SCOTTISH WHITE FISHERIES. 333 



thatj in order to re-eftablifli a great and permanent 

 fifhery in thefe capacious Teas, it will be expedient 

 to repeal the fait laws, and to grant fuch aids, as the 

 experience of merchants, and practical fifhers, have 

 humbly reprefented to be unavoidably necefifary. 



The arguments already advanced relative to the 

 herring, are equally applicable to the white fi(h- 

 cries. 



They lead to the fame point ; they anfwer the 

 fame national purpofes in all pofiible cafes, and the 

 adventurers, are equally difpofed to employ their 

 capitals promifcuoufly on both. In reality, it is 

 one great fifhery under two denominations. The 

 fame men, and in many cafes the fame vellels, may 

 be employed in both. 



Any lofs fuftained by an occafional failure of the 

 one, may be fupplied by the fuccefs of the other; 

 and thus the adventurers, by unremitting perfeve- 

 rance, will find their capitals incfeafed, and their 

 families decently fupported, while upon the clofe of 

 life, they will enjoy the pleafmg reflection, thai: 

 they have drawn from indigence and idlenefs, thou- 

 fands of perfons whom they have trained up for the 

 fervice of their country. 



It is propofed to fubdivide the white fifhery into 



1 . The eaftern coaft fifhery, from Berwick to the 

 Pentland Firth. 



2. The Shetland, or north-eaft fifhery. 

 j. The Hebride, or north-weft filhery. 



Of the Eaftern Fffiery. 



Though the white fifh are the infeparable com- 

 panions of the fhoals of herrings in all their migra- 

 tions, yet the moft certain fiiheries are upon the 

 banks which lie at greater or leiler diftances from 

 the fhores. 



The moft confiderable of thefe banks, called, by 

 way of pre-eminence, the Long Fortys, ftretches 



M 



