HISTORY OF THE 



1. To the fine hearings being never caught but 

 when they are in feafon. The Dutch never begin 

 to fifh before the 24th of June, and their prime her- 

 rings are taken chiefly in the month of July. 



2. To the herrings being taken alive out of the 

 nets; for, as the Dutch drive with their nets from 

 the bufs, and haul them every now and then, the 

 herrings do not hang long in the nets, as is the cafe, 

 with fuch of our bufles as fifh with boats, and fet 

 their nets to the ground. 



3. To the herrings being flrewed over with fait, the 

 moment they come out of the nets and are laid upon 

 the deck of the vefiel, are which is done before they 

 are gutted. 



4. To the gills and gut being taken out by an 

 incifion made with the knife, inftead of being taken 

 Out with the fingers as is the practice with us. By 

 which firft method the great blood vefiels at the 

 heart are laid open, and the fifh difcharges itfelf of 

 blood, &c. Hence the peculiar whitenefs of Dutch 

 herrings, both in the fifh, and at the bone r where 

 there is no blacknefs occafioned by the coagulation 

 of blood, as is often the cafe with Britifh herrings. 



5. To their being cured with refined fait, which 

 is prepared exprefsly for the purpofe, by being 

 cleared of bittern, and all that putrefcent matter, 

 which tends to corrupt, in place of preferving the 

 fifh. I am told that even the fait from France, 

 Spain, Portugal, &c. is refined in Holland before 

 it is ufed for the curing of herrings, 



6. To the Dutch never taking on board any,bufs 

 more herrings in the morning than they can cure be- 

 fore fun-fet : nay, I am informed, if any fuch remain, 

 the mailer of the veffel is obliged to throw them 

 overboard. 



7. To their being packed fea-ftidc in tight bar- 

 rels made of oak, \ inch thick in the ftave, fuch as 

 will hold in the firfl brine or pickle, which brine 

 it is that alone makes the cure of the fifh. 



L/aftly, To their wife regulations with regard to 

 the whole procefs of curing and packing. 



