Of the Herring Fishery. <2\ 



sons think that weak brine, made with new salt is preferable 

 to water quite fresh, and they say that it makes the her- 

 rinirs look well. 



They are washed in baskets, \\\\\c\\ are plunged several 

 times into tubs of water. This is repeated until the salt is 

 dissolved. According as they are washed and have dripped 

 tiiey are spitted, that Is, strung by the head on the switches. 

 Care must be taken not to Ict^them touch one another, so 

 that thev may receive the warm air and the smoke in every 

 part. According as the switches or spits are thus made 

 up, they are handetl to men v.ho place them in the stoves, 

 bfeginning from the top. The lowest row of switches- is 

 about six^or seven feet above the hearth. \A'hen the rows 

 are all made up they are left so for twenty-four hours, that 

 the herrijigs mav drip before the (ire is kindled. _ "^ 



When the dripping is over they light thc'first fire, which 

 is kept up day and nlsiht without intermission for fourteen 

 or fifteen days, and inspected every two hours for the pur- 

 pose of adding fuel to it, or of stirring it ; for ain equal de- 

 gree of heat must be kept up. The fire is also now and" 

 Then pushed from one part of the liearth to another. The 

 Hianagemeut of the fire re([u;res an experienced man, who 

 can keep the fircalwavs at the same degree of heat, and pro-' 

 portionable to the quality of the herrings. The fatter they 

 are the longer the fire must continue : but still it' must' b'ft' 

 a gentle fire; and it must cease whCn the herrings are' fit 

 for the next part of the process. _ '' 



After the fire has been kept for a fortnight, or sometini'^^s' 

 for twenty days, more or less, it is discontinued for three 

 davs to let the herringt^ discharge their oil, which is called" 

 the pissing of the hen-ings. When this is o\ cr, the fire is 

 lighted again, and kept going with the same precautions 

 as^ before for five, six, and sometimes seven or eight days. 

 When the herrings are found to be perfectly dry, they are 

 taken down and put on a table to be inspected, picked, 8cc. 



We mav observe that fifteen days ui the drying ])lace is 

 fiufiicient for the herrings that are to be consumed in France j 

 but those that are to be sciit to the Mediterranean require 

 tuentv or five-and-twenty days, and sometnnes more, 



\\\ the picking of them, such as are shottcn, too much 

 <lried, &c. are set apart, and sold as refuse to the hucksters, 

 kc. The rest are merchantable, and are barrelled. 



The fire nuist be made of wood which produces great 



lu-at and smoke, and but little flame. In some ports they 



use oak, in some beech, and in oiliers alder. They take 



care to ketp tlie door of the drving-place constantly ghut, 



ij ,j ' " and 



