[355] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. 445 



use such actiou is brought, and the sum awarded in damages shall be 

 entered by the clerk of the court on the original bond, to remain in the 

 custody of the treasurer. 



Qualities of fish. Ibid., section 5. 



Every inspector who inspects any kind of fish that are split or pickled 

 for packing, shall see that they are in the first instance free from taint, 

 rust, or damage, and well struck with salt or pickle ; and such of said 

 fish as are in good order and of good quality, shall be pickled in tierces, 

 barrels, half-barrels, quarter-barrels, and tenths of barrels, or kids j 

 each tierce containing three hundred pounds, each barrel two hundred 

 pounds, and so on in that proportion ; and the same shall be packed 

 in good clean coarse salt sufficient for their preservation 5 and then 

 each cask shall be headed up and filled with clear, strong pickle, and 

 shall be branded by the inspector with the name and quality of the 

 fish therein. Mackerel of the best quality, not mutilated, measuring, 

 when split, not less than thirteen inches from the extremity of the head 

 to the crotch or fork of the tail, free from taint, rust, or damage, shall 

 be branded numher one; the next best quality, being not less than 

 eleven inches, measuring as aforesaid, free from taint, rust, or damage, 

 shall be branded numher two ; those that remain after the above selec- 

 tion, free from taint or damage, and not less than thirteen inches, meas- 

 uring as aforesaid, shall be branded number three, large; those of the 

 next inferior quality, free from taint or damage, not less than ten 

 inches, measured as aforesaid, shall be branded numher three ; all other 

 mackerel, free from taint or damage, shall be branded number three, 

 small. The inspector shall brand, in plain letters, on the head of every 

 such cask, the weight, the initials of his Christian name, the whole of 

 his surname, the name of his town, and the letters Me., an abridgment 

 of the month and the year, in figures, when packed. 



Qualily and size ofcasJcs or barrels. Ibid., section 6. 



All tierces, barrels, and casks, which are used for the purpose of 

 packing pickled fish, shall be made of sound, well-seasoned white oak, 

 white ash, spruce, pine, chestnut, or poplar staves, with heading of 

 either of such kinds of wood, sound, well planed and seasoned, and 

 when of pine to be free of sap, and the barrels to be hooped with at 

 least three strong hoops on each bilge, and three also on each chime ; 

 the barrel staves to be twenty-eight inches in length, and the heads to 

 be seventeen inches between the chimes, and made, in a workmanlike 

 manner, to hold pickle. 



Pacldng of alewives or herring. Branding. Ibid., section 7. 



Every inspector who inspects pickled alewives or herring, packed 

 whole or round, shall see that they are struck with salt or pickle, and 



