222 CHRONOLOGICAL HISTORY OF THE HERRING-FISHERY. 



fisli-curers in regard to the use of salt, the vexatious re- 

 gulations regarding which much impeded the process of 

 curing, and, accordingly^ greater facilities were afforded 

 the industrious curer.* 



The bounties having been after this regularly paid, 

 there were cleared out, preceding 1797, in the annual 

 average of ten years, 300 vessels for the herring-fishery, 

 the total tonnage being 14,736, and navigated by 3436 

 men. The average annual quantity of herrings cured was 

 54,394 barrels, and the tonnage bounty amounted to 

 L. 14,760, and the barrel bounty to L.6162, — together 

 L.20,922, being about the rate of 7s. 6d. per barrel of 

 bounty on the quantity cured ; there was, besides, paid for 

 barrel bounty on 70,428 barrels, the average annual quan- 

 tity caught in the ten years, the sum of L.4792, making 

 the total annual average quantity caught 124,822 barrels. 



By the Act 35 Geo. III., the barrel bounty was in- 

 creased to 2s. per barrel on such herrings as were caught 

 by vessels, or boats not fitted out for the tonnage bounty. 



The year 1793 was remarkable for the circumstance of 

 the discovery of herrings in the Forth, proving satisfac- 

 torily that vast shoals may be visiting our coasts which 

 are not yet discovered, and holding out every encourage- 

 ment to active and persevering endeavours to find out loca- 

 lities periodically visited by the herrings. 



In that year a considerable quantity was taken ; and 

 in the following year (1794) boats and vessels came from 

 many of the ports on the coasts of Scotland ; but the most 

 successful fishermen and curers were from Campbelton, 

 Eothesay, and Greenock. The advantages obtained by 

 this great additional supply of food were found to be very 



* General Account of the British Society for extending the Fisheries, by 

 the Earl of Kinnoul. " Fraser's Domestic Fisheries," p. 95. 



