MR. T. J. WIGO ON THE HERRING FISHERY. 683 
Since the last fishing season, several steam drifters were added 
to the Yarmouth fleet, and with the arrival of the Scotch boats 
the Harbour officials were very busy during the first week in 
October mapping out the room available for the vessels. 
More ground on the South Denes had this year been allotted for 
the army of men and women engaged in the preparation of the 
Herrings for export. 
Referring to the coming of the gutting lassies, as they are best 
known by in the trade, a correspondent says : — “ The girls are 
usually engaged by Scotch firms under season engagements before 
they leave home. Physically, they are of sturdy build, with more 
of brawn and muscle than feminine feebleness about them. They 
work in the open-air for the most part, but they have every 
appearance of robust health for all their laborious toil. They 
adapt their garments to their work and the weather, and are all 
marked by the same sober, sedate, and serious characteristics. 
Their lives are very hard ones. From the time they are able to 
handle a gutting-knife, they sire sent out from the little villages 
that stud the Moray Firth and other parts of the Scotch coast. 
From the time the fishing starts at Stornoway, in May, they go the 
rounds of Lewis, Shetland, or Orkney, for the early fishings; then 
to Aberdeen, Fraserburgh or Peterhead for the Lammas fishings, 
next to Grimsby and Scarborough, and finish their year at 
Yarmouth and Lowestoft. They are a thrifty and industrious 
class, and, though plainly dressed, are always comfortably clad. 
They have been well cared for and strictly brought up at home, 
and, with exceptions, are distinctly a religious class. Their early 
home training has much to do with the exemplary conduct they 
always show when amongst strangers. They have now become 
quite familiar figures at Yarmouth during the autumn, and 
command universal respect .” — Eastern Daily Pres s. 
The year 1902 was a very remarkable one for the Herring 
Fishery. The effect was the storing of a record catch ; but the 
result of this glut was not good for the Herring trade. This was 
clearly proved by the report received from continental markets. 
Owing to the stormy weather experienced in October, the Scotch 
fleet were unable to do much, and their share in the work of the 
fishing was comparatively small. This had the effect of bring- 
ing enforced idleness upon many of the Scotch women, and in 
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