FOOD PRODUCTS OP THE SEA — FISHES. 279 



even till the following year. The first Dutch herrings, 

 in former times frequently brought £60 per barrel, and 

 were sold by small quantities from 2s. to 3s. a piece. 

 In the year 1815 the first 195 barrels were sold for rather 

 over £3,460, thus averaging about £17 per barrel. Ban- 

 quets were held, of which herrings formed the principal 

 dish, and the hosts sang their praises : 



" Who first between his teeth 

 The dainty morsel takes 

 Enjoys a glorious treat." 



The production has of late years remained prosperous, 

 reaching in 1880 about 227 million, and in 1881 197i 

 million of fish, representing a market value of from 

 £250,000 io £330,000. 



The principal destination of the salted herrings is 

 Germany, the smoked ones being sent to Belgium. The 

 export of cured herrings increased from 80,000 barrels in 

 1872 to 139,500 barrels in 1882. The quantity of fresh 

 fish exported chiefly to Belgium ranges from 4^ to 7 

 million kilos., 10,000,000 to 15,500,000 pounds. 



The herring fishery of Ireland in 1878 resulted in a 

 catch of 193,606 mease, valued at £220,278, or an aver- 

 age of £1 2s. 9d. per mease of say 630 fish. In 1883 

 the Irish herring fishery only resulted in 109,250 mease, 

 valued at £105,738. The number of fish landed at Tyne- 

 mouth, North Shields, in 1878-79, was 2,785 lasts of 

 herrings and 2,286 tons of white fish. The " last " is 100 

 long hundreds of 132, or 13,200 fish. 



The herring fishery of Scotland in 1878 resulted in 

 905,768 barrels being cured, which proved the fishing of 

 the year to have been remarkably good, and so much 

 above an average fishing as to have been exceeded only 

 by the great fishings of the years 1873, 1874, and 1875. 

 Of the quantity exported (623,934 barrels) 608,970 

 barrels went to the Continent, principally to Germany 

 and Russia. 



It was stated in the Report of the Herring Fishery 

 Commissioners for 1878, that 2,400,000,000 herrings are 



