THEIR ROUND OF LIFE AND LABOUR. 15 
The herring boats of the period, with all their fittings, will 
cost on the average about £270, whilst nets will cost about 
563 each, 
When the bargain has been made, the labour of fishing 
begins at the proper season, the fishing on the Scottish 
coasts being at its height in the month of August. The 
fishing-boats engaged in the herring fishery are frequently 
being improved, and will doubtless some day be much 
better than even the best of them are at present, far 
ahead as these are of the old “Clinker” Leith built boats 
once so much in favour.* As has been hinted, many of the 
boats are “family concerns,” and, that being so, come to 
be worn out in time, the money earned being all required 
for the use of those dependent on the vessel, and as 
repairs are not always made when necessary, the boat in 
due time becomes unfit for the work incidental to the 
herring fishery, and in the end is laid up a sheer hulk 
quite useless for any purpose whatever. A number of the 
boats engaged in the herring fishery are still the open 
* As to the superiority of large boats over small ones, we have 
gleaned the following information from a report of the Scottish fishery 
board, in which the fishery officer at Eyemouth states that those crews 
who fished from large decked boats with some amount of perseverance, 
made from £200 to £300 for the season, whilst the crews of adjacent 
ports were not fortunate, not being so well prepared. In a few 
instances, sums of from £500 to £700 were earned by the decked boats. 
Open boats with inferior netting made only from £60 to £120. In 
a few boats homing pigeons are carried: they are let off as soon 
as the catch is determined, to let the curer know what number of 
barrels he may calculate upon. One drawback in connection with the 
use of the larger boats is that, should they be becalmed the herrings 
with which they are laden will not be received in time for the cure. 
Steam tugs should, in such cases, be kept in readiness to bring 
in the boats, till the time comes when steam vessels are regularly 
employed in the fishery. This, we believe, is now being done. 
