THE SOCIETY OF ARTS 163 



"curing of British herrings," and for intro- 

 ducing them into the market. Two communi- 

 cations in the " Transactions " (1819 and 1820) 

 give an interesting account of the way in 

 which, after many unsuccessful attempts to 

 get hold of the secrets of the business in 

 Holland, he secured the assistance of six 

 experienced Dutch fish-curers, and with their 

 help started to catch and cure herrings on the 

 west coast of Scotland. After a good deal of 

 trouble and various misadventures, he was 

 uite successful in his enterprise, and suc- 

 eeded in sending to Edinburgh and London 

 argoes of herrings equal to the best Dutch. 

 The method employed, then as now, was 

 merely, after gutting and cleaning the fish, 

 o pack them in barrels with salt or brine, 

 any other awards followed, and this was the 

 eginning of the Scottish cured-herring trade, 

 hich developed into an important business, 

 nd has, of quite recent years, spread to the 

 ast Anglian fishing, ports. At the present 

 ime it is a thriving industry at Lowestoft. 



This inquiry is referred to in the well-known 

 chapter on the work of the Society of Arts in 

 the *' Microcosm of London" (1808); **The 

 attentions of the Society have been lately 

 directed to the best method of preventing 

 salted provisions from becoming rancid or 



I rusty, to the refining of fish oils, and to other 

 valuable enquiries such as the discovery of 

 a harmless white paint, the use of leadless 

 I 



