ENORMOUS TAKES. 573 



part of that kingdom) nearly put an end to the fishery 

 for that time. 



Subsequently the fish appeared at intervals on the 

 coast, especially in the year 1727 ; hut there being a want 

 of people, as also of the proper fishing gear, to enable 

 them to take advantage of the opportunity, no very great 

 captures were made. 



In 1717 there was again a " Land-stotning," though 

 much less abundant than that of 1556, and the same 

 continued until 1808, when the fish once more departed. 

 In this while, a space of sixty-one years, the fisheries were 

 prosecuted with great ardour and success, and to the 

 great gain of those engaged in them. Herrings were so 

 very plentiful during one particular year, that a tunna, 

 or four bushels, could be piirchased on the spot for two 

 skillings, or a half-penny of our money ; and though 

 the fish were converted to all manner of purposes, 

 people hardly knew what to do with them. Subse- 

 quently, however, to 1799 and up to 1808, when the 

 herrings left the coast, the fisheries were less remu- 

 nerative, which was attributed as well to a diminution 

 in the number of the fish, as to their appearing at a 

 later and more inconvenient season of the year for their 

 capture. During the earlier years of the glut in question, 

 the great "take" was at an end by Christmas, but now 

 the fishery only commenced shortly before that time. 

 It is true that Is-notar, or ice-nets, were made use of, 

 but without much success, probably from ignorance of 

 the proper manner of handling them. A large portion 

 of such of the captured fish as were not exported 

 were boiled down into oil. Others were salted, smoked, 

 dried, prepared as pilchards, &c., and not a few consumed 

 in the country itself. One year, when the herrings 

 were unusually numerous, it was calculated that not 

 less than 2,938,000 barrels were taken ; and as each 



