A. D. 1767. 459 



The trade to the port of Faro in Algarva is not brought into this 

 eftimate, but the imports and exports there are nearly equal. Neither 

 is there any eftimate of the diamonds received from Portugal, or of the 

 fugars carried from Portugal to Ireland, or the corn from Ireland to 

 Portugal. 



May — The king of Denmark having eflablifhed a company at his town 

 of Altona in Germany, for carrying on a herring fifliery in the North fea, 

 (that is to fay, on the coafts of Shetland and Scotland), the fociety of the 

 Free Eritifh fifliery, eftablifhed in the year 1750, were apprehenfive that 

 the magiftiatcsof Hamburgh, with whom they had entered into a treaty 

 for the importation of Britifli herrings, would be induced to give a pre- 

 ference to the herrings brought by their near neighbours of Altona. 

 On this occafion the fociety reprefented, that the Ihips of war, appoint- 

 ed to attend the fifliing grounds, might eafily prevent foreigners from 

 fifliing too near the coaft, whereby our own lifhermen would enjoy the 

 preferable filhing grounds on our own coafls, and alfo be freed from 

 the intolerable infolence of the Dutch fifhermen. They alfo afTerted, 

 that their induftry and perfeverance had now fo far furmounted all ob- 

 flacles, that in foreign markets the Britifh herrings were pronounced to 

 be ' equal, and even fuperior, to thole of the Dutch.' And they ex- 

 prefled their hope, that the Britifli minifter at Hamburgh might be able 

 to prevent the Danifli herrings from being imported there on eaficr 

 terms than the Britifli. 



The tru flees for fiflieries and manufacftures in Scotland, and the con- 

 vention of the royal burghs of Scotland, were confulted with refpedl to 

 the probable coniequences to the Britifli fifliery, from the eftablilhment 

 of the Danifli company at Altona ; and the following facts are feleded 

 from the reports of thofe boards. 



For fome years pafl the capricioufnefs of the herrings in their migra- 

 tions had carried them fo clofe upon the fliores of Norway and Sweden, 

 that they were taken at very little expenfe by fmall boats with drag- 

 nets, whereby the flate of the herring trade in the Baltic and Hamburgh 

 markets, was totally reverfed. Formerly the Scots uled to carry great 

 quantities of herrings to thofe markets : but the Swedes have fome years 

 ago laid a duty of nine fliillings a barrel on herrings imported from 

 Britain. The Swedes in each of the years 1764 and 1765, exported 

 from Gothenburg near 20,000 barrels of herrings to Ireland, whence, 

 they are carried to the Britiih colonies, which alfo receive great quanti- 

 ties from the Dutch and Danes, by the clandefline trade from the iflands 

 ot Saint Euflathius and Santa Cruz. 



'I'hey obicrved, that the fifliery had been much difcouraged by the 

 delay of paying the bounty, which was now in arrears for tiiree years, 

 to the amount of ^^40,000, the debentures for which were felling at a 

 ruinous dilcount. 



3 TNI 2 



