43^ A. D. 1766. 



From the year 1757, when the bounty on the bufles fitted out for 

 the herring fifliery was raifed from 30/ to 50/" a tun, the number of 

 bufles and men employed in that bufmefs had been confiderably in- 

 creafed on the weft coaft of Scotland, where the commercial fpirit of 

 Glafgow had infpired an ardour of enterprile unknown to the reft of 

 the country, which carried the fifliery in that quarter to fome extent, 

 when all the attempts to eftablifli it in the other parts of Scotland 

 had proved abortive ; and it was alfo fupported by a brilTc demand in 

 Ireland and the Weft-Indies, as well as for the home confumption, the 

 trueft and moft effectual encouragement to any undertaking. But all 

 of a fudden the progrefs of their profperity was arrefted by the dread- 

 ful and unexpe61ed ftoppagc of the payment of the bounty on the 

 return of the fleet in January; the reafon afligned for which was, that 

 the peculiar branch of the Scottifli revenue appropriated for that fer- 

 vice was already anticipated for fome years *. Many of the bufs- 

 owners, who had embarked their all, and fome of them much more 

 than their all, in building bufles, providing nets, cafks, fait, &c. were 

 ruined ; and the damage fuffered by the inhabitants of Campbelltown 

 alone in bufles, nets, caiks, and buildings, was eftimated by Mr. Knox 

 at ;^335, 049. f Such of the adventurers, as were able to ftand the 

 fliock, ftill perfevered in the fifliery, in compafllon to the multitude of 

 people dependent upon them, and as the only way of employing the 

 capital already engaged in it, trufting to the payment of the bounty on 

 fome future day; and accordingly in the 'following year they fitted out 

 263 bufl^es. But nobody could long perfevere iii a fifliery fo circum- 

 ftanced, or continue fi^ibjedt to the expenfes and reftrictions of the 

 bounty laws without receiving the bounty X- Some, however, by fend- 

 ing their veflels to clear out at Whitehaven §, obtained a regular pay- 

 ment of their bounty, which in the Englifli ports was payable, not 

 from a particular fund, as in Scotland, but from the general revenue 

 of the kingdom. 



The merchants and traders of the city of Dublin reprefented to the 



* The bounties were paid off in time, but any adventunr from luting out veflels ' for the 

 moftly into the hands of people, who liad brought ' fole purpofe of catching, not the fidi, but tlic 

 the certificates at a large difcount from the adven- ' bounty.' With refpcft to the decline of the 

 turers in the fifliery. fifliery by open boats, which he regrets, it may be 

 ■f See Knox's V'tetu of ihe Bnt'ifl} empire, p. izo. prcfumed, that the views of government were at 

 X As fo great an author as Doftor Smith has leaft as much directed to the increafe of the 

 given his opinion, tliat the bounty, even when re- qumber of feamen, as of the quantity of herrings, 

 duced to 3C/I is too favourable to the adventurers, J In the cuftom-houfc returns from the port of 

 and too expenlive to the nation, it is proper to Whitehaven of veflels cleared out for the herring 

 obferve, that the fupernumerary hands they are fifliery in the years 1769-70-71 there is the fol- 

 obliged to fliip, and the many reftritlions and ex- lowing note ' The principal part of the veflels 

 penfcs, to which they are fubjeded by the bounty ' fitted out belonged to difierent ports in Scot- 

 laws (to fay nothing of vexatious litigations and ' land, and on their return from the fifliery dif- 

 -officer'a fees) mnft at all times efFeftually prevent ' charged their cargoes at their refpedive home?.' 



