74 A. D. 1785. 



' this kingdom, inafmuch as it not only adds confiderably to the 

 ' national wealth, but is moreover a fruitful nurfery of able feamen for 

 the public fervice ;' feveral alterations were now made upon the 

 fifhery laws. BufTes or veflels above eighty tuns burthen, which bad 

 hitherto been totally excluded from the bounty, were now allowed to 

 receive bounty for eighty tuns. The fifhing vefFels were now alfo 

 relieved from the hardfhip of making a fuperfluous circuitous paflage 

 merely for the purpofe of muftering at a rendezvous, and were permit- 

 ted to proceed diredly to the fifhery any time between the r' of June 

 and the i" of Oilober. They were permitted to employ the fait, (hip- 

 ped for curing herrings, in curing cod, ling, or hake ; fuch cod, ling, 

 or hake, however, not being entitled to any bounty on exportation, and 

 to be diflinguifhed by part of the tail being cut off. The bufles were 

 now allowed to purchafe frefli herrings, cod, ling, or hake, from any 

 boats belonging to Britifh fubjects * ; and alfo to (hip their fifh on- 

 board other veflels, for the fake of obtaining the earlieft fale for them, 

 under certain regulations. But veflels, which do not bona fide catch 

 their cargoes of herrings themfelves, or which return into port in leis 

 than three months, computed from the time of firli fliooting their 

 nets, with lefs than a full cargo, are not entitled to any bounty. ' And 

 for reviving and encouraging the fifheries in the North fea,' and in the 

 neighbourhood of Iceland, vefTels bound to that fifhery were allowed to 

 have Britifh filt free of duty, under the reftridions impofed upon other 

 fifhing vefTels refpeding fait ; North-fea fifh, however, not being entitled 

 to any bounty on exportation. A vaft multitude of reftridions and re- 

 gulations are added for preventing impofltions on the revenue by dif- 

 pofing of the fait for any other ufe than that of the fifliery. [25 Geo. 



iii,c. es-'] 



The manufadures in iron and fleel being objeds of great importance, 

 the exportation of any of the tools or engines ufed in them, or of 

 models or plans of fuch, was prohibited under the penalty of one year's 

 imprifonment and a fine of ;;{^200, befides forfeiture of the articles fhip- 

 ped, or proved to have been intended to be fhipped. The fame fine 



* The aft, which prohibited the biiffes from in their prefent circumftances it is impoflible for 



hiiyiiig fifh from the country boats, in fatl pafled them to have, renders it impraClicable for them to 



fcntence of ftarvation upon the poor Highlanders cure any for fale. If people, born upon a coaft, 



of the weftcrn coaft, wliofe advantage, from the where it is impoflible for them to plough the land 



bleflings fo copioufly offered them at their doors (and all the mountains are only fit for pafturage, 



by the goodnefs of Providence, was thereby re- an employment requiring very few hands) are not 



Itrifted to the momentary fupply of their own permitted to plough the ocean, and draw its pro- 



Jamilies, and, perhaps, that of the very few inha- per fruits from it, they muft of ncceflity either lie 



bitants of the banks of the (hort rivulet running down in defpondence and die, or rife up to emi- 



into the head of each of the falt-water lochs ; for grate from their native foil : and, whether they 



the nearnefs of the great ridge of mountain?, called emigrate to other parts of the fame kingdom, or to 



Urumalban, to the weft coaft rer.ders it impoflible foreign countrier, the country which has the prior, 



that there Ihould be any confiderable extent of and natural, claim to the benefit of their induitry, 



habitable valley between them and the coaft. And is equally abandoned to depopulation and ruii.-. 

 their want of fait and callc, and of a marker, which 



