H I S T O R Y OF THE 



Of the Reftriftion which prohibits the Eu/es front 

 furchafing Herrings from the Highland Boats. 



It feems evident, from tradition and hiftory, that 

 the French and Spaniards frequented the Hebrides 

 in very early times, where they trafficked with the 

 natives for fifh. By this, may be underftood that 

 the Scots were the fifhers, and that foreigners were 

 the carriers. 



It is probable, that this fifhery was carried oa 

 by little open boats or birlins, fuch as the High- 

 landers generally ufe at the prefent day. The Scot- 

 tifh legiflature, in later times, laboured to enforce 

 a more effectual and extenfive mode of carrying on 

 the fifheries, by obliging not only the royal bo- 

 roughs, but alfo the nobility and principal gentry, 

 to fit out bufles and pink boats for the filheries 

 throughout the whole kingdom. Though the 

 Hebrides and the oppofite fhores, far removed 

 from the feat of government, were, it may be fup- 

 pofed, fcarcely within the reach of thofe laws, yet we 

 find certain regulations in the reign of James III. 

 refpe&ing the Hebride fifhery. Each boat in Scot- 

 land paid a certain quantity of fifh to the crown, 

 which compofed a part of the hereditary revenue. 

 Part of this duty was farmed by the family of Ar- 

 gyle, who alfo had a jurifdi&ion annexed, for regu- 

 lating the fifhing, between the Pentland Firth and 

 the Mull of Galloway, and punifhing thofe who tref- 

 parTed againft the laws. 



This jurifdi&ion included what is properly named 

 the Hebride or Weftern Fifhery, the thoroughfare, 

 if it may be fo called, of the great weftern fhoal of 

 herrings, in their annual tour from the Shetland 

 iflands to Ireland, which, in the opinion of fome 

 writers, they environ, and from whence they return 

 by the oppofite channel, in the fame manner as the 

 caftern Ihoals environ Great Britain, and return north 

 by the weftern channel. 



There 



