HERRING FISHERY. 



in 1797 Dutch herrings were fold, even in the Dutch ports for 

 more than 4!. per barrel. Since that time the Altona and 

 Emden herrings, which are the only fubftitutes at prefent for 

 Dutch herrings, have borne a ftill greater price. Laft year 

 (1799) Altona herrings were fold at Altona for more than 30 

 dollars, or 5!. per barrel ; and 1 was a|Tured laft September by 

 a merchant who had been lately at Magdeburg, that though there 

 was water carriage from Altona to Magdeburg, Altona herrings 

 were then fold at Magdeburg for 38 dollars per barrel, and that 

 the Emden herrings where fold there at a ftill higher price ; yet 

 in the very fame Summer two cargoes of herrings were fent from 

 Leith to Hamburgh, and I was aflured by the merchant who 

 mipped one of the cargoes, that though he bought the herrings 

 lat Leith at about 2os. per barrel, no Hamburgh merchant would 

 give him even prime coil for them. I afterwards tafted fome of 

 the Leith herrings, and found that they had not only no refem- 

 blance to Dutch herrings, but that they were as badly cured as 

 it was poflible for herrings to be. About the fame time, how- 

 ever, a cargo of falted herrings arrived at Hamburgh from Storno- 

 way in the Ifland of Lewis ; and though they did not fetch above 

 half the price of the Altona herrings, they were fold for three 

 times the price of the Leith herrings, the Stornoway cargo being 

 fold for about 33 marks (about 2!. of our money) per barrel. 

 Swedifli herrings fold laft year at Gotenburg (namely, in 

 March 1799, which is about two months after the Swedifh her- 

 ring fifhery is ended for 4^ Swedifh tix dollars, or about il. 2s, 

 of our money, which is the price that North Highland herrings 

 bore laft Summer at Greenock ; being equal therefore in price, 

 the Greenock herrings would every where meet with a more 

 rapid fale, even than the Gotenburg herrings, if their quality 

 was decidedly fuperior ;-but at prefent it is difficult to fay on 

 which fide, upon the whole, the preference lies. The great 

 objection to the Greenock herrings (of which i procured fome 

 barrels to be fent laft October to Saxony) is their inequality in 

 the very fame barrel ; for though many fmgle herrings had a 

 good flavour, and were much fuperior to the Swedifli, there were 



others 



