314 STUDIES OF NATURE. 



number of perfons engaged in this fiOiery amount 

 to three hundred thoufand, Pruflians and Ger- 

 mans. 



In 1 6 10, the Dutch, who carry on the herring- 

 fifhery ftill farther to the North, where the fifh is 

 better, employed in it three thoufand boats, fifty 

 thoufand fifhermen, without reckoning nine thou- 

 fand other vefTels employed in barrelling, and con- 

 veying them to Holland, and a hundred and fifty 

 thoufand perfons, partly at fea, partly on fhore, 

 engaged in the carrying trade, in preparing and 

 felling. At that period they derived a revenue 

 from it, of two millions, fix hundred and fifty 

 thoufand pounds fterling. I myfelf have witnefTed 

 in Amfterdam, in 1762, the joy of the populace, 

 exprefled by difplaying ftreamers and flags over 

 the (hops where that fifh was expofed to fale, on 

 the firfl arrivals ; and in every ftreet this was the 

 cafe. I have been informed in that city, that the 

 Company eflabliflied for carrying on the herring- 

 fiQiery was richer, and fed more mouths, than the 

 Eaft-India Company. The Danes, the Norwe- 

 gians, the Swedes, the Hamburghers, the EngUfh, 

 the Irifh, and fome traders of the ports of France, 

 particularly of Dieppe, fitted out vefTels for this 

 filhery, but in too fmall a number for a fall of 

 manna fo plentiful^ and fo eafily gathered. 



In 



