FOREIGN HERRING VESSELS 155 



From various parts of Holland . 166 vessels carrying 2,265 men. 



275 vessels carrying 3,766 men. 



These vessels assembled in Brassa Sound in 

 Shetland (Lerwick Harbour), paying nothi^g 

 for anchorage ground, or for the liberty of 

 fishing on the British coasts. 



The subject of the fisheries was brought pro- 

 minently into public notice during the following 

 year, when the winter herring did not appear on 

 the north-west coast of Ireland till December 

 30th, instead of in the middle of October. They 

 remained only a few days, yet in the course of 

 a fortnight 300 Irish boats, assisted by 400 

 boats from other parts of Great Britain, captured 

 great cargoes of herring, and sold the fish at 

 high prices, owing to the failure of the winter 

 herrings on the coasts of Scotland and the total 

 failure of the fishing off the coast of Sweden. 



An earlier Act, by which the Highlanders 

 of the western coast were forbidden to sell 

 their herrings to fishing vessels, had imposed 

 upon them a grave injustice, and tended to the 

 depopulation and ruin of the villages at the 

 heads of salt water lochs. This grievance was 

 now redressed, and the liberty to sell their 

 catches, when and where they could, conferred 

 a great blessing upon the Highlands. Unable, 



