SEA-FISHERIES OF THE LAN OF GOTEBORG AND BOH US. 747 



after that date, No. 2, and before, as well as aft^r the proper season, 

 No. 1. 



Of a well-assorted lot stored at Grebbestad, and containing 2,660 bar 

 rels, 78 barrels were marked with the brand K K K, 1,185 barrels K K, 

 1,262 barrels K, 5 barrels M, and 130 barrels were " bressling " or sprat. 

 As a rule, the fisheries at Fjellbaeka and Sote Fjord gave larger herring 

 than the fishery at Stromstad, and the most mixed lierring was caught in 

 the neighborhood of Lysekil, where, anyhow, the fishery was of least 

 importance, though it lasted to the beginning of March. 



The salting was not started until the end of November, when the great 

 " inmeat-herring " appeared, and the seine-gangs sold the lodd-herring, 

 but divided ("bytte") the "iumeat-herring" between themselves, to be 

 salted for their own household use. Merchants salted about 400 barrels 

 of lodd-herring for cattle food, as a speculation; but a much larger quan 

 tity of fresh herring was purchased by the farmers and salted. The 

 whole west of Sweden knows the value of herring as cattle food, and a 

 very large part of the catches during the month of December was con- 

 sumed for this purpose. Some lots went to the compost. 



On New Year's day two steamers arrived in Bowall Strand for the pur- 

 pose of salting herring. The Goteborg merchants had thus started the 

 business, and now speculation began on a large, indeed far too large a 

 scale. 



Barrels and expert hands were in great demand; ultimately, also, salt. 

 All was prociued from Norway. Not until January 11 the first shipload 

 of barrels arrived. On the lith the salters were in full operation ; and 

 although the supply of herring was limited to a small section of the dis- 

 trict of Fjellbacka, besides sundry schools south and north therefrom, 

 nevertheless full cargoes were brought to the side of every one of the 26 

 steamers which, together with sailing craft and hulks, had anchored in 

 the sounds around Floro and Dyngo on purpose to salt lierring. About 

 20,000 barrels of herring were caught from January 13 to January 19. 

 The following week, January 20 to 26, about 23,000 barrels were secured 

 in the districts of Stromstad, Fjellbacka, and Kungshamn. From Jan- 

 uary 27 to February 2 about 16,000 barrels were caught, of which about 

 10,000 barrels in the district of Fjellbacka. From February 3 to 9 about 

 11,500 barrels were caught, and the same quantity in the week February 

 10 to 16. Of this, however, a great portion consisted of big lodd-herring, 

 which received the brand M. During the last three weeks of that month 

 the herring fishery was of trifling iinjiortance and mostly yielded lodd- 

 herring. 



As far as can be ascertained, upwards of 75,000 barrels of herring were 

 salted on board steamers or hulks in the "Skiirgard," or transported to 

 Goteborg to be salted there ; and, besides, 1,000 or 2,000 barrels were sold 

 at the fish-market of the said city and salted by consumers. If one-third 

 of all this herring be deducted as loss by packing and as damaged her- 

 ring, the quantity of good herring obtained may safely be estimated at 

 more than 50,000 barrels. 



