132 CHRONOLOGICAL HISTORY OF THE HERRING-FISHERY. 



" When they came to the coast they gave themselves 

 out to be poor chiklren, and as they went forward they 

 came to a lierring-boat, which had come up from Vaagar, 

 and was going to the south, they engaged themselves with 

 it, and by that means had an opportunity of getting 

 southward. When they came to Sogusas they said that they 

 were going into the Frith, as they had friends there," &c. 



In the reign of Harold Graveld (960 to 975) the Nor- 

 wegians fished herrings with large nets from Bohusland, 

 a district near Christiania, to Finmark ; and in the reign 

 of Hacon Jarl (988 to 993) there was such an abundance 

 that all the maritime districts of Norway " were filled 

 with them." * 



If we thus find the English and Norsemen so early 

 engaged in the herring-fishery, the date mentioned by 

 Anderson is perhaps near the time when the herring- 

 fishery began to be an object of importance to the natives 

 of Scotland. 



But that herrings were an article of commerce and of 

 food very early in Scotland is proved by King David the 

 First'st Charter to the Abbey of Holyrood (1138), in 

 wliich there is, among the other endowments granted, 

 the right to fish herrings at Eenfrew, the words being, 

 " Et ibi Eenfry (or Eenfrew), piscari ad allechtia libere"t 



The earliest mention made of herrings by the Par- 

 liamentary Eecords of Scotland is in 1240, the following 

 being the words: "Burghe tallys of a last of Herring 

 IITId, dry herring at ye further passing Id, of a thousande 

 herring an thai be lade on a hors. Id, for ilk birding for 

 ye stalling of the marcat. Id |d : Item for a last of fresche 

 heriug IIIId, and gif thai be lade throu ye byar yat byis 



* Heinis Kringla, 186. f Maitland's History of Edinburgh, p. 145. 



