LORD OF THE FISHES 123 



gutted, and packed in barrels in Scotland are exported 

 to Europe and America, principally the former, the 

 best customers being Germany and Russia. A large 

 proportion of the herrings consumed by the Russians 

 are shipped to the German Baltic ports and conveyed 

 thence by rail. Herrings are the staple food of the 

 peasantry, who usually eat them raw, with potatoes. 

 The best qualities, particularly west coast matjes, 

 are taken by the wealthy classes as hors cFceuvres 

 and sometimes realise more than ^5 a barrel. 



" In the early years of the nineteenth century," the 

 report states, " the export trade was confined almost 

 wholly to the West Indian plantations and Ireland. 

 The slave-owners in the Indies found Scottish herrings 

 to be both a cheap and a wholesome food for their slaves, 

 and large quantities were purchased by them annually. 

 The abolition of slavery, however, put an end to the 

 demand from that quarter, and the prospects for the 

 industry were of the most gloomy description. By a 

 fortuitous combination of circumstances, however, the 

 insignificant trade with European countries received a 

 stimulus, and in 1843 tnat trade, which had begun in the 

 closing year (1815) of the great European war, grew 

 perceptibly, the export to Europe then reaching for the 

 first time a total of 100,000 barrels. Its growth remained 

 comparatively slow until the economic measures of Sir 

 Robert Peel enabled Russia and Germany to become 

 bigger customers of this country, and the repeal of the 

 duties on timber still further assisted to develop the trade 

 by bringing about a reduction in the cost of the barrels 

 in which the herrings were packed. In 1850 the total 

 export reached 250,000 barrels, in 1870 it had risen 



