IRISH HERRING FISHERIES. 313 



The fifhery at Inverbay begins in July, and con- 

 tinues till the beginning, fometimes the end of Sep- 

 tember. 



The herrings are fmall, and have not hitherto 

 been cured for exportation. The other fifheries 

 commence in November, and end in January. 

 The fnoals that enter the lochs within this period 

 exceed credibility ; the whole coaft is then in 

 motion ; filhermen, farmers, and mechanics, are all 

 bufily employed day and night, while the bufles 

 from the trading towns of the kingdom are conti- 

 nually arriving, loading, and departing, being under 

 no reitraints whatever; they either fifh, or purclvale 

 from the country boats, as feems molt convenient to 

 themfelves or their owners. When the fiihery is 

 good, they load in a few days, and immediately 

 proceed with their cargo agreeable to their inftruc- 

 tions. They return immediately to the fiOiing 

 ground, thus availing themfelves of the bounteous 

 gifts of Providence, while the Britifh veiTels are 

 obliged to remain three months, or until they have 

 procured a cargo by means of their own boats only. 

 Such a diftinction gives the Irifh a decided advan- 

 tage over the latter, as the law now (lands, both in 

 refpeCt to the quantity of herrings cured, and the 

 early fupply of the home and foreign markets. 



The herrings taken by the Britifh veffels are, 

 however, preferred by the merchants, on account of 

 their being gutted, and cured in barrels of 32 gallons. 

 The Iriih ungutted herrings, on the other hand, are 

 in fome parts of the coaft, faked in holes dug in the 

 earth, till the fiihers have an opportunity of felling 

 them to the bufles 5 they are then packed or piled 

 up in the hold of the veffel, and are thus carried to 

 Cork, and other ports, where they are put into 

 barrels of 28 gallons, and exported to the Weft 

 Indies. 



Of the winter herrings taken in Loch Swilly, 500 

 fill a barrel ; and of the early herrings, Sco. 



The 



