15* A V I E W F 



its frefh- water lakes, there are one or more towns on 

 each j and, fays bifhop Burnet, it is generally com- 

 puted, that an eighth part of the inhabitants live by 

 the produce of their fiihing. Mr. Ray obferves, that 

 in the lake of Zugh, which is not very confiderable, 

 there are at lead fifty different fpecies of eatable fifh, 

 all in great plenty, and fbme of the moft delicate forts, 

 fuch as trout, grayling, char, perch, and others, moft 

 of which had been brought thither from diftant parts. 

 But all the above enumerated articles, though they 

 might be rendered extremely favourable to commercial 

 purpofes, are loft in the comparifon with the riches 

 of the feas which environ the Highlands of Scotland. 



Through the openings, between the bales of the 

 mountains, flows the great Weftern Ocean, in various 

 directions, forming one continued fucceflion of bays 

 and lakes, from five to forty-five miles within land ; 

 which, with the founds and channels formed by the 

 Hebride jflands and the banks interfperfed upon 

 thefe fhores, contain the greateft repository of fifh. 

 hitherto difcovered in any part of the known world, 

 and of excellent qualities. The moft ufeful are turbot, 

 cod, ling, hake, tufk, fturgeon, HERRINGS, whitings, 

 haddocks, fkait, foals, phinocs, mackarel, falmon, 

 trout, char, pike, eels, and poans; various fpecies 

 of fhell-fifh, as lobfters, oyfters, crabs ; alfo all kinds 

 of cetaceous fifh, from whales of every denomination 

 down to the grampus ; feals, fea-dogs, and other 

 amphibious animals, which frequent the caverns, in 

 great abundance. 



Of all thefe fifties, the herring is the moft impor* 

 tant, not only on account of the incredible fhoals 

 which annually prefent themfelyes in the Scottifh feas, 

 but alfo their fuperior quality, in thofe parts, as ap- 

 pears from tlie defcriptions given of the.m by Sir Wal- 

 ter Raleigh, Sir William MonJbn, arid other writers 

 of the laft and prefent century, 



HISTORY 



