Dr. Mac Culloch on the Herring. 227 



operated, when, even now, we derive so much benefit from the 

 fasts of the foreign Catholic church as the ground of a branch 

 of commerce. 



But I must conclude this sketch of a subject which might easily 

 be extended to an inconvenient length, and shall subjoin some 

 documents from the official reports, as proofs and illustrations of 

 some of the preceding views and arguments. They will shew 

 among other things, the state of the market and the supply, and 

 the comparative produce of the east and west coasts of Scotland. 

 The period I have selected is one of five years, as I cannot, without 

 trespassing on the prescribed bounds, take a larger one. 



In 1815, there were about 160,000 barrels cured; and in 1816, 

 this had increased to 163,000 only. In 1817, the increase was to 

 192,000; and in 1818, it took a sudden start, and was 228,000. 

 In 1819, it had advanced to 326,000 on the east coast, and we 

 here trace distinctly its gradual increase and parallel course, to the 

 various causes I have already laid down. The increase in 1820 

 had advanced, even on 1819; but though I have lost this docu- 

 ment, the consequences were such as to have left a considerable 

 quantity on hand unsaleable, producing a very serious loss to the 

 merchants. 



As to the east and west coasts, in 1819, the proportion was about 

 81,600 for the latter, that of the former being, as already stated, 

 326,000 ; but as the boats of Glasgow, Grenock, and Rothsay, 

 stand for about 53,000 of the latter, and as they buy on the east as 

 well as the west coasts, it is estimated that the eastern was to the 

 western fishery as 280 to 45 nearly. Formerly, the eastern fishery 

 was limited to Wick, which also furnished 21,000 of the produce 

 of 1819. The remainder is, in a great measure, to be attributed 

 to the improvements upon the Sutherland estate. 



I must now remark, that the average weight of the herring 

 cask is between 120 and 130 pounds, and that the number of 

 fish averages 800. Now the exportation of white herrings in 1819, 

 was about 227,000 barrels; leaving about 108,500, or eighty- 

 seven millions of fish, for home consumption, exclusive of the 

 comparatively small quantity produced by England and the Isle of 



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