1 6 THE SCOTCH EAST COAST HERRING FISHING. 



the boxes. They are generally engaged for about 17 s. per 

 week, but sometimes we find them working for $d. per hour. 



Smokers are the men employed to attend to the smoking, 

 hanging up, and taking down of the herrings. They get 

 about ' 2/j-. to $6s. per week, and considering the heavy 

 work they are not overpaid. They are continually 

 " heaping " the fires, and one can easily imagine the 

 unwholesome vapours and heat to be simply stifling. It 

 only requires an " anxious inquirer " to put his head in at 

 the door of a smoke-house to convince him that a smoker's 

 duties are onerous, most trying to the health, and exceed- 

 ingly dangerous. 



For cartage of the herrings from the boats to the yard, 

 and when cured from the yard to ship's side for export, 

 contracts are entered into between the curer and carter. 

 The contract rates vary at all centres, but 2d. per cran 

 from the boat to the yard, and ^d. per barrel from the 

 yard to ship's side, may be given as the likeliest average. 

 The best style of bulk herring cart is a long, even-balanced 

 body-cart, and is specially adapted for the trade. A 

 temporary division in the middle of a common cart 

 prevents the herrings from slipping backwards, thereby 

 tending to overbalance the cart and spill the herrings. For 

 conveying barrels a " lorry " is the best. The income 

 derived from the cartage of herrings for the past few years 

 is not less than ; 15,000 per annum. 



The principal articles of a herring curer's stock are 

 staves and heading, hoops and salt. The curer may 

 procure billet-wood and cut into staves by his own order ; 

 but generally the staves are delivered at the yard ready to 

 be worked. The various woods used for barrel-making in 

 the order of their value are larch, birch, ash, spruce, and 

 Scotch fir. Larch is the dearest wood, and undoubtedly 



