88 THE OCEAN. 



immediately from the deep water, were in the highest 

 condition, "and barely dead. All the salt from the 

 town and neighbourhood was instantly put in requi- 

 sition, but it did not suffice for the thousandth part 

 of the mass, a great proportion of which, notwith- 

 standing some not very successful attempts to carry 

 off a few sloop-loads in bulk, was lost."* 



The Herring appears on our shores in the middle 

 of summer, but seems to approach the coast of Scot- 

 land earlier ; for in Sutherland the fishery commences 

 in June, and in Cromarty even so early as May, 

 while the Yarmouth season rarely begins till Septem- 

 ber. They are taken chiefly by means of drift-nets, 

 and by far the majority are cured : in the first part 

 of the season, however, they are often so riqji as to be 

 unfit for salting, and these are sold for consumption 

 while fresh. About the month of November the 

 shoals spawn, and are then unfit for eating, and the 

 fishery ceases. As is universally known, there are 

 two modes of curing this fish, producing what are 

 called white and red herrings. The former requiring 

 only to be placed in barrels with salt, the process can 

 be performed in the fishing- craft; consequently the 

 vessels for this fishery are larger, being qualified to 

 keep the sea. Eed herrings, however, require a 

 much more elaborate process, which cannot be per- 

 formed on board, and the procuring of them is essen- 

 tially a shore fishery. The Yarmouth men confine 

 themselves to this branch. They sprinkle the fish 

 with salt, and lay them in a heap on a stone or brick 

 floor, where they remain about six days ; they are 



* Brit. Naturalist. 



