SCOTCH FISHERIES. 173 



been famous for their general productiveness. Of 

 these the Foula Bank, between Foula Island and the 

 mainland of Zetland, is a favourite resort. I have 

 already referred to the cod fisheries at Faroe and Ice- 

 land, and, although they are not home fisheries, they 

 are worked by our own fishermen, and a considerable 

 number of vessels, each carrying about fourteen men, 

 are fitted out every year at Lerwick for this particular 

 service. The fishing season is from April to September, 

 and during that period the smacks make two or three 

 trips. Welled vessels are not needed for this work, as 

 all the fish are cured; they are split and salted as soon 

 as caught, and on the vessel's return to Shetland, the 

 fish are washed, and then dried in the open air. They 

 undergo no packing, but are exported in bulk. Many 

 years ago there was a Government bounty on all the 

 fish thus cured, and then it was the practice to punch 

 those of which an account was taken. Fish cured wet 

 were put into pickle, and the barrels were branded ; 

 but all bounties ceased in 1830, and there has been no 

 punching or branding since 1850. Now, the quantity 

 of cod and ling landed at, cured, and exported from 

 the Shetlands and Scotland generally, is only ascer- 

 tained approximately by the officers of the Scotch 

 Board of Fisheries, but the returns prepared by them 

 are probably not very far from the truth. I may 

 here give an extract from these returns for the last 

 ten years, so as to give some idea of the importance 

 of these line fisheries in Scotland, the Orkneys and 

 Shetlands being included in that part of Great Britain, 

 and, until 1869, the Isle of Man also. 



