HERRING FISHERY. 49 



to the Mediterranean, require twenty or five and 

 twenty days, and fometimes more. 



In the picking of them, fuch as are fhotten, too 

 much dried, &c. are fet apart, and fold as refufe 

 to the hucfters, &c. The reft are merchantable, 

 and are barreled. 



The fire mull be made of wood, which produces 

 great heat and fmoke, but little flame. In fome 

 ports they ufe oak, in fome beech, and in others 

 alder. They take care to keep the door of. the 

 drying place conftantly fruit, and to warm the 

 place gradually ; for which reafon they begin with 

 lighting a fire in the middle of it ; twenty-four 

 hours after they light two other fires, and then two 

 more, if the drying place is large. 



Care muft be taken not to let the herrings get 

 too warm ; however, about the end of the procefs 

 a fmart fire is made to give them a perfeft drying, 

 and the entrance of the ftove is clofed with a large 

 cloth. 



Of the Preparation of Red Herrings in England. 



The method of curing red herrings at 

 mouth is very nearly the fame as that we have 

 now defcribed. But, as the Englifh make red her- 

 rings of almoft all thofe they take, their eftablifh- 

 ments for this purpofe are generally larger than 

 ours. Some of their drying places are fifty or 

 fixty feet high, and may contain fix or feven hun- 



E dred 



