HERRING FISHERY. 21 



at a moderate price, that they may be enabled to 

 fell their fifli at nearly the fame price that the 

 Dutch do. For fimilar reafons regulations have 

 been made concerning the time, that the herring 

 fifhery Ihould ceafe. 



The herrings come from the North of England 

 into the channel ; they are certainly poorer there, 

 than they were in the North, or even on what is 

 called the Tarmouth coaft. However they are {till 

 very good either frefh or falted ; and as we have 

 faid elfewhere, the fatteft herrings are not the 

 beft for faking. The fifliing for herrings has 

 therefore been always allowed, from the time that 

 they come into the Channel, until the latter end of 

 December ; but from that time it has been 

 prohibited by feveral orders of government. We. 

 fhall now mention the reafons of this prohibition, 



It is certain, that a great quantity of herrings 

 fpawn in the Channel, and efpecially towards the 

 Mouth of the Seine, in the end of the feafon, 

 whereby they lofe much of their good quality, par- 

 ticularly for faking. About that period there 

 are fome fliotten ones taken, that are very good 

 frejh ; but when they have not ha4 time to recover 

 from the fpawning ficknefs, they dry up in the fait, 

 and become what they call horny ; whereas in Oc- 

 tober and November numbers of them are full 

 and very good, either frefh or falted. This, how- 

 ever, mud be underflood of what ufually happens ; 

 for there are fome late feafon-s, in wfcdch the abun- 

 dance 



