324 STUDIES OF NATURE. 



has deftroyed many of the branches of it among 

 us, which are pouring in tides of wealth upon our 

 neighbours; fuch are, among others, the whale, 

 cod, and herring fillieries. I admit, at the fame 

 time, on the prefent occafion, that there are enter- 

 prizes which require the concurrence of a great 

 number of hands, as well for their prefervation and 

 proteétion, as in order to accelerate their opera- 

 tions, fuch as the falt-water fifheries : but it is 

 the bufinefs of the State to fee to the adminiflra- 

 tion of them. No one of our companies has ever 

 been actuated by the patriotic fpirit ; they have 

 been aflbciated, if I may be allowed the expreffion, 

 only for the purpofe of forming fmall particular 

 States. It is not fo with the Dutch. For example, 

 as they carry on the herring fifhery to the north- 

 ward of Scotland, for this fifli is always better the 

 farther North you go in queft of it, they have 

 fhips of war to protect the filbery. They have 

 others of very large burthen, called bufles, em- 

 ployed night and day in catching them with the 

 net : and others contrived to fail remarkably faft, 

 which take them on board, and carry them quite 

 freQi to Holland. Befides all this, they have pre- 

 miums propofed to the veflel which firft brings 

 her cargo of filTi to market at Amfterdam. The 

 fifh of the firft barrel is paid at the Stadt-Houfe, 

 at the rate of a golden ducat, or about nine (hil- 

 lings and fixpence a- piece, and ikofe of the reft 



of 



