1&4 



HISTORY OF THE 



keep at fea the months of June ahd July. For how 

 is it pofiible to efcape 5 or 600 miks of riets that 

 every night {trains every foot length of water five or 

 fix leagues from the fhore ? 



" Every Dutch bufs has a large mile lengof 

 very deep nets dragging after him every night from 

 fun-fet to fun-rifmg. There are about 6 or 700 of 

 them come now generally out , the conflant ftation of 

 all thefe is the eaft coaft of Shetland ; they never go 

 further than four or five leagues from the ftiore, yea 

 I have feen them fifh within half a league. The 

 nearer the fhore^ fo that there is water deep enough 

 to keep their nets from the bottom, they ftfh the bet- 

 ter : for the herrings that make their courfe to the 

 eaft coaft fwim clofe by the fhore : for no compafs 

 morejuftly directs the fhip to her port, than the 

 leaders of that innumerable army of herring guides 

 their body to the particular bay or firth natural to 

 them, and they directly make for. 



" They many years make two or three loaded re- 

 turns; and this laft fummer (1728) though our few 

 bufles came home almoft empty, I am credibly in- 

 formed, the Dutch, after ours came away, carried 

 two or three freights home, though it is certain the 

 ftorminefs of the fummer hindered their fifhing the 

 true right herring on the coaft of Shetland ; but the 

 latter end of the year, by their good patience, they 

 ftaid out the bad weather, and though they did not 

 fifh the good fat herring they commonly ufed, in the 

 proper ftation for fuch herring, they followed the 

 herring, picked up their loadings of fpent big-bellied 

 ones on the coafts of Caithnefs, Buchan, Banff, and 

 all the Murray Firth. Any was better than going- 

 home empty handed. 



ef It was happy for our fhallow waters, or firth- 

 fifhing, the fummer was fo bad, that the Dutch 

 could not fifli on the eaft coaft of Shetland, to take, 

 break, or divert the fhoals, that by the command* 

 and unalterable decree of the firft omnipotent fiat, 



are 



