304 DEEP-SEA FISHING. 



each ; these are used for the line-fishery. The latter 

 comprise the bulk of the fishing boats ; there are, how- 

 ever, a few smaller ones ; and of course, with a popula- 

 tion scattered over a number of islands, boats are a 

 necessary means of communication between them, and 

 in many cases they are onl}^ occasionally employed for 

 purposes of fishing. The skiffs carry a jib and two large 

 lugs; and these Orkney boats ai'e the only ones we 

 have seen that had their lugsails rigged with booms. 

 The herring boats usually carry five or six men, and 

 the skiffs from two to four, according to the size of the 

 boat. Smacks of small size have been tried before now 

 for the cod and ling fisheries, but they were not found 

 suitable for working the longlines. 



We now come to the Shetlands — the northern limit 

 to what may be called the home fisheries. Handlines, 

 longlines, and drift-nets are all used there ; but the 

 drift-fishery is comparatively unimportant, if we may 

 judge by the number of barrels of herrings cured. The 

 line-fishery is, in fact, the principal occupation of the 

 Shetlanders; and although they, are more or less 

 engaged in cultivating such land as is best available for 

 the purpose, as is also the case with the fishermen of 

 the Orkneys and on many parts of the Scotch coast, 

 fishing is their chief employment, and is followed up 

 with great energy and enterprise while the weather 

 permits it. The herring fishery is carried on in August 

 and September, and principally on the east coast from 

 the Skerries to Balta Sound; but is interfered with by 

 the line-fishing, which is continued during the early 

 part of" the drift season. The result of this is that a 

 large proportion of the herrings when talcen consists of 

 spent fish, and for this inferior quality there is rarelj' a 

 o-ood market. The takes of fish fluctuate verv much in 



