SCOtCH FISIIK&IES. <^t<^ 



"* 'I wiftl on Enquirer, in your Journal for December !a ft', had Erroneoas'iri- " 

 attended to this, before making what I conceive to be a hafty, fpeStngdiT 

 ill-tbunded ftatement, refpecting certain injlances of ivajleful ii{hztisi on tht 

 negligence infome of ourjijhries in the north of Scotland, which ^^^^^^ °^ ^*^^- 

 it is my duty at prefent to controvert. — He ftates : 



1ft, " That the fifhermen of Aberdeen, Banff, Peterhead, 

 &c. never think of carrying their fi(b along the coali fouth- 

 ward, which they might do to Leith in twenty-four hours; 

 dr with a good brilk wind to Berwick-upon-Tweed, or evet^ 

 Newcaftle-upon-Tyne ; but when their refpeflive towns are 

 fupplied, tliey throw the remainder upon the dunghill for ma- 

 nure ! !" 



A fa6l fo improbable as the above, would indeed, require From various 

 no ordinary Ihare of proof to gain credit to it, and I have the ^^^^^^ ofwealdj 

 falisfaftioii to alTure you that it is entirely without foundation. \% negleaei. 

 The truth is, the number of hands employed in the fifheries 

 in the north of Scotland are fo few, and the encouragement 

 given to enterprize and fpeculation in this important fource of 

 national wealth fo fmall, that no more fifli is caught than what 

 fupplies the neighbouring towns. But even admitting that 

 more were caught, and that we could vend at Leith, Berwick- 

 upon-Tweed, or Newcaftle-upon-Tyne, is it not to be fup- 

 pofed that hibers of places neareJi to thefe towns could afford 

 to greally underfoll us? 



When the dog-fidi (fqualus catulus, L.) appear on the coaft, Thf dog.fifli 



our filhers catch a great number of them and dry them for their ^^"6|^t tor tooi, 



» ' tor oil, for Its 



own private ufe (for none but themfelves and the lower claffes fkin, and for 



of people would ufe them) and likewife for the benefit of the™*"""' 

 oil, which they yield in great abundance, and the ikin, which 

 is ufed for fmoothing ihe furface of wood. After theyare 

 drained of the oil which they contain, befides keeping a fuffi- 

 cient number for ufe, they throw the remainder on their dung- 

 hills, which produces a valuable manure. And no doubt your 

 correfpoodent may have roillaken thefe for any other kind of 



m^ 



He next obferves; "That at Arbroath, another cuftpm, 

 equally as extravagant in its kind prevails, and of which I have 

 been a wilnefs; liie crab fiftiery is fo produdive, that after 

 boiling them, the bodies of the crabs are thrown away, and 

 iliQ large claims onlj/ hio\igUt 10 lable." 



It is 



