262 INSTRUCTIONS TO THE CURER. [CHAP. vi. 



companies of about five one or two gutting, one or two 

 carrying, and another packing. Basketfuls of the fish, so soon 

 as they are gutted, are carried to the back of the yard, and 

 plunged into a large tub, there to be roused and mixed up 

 with salt ; then the adroit and active packer seizes a handful 

 and arranges them with the greatest precision in a barrel, a 

 handful of salt being thrown over each layer as it is put in, 

 so that, in the short space of a few minutes, the large barrel 

 is crammed full with many hundred fish, all gutted, roused, 

 and packed in a period of not more than ten minutes. As 

 the fish settle down in the barrel, more are added from day to 

 day, till it is thoroughly full and ready for the brand. On the 

 proper performance of these parts of the business, the quality 

 of the cured fish very much depends. The late Sir Thomas 

 Dick Lauder, who was at one time secretary to the Fishing 

 Board, published plain instructions for taking and curing 

 herrings ; he gives minute directions in all departments, and 

 thus speaks of the important duties of the coopers : " During 

 the period of the curing, the cooper's first employment in the 

 morning should be to examine every barrel packed on the 

 previous day, in order to discover if any of them have lost the 

 pickle, so that he may have all such barrels immediately re- 

 packed, salted, and pickled As already stated, the 



cooper in charge should see that the gutters are furnished 

 every morning with sharp knives. He should be careful to 

 strew salt among the herrings as they are turned into the 

 gutting-boxes ; give a general but strict attention to the gut- 

 ters, in order to insure that they do their work properly ; see 

 that the herrings are properly sorted, and that all the broken 

 and injured fish are removed ; and take care that the fish are 

 sufficiently and effectually roused. Then he should see that 

 every barrel is seasoned with water, and the hoops properly 

 driven, before they are given to the packers. He should like- 

 wise keep his eyes over the packers, to see that the tiers of 



