A, D. 1782. «25 



A great proportion of the herrings imported from Scotland i;. con- 

 fumed in the country, being preferred on account of their fuperior 

 curing ; the reft are repacked in Irifh barrels of 28 gallons for exporta- 

 tion. Thofe from the Eaft country, which ufed to be fold in Irtrland 

 fo low as 14/ a barrel, are alfo repacked for exportation to the Weft- 

 Indies in Irifli barrels *. 



The Irifh have great advantages in the herring fifhery. The arrival 

 of the herrings, fo precarious upon the extenfive weft coaft of Scotland, 

 is certain on the north-weft coaft of Ireland ; and they fwim dole to 

 the Ihore. The fiftiery is free from reftriclions, and the adventurers 

 either fifli thcmfelves, or purchafe from the fiftiers, as they find moft 

 convenient, whereby they are often enabled to complete their loading 

 in two or three days, and to make feveral trips during one lifliing fea- 

 i'on, which generally lafts fix weeks, or two months. And thus thev 

 can obtain a much greater quantity of filh in the fame fpace of time, 

 and alfo run their cargoes much earlier to a market, than the Britifli 

 fiflierman, who is tied down by reftridive laws to lofe a grd.t deal 

 of time, and fupport a very heavy expenfe, tluit he may be entitled to 

 the bounty. 



The certainty, and great abundance, of herrings have induced many 

 of the filliermen of England and Scotland to prefer the Irifti filhing 

 grounds to thofe of their own coafts. But there is an unneighbourly 

 jealoufy upon the fubjedl of the fiftieries between the Irifli and the Scots, 

 greatly againft the true interefts of both. There are furely lierrings 

 enough in the fea for both: and, if the fiftiery is v/ifely and har- 

 monioufly conduded, markets may be found, notwithftanding the 

 decline of popery, fufficient to employ the induftry of both to great 

 advantage. 



Upon the whole, the Irifli fiftiery may be confidered now as but in 

 its infancy. But if Nature and the legiflature ftiall continue to favour 

 it, as they have hitherto done, it muft undoubtedly in a few years fur- 

 mount all rivallhip, at Icaft in Great Britain, unlefs an entire new fyfteni 

 of fiftiery l;iws fliall be adopted. 



As the fifti trade of Ireland was formerly fo much connected wiili 

 that of Sweden, it may be proper here to give fdmc account ot the 

 later. For above twenty years paft about 200,oco barrels had been 

 annually cured on the Swedifti coaft in the neighbourhood of Gotten- 

 burgh. The exports from thence to Ireland, which ufed to be very 

 confiderable, were now, as we have juft feen, greatly reduced by the 

 improved ftate of the Irifh liftiery. Several cargoes of Swedilh herrings 

 were fent to S'. Eullathius in the years 1779 ;uid 1780, wiieucc they 

 found their way into the various fugar iftands. In the French Wcft- 



• 



The Icgnl mcafure of lien inj; barrel* in Britain i« ji gallons} and it appear* to be the fame in 

 'SwcJtn ; but tlic inforroution rcfpeCling their mtafure varies. 



