122 THE AGEICULTUEE OF THE 



The chief of these are the herring and white fishing along the 

 Moray Firth. Beginning at Garmouth, the most eastern village 

 in Morayshire, we find that no fishings are now carried on ; but 

 Mr James Duncan established a boat-building institution last 

 year, and during the short period of its existence ten or twelve 

 boats of the carrel-zulu shape have been built. 



At Lossiemouth about 120 boats are in use every season, each 

 boat having at least two men aboard. The average value of each 

 of these boats is about £250. For the last twenty years there 

 has been a falling off in the quantity of fish caught. During 

 that period the annual catch averaged about 100 crans per boat. 

 From 1858 to 1863 the catch averaged about 200 crans, being 

 a very successful fishing period. The value of the fish, generally 

 speaking, has been about £1 per cran for the past twenty-five 

 years. Some fishermen prefer taking a bounty of from £20 to 

 £1:0 for the season, instead of their chances by the cran. The 

 majority of fishermen, however, are paid by the cran. In a good 

 lishing season this is undoubtedly the most profitable way of 

 engagement. The proper season for the herring fishing com- 

 mences about the 10th of July, and lasts till about the 10th of 

 September. Sometimes the fishermeu go 40 or 50 miles on 

 fishing expeditions, while fish are at other times to be found 

 within two or three miles of the shore. 



The white fishing is prosecuted nearly the whole season. 

 About fifty boats, manned by about seven fishermen each, pursue 

 this fishing, and the average return is as nearly as possible 

 6 cwt. per boat. White fish are usually worth about 12s. per 

 cwt., thus making the draught of each boat worth about £3, 12s. 

 Lobster fishing, to a small extent, is carried on by a few men. 

 The fish are generally sent to English markets. The portions of 

 the sea nearest to the combined villages of Lossiemouth, Bran- 

 derburgh, and Stotfield are very good for their yieldings of 

 lobsters ; and about half a century ago people came from North 

 Sunderland and Berwick-on-Tw^eed to prosecute the lobster 

 fishing, and w^ere very successful. The harbour of Lossiemouth 

 was founded in 1835 by Colonel Brander, Pitgaveny. The 

 principal importation is wood from America and the Baltic, and 

 coals from different parts of the country. There is no exporta- 

 tion of any moment, excepting that potatoes and some grain are 

 occasionally shipped for England. 



At Hopeman there are 33 boats employed at haddock fishing, 

 and the fish are generally sold to the curers when caught. The 

 number of boats engaged in the prosecution of the haddock 

 fishing some twenty years ago was not more than half the 

 present number, but the total catch was considerably higher. 

 About 70 herring boats belong to Hopeman, but very few of 

 them are employed at this station. Fishermen find it more 



