17* HISTORY OF THE 



into two great divifions, one of which moves to the 

 weft, and pours down along the coafts of America, 

 as far fouth as Carolina, and are fo numerous in the 

 Chefapeak bay, as to become a nuifance to the 

 fhores. The other divifion takes a more eaftern 

 direction, towards Europe, and falls in with the 

 great ifland of Iceland about the beginning of 

 March; upon their arrival on that coaft, their 

 phalanx, which hath already fuffered considerable 

 diminutions, is nevertheiefs found to be of amazing 

 extent, depth, and clofenefs, occupying a furface 

 equal to the dimenfions of Great Britain and Ire- 

 land, but fubdivided into columns of five or fix 

 miles in length, and threeorfour in breadth, each line 

 or column being led, according to the idea of fifh- 

 ermen, by herrings of more than ordinary fize. The 

 herrings fwim near the furface, linking now and 

 then then for ten or fifteen minutes. The fore- 

 runners of thofe who vifit the Britifh kingdoms ap- 

 pear off Shetland in April or May, and the grand 

 tody begins to be perceived in June. Their ap- 

 proach is known to the fifhers by a fmall rippling of 

 the water, the reflection of their brilliancy, and the 

 number of folan geefe, or gannets, and other aerial 

 perfecutors,who feaft richly upon this offered bounty; 

 and who, with the marine attendants, may be a 

 concurrent caufe of driving the ihoals into bays and 

 creeks. Here new enemies await thefe Heaven-di- 

 rented ftrangers. Whole fleets of Dutch, French, 

 Flerniih, Pruflian, and Danifo veiTels, with all the 

 apparatus of netting, are in readinefs on a fixed day, 

 to drag the ocean, thereby fnatching from the 

 fboals, not hundreds, but hundreds of thoufands 3 

 every night from June till September. 



The Shetland iflands, where the herrings meet 

 with the firft interruption in their progrefs fouth- 

 wards, lie at the diitance of 100 miles due north 

 from the mainland of Scotland, and extend almoft 

 a. degree in length. -Though thefe iflands break, 



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