80 
MR. T. SOUTHWELL ON THE HERRING FISHERY. 
on, as they are shown by the books of the fisli-wharves to have been 
actually landed ; but there are no available statistics as to price, 
and it is impossible to form anything but a guess as to the 
average yield per last, so greatly does the value liuctuate owing to 
varying quality or supply; nothing short of a thorough analysis 
of the salesmen’s books would yield really reliable information ; 
but I am assured by a gentleman thoroughly conversant with the 
market, that the prices realized this season will certainly not 
average more than half those of last year, which were about £15 
per last. This would represent, say, £7 as the price per last, and I 
am inclined to believe that this is rather over than under stated. At 
this rate the produce of 1884 would represent a sum of £2G7,80G; 
whereas the produce of 1883 (viz. 30,335 lasts), at £15 per last, 
would realize £455,025, or £187,219 more than that of the past 
season, notwithstanding an excess of 7923 lasts over that of 
1883. Of course these figures have no pretensions to exactness, as 
a difference of a few shillings in the aVerage price per last would 
seriously affcQt the totals ; but I think they may be regarded as 
rather understating the deficiency in the past year than otherwise, 
and will show the vast importance, not only of quantity, but of 
quality also. 
As on previous occasions, I am again indebted to Mr. H. 
Teasdel, Jun., the Corporation Accountant at Yarmouth, and 
Mr. Massingham, Harbour-master of Lowestoft, for the official 
returns from their respective ports. 
Return of Herrings landed at Yarmouth and Lowestoft 
Spring 
Summer 
Autumn 
Fish-Wharves in 1881. 
YAEMOtlTH. 
Lasts Thousands Hundreds Lasts 
Lowestoft. 
Thousands 
ilundrcds 
(13,-.i00). 
(1320). 
132). 
(13,200). 
(1320). 
(132). 
January . 
— 
6 
— 
— 
— 
— 
February . 
3 
— 
5 
. 5 
9 
7 
March 
327 
3 
3 
. 1370 
1 
2 
April 
409 
2 
9 
. 1674 
6 
7 
May 
3 
1 
5 
36 
3 
8 
June 
G 
2 
2 
1 
— 
6 
July 
128 
7 
8 
173 
— 
— 
August . 
18G4 
4 
8 
4 
3 
September 
3894 
8 
1 
341 
8 
6 
October . 
6578 
4 
2 
. 2594 
6 
4 
November 
10070 
9 
9 
. 6496 
6 
6 
December 
1352 
4 
4 
924 
— 
2 
24,639 
5 
G 
. 13,G18 
8 
1 
