156 eulogium on the minister. March 2 J, 



cer attending to see this clause implemented. If he sells 

 a bufhel of it, the buyer of that must once more grant a 

 frcfh bond as befc. e. If he means to carry it out to the 

 Bfheries, his permit bears that he may put it into such a 

 vefsel by name, out of which vefsel he cannot remove it, 

 even were it into another belonging to himself, without 

 an order from the custom-house ; or if he fhould do so, 

 the vefsel in which such salt is found, together with the 

 cargo, are liable to be seized *. 



Without entering into farther details respecting this 

 rery complicated businefs, I (haU only beg the reader to 

 remark a few of the consequences that necefsarily result 

 from the regulations here specified. 



You may easily conceive an idea, that five or six poor 

 men, who live upon the sea-coast, where herrings and 

 other filh abound, could carry on that businefs with great 

 oeconomy, by uniting their little stocks together, to buy 

 a few lines and nets, had they an opportunity of obtaining 

 salt in small quantities as they found occasion foif it, and 

 were they at liberty to sell the filli they (hould thus cure, 

 to the first person that offered to buy them. But if they 

 can neither obtain the one, nor be permitted to sell the 

 other, it is as much out of their power to catch fiih for 

 curing, as if they lived at a hundred miles distance from 

 the sea. They cannot aflFord to purchase a boat, or nets, 

 or lines, even for catching filh for their own consumption ; 

 so that they may be obliged to starve for want, where 

 they might have had abundance. 



* Many instances of forfeiture on this account occur. Mr James Macdr- 

 aald inPuitieeinSkye, aman of enterprise and some capital, in the year lySS 

 had a vefsel in this prtdicarr.ent, actually se'zed. The singularity ofhiscase^ 

 as he lived at near lOO miles from a custom-house, prevailed at length, 

 aided by tlie strong interposition of his fri' nds, to get the vefsel delivered 

 back, but not till many months had Jap^-d, and much expente had been 

 iocurred; besides the lofs of the whale sea.on's fiihirg. 



