Swe- 
 den is prohibited till November, 1800, that the Swedes them- 
 felves may not have a too fcanty fupply. The reafon of its fai- 
 lure was, that a part of the fhoal inftead of going towards the 
 Sound, entered the Elbe, and another part again, inflead of 
 {lopping before the Sound, entered the Baltic, and advanced to 
 the Ifland of Ruigen, and other parts of Swedifh Pomerania, 
 where no herrings had been feen for a confiderable time. Whe- 
 ther any of the herrings caught on the coaft of Swedifh Pomera- 
 nia were falted ; if they were, to what amount, and co what quv 
 lity, are questions which I am unable to anfwer. 
 
 Swedifh herrings are not agreeable to the palate of the Ger- 
 mans, becaufe they are not cured according to the Dutch method, 
 and the peculiar mode of taking the herrings on the coaft of Swe- 
 den, muft render the adoption of the Dutch method extremely 
 difficult, if not impracti cable. 
 
 Would the competition of the Swedifh or Pomeranian her- 
 rings be dangerous to the Britifh adventurer ? 
 
 After we have adopted the Dutch mode of curing, and have 
 attained the Dutch excellence, the competition neither of Swe- 
 difh nor of any other herrings can be dangerous to the Britifh 
 Adventurer, for reafons already afligned. 
 
 Would 
 
HERRING FISHERY. 
 
 Would herrings cured in the Dutch manner be preferred for 
 the internal confumption of Great Britain, and what would be 
 the bed means of encouraging the ufe of them in this country? 
 
 I have known fo many Englishmen abroad who have had oppor- 
 tunities of tafting Dutch herrings, and have thought their tafte 
 very agreeable, that if our herrings were cured as well, 1 have no 
 doubt that there would be a great demand for them, and that 
 they would be purchafed as a cheap, wholefome, and palatable 
 food, both in London and other parts of England. But it is 
 not furprifmg that the falted herrings, whether Scotch, or him, 
 or Ifle of IVJan herrings, which are at prefent expofed to falc by 
 the London Fishmongers, are not much fought after ; for though 
 they pofTefs the lirft quality, that of cheapnefs, they are quite de- 
 fective in the two lafr, being neither palatable nor wholefome ; 
 they are either over-falted, and their flefti rendered hard, as well 
 as briny, or, on the other hand, they are cured in the contrary 
 extreme, and tafte as if they came out of train oil. 
 
 What further obfervations occur to you, either refulting from 
 your obfervation or information you may have collected, and ap- 
 plying to the herring fifhery, or any other, which can be carried 
 on upon the Britifh coafh ? 
 
 I have no other obfervation to make, than that which refults 
 from the preceding ftatement, namely, that the only method of 
 promoting the fale of Britim falted herrings at home, as well as 
 at the German market, is to adopt the Dutch mode of curing, 
 to adopt it to its full extent wherever it is poffible, and, where 
 it is not, to adopt fo much of it as circumftances will permit. It 
 would be likewife a great advantage, if meafures were taken, as 
 foon as poffible, to introduce the Dutch method in fome parts of 
 North Britain, in order that the German merchants may be con- 
 vinced before the war is over, and the Dutch vefTels can get out 
 again, that we are capable of furniming them with good falted 
 herrings ; whereas if we wait till the Dutch have regained the 
 
 German 
 
HERRING FISHERY. 
 
 German market, the German merchants, after the many bad ipe- 
 cimens of Britifh herrings, may then be Jefs difpofed to make new 
 trials of them. It is faid that the Dutch method, which is cer- 
 tainly unknown in Scotland, as appears from actual experience, 
 an-d is acknowledged by the beft judges in that country, (Mr; 
 Ofborne, Solicitor of the Cuftoms at Edinburgh, in a letter 
 dated 1 8th October, 1 799, ufed the following expreflion : 
 *' the mode of curing herrings in Scotland is in general very ex- 
 ceptionable ;") is known to the Yarmouth fifhermen, though the 
 diftance of Yarmouth from thofe fifhing grounds where the beft 
 fat herrings are taken, and the confequent expence of fitting out 
 BufTes, confines them to the fimery on their own coafts, where the 
 herrings are meagre, and are unfit for the German market, ex- 
 cept as red herrings ; whether it would be proper to fend Yar- 
 mouth fifti curers into Scotland for the feafon, which is about to 
 commence, or whether if the Yarmouth fiih curers fiiould be 
 deemed inefficient it would be neceiTary to take other methods 
 in order to introduce completely the Dutch method, the Com- 
 mittee, after the necefTary information has been given on this 
 fubject, will be bed able to determine.