1 76 BEITISH IND US TRIES. 



famous for their seaworthy qualities. % These are the 

 true " Norway yawls," having very much the build and 

 character of whale-boats, and they are handled in a 

 wonderful manner by the Shetlanders, who show in 

 their love for the sea, and by their daring and energy 

 in their work on it, that they are still worthy of their 

 descent from the Norsemen, of which they are all so 

 proud. These skiffs are about 20 feet on the keel, 

 28 feet over all, and with 8 feet beam. They carry 

 a single large lug. 



The most important station on the west coast of 

 Scotland is Stornoway, in the Outer Hebrides. This 

 is the great centre of the herring fishery in the Minch, 

 or the sea lying between the outer islands and the 

 main coast of Scotland. The fisheries here are of the 

 same kinds as those on the northern and eastern 

 coasts; but that for herrings is of considerable im- 

 portance, not only on account of its extent, but because 

 it begins earlier than on the eastern side, and the fish 

 cured at Stornoway are always the first in the Conti- 

 nental markets. The herring fishing on the Atlantic 

 side of the Outer Hebrides is very uncertain at all 

 times, but about April the fishery begins both at the 

 north and south of these islands, and is carried on in 

 the Minch till the middle of July about Stornoway, 

 but generally comes to an end in June at the southern 

 part of the channel. Curing is done at Stornoway, 

 Uist, and Barra, especially at the first-mentioned 

 station ; but a considerable quantity of herrings is 

 sent fresh, with only a sprinkling of salt over them, to 

 Glasgow and Liverpool, special steamers being em- 



