274 CHRONOLOGICAL HISTORY OF THE HERRING-FISHERY. 



And the Commissioners further require that the bar- 

 rel in which white herrings are packed shall be of the 

 capacity or contents of 26f gallons Imperial Standard 

 Measure, and the half barrel 13^ gallons, both being the 

 exact relative measure of the herring barrel and half 

 barrel previously in use. 



And parties using different crans or barrels are to be 

 prosecuted. 



Ireland. — Destruction of Herring -Spmon — Beam- 

 Trawling. — While every wish has been manifested by the 

 Fishery Commissioners of Ireland to promote the herring 

 and other fisheries on the coast of Ireland, it is to be re- 

 gretted that the supply in the year 1852 had not im- 

 proved, and that the system of beam-trawling was exciting 

 serious disturbances in certain quarters of that country. 

 The Eeport in 1852 by the Commissioners, dated 20th 

 May 1853, says :— 



" At Howth, and the East Coast generally, the harvest 

 fishery for herrings continued to a period later than usual. 

 Several of the Cornish vessels remained up to the close of 

 October ; and among the extraordinary events which may 

 be mentioned, was a large export of fresh herrings by 

 train from Dublin to the Galway market. This circum- 

 stance has been attributed, in several announcements by 

 the local press, to the indolence and indomitable preju- 

 dices of the Claddagh fishermen, and to the insufficiency 

 of their means of capture. We have, however, good 

 reason to believe that it was mainly owing to a deficiency 

 of supply since autumn, and to the extreme severity of 

 the weather. The Inspecting Commander of the Galway 

 district states, ' that the condition of the fishery establish- 

 ' ment is very much worse than the preceding year, and 



