

GREA T BRITAIN. 277 



8 years ending 1816, annual cure 132,837 barrels 



10 1826 336,624 



10 1836 392,86o 



10 1846 578,669 



10 1856 640,593 



10 1866 646,772 



10 1876 806,563 



For the year 1877 847,718 



1878 905,768 



1879 841,796 



1880 i,473,6oo 



1881 i,ni,i55 



Thus we are able to observe a steady annual increase in 

 the Scotch herrings when investigating the figures furnished 

 us, from almost the commencement of the century. Every- 

 thing is looked upon as denoting prosperity, and should 

 every now and then a storm sweep the coast and numbers 

 of fishermen be engulfed, such we are given to understand 

 is unavoidable, incidental to all marine fisheries and in- 

 capable of remedy. 



During this period, however, some questions omitted by 

 the Commissioners appointed to investigate the condition 

 of the Scotch herring fishery force themselves upon one's 

 attention. First of all, one is led to ask what proportion of 

 persons are now engaged in this occupation to the numbers 

 that were thus employed at the commencement of the 

 present century ? Is the augmentation of captures due to 

 increased facilities of capture, larger ventures in fisheries, 

 or simply because the fish are more abundant ? 



The earliest date on which any confidence can be placed 

 in the returns as to the number of fishermen* employed is 



* I do not allude to figures handed down prior to the commence- 

 ment of this century. As, for instance, we are told that in 1667 the 

 Scotch had 800 fishing boats, manned by upwards of 5000 men 

 engaged in the herring fishery. 



