58 PERIODICAL VISITS OF THE HERRING. 



rings of the North- West Higlilands are generally of me- 

 dium size, and excellent quality, although there have been 

 different sizes observed at different periods, and in dif- 

 ferent lochs. It has been often observed that the her- 

 rings in the Minch, and on the east side of the Long 

 Island, are smaller than, but much superior in quality to, 

 those coming upon the coast and into the lochs of the west 

 side from the Atlantic. At Stornoway the fishing now 

 begins generally on the 20th of May, and the Act pre- 

 vents fishing before this on the west coast ; and the 

 localities where the herrings are found are extremely 

 variable, and embrace the Minch, the Broad Bay, the Back 

 of the Lewis, and circumjacent coasts. These herrings 

 caught in May are fat and oily, like the first-caught Thurso 

 herrings, and the scales more deciduous than those of any 

 other of the herrings caught on the coasts of Scotland, 

 and belong to the seventli and eighth classes. As the 

 season advances, this description of herring is succeeded 

 by a superior kind, both as to quality and size, the size 

 being between the sixth and seventh class ; but some of 

 the inferior kind are found among the new shoals. 



Loch Roag is a very considerable lake, or arm of the 

 sea, in Lewis Island, about twelve miles in length ; it 

 is so open that the waves from the Atlantic, in western 

 gales, flow into it with great impetuosity ; but there are 

 a number of small islands which afford shelter, and 

 behind which there is safe anchorage. Before the middle 

 of the eighteenth century, this Locli was well known for 

 its herrings, they being considered of good quality. About 

 1750 the herrings left it, and seem not to have returned 

 until about 1790, when, for a series of years thereafter, 

 there was a very regular fishing during the months of 

 November, December, and January. In 1797, the her- 



