DUTCH HERRING FISHERY. 273 



rope, which is the rope that the whole fleet of nets 

 depend upon, and by which the veiTel rides when 

 the nets are out, is generally 120 fathoms long, and 

 7} inches thick; and of which the Dutch, Danes, 

 and Prufiians always have two, in cafe of one failing. 

 Thefe ropes are feldorn ufed above three, often not 

 above two years, and are made of the beft materials, 

 and great need is for it, as on it depends, in a ftorm, 

 the fafety of the out-fit of nets, buoys, ropes, &c. 

 and perhaps a large haul of herrings. Inftances 

 have happened, when, by the failure of this rope, 

 the whole out-fit has been loft, and the vefTel obliged 

 to return home. 



Altho' it is faid, and generally believed, that the 

 herrings in fummer are caught near the Shetland 

 coaft, yet it as frequently happens that they are 

 caught near the Buchannefs, but it as regularly hap- 

 pens that when they are caught near the Buchannefs, 

 and near Shetland, at the fame time, that the latter 

 are of a fuperior quality, and give a higher price at 

 market. 



The fifhing vefifels are all divided below decks in 

 rooms calculated to hold each its particular part of 

 the out-fit, and the accefs to each of them is from 

 the deck by a feparate hatch. 



When they fet out^ the vefTels are quite full of 

 cafks, one part of which is filled with fait fufficient 

 to fill the whole cargo. This is always foreign fait, 

 either .bay fait or St. Ubes. No Britifh fait has 

 ftrength to cure the fat herrings caught here in 

 fummer. 



When the nets are hauled in, and the herrings taken 

 from them, the nets are put immediately below 

 decks into their own room, and the herrings into 

 two equal places, built upon deck, like large meal 

 garnels, with fhifting boards, and immediately after 

 all is (towed away, they begin to gut, clean, * and 



* The writer muft be under a miftake with regard to the clean- 

 ing of herrings, there Jbeing no fuch pra&ice, or any caufe for it. 



S pack 



