MR. T. .7. WIGG ON THE HERRING FISHERY. 
539 
the total number landed this day amounted to 4,000 lasts, or 
52,800,000 fish, worth about £25,000. One boat of the Smith’s 
Dock Trust landed nearly twenty-six lasts of Herring, the largest 
catch by any boat during the season. The price realised was 
something like £12 per last. The Scotch boats did exceedingly 
well, and left several weeks before the end of the fishing, as they 
were evidently well satisfied with their harvest. 
On Saturday, November 15th, 1902, 1 went over to Lowestoft 
for the purpose of gaining some information concerning the fishing, 
but found that I had set myself a difficult task. Everybody was 
so busy that they had no time to spare for answers to my questions. 
However, a little perseverance was rewarded and I was able to 
ascertain a few facts. The harbour was crowded, and had been in 
a congested state all the week. Boats lay for hours near the centre 
of the Dock basin unable to deliver their catches, and some were not 
able to move more than a few inches at a time. Nearly the whole 
area of the Fish Market was taken up by the Herring industry. 
There were Herrings everywhere in barrels, boxes, swills, heaped 
up on the floor of the market and on the quayside, until it was 
almost impossible to walk about. 
One boat LT.738, brought in about thirteen lasts, and the 
steamer Dous 890 bad about twenty lasts on board. As far as 
I could ascertain there were nearly 2000 Scotch girls and women 
working at Lowestoft. 
It is interesting to learn that the Scotch fishermen still regard 
Yarmouth with great favour. I find that a larger number fished 
from this port during the.past season, the total reaching 459 Scotch 
boats, and 29 from other ports. The Scotch boats comprised 139 
from Banff, Kirkcaldy 78, Inverness 48, Fraserburgh 43, Leith 39, 
Berwick 35, Wick 22, Peterhead 20, Montrose 19, Aberdeen 13, 
Arbroath 2, Stornoway 1. In addition to these, North Shields 
sent 18, Hull 7, Grimsby 2, Sunderland 1, and Southampton 1. 
From ‘ Eastern Daily Press’: — “Scottish Boats Earnings. — 
Now that the Scottish fleet has arrived home, it is possible to 
obtain some information as to their earnings at our Herring fishing. 
From all the northern stations it is admitted that their 1902 season 
has been the best they have ever had. The Peterhead steam 
drifters have earned from £700 to £1100 each, the Banff steamer 
Promote is just £27 short of £1000. The Buckie steamers, Fame 
