THE RISE OF THE HERRING FISHERIES iii 



sented to the Prince in person at Fishmongers Hall, " upon which 

 His Royal Highness was presented with wine, herrings and sweet- 

 meats, after tasting and commending the herrings, he drank success 

 to the undertaking and was conducted back to his coach." 



The other two busses of the Society were the Bedford and Argyll, 

 they fished on the west coast of Scotland, after the manner of the 

 Societies of the Stuarts, the Bedford catching 103 and the Argyll 

 130 barrels off " Stronway." 



The first meeting of the General Court of the Society after the 

 receipt of the Charter, was on 7th November, 1750. The Com- 

 mittee which had managed the fishing submitted a report which 

 stated that the busses were built on the Thames, a vessel being 

 obtained from Holland as a model. The Committee congratulates 

 itself on its great success, two busses having fished at Shetland and 

 Yarmouth and two on the north-west of Scotland, both being very 

 successful. It was resolved that a book for the taking in of voluntary 

 subscriptions for the sum of £500,000 be opened. Advertisements 

 were issued for proposals for building more busses. 



On the 2ist February, 1751, there is a great deal about building 

 busses, the contract price being from £6 los. to f/j per ton. In 

 1753, thirty-eight busses went to the Shetlands, but by 1755 the 

 Company was in difficulties. On the 19th April the Council resolved 

 on a plan of " letting out the Society's Busses " (over and above 

 the number of twenty-five, which they themselves do employ) as 

 the " foundation for offering an advertisement to the public," 

 they will ask " no more than £300 security " for each buss, the 

 Society to safeguard itself by insurance. The calculation was based 

 on the supposition that each buss catches 400 barrels of herrings 

 in both fisheries (Scotland and Yarmouth), and that the Society 

 pays the contractor 21s. per barrel for the same, to be delivered 

 to their jagers in Shetland or Yarmouth Roads : — 



400 empty barrels will cost 

 400 bushels of salt at 13/0 J . 

 Wear and tear of the buss annually 

 Jagers, hire for each buss 

 Wear and tear of nets, annually 

 Annual repair of the buss 

 Wages and victualling each buss 



Total ... 



The report continues, 400 barrels of herring at 21s. will make 

 £500 [sic], which with savings from the above calculation should 

 be sufficient to make them engage, and should the buss catch more 

 than 400 barrels, the overplus would be clear profit. " And the 



