of the Herring Fisherij. 43 



■ In 1774, the number of vessels sent out amounted to 

 \65, and in 1776 to 176. From this brief exposition of 

 the number of vessels employed in the fisherVj, it appears 

 that a great decline has ,aken place since the vcar I601, 

 when 1500 vessels -were sent out yearly from the United 

 Provinces. The cause of this decline seems to be, the 

 greater attention which other nations pay to this branch of 

 lishery. It remains, however, certain, that the Dutch me- 

 thod of curing is superior to that of their neighbours. The 

 diminution of trade v/as ncccs?anlv accompanied by a pro- 

 portional diminution of national protit; fonnerlv thousands 

 were supported by tliis branch who are now out of employ- 

 ment. Government omitted nothing that could revive tliis 

 declining branch of trade. Thus, on the 19th of May 1775 

 the government offered a premium of five hundred flonos 

 for any ship which should be emploved two yeai's succes- 

 sively in the herring fishery, and for the second two years 

 four hundred florins : yet some abuses happened in conse- 

 quence ; for some, having got the premiums, discontinued 

 to send out their vessels. i\s the selling prices of herrings 

 vary with the season and plenty, it is scarce possible to as- 

 certain with exactness the profits of one vovage. We shall, 

 however, attempt an average account, from whicii it will 

 appeaj- that the herring fishery is worthy of eveiy encou- 

 ragement, as a branch of industry highly advantageous to 

 the community. A buss of thirty-two lasts, fitted out for 

 three voyages, costs, as v.-e already observed, bctwecji six- 

 teen and seventeen thousand florins ; each last of herrinsrs 

 contains twehe tons, and each ton about eight liundred 

 herrings : the whole lading thtm of the Iniss amounts to 

 about 380 tons; and if each herring be estimated at half a 

 stiver (i. e. twenty florins the ton), the amount will be 

 7(300 florins, v.hich multiplied by three voyages >-ields a 

 sum total of i2{?,S00 ; from which 1 7000 florins being de- 

 ducted for prime cost, a surplus rcnuiins of oSOO florins for 

 each i)u5s, all net profit : 



Which multiplied by 1(50, the number of busses yearly 

 sent out to the fishery, yields little short of a niLllion of 

 florins. 



Let us in the second place examine, with what instru- 

 ments, and after what maimer, this amazina: quanutv of 

 herrings is taken as soon as the busses are all iussanbU-d, 

 'J hey take their course from Slicllaiul, N. N. K. and cast 

 the nets off Fairhill on St. .lolm'd night, the 'J5lh of June, 

 ajier midnidu. 'j'he fishery is always carried on at ni^ihl, 

 SLi V, (11 to oljviate the inconvenience of the li-^h discovering 



the 



