THE SCOTCH EAST COAST HERRING FISHING. 15 



employed. Their wages are about 2os. per week, and they 

 are engaged to assist the coopers, and make themselves 

 generally useful in the yard. Many of them are engaged 

 as "cranners," that is, to attend to the delivery of the 

 herrings from the boats, keep correct count of the baskets 

 emptied into the carts, and in particular to see that the 

 baskets are properly filled, and otherwise look to the 

 interests of the fish-curer he is in service with. They are 

 mostly of the labouring class, or persons out of employment. 



" Gutters " are those engaged to gut the herrings on 

 their arrival at the curing-yard. Women are employed as 

 gutters. The fish-curer engages a "crew" of women for 

 each boat. A crew consists of three persons. Two gut, and 

 the other one packs the herrings gutted by them. There 

 are over 20,000 women employed during the season. Their 

 wages are at the rate of %d. per barrel, gutting and packing, 

 per crew. Those who are fortunately with a curer having 

 a large average make a good sum of money for the season, 

 but there are also those unfortunately with a curer with a 

 poor average, and therefore their wages are comparatively 

 small. The "gutting of herrings is a laborious occupation. 

 It is common in a yard to hear women singing cheerily at 

 their work, they having commenced at mid-day and con- 

 tinued work in the same bent-figured attitude till the early 

 hours next morning. Once commenced, there is> no stoppage 

 till the finish. While the herrings are before them, money 

 is to be made. Work is no object. When the curer t 

 engages the gutting women, they are paid " arle " money of 

 from 35-r. to 55^. each woman, according to their known 

 qualifications as " gutters." 



Kipperers and smokers have quite a different class of 

 work from the gutters. Kipperers, in the first place, have 

 to "split" the herrings, and afterwards have to pack them into 



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