CHKONOLOGICAL HISTORY OF THE HERRING-FISHERY. 295 



a gentleman of high standing and of great practical ex- 

 perience, who for many years was largely engaged in ex- 

 porting herrings to the continent of Europe, Walter 

 Biggar, Esq., and who is now retired from business, and 

 has no connection with the Board or the fishery. In this 

 pamphlet Mr Biggar says, " I maintain that it is next to 

 impossible for a man to buy a cargo of herrings entirely 

 upon his own skill and judgment, unless he has been pre- 

 sent at the curing and packing of the fish from the com- 

 mencement. There are rogues in all trades ; and it was 

 only the other day that a butcher was fined L.IO by the 

 sitting magistrate in Edinburgh for offering unwholesome 

 meat for sale. If a man will attempt this on a stall 

 in open market, how much easier to escape detection 

 when the unwholesome article is packed in the middle of 

 a cask, and covered with brine and pickle." 



" Though I was upwards of thirty years engaged in the 

 herring trade, and understand it as well as most men, I 

 confess myself unable to buy a cargo of herrings with 

 safety to myself, if the seller be a rogue and determined to 

 cheat me. I should feel myself quite as incapable to do so, 

 as I should be to buy a silver spoon on my own judgment, 

 which had not first passed through the Assay Office." * 



The early fishing at the Lewis Islands having gradually 

 increased, and as the mode of curing had been also im- 

 proved, they were eagerly bought at those places on the 

 Continent to which they were sent ; and at Stettin, the 

 first arrival in the end of May 1856 sold for L.3, 3s. and 

 L.3, 9s. per barrel ; and the arrivals amounting subse- 

 quently to 11,883 barrels, the prices declined to L.2 for 

 good qualities, and 24s. to 30s. for inferior. 



* " A Short Account of the Herring-Fishery in Scotland, by Walter 

 Biggar," page 18. 



