Of the Herring Fishery, IS 



this manner, they are put into baskets, the milt herrings 

 separately from the pey ones, to be carried over to the man 

 that is to' salt them. All the offals are thrown into the sea. 

 Of the Salter's Business. 

 To fresh herrings prepared as we have now described, the 

 salters give a halt salting, such as has been explained al- 

 readv. They then throw ihem, without order, uito casks 

 or large barrels, which they fill up without pressing 

 the herrings, and let them sink by themselves for some 

 hours ; after which the coopers put on the heads^ of the 

 casks. This is called casking, or salting in urak. The her- 

 rings are left in these casks for a fortnight or three weeks. 

 This preparation is much the same as that which is used at 

 sea. During that p^.Tiod the herrings sink and discharge 

 their water, and there is formed a brine tha' covers them. 

 Care must be. taken not to let it flow off, for if the herrings 

 were left dry they would be spoiled. 



Of the Manner of Barrelling Herrings. 

 When it is supposed that the herrings have got salt 

 enough, they are taken out of the casks, at sea or on land 

 no matter, and barrelled. They are first poured out of the 

 casks into a laver, in which the women wash them in their 

 own brine. In the ports, wh?re there is plenty of salt, some 

 wash tl.em in new brine ; which method appears best, be- 

 cause the old brine, being mixed with the blood and lyniph 

 of the herrings, is more apt to be spoiled than the new brine. 

 But if new bt'ae be used, it should not be too strong. Be 

 the brine what it will, the herrings must be well cleansed 

 from whatever dirt they may have contracted. They are 

 then taken out of the brine with perforated pallets or boards, 

 and left to drip in wide baskets : when they have dripped 

 sufficiently, thj same women take them, one by one, and 

 place them in the barrels, pressing them as close together 

 as they can, and always placing the bellies uppermost. To 

 press them the better (as it is of great consequence that they 

 should be well pressed) the coopers use false bottoms, upon 

 which they jump, and sometimes pressing machines. I'his 

 precaution i., pariiculariy necessary in the barrelling of shot- 

 tcii herrmf'S. It is also to be remarked, that such herrings 

 as are parched, split in the belly, &c., are thrown among 

 the refuse. 



Salt is not generally used in the barrelling of herrings : 

 howi'vcr, if the barrels arc made up to be sent by sea to hot 

 climates, a small quantity of large salt is scattered between 

 the beds of herrings. 



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