THE HERRING FISHERY. 



IN the early history of our nation the North Britons were 

 fonder of the chase, or an occasional raid by night on 

 salmon with torch and spear, than looking after the treasures 

 of the deep. 



Little is known of herring except that the Dutch visited 

 our coasts annually for the purpose of fishing them, return- 

 ing often with good harvests. It is difficult to understand Causes of the 

 why Britain did not cultivate such an important industry, ^^5? 

 allowing the Dutch to have it all to themselves, unless it 

 was the many wars she was engaged in and the continual 

 local feuds that kept her hands full, for it would appear that 

 this branch of fishing was very little followed after till the 

 middle of the seventeenth century, and even then it re- Unproductive 

 mained for a long time unproductive, for many reasons, of cIntu!J. I7th 

 which I will mention a few : first, the fishers were nearly all Reasons, 

 small crofters, who, as they derived their subsistence chiefly 

 from their crofts, did not require to prosecute the fishing to 

 any extent. If they earned as much as would pay their 

 rents and get a few necessaries that their land did not 

 supply, they were content ; and as they lived a very frugal 

 life, their wants were but few. 



Another reason was that their materials were not good. Materials 

 The boats that were used for fishing did not suit the de 



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