SCOTTISH WHITE FISHERIES. 34^ 



under the greateft hardfhips, and to be the moft ne- 

 gle&ed by government, of" any of the Scots fifheries. 

 There are annually caught on the coaft of Shetland, 

 from 800 to 1000 tons of thofe fifh, the greateft part 

 ling. They are taken by the inhabitants in fmall 

 boats, in a tempeltuous fea, at the hazard of their 

 lives; and no fooncr do they bring them on fhore, 

 than the fifh are taken from them by their landlords, 

 or their fubftitutes, at fuch a price as they choofe to 

 give, which is generally 3d. for every fifh of a certain 

 fize, and ifd. for thofe under that fize, which the 

 landlords fait, dry, and prepare for market. 



Twenty-four ling, when properly dried, weigh 

 on an average one cwt. and the average price thefe 

 five years 'paft has been 153. per cwt. The greateft 

 part of the fifh caught at Shetland are exported to 

 Bilboa and Barcelona in Spain. The refufe or 

 worft quality are fent to Ireland and Hamburgh, 

 and confumed in Scotland. Thefe fifteen years 

 paft we have annually purchafed at Shetland, and 

 fhipped from thence on our own account, to the 

 Spanifh and Irilh markets, from 120 to 180 tons of 

 ling; and from our firft entering into that branch 

 of bufmefs, the price has gradually increafed from 

 I2S. 6d. to 1 6s. per cwt. and we now find that if 

 the filh are kept at that high price, we will be under 

 the necefiity of dropping the trade entirely, as our 

 neighbours the Norwegians can afford in general to 

 tmderfell us at the markets to which we export our 

 fifh. 



We are of opinion, that if the poor inhabitants of 

 Shetland were relieved from their prefent fervitude j 

 to their landlords, and allowed to cure and fell their 

 own fifh to the merchants, a much greater nunber 

 of fifh would be caught, the merchants fupplicJ at 

 a cheaper rate, and the fifhermen properly recom- 

 penfed for fheir induftry. At prefent they are in a 

 ftate of flavcry to enrich their landlords. 



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