CHAP. XXXV. THE HERRING FISHERY. '229 



of the more important liaviiig been already given in pre- 

 ceding chapters. 



The fish which form the most lucrative articles of com- 

 merce are the herring, the cod, the mackerel, the salmon, 

 the whale, the seal, and different species of shell-fish. 



THE VALUE OF THE HERRING FISHERY. 



The immense number of herrings which frequent the 

 coast of the Gulf is almost beyond belief, and although 

 they have been netted for a hundred years, yet they do 

 not seem to diminish. The most expeditious and pro- 

 fitable way of taking the herring is with the seine, and 

 until very recently the possession of large seines has been 

 enjoyed exclusively by the Americans and Nova-Scotians. 

 The bays and harbours of the Gulf swarm with these fish 

 in spring and autumn, and although the fisheries are 

 remunerative even with the comparatively small capital 

 embarked by Canadians, there is room, according to 

 Captain Fortin, for the employment of a thousand addi- 

 tional hands and a hundred additional vessels, especially 

 on the coast of Labrador. About 10,000 barrels of her- 

 rings are now annually consimied in Canada, and the 

 quantity exported from the Gulf forms a very important 

 item in the commerce of the provinces, and afi^ords 

 employment to great numbers of American fishermen. It 

 is difficult to arrive at any correct data respecting the 

 value of the herring fisheries alone, as the returns are 

 given in bulk with those of salt and pickled fish. Owing 

 to the want of care in curinii; the fish, an innnense loss 

 aniuially aiiscs from spoiled samples. It might become 



