DIFFERENT MODES OF FISHING THE HERRING. 95 



when they come in contact with them, and the boats are 

 prevented fishing when the shoal is largest. The fishermen 

 of Lochbroom and adjacent districts were so impressed 

 with the injury done to the fishery, that on one occasion 

 they proceeded in a body, and in two days removed them ; 

 but Dr Eoss, the clergyman, laid the case before the Lord 

 Advocate, and six of the fishermen were tried and sen- 

 tenced each to two months' imprisonment, for using force 

 in the demolition of the yairs ; it ma;^, however, be ques- 

 tioned how far it is right to allow such impediments to the 

 fishermen in their lawful avocation in an arm of the sea. 

 Gruives. — The cruives or wicker baskets, sunk in the 

 tideway of the arms of the sea and rivers, as may be seen 

 at the present day in the Forth near Kincardine, is another 

 primitive method of fishing ; although not exclusively used 

 for fishing herrings, they often take considerable quanti- 

 ties, as well as sprats, young herrings, and other fishes. 



2. YARMOUTH FISHERY. 



Fishing-vessels. — This fishing is principally carried on in 

 three-masted decked vessels, or luggers, of from 20 to 50 

 tons, having three lug sails, top-sails, mizen, fore-sail, and 

 jib, and they are so strongly constructed as to be able to 

 remain out in any kind of weather. The largest vessels 

 have twelve men and a boy. The crew are paid according 

 to the quantity of herrings caught. 



Nets. — Every vessel of an ordinary size shoots 100 

 nets, each 48 feet in length, and 30 feet in depth, and 

 each net is attached by two seizings of one-and-a-half- 

 inch rope, having a depth of 18 feet, to a four-stranded 

 (generally four inch) warp of 3600 feet in length, or, 

 more properly speaking, there are five warps of 120 



