340 CHRONOLOGICAL HISTORY OF THE HERRING-FISHERY. 



covered with the ripened and expelled spawn. The fisher- 

 men most unwarrantably continued to fish the herrings 

 in this state even during the day, thus disturbing the fish 

 on their spawning ground, on Sunday the 1st of Sep- 

 tember and two following days, — the Sunday having all 

 the appearance of a week day, with the landing, selling, 

 and carting the herrings. This disturbance of the spawn- 

 ing shoal was most injudicious, and the more to be con- 

 demned when it is considered that the fishermen had just 

 about finished a most successful season. The ground on 

 which the herrings deposited their spawn is about half a 

 mile from the shore, and about three quarters of a mile in 

 length, and a quarter of a mile in breadth. It was easily 

 known from the sea having a whitish opaque appearance, 

 and from the strong fishy or oily odour. Immediately 

 after spawning the herring shoal started ofi", and for the 

 space of three weeks the ground was swarming with 

 whitings, cod, and other fish, which were evidently at- 

 tracted by the spawn ; and these afi'orded an abundant 

 fishing to tlio Dunbar fishermen for the two or three 

 weeks after the depositing of the spawn. In about thr^e 

 weeks the spawn had been evolved, and the young fry left 

 when the fishing of the whiting, cod, &c. ceased.^ 



' On Saturday, tlie 31st of August, tlio Fifeshire fishermen, in their boats, 

 were moored at the mouth of Dunbar harbour, and refused to allow the 

 Newhaven fishermen or their boats to get out of the harbour, when some 

 of the Newhaven men cut the ropes of the Fife boats, and a number of the 

 men of the latter came on shore to punish the aggressors. Then a 

 challenge took place, when the respective crews of each party proceeded to 

 the Green, and there was a regular pitched battle, which lasted for some 

 time ; but ultimately the Fife men were defeated, and retreated to their 

 boats and left the harbour, leaving the Newhaven men masters of the field, 

 or rather harbour, with free power of egress. We give this short notice 

 of the battle, as it is remarkable on account of the unusual occurrence of 

 such a contest among our fishermen.. 



