CHRONOLOGICAL HISTORY OF THE HERRING-FISHERY. 221 



sixth to half an acre each on a lease of nineteen years, at 

 an average rate of 12s. per acre — and ground to cultivate, 

 to the extent of from four to ten acres, for thirty years' 

 lease, at an average rate of 3a. 6d. per acre — and preachers 

 and teachers were encouraged to settle at the differ- 

 ent localities. It was afterwards found objectionable to 

 let so much land at so cheap a rate, as it drew the 

 attention of the fishermen too much from the fishery ; 

 and the Society, in certain cases, reduced the quantity of 

 land given for cultivation, and raised the rate per acre. 



The Society also encouraged the introduction of articles 

 necessary for the fishery, by lending small sums to re- 

 spectable settlers to purchase fishing materials, such as 

 casks, nets, hooks, &c., on condition that no higher profit 

 was to be charged the purchaser than ten per cent. ; and 

 there is no doubt that the benevolent intentions of the 

 Society has had a powerful influence in encouraging the 

 prosecution of the herring-fishery. 



At this time there was serious injury done to the her- 

 ring-fishery by the illicit importation into Ireland of 

 Swedish herrings, and the British Society having applied 

 to the proper authorities the trade was put a stop to.* 

 The same Society interfered for the protection of the 



* The fishery was so abundant, indeed, in Sweden in 1787, that there 

 were salted on the coasts there about 400,000 barrels, 4000 barrels smoked, 

 and 4000 barrels pressed (into small comijass) ; and calculating the quanti- 

 ties of herrings which were carried to Norway, Denmark, Holland, and 

 Britain, as well as what was consumed by the inhabitants of Sweden, we 

 shall not err in estimating that in that year there must liave been fished 

 about 1,500,000 barrels of herrings; and reckoning 1000 herrings to each 

 barrel, the herrings having been of a small size, the total number of fish 

 would be at least 1,500,000,000 of herrings; and so much had the trade 

 increased in oil-boiling, or boiling the herrings down into oil, that we are 

 told by Von Wright, in his " Handlingar Rorande, Sillflsket," 1848, that 

 at one oil-boiling establishment at Burgebosholm, there were produced 

 2000 barrels of oil. 



