MR. T. J. WIGG ON THE HERRING FISHERY. 
26:5 
the Corporation as an industry greatly to bo encouraged and provided 
for. This year no less than 404 Scotch boats have been working 
out of this port. The flotilla represents 12 North British ports. 
No fewer than 111 hail from Banff, Kirkcaldy sends 65, Leith 44, 
Fraserburgh 43, Inverness 39, Berwick 32, Montrose 21, Wick 20, 
Peterhead 17, Aberdeen 6, Arbroath 4, and Stornoway 2. The 
crews of these boats (many of which carry eight hands) amount to 
nearly 4000 men : and to prepare the Herrings for market, as they 
alone can prepare them, there is a small army of nearly 2000 Scotch 
women. Add to these some 200 or 300 fish buyers, and some 
idea may be formed of this great industry. These numbers are 
augmented considerably if we take into consideration the local 
women who work in the fish-houses, and all the men who are 
employed as carters, packers, tallymen, salesmen, checkers, bellmen, 
and clerks. 
A remarkable feature of the growth of the Herring industry has 
been the export trade. A few years ago two or three schooners 
would suffice to convey the Herring away to the north and south 
ports, there to be re-shipped on steamers for foreign ports. But all 
this is now changed. Sailing vessels still load weekly at the Quay, 
but the bulk of the Herrings is now sent off by steamers. Four fine 
German steamers belonging to one company have been among the 
arrivals, and this may be considered as rather out of the ordinary 
course of events. Besides these tliero are steamers from Norway 
and Sweden. Each of these steamers loads up some thousands of 
barrels for foreign consumption. 
During the latter part of the Herring Fishery the boats encoun- 
tered some very rough and stormy weather, and many were to be 
seen with tattered sails, smashed bulwarks, and, in some cases, loss 
of masts ; and several arrived with their nets on deck full of 
Herrings, just as they had been hurriedly dragged on board. Some 
of the catches have been phenomenal. One lugger delivered at the 
Fish Wharf no fewer than 198,000 Herrings, or 15 lasts, which 
sold for £215. This return to her owners and crew, for a single 
fishing, is probably the best result obtained during this year’s 
Herring voyage. 
The experiment inaugurated last year, when a number of sites on 
the South Denes were let by public auction as pickling plots for 
the Herring season, proved most successful — a rental of £1200 being 
