THE HERRING FAMILY. 169 



of coarse Persian silk, as being stronger than hemp. These 

 are blackened by smoke, in order that the fish may not be 

 frightened by the white thread. The nets are set in the 

 evening, buoyed by empty barrels, and stretched by weights ; 

 they thus rest at the surface of the sea. In the morning they 

 are drawn in by means of a windlass. The Herrings are 

 sometimes attracted within reach of the nets by lanterns 

 suspended at various intervals. But a faint idea can be 

 formed of the actual number of these prolific fishes, which 

 exists at one time in the ocean. When we remember, how- 

 ever, that an annual consumption of over two thousand 

 millions in Europe, not to mention the myriads devoured by 

 fishes, birds, and various marine vertebrata, scarcely appears 

 to affect their number, we may obtain an approximate con- 

 ception of what that number must be to which the sum of 

 those annually destroyed is in such small proportion. 



"As the Herrings are so abundant, and the flesh at the 

 same time so excellent, various modes have been adopted to 

 preserve them for a certain length of time. Even at sea 

 many are salted down, and sold in this state. This is called 

 by the French saler en vrac. To keep them longer than is 

 permitted by this method, two other ways are made use of: 

 they are called white-salting and red-salting {saler en blanc 

 and saurer). To white-salt Herring, they are gutted on being 

 caught, and packed in barrels, with a thick brine poured over 

 them. They are there retained, until it is convenient to give 

 them a final packing. After the bustle of the fishing is over, 

 the smacks or busses run in and discharge their cargoes, when 

 the barrels are inspected, and the fish sorted under the in- 

 spection of official authorities. They are then repacked with 

 fresh lime and salt, and the particular quality marked on the 

 barrel by the brand of an inspector. The red-salting is 

 ejffected by allowing fat Herrings to lie for a considerable 



