HERRING FISHERIES. 



what they called the whole head, and the remainder 

 v/as divided into eight or nine fhares, called deals*. 

 The proprietor of the boat drew one deal, every 

 man half a deal, and every net half a deal; and if 

 :c happened to be a layman or two in the boat, 

 who never were at the fifhing before, thefe were 

 called boys, and drew only the quarter of a deal, for 

 their firft year. 



From 6 to 800 boats were thus employed 

 in the Forth, and many thoufand barrels of 

 herrings were annually exported, befides fupplying 

 the home demand. The coaft fifhing on the Mur- 

 ray Firth was conduced on the fame plan, govern- 

 ed by the fame regulations, and proportionably be- 

 neficial to that populous, though remote part of 

 the kingdom. It employed from 5 to 700 boats 

 of a lefs conftruction than the former, and each 

 boat had fix or fcven men. The general utility of 

 thefe two Hfheries may be thus ftateii : They 

 gave employment to a confiderable number of per- 

 fons of both fexes, and of all ages, as feamen, 

 Jandmen, fhip-builders, coopers, net-makers, (which 

 is chiefly performed by women, children, and old 

 people, incapable of any other work) rope-makers, 

 fail-makers, blackfmiths, fak-makers, colliers, 

 carters, day labourers, &:c. They fupplied the 

 neighbourhood with cheap food, extended commerce 

 to the amount of 60 or ioo,oocl. annually, and em- 

 ployed fhipping to various parts of Europe. 



As a nurfery of feamen for the royal navy, we 

 lhall fuppofe the Forth to have employed, upon an 

 average, 700 boats, having nine men each. - 6300 

 And, that the Murray F'irth employed) 

 (>oo boats, having feven men each $ ^ 2< 



pcricnced feamen, and men advancing in 

 that line, 10500 



Thefe fifheries, though at prcfent in a low ftate, 

 barely defcrving the name of a national object, 

 I may 



