16 FISHERIES OF THE NORTH SEA 



Southern Swedes, the Danes, and the 

 Dutch made organized efforts to procure 

 the herring, and this soon became a con- 

 stant industry with these people, who 

 discovered that by hanging the herrings 

 over the cabin chimneys or salting them, 

 the fish would keep wholesome for a long 

 time. Improving upon these methods, 

 they were soon able to make salted and 

 smoked herrings a great article of commerce 

 among the interior population of Germany 

 and Russia, and this trade contributed 

 more than a little to the prosperity of the 

 Hanseatic League. For in those days the 

 Church greatly increased the demand by 

 encouraging the consumption of fish on 

 fasting days. With the gradual decline of 

 the power of the Hansa League the traffic 

 fell more and more into the hands of the 

 Dutch, who caught most of the fish, chiefly 

 the herring, off the coast of Norfolk during 

 the annual migration of the shoals. In- 

 deed, it is authoritatively stated that the 

 supremacy of the Dutch was founded on 

 the herring. There is no doubt that the 

 herring fishery is a good training ground for 

 seamen, and at that period its commercial 



