8 THE HERRING FISHERIES. 



them. The smoke-house, from bottom to top, has a series 

 of woodwork called " tiers," on which the loaded spits hang, 

 and the women are very dexterous in their manipulation, 

 spitting a last in one day's time, or something like thirteen 

 thousand herrings. Different effects follow both as to 

 colour and curing, according to the length of time the fish 

 are exposed to the action of heat. The names themselves 

 indicate this, as they are called " Bloaters," " Straitsmen," 

 " Reds," and " Blacks." 



At Yarmouth, billets of oak wood are used for smoking 

 the fish, but in the west of Scotland brushwood and furze 

 is made use of, but in all cases of smoked fish oak wood is 

 best for practical purposes, though pine wood is said to 

 give the best flavour ; and a great deal depends on the fish 

 itself, and dispatch in curing them, hence the reason why 

 the boats carry salt and other necessaries with them. The 

 Yarmouth " bloater " is a familiar speciality, only hanging 

 till it swells or " bloats." It is often packed and ready for 

 transmission the night following its capture. 



The Yarmouth fishermen count their herrings by " swill- 

 baskets ; " thus twenty swills make one last, supposed to 

 contain six hundred and sixty herrings in each swill. Again, 

 four herrings make a "warp," thirty-three warps go to a 

 " hundred ; " in other words, one hundred and thirty-two 

 fish. 



Great Yarmouth, if not itself the earliest station of which 

 we have any record, at least occupies the sand-bank which 

 appeared about the same time as the Roman legions. This 

 sand-bank, " Cerdick shore," derives its name from Cerdick 

 the Saxon, who landed here in the year 495. 



Not only were the Romans great lovers of fish, but 

 especially so to a dish of herrings, and their encampment 

 at the mouth of the Yare still remains in proximity to 



