DEFENCE OF THE BUSS FISHERY. 



were it neceflary, could be corroborated by the navy- 

 books, wherein the names, places of birth, and other 

 particulars refpecYmg Teamen, are entered. 



About two thirds of the feamen, who fail in the 

 mercantile fervice from Clyde, have been trained to 

 that bufmefs by the herring bufies, befides numbers 

 of Highland feamen, who navigate the fhipping of 

 London, Liverpool, Briftol, and other ports of thefc 

 kingdoms. 



Immediately before the year 1750, the number of 

 inhabitants in and about Campbeltown did not ex- 

 ceed 3000 or 4000 ; at prefent they exceed 7000. 

 In 17^0, the decked vefTels belonging to Campbel- 

 town were 4, and thefe of fmall fize; the number of 

 men 30 or 40. In 1777, the number of bufies be- 

 longing to that port amounted to 62, manned with 

 750 hardy, and, for the moft part, experienced failors. 



During the lafb war nearly 1000 men, who had 

 been trained in the bufs fifhery belonging to Camp- 

 beltown, ferved on board the royal navy, and thus 

 compofed a confiderable portion of that invincible 

 body, who maintained the unequal combat in every 

 quarter of the world > protected the centre of em- 

 pire from invafion, and both the Indies from falling 

 into new hands. From this circumflance relative to 

 Campbeltown, we may form a conjecture refpectiug 

 the quota furnifhed by the weftern bufs fifhery in ge- 

 neral. The number of veflels fitted out in 1776 

 was 294 ; but, as fome of thefe veflels made double 

 voyages within the year, we (hall flate the individual 

 veiTels actually exifting, at 250 ; if therefore Camp- 

 beltown fupplied the navy with nearly 1000 men 

 from a bufs fleet of 62 vefiels, the fupply from the 

 whole fifhery may be eftimated from 3500 to 4000 

 men. 



It is well known that the naval captains are parti- 

 cularly fond of the blue bonnets^ viz. Highland 



failors 



