The Coal-Fish.] OF ORKNEY. 195 



themselves to seek any thing better : next, all other fisheries 

 being neglected, the fish withdraAV from our coasts, having 

 nothing to detain them : for I am fully persuaded, that the 

 more a fishing is followed, and the greater care taken to clean 

 and throw overboard the garbage, the more fish will be drawn 

 to the ground, and of consequence the fishery will be more 

 valuable. But all these things are neglected ; and, instead of 

 leaving children, and those who are not able to go further to 

 sea, to fish at home for subsistence, bait, &c. whilst the abler 

 men go to sea, all hands go to work in their boats, and de- 

 stroy these fry in such quantities, that sometimes more spoil 

 than are made use of However, this is not to be remedied 

 as things are, for there are many discouragements to hinder 

 the fishermen from following a fishery of the larger kinds, 

 such as a want of a proper method in conducting their fish- 

 ing ; — want of proper markets to bring their fish to, which 

 cannot be sold, were they to get any quantity, to any pur- 

 pose here; — want of ability to send them to market; — and 

 want of ability to spare the price of them till they could be 

 sent ; — all which is obviated in their small fishing, for what 

 they can spare they have an immediate market for amongst 

 their neighbours, which serves their present purpose better 

 than labouring for cod and ling, which they must either keep, 

 or sell below what is worth their trouble. From this short 

 view we may see the state of fishing in Orkney ; we may see, 

 at the same time, that, till some set of public-spirited gentle- 

 men, merchants, or other monied-men, take into their hands, 

 and draw our fishermen out of their present indolence, — en- 



