88 THE OCEAN. 
immediately from the deep water, were in the highest 
condition, and barely dead. All the salt from the 
town and neighbourhood was instantly put in requi- 
sition, but it did not suffice for the thousandth part 
of the mass, a great proportion of which, notwith- 
standing some not very successful attempts to carry 
off a few sloop-loads in bulk, was lost.”* 
The Herring appears on our shores in the middle 
of summer, but seems to approach the coast of Scot- 
land earlier; for in Sutherland the fishery commences 
in June, and in Cromarty even so early as May, 
while the Yarmouth season rarely begins till Septem- 
ber. They are taken chiefly by means of drift-nets, 
and by far the majority are cured: in the first part 
of the season, however, they are often so rich as to be 
unfit for salting, and these are sold for consumption 
while fresh. About the month of November the 
shoals spawn, and are then unfit. for eating, and the 
fishery ceases. As is universally known, there are 
two modes of curing this fish, producing what are 
called white and red herrings. The former requiring 
only to be placed in barrels with salt, the process can 
be performed in the fishing-craft; consequently the 
vessels for this fishery are larger, being qualified to 
keep the sea. Red herrings, however, require a 
much more elaborate process, which cannot be per- 
formed on board, and the procuring of them is essen- 
tially a shore fishery. The Yarmouth men confine 
themselves to this branch. They sprinkle the fish 
with salt, and lay them in a heap on a stone or brick 
floor, where they remain about six days; they are 
* Brit. Naturalist. 
