THEIR ROUND OF LIFE AND LABOUR. 27 
boats in connection with the Scottish herring-fishery which 
have accommodation on board for carrying on the cure, 
but the leisurely labour on these vessels is less onerous 
than that of the shore-fisheries, where the work goes on 
at a ding-dong rate from sunrise to sunset, for the sake 
of securing the best brand to the greatest possible number 
of barrels. 
There is herring-fishing in abundance on the coast of 
Northumberland, and the Isle of Man herring-fishing in 
some seasons is very productive; but we shall now take 
up our station for a brief period at Yarmouth, which is 
an important seat of fishing industry, and has acquired 
a great name for the extent of its commerce in cured 
herrings. The fish of that kind brought into the port 
of Yarmouth are not, however, cured as in Scotland, the 
herrings being mostly manipulated as bloaters and reds. 
According to some statistics published by Mr. De Caux, 
“during the last thirteen years the grand total of herrings 
delivered at Great Yarmouth has been at least 210,000 
lasts, or the marvellous quantity of 2,772,000,000 of her- 
rings.” But a still better idea is conveyed of the magnitude 
of the fishery work whichis brought to a focus at Yarmouth 
by a knowledge of the fact that during every season, on an 
average, the mere operation of counting the herrings landed 
at the fish-wharf costs upwards of £2,200, while for simply 
helping to lift the herrings from the ground on to the carts 
which convey them from the wharf to the various curing- 
houses, or to the railway-stations, no less a sum than £370 
is paid. The number of fishers from all places congregated 
at Yarmouth during the herring-season will not, we think, be 
less than 12,500. Atleast a thousand boats went out day by 
day from Yarmouth in search of the herring in 1882. The 
crews are paid according to the number of herrings which 
