98 FISH. 



The herring spawns at the end of October or 

 beginning of November, and it is two or three 

 months prior to this, when they assemble in vast 

 numbers, that the fishing is carried on, which has 

 become of such great commercial and national 

 importance. Through the guidance of a bountiful 

 Creator the fish are guided to the shores so that 

 man can take them when in the greatest perfec- 

 tion for human food. 



Herrings are fished for in the same manner as 

 the mackerel or pilchard, with drift nets, the 

 mesh only being different in size. In the wild 

 sports of the west a visit to the herring fishery is 

 thus described : " Having lighted our pipes and 

 procured our boat cloaks, we left the pier-head 

 in the four- oared galley. The night was unusually 

 dark and warm, not a breath of wind was on the 

 water; the noise of the oars, springing in the 

 coppered rullocks, was heard for a mile off, and 

 the whistle of sand-pipers and curlews as they 

 took wing from the beach we skirted appeared 

 unusually shrill. Other noises gradually broke 

 the stillness of the night. The varied hum of 

 numerous voices chanting the melodious but 

 melancholy songs which are the special favorites 



