92 PILCHARD. 



body of fish from being killed by strangulation or their own 

 struggling weight: in which case the whole would be lost 

 together with the scan, since no human force would be able to 

 raise to the surface a thousand hogsheads of Pilchards after 

 they were dead. 



The work of curing the fish is performed by women; by 

 whom they are piled up in careful order against the walls of 

 the cellar: a layer of fish alternately with a layer of salt; and 

 in this state they remain for thirty days, during which the oil 

 and brine are suffered to drain from them into pits prepared 

 for the purpose. The fish are then taken out and sifted, by 

 which means the dry salt is separated from them; after which 

 they are carefully washed, and placed in regular order in casks, 

 each of which measures fifty gallons, and the staves of which 

 are placed together with crevices, so that the oil with which 

 they abound may on pressure readily escape. As these casks 

 stand upright, a stout circular board is laid on the open end, 

 and on this pressure is made by means of levers, to which 

 heavy weights are attached; and the fish being thus repeatedly 

 pressed down and the casks refilled for the space of nine days, 

 and until the weight of the barrel is four hundred and seventy- 

 six pounds, they are finally closed up and marked for 

 exportation. It may here be noticed that the excellent natur- 

 alist Ray committed a singular mistake in the account he has 

 given of the manner in which Pilchards were cured; but which 

 may be accounted for and excused by the consideration that 

 at the time of his visit to St. Ives, which was on the 1st. of 

 July, he could not have seen the work in operation. He 

 represents the pressing of Pilchards as effected by laying boards 

 along the surface of "the bulk," (as "he conceives,") and "so 

 press the fish equally." His informant appears to have thought 

 the employment of a barrel so much a matter of course as not 

 to require to be noticed, and the naturalist omitted to inquire. 



When the fish thus pressed are in the best condition eight 

 or nine gallons of oil have been obtained from a hogshead; and 

 so large a quantity is to be explained by the fact that not only 

 are the entrails coated with fat, but the muscular structure of 

 the body also; in which circumstance this fish differs greatly 

 from the Herring, the oil of which is only obtained from the 

 entrails; but the quantity of oil from the Pilchard diminishes 



