264 
MR. T. J. WIGG ON THE HERRING FISHERY. 
realised. It is thus apparent that the Yarmouth Corporation has 
found a new and most reliable source of income. This year ten 
less sites were offered, but the gross rentals amount to £1320. 
A description of a remarkable scene in the Harbour appeared in 
the ‘Yarmouth Independent’ of October 27th, 1900: — “Owing 
to the rush of some 400 Scotch boats into the Harbour on 
Saturday, the space in front of the Fish Wharf at the north end 
was the scene of a considerable crush; about a score boats, a steamer, 
and a schooner getting entangled. At one time it appeared almost 
possible to walk from deck to deck quite across the river. After 
a time a few steam drifters were got out. This eased the pressure, 
and the ‘block’ was removed, but the sailing craft were handicapped 
by a strong tide. Although there are invariably large numbers of 
fishing boats every morning during the fishing season going seaward, 
provided the weather is favourable, there is always a rush on 
Monday mornings, owing to the fact that the Scotchmen do not 
fish on Sundays, but all must commence their week’s work on 
Monday morning.” 
The Herring Season of 1899 was looked upon as the best and 
most remarkable season on record. The number of fish caught 
went up by leaps and bounds, and at the end of that season the 
total was over 26,000 lasts. Owners and men were proud of the 
great harvest yielded by the sea. Great, however, as that harvest 
was, it has been beaten by the total of Herrings caught in 1 900, 
which stands alone as the record year of the fishing as well as the 
last year of the century. 
Beturn of Herrings Landed at Yarmouth in 1900. 
Month. Lasts. 
January . — 
February 
March . . 4 
April . . 15 
May . . 28 
June . . 218 
Carried forward 265 
September 
October 
N ovember 
December 
Month. Lasts. 
Brought forward 265 
July . . 251 
August . . 603 
September . 1,708 
October . 10,365 
November . 12,589 
December . 3,219 
Total .29,000 
1,693 + 15 Scotch. 
3,314 + 7,051 
6,225 + 6,364 
3,141 + 78 
420 Scotch and 150 Home Boats. 
