126 THE HERRING FISHERY 



hand, was the importation of EngUsh and Irish 

 salt into Scotland permitted. That used in 

 England was to be French Bay or Spanish 

 salt, or "salt upon salt made of foreign salt," 

 and the herring barrels were to be of well- 

 seasoned maple or oak, the latter, as is well 

 known, greatly improving the flavour of her- 

 rings, not only when used for barrels, but 

 when burned for the smoking of high-dried 

 herrings. 



As an instance of the changing habits of the 

 herring it is recorded that in the summer of 

 1730 the herring fishermen were surprised that 

 the shoals came south two months before the 

 usual time, particularly in the seas between 

 England and Ireland. Great quantities were 

 taken in July off the Clyde, and off London- 

 derry, and as far south as the Wexford coast. 

 This alteration in date was not repeated in 

 succeeding years, otherwise it might have 

 changed not only the trade of Lewis and the 

 Shetlands, to which stations the Scottish and 

 Dutch fishermen resorted, but also have de- 

 flected the currents of commerce in several 

 of the countries of North-West Europe. 



In the month of June, 1738, Duncan Forbes 

 of CuUoden took John, Duke of Argyll (Jeanie 

 Deans' Duke), to Tyree to show him that it was 

 possible to obtain herring in this district at 

 that time of the year. They caught 2,000 fine 

 fat herring, and Forbes had some of them split 

 and grilled, with pepper and salt, and others 



