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, |
0 |
o |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
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 *776
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^ 42 44 4* 4*
De Ryp, 14 14 X3 *3 J4 I<5 16
149 153 J49 ^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 lanternsa 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 uponvoath, 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 infpe£Hon 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 ber 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 fifha 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, inA 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 known5 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 Cody 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%ft9 which is called Bergen-fifh^ in Denmark. He adds, that the Tor/X9 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 this1' 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 pra£iifed 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^|Hj£fummer, 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 i«i^-/£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 byx 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 enr 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 Lubecr 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 fucceed1 — 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
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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
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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
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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
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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.