THE YARMOUTH HERRING-FISHER I. 21 J 



probable that no whaler made a better business that season. 

 The importance of the Yarmouth herring-fishery may be in- 

 ferred from the fact, that it gives employment and bread to 

 about 5,000 persons during several months of the year, and 

 engages a capital of at least £700,000. No wonder, that among 

 the north seamen the herring-fishery is called the " great " 

 fishery, while that of the whale is denominated only the " small." 



But the herring is a very capricious creature, seldom remain- 

 ing long in one place ; and there is not a station along the Bri- 

 tish coast which is not liable to great changes in its visits, as 

 well with regard to time as to quantity. The real causes of these 

 irregularities are unknown; the firing of guns, the manufacture 

 of kelp, and the paddling of steam-boats have been assigned as 

 reasons, but such reasons are quite imaginary. The progress of 

 science promises to find, however, a remedy even for the caprices 

 of the herring ; and if his shoals frequently appeal' and disap- 

 pear again in the more retired bays or fiords of Norway, before 

 the fishermen are apprised of his movements, the electric tele- 

 graph (the most wonderful discovery of a time so rich in won- 

 derful inventions), will be used for his more effectual capture. 

 By this time the wires are already laid, ^ hich are to communi- 

 cate along the whole Scandinavian coast, and with the rapidity 

 of lightning, every important movement of the marine hosts. 

 Poor herring ! who would have thought, when Franklin made 

 his first experiments upon electricity, that that mysterious 

 power should ever be used for thy destruction ! 



The supposed migration of herrings to and from the high 

 northern latitudes is not founded on fact ; the herring has never 

 been seen in abundance in the northern seas, nor have our whale- 

 fishers or Arctic voyagers taken any particular notice of them 

 There is no fishery for them of any consequence either in Green- 

 land or Iceland. On the southern coast of Greenland the herring 

 is a rare fish, and, according to Crantz, only a small variety makes 

 its appearance on the northern shore. This small variety, 

 or species, was found by Sir John Franklin on the shore of the 

 Polar basin, on his second journey. There can be no doubt 

 that the herring inhabits the deep water all round our coast, 

 and only approaches the shores for the purpose of depositing its 

 spawn within the immediate influence of the two principal 

 agents in vivification — increased temperature and oxygen — and 



