ON THE ECONOMICAL USES OF FISHES. 187 



shillings a barrel, naturally held out great induce- 

 ments to hegin the business of herring curing, and 

 gave rise to much speculation. The fishery was of 

 course extended, and the number of herrings pro- 

 duced much increased. By and bye the bounty 

 was gradually diminished, and, in 1820, entirely 

 done away. The policy of this measure is unques- 

 tionable, as henceforth the supply will be more pro- 

 portioned to the real demand. 



The Dutch have been long engaged in this fishery, 

 which, at one time, was said to have given employ- 

 ment to one-fifth of the whole population of Hol- 

 land. Though this estimate is now generally con- 

 sidered to have been overrated, yet no doubt much 

 of the prosperity of that country then depended on 

 the fishery in question, and it is even now a pro- 

 verbial saying, that " Amsterdam is founded upon 

 herring bones." The Dutch have always been ac- 

 knowledged as superior in the art of curing herring 

 to any other nation, and their herrings, not many 

 years ago, brought double or even treble the price 

 of the British article in every European market * 

 The British fishermen, though long encouraged by 

 a bounty from Government, as before mentioned, 

 yet failed in producing an article which can compete 

 with the Dutch herrings, and for obvious reasons. 

 The Dutch carry on the fishery at sea, and from 



* One grand object of the fishery board was to attempt 

 bringing the British herrings to a level with those of the 

 Dutch, but they signally failed in accomplishing that object. 



