FISHERY. 249 



the cafe, if it cooled on them ; at the bottom of 

 the tub, fhould be an open falfe bottom, or the 

 nets will flop the hole, and the mixture will not 

 run off free enough. By means of this fimple 

 operation, the nets are prevented from rotting 

 and the fifhermen are faved the trouble of ever 

 fpreading and drying them, which in common 

 is done every day, and is a great flavery in the 

 fhort days ; the benefit has been found fo great, 

 that almoff. all the country has come into it, and 

 every net on the coaft would, this year, have 

 been done, but the fcarcity of the tar, owing to 

 the American war, prevented it. In working the 

 nets alfo, Mr. Montgomery has made improve- 

 ments ; he has found that corki ng the line under 

 the (trapped buoys is wrong, as it keeps it in an 

 uneven direction ; he has a vacancy or corks for 

 three fathom on each fide the buoy lines, but 

 the middle fpaces corked thick, which he finds 

 to anfwer exceedingly well. He remarks that 

 the fifhery fuffers very much, for want of an ad- 

 miral being appointed, as in Scotland, to hear 

 and determine differences ; there is no order or 

 regularity kept up, but much difturbance and 

 lofs for want of it. In the file of the herrings, 

 the merchant fuffers greatly, by the competition 

 of the Gotten burg and Scotch fifhery. At Cork, 

 great quantities of Gottcnburg herrings are im- 

 ported, which, though they pay a duty of 4s. a 

 barrel, yet, as 2s. 4d. j is drawn back on the re- 

 exportation, and with an advantage of packing 

 the herrings, of 20 Gottenbm-g barrels, into 25 

 Iriih ones, and confequently having the draw- 

 back on 25, though the duty is only paid on 20, 



with 



