130 CHRONOLOGICAL HISTORY OF THE HERRING- FISHERY. 



1726, " under several strata of earth and fossils, made up 

 of one entire piece of oak, and well polished."* But, had 

 the ancient inhabitants even been without boats, we have 

 at the present day two curious proofs that they might have 

 supplied themselves without their aid with fishes from 

 the sea, — namely, in the cruives,t or osier baskets, sunk 

 in the rivers or arms of the sea, as at present practised 

 near Culross, in the Forth, and at Menai Bridge, and the 

 twisted branches or osiers and stone yairs as used at Locli- 

 broom, and other localities to secure the herrings. 



How long herrings were used merely by the inhabi- 

 tants adjoining the lochs and seas where they were caught, 

 and when they became an article of commerce, it is diiS- 

 cult to determine, although it is quite possible that, in 

 ancient times, herrings may have been exported in a 

 dried or smoked state without being salted, yet it is most 

 probable that, until salt was used, the commerce in her- 

 rings was inconsiderable ; it is worthy of remark, however, 

 that herrings are easily preserved without salt by expo- 

 sure to the air after being opened, and that the practice 

 is still prevalent in some parts of the North Highlands. 

 Anderson, in his " History of Commerce," says that the 

 Netherlanders came to Scotland to buy fish in the ninth 

 century ; his words are — " Some writers speak of the 

 Netherlanders resorting to Scotland as early as about the 

 year 836, for the buying of salted fish, of the Scottish 

 fishermen, which they then carried home merely for the 

 sustenance of their people, whereby the Scotch were 

 greatly enriched." | It is to be regretted that this author 

 does not give his authorities for this statement ; and 

 although he does not even mention herrings, yet several 



* Pinkerton's History of Scotland. t German Korb, basket. 



J Anderson's History of Conamerce, p. 41. 



