376 GENERAL REVIEW 



till the 1 5th of July, which commences the fecond 

 period, or harveft fifhery that remains till October. 

 During this period the herrings pafs gradually down 

 both fides of the kingdom ; and it is during this fea- 

 fon only, that a floating bufs fifhery could be carried 

 on with fuccefs and fafety among the Hebrides. 

 The herrings having now loft much of their fatnefs, 

 rnay be cured for the Weft India, as well as the Eu- 

 ropean markets. This is alfo the feafon for reddening 

 herrings, and may be confidered as the beft feafon 

 for a general fifhery over the whole kingdom. This 

 is therefore the period which the Scots fhould im- 

 prove with the utmoft exertion, being then in pof- 

 fefiion, not only of an exclufive fifhery, but alfo 

 of exclufive markets, the Dutch excepted. 



The winter fifhery, which continues from October 

 to the 1 2th of January, furnifties herrings of a large 

 fize, on the weft coaft of Scotland, Ireland, the Ifl? 

 of Man, and the coaft of Sweden. Thofe taken 

 about this feafon at Yarmouth, Biddeford, and the 

 coaft of France, are of a fmaller fize, and the fifheries 

 are lefs confiderable. 



The great winter fifheries, and the rivalfhip in 

 thofc ftilieries, lie between the Irifh, Swedes, and 

 Scots. I have already obferved the natural advan- 

 tages which the two former have over the latter in 

 taking the herrings at this feafon. 



The Swedes and Irifh take them at their doors ; 

 the firft with bafkets, the laft with open boats ; while 

 the Scots, after fearching from place to place, upon 

 a coaft of 250 miles, in the boifterous ocean, fre- 

 quently return with their fait and cafks unoccupied. 

 By means, however, of great perfeverance, they 

 generally pick up many half cargoes for the Weft 

 India market; and the reftraints laid upon their 

 fifhery on the Scottifh and the Irifla coafts, being 

 now in a fair way of redrefs, this winter fifhery pre'- 

 fents an extenfive field for their induftry. 



Thus we perceive three fifheries the fummer, 

 the autumnal, and the winter, haying each their e? 



