CHRONOLOGICAL HISTORY OF THE HERRING-FISHERY. 355 



shoals have been driven away, such as from the Swedish 

 coast, where about the same quantity was fislied as on our 

 coasts, and where they were scared away by continuous 

 fishing night and day, and (what was still more perni- 

 cious) by allowing the refuse of the herrings, boiled at 

 places on the coast for the purpose of obtaining the oil, 

 to reach and taint the sea, — and the shoals never returned, 

 10, When the importance of encouraging the fisher- 

 men in this important occupation is considered, surprise 

 may be expressed that the British Government has done 

 so little towards providing suitable harbours for the 

 fishermen — to enable them to proceed out and in and 

 lie in safety at all times. In a very able pamphlet, 

 written by Mr Mackie of the " Northern Ensign," Wick, 

 we are told " that the reason why the loss of life 

 on such a dangerous coast (Caithness) is now so 

 comparatively small, is because the fishermen will 

 not venture to sea when there is the least appearance 

 of a breeze, knowing too well what they must meet if 

 overtaken by a gale, and are obliged to run for land." 

 This circumstance has every year a serious effect on the 

 fishing. This is not " making two blades of grass grow 

 where only one grew before." Mr Mackie goes on to say, 

 " In one gale (off Wick) upwards of fifty boats, lying at 

 anchor in the bay, were overtaken by a sudden gale, and 

 foundered. On another occasion thirty-seven Wick fisher- 

 men were drowned in an hour ; and since 1845 about 

 one hundred and fifty fishermen have been drowned, and 

 about four hundred boats wrecked, in that neighbourhood." 

 We may contrast the neglect of harbour accommodation 

 for our fishermen and mercantile marine on the Scottish 

 coast, with the millions of pounds spent on Kingston and 

 Holyhead harbours. We have to remark, that a truly pa- 



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