16 THE HERRING FISHERIES. 



and anchovy fisheries form an independent nucleus of 

 wealth. 



Their mode of curing is peculiar and unique. Besides 

 curing sprats (d la sardine), we may get herrings skinned 

 and boned, or skinned, boned, and marinated, that is, cooked 

 and potted either in vinegar or glacialine, or we can get 

 the " brack-water herring " done up in the same manner. 



Perhaps we should state here that these coasts exemplify 

 a curious feature in marine life, viz. herrings living in fresh 

 water, being unable, through physical features of the coast, 

 to reach the Arctic Ocean. 



There are also large companies in Norway and Sweden 

 which cure and export herrings on a very large scale, such 

 as the Stavanger Preserving Company, Nordlands Pre- 

 serving Company, Bodo, Norway, &c. 



Before the eighteenth century Swedish records show 

 that their home and foreign trade surpassed the Scottish 

 fishery. Vast quantities were boiled down for oil, and this 

 over and above an immense quantity consumed at home 

 besides exportation. The same is truer still in regard to 

 Holland, for even before the sixteenth century their herring 

 fishery was the best developed and most extensive one 

 known, until it was prohibited in 1625 from fishing off our 

 coasts unless provided with a royal licence. About this 

 time a British Fishing Association was suggested by Coke 

 as a mutual aid in withstanding the encroachments from 

 Dutch and French fishermen. Notwithstanding both the 

 Dutch and French fleets continued prosecuting the fishery 

 in sight of Yarmouth, and the Dutch fleet were guarded 

 by war-ships. The war between France and Holland was 

 the first perceptible step that led to a decrease in her 

 fisheries ; this was in 1702, and through which she lost four 

 hundred of large sized Dutch busses. 



