CHKONOLOGICAL HISTORY OF THE HERRING-FISHERY. 297 



than thirty-two Arklow vessels — viz., twenty-six fishing 

 boats, and six trading purchasing vessels — had exhibited 

 that spirit of enterprise so desirable, by following the 

 herrings to the east coast of Scotland, nothing daunted by 

 the failure of the East of Ireland herring-fishery in the 

 preceding summer. There were also ten Skerries vessels 

 buying and curing in bulk. Some of the Arklow boats 

 had returned home, in consequence of injuries sustained 

 in their nets and buoys, which they attributed chiefly to 

 the fishers from the Fife Coast. They admitted that the 

 Dunbar people were most friendly, and that the authorities 

 of the place had done everything that was possible to 

 afi'ord them protection and redress. 



" I could not help deploring the great difference in ap- 

 pearance between the Scotch boats and those of our poor 

 countrymen ; the great superiority both in construction 

 and outfit is quite obvious. The best that I saw were the 

 Newhaven boats ; and with a view to obtaining informa- 

 tion on that very important point, I visited the place. 

 There I saw them of all sizes, completed and at work, as 

 well as in progress in the shipwright's yard. The boats 

 vary in size from 19 to 21 feet keel, about 25 feet aloft, 

 9 to 10 feet beam, and 4 to 5 feet deep ; they are all 

 what is termed clinker-built, and sharp both at stem and 

 stern ; they are light, and planked with |-inch larch ; the 

 cost of the hull is from L.18 to L.20 ; if copper-fastened, 

 about L.2 more ; with materials, they are under L.30. 

 They have two masts and lug sails. 



" At Newhaven, where there are about 200 such boats, 

 they are generally hauled up on the beach, when not at 

 sea. It takes ten men to move them up or down. The 

 crews generally consist of four men. The herring-fishery 

 is their great harvest, but they also fish with spilliards 



