HERRING FISHERY. 37 



Of the manner of barreling Herrings. 



When it is fuppofed that the herrings have 

 got fait enough, they are taken out of the cafks, 

 at fea or on land no matter, and barreled. They 

 are firfl poured out of the cafks into a laver, in 

 which the women wafh them in their own brine. 

 In the ports, where there is plenty of fait, fome 

 wafh them in new brine, which method appears 

 beft, becaufe the old brine, being mixed with the 

 blood and lymph of the herrings, is more apt to 

 be fpoiled than the new brine. But if new brine 

 be ufed, it fhould not be too ilrong. Be the brine 

 what it will, the herrings mufl be well cleanfed 

 from whatever dirt they may have contra&ed. 

 They are then taken out of the brine with perfo- 

 rated pallets or boards, and left to drip in wide 

 bafkets ; when they have dripped fufficiently, 

 the fame women take them one by one, and place 

 them in the barrels, prefiing them as clofe toge- 

 ther as they can, and always placing the bellies 

 uppermofL To prefs them the better (as it is of 

 great confequence that they fhould be well preifed) 

 the coopers ufe falfe bottoms, upon which they 

 jump, and fometimes preiling machines. This 

 precaution is particularly neceflary in the barreling 

 of flatten herrings. 'Tis alfo to be remarked, 

 that fuch herrings as are parched, fplit in the 

 belly, &c. are thrown among the refufe. 



Salt 



