CHRONOLOGICAL HISTORT OF THE HERRING-FISHERY. 269 



" The sale of Norwegian herrings greatly depends upon 

 the prices of Scotch fish, for when the price of the latter 

 is low, the former is more difficult to be disposed of ; and 

 even people of this place and those of the neighbouring 

 provinces prefer Scotch herrings to those of the Nor- 

 wegian cure, because the fish is of a suj)erior quality, 

 better cured, and the barrel contains more fish. 



*' Dutch herrings are in cure better than Scotch, but 

 the difference between the two sorts is too great in price, 

 and therefore Scotch herrings find the preference. 



" The cheapness and the improved cure has increased 

 the importation of Scotch herrings into our port to a 

 great extent, for there is no port to which more Scotch 

 herrings are shipped than Stettin, whilst the importation 

 of Dutch and Norwegian fish has diminished, for we 

 have imported in the year 1834, 4546 barrels of Dutch, 

 and 53,891 barrels of Norwegian herrings ; and have im- 

 ported last year only 568 barrels of Dutch, and 12,507 

 barrels of Norwegian ; whilst the importation of Scotch 

 herrings has increased from 19,000 barrels in 1834, to 

 116,538 barrels in 1850. In the year 1849 it even 

 amounted to 147,103 barrels. 



" Enclosed I beg to hand you the import list of herrings 

 into the port of Stettin, from the year 1824 to 1850. 



" According to my opinion, it wall be injurious to the 

 trade in Scotland if the British Government should insist 

 upon the trade to pay for the Brand ; for the cheaper 

 herrings are, the greater distance they can be forwarded, 

 and the larger the consumption will be, because herrings 

 are a substitute for meat, and have therefore to stand a 

 competition in price with that of provisions, as beef, bacon, 

 &c., in the interior of the country. 



" The first few shipments of Scotch unbrandcd herrings 



