278 HISTORY OF THE 



confequently to the ruin of the great herring fifhery j 

 being fo apparent a lofs to the trade and welfare of 

 the country, and the inhabitants thereof, in cafe it is 

 not fpeedily and rigoroufly examined into. V 



Such is the language of ftrangers, who from long 

 ufage confider themfelves as having a right to the 

 fifhery, but as nature hath bellowed this bounty on 

 the Scottifh fhores, as an equivalent for her fcanty 

 difpenfations in the foil and climate, it is but fair 

 that the inhabitants fhopld be permitted the full en- 

 joyment thereof; or, at lead, feme exclufive privi- 

 leges, by which they may not only arrive earlier at 

 foreign markets than the Dutch, but alfb be enabled 

 to fell their cargoes fomewhat cheaper. 



So trifling is our fifhery in the north feas, that when 

 a folitary Scotfman appears in his little black (loop or 

 brig, amongft the elegant veflfels belonging to the 

 Dutch, he becomes the ridicule of the whole fleet, 

 cc Here comes the admiral falute our noble com- 

 modore hoift your pennants fire your guns, " are 

 the feoffs levelled at the poor Scotfman, even by the 

 phlegmatic Dutch. An anonymous author affirms 

 that thefe people will fometimes run in clofe upon 

 the coaft after they have got their cargo, on pufpofo 

 to break the fhoals, with a view to obftruct the fuo 

 cefs of the natives. Though we can hardly give 

 credit to this report, it is certain, that the Dutch 

 method of dragging the ocean from the Britifh fhore 

 to the diftance of 20 or 30 miles, muft fo difperfe 

 the herrings as to prevent thenY'from appearing in 

 large bodies fo often as they otherwife would, both 

 on the Scottifh and the Englifh coaft.- 



Befides the detriment to the Britifh fifheries, as 

 above ftated, the Dutch, by means of their great 

 capitals, and univerfal correfpondence, are enabled 

 to foreftal the European markets, even before the 

 herrings are taken, a circumftance which will, una- 

 voidably, retard the progrefs of the native fifhery, 

 aotwithftanding every effort of government to fut.:~ 



port 



