" SEA-STICKS. 175 



gence or success in the fishery ; and it has been too 

 common, I fear, for vessels to fit out for the sole pur- 

 pose of catching, not the fish, but the bounty. In the 

 year 1759, when the bounty was at L.2, 10s. the ton, 

 the whole buss-fishery of Scotland brought in only four 

 barrels of sea-sticks" (herrings caught and cured at 

 sea). 



When we add that every barrel of buss-caught her- 

 rings cured with Scotch salt, when exported, cost the 

 Government 17s. llfd. ; and that every barrel cured 

 with foreign salt, when exported, cost Government 

 l, 7s. 5f d. ; we think our readers must allow that 

 this was a clear case of gold being bought too dear, 

 and that it is no marvel that a political economist like 

 Mr M'Culloch should denounce the over-appreciation of 

 herring so caught. The collateral advantage of rearing 

 a race of hardy seamen to man the royal fleet at the 

 demand of his Majesty, could never justify such lavish 

 expenditure, which, moreover, it was foretold, must 

 infallibly extinguish the industry it was intended to 

 foster. The bounty system has ceased, herrings are 

 caught by the million, and her Majesty's fleet is at 

 this day manned by as fine a set of sailors as ever 

 ate sea-biscuit. 



We differ, therefore, from Mr Mitchell when observ- 

 ing, " As to the expenditure of the public money on 

 bounties and premiums, it may be seen that the public 

 money hitherto expended has been of a comparatively 

 small amount. It was to enable our own busses to 

 compete with the foreign busses on equal terms." With 

 the herring at their door our fishermen had a great 

 advantage over the Dutch, who had to fit out large 

 vessels to enable them to fish on our distant coasts ; and 

 the attempt to stimulate home industry by means of 

 bounties was far frcm remunerative, when we find it 

 proved that one year, with a bounty of 2, 10s. per 

 ton, the buss fishery of Scotland yielded " only four 

 barrels of sea- sticks." 



