CHAPTER II. 



AN ACCOUNT OF THE PROGRESS AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE 

 HERRING FISHERY, IN FURTHER ILLUSTRATION OF THE IM- 

 PORTANCE OF INVESTIGATING THE NATURAL HISTORY OF 

 THE HERRING. 



The herring fishery has been increasing with steady, 

 as well as rapid progress, since 1808, when the Fish- 

 ery Board was established. In that year there were 

 cured, 90,185 barrels, and in the year ending December 

 1855, 766,703 barrels, besides the quantity caught and 

 sold fresh, 130,759 barrels ; making the total quantity of 

 herrings caught in 1855, 897,462 barrels. The great in- 

 crease of this fishery has tended in no small degree to 

 increase the wealth, and the number of the popula- 

 tion of the Scottish coasts; and the annual addition of the 

 value of the herrings must have a great and bene- 

 ficial influence on the prosperity, not only of Scotland, 

 but of the British Islands. The addition of nearly one 

 million sterling every year to our national wealth must 

 be extremely gratifying to every patriotic mind. The 

 success of the enterprising inhabitants at the old curing 

 stations roused the exertions of the inhabitants of other 

 places where the fishery had not been before attempted ; 

 while the fishery had been carried on for many years 



