308 MR. T. J. WIGG ON THE HERRING FISHERY. 
weather, which greatly interfered with the success of the boats 
engaged. Consequently the catches during the first week 
were comparatively light. The real start was not made until 
the second week in October, when hundreds of Scotch and 
North country boats had assembled at Yarmouth and 
Lowestoft, and taking advantage of the bright days and 
lovely moonlit nights the boats were able to get to work for 
about a fortnight. 
Nelson Centenary. Saturday, October 21st, was a very 
stormy day with a deal of rain, and as it was impossible to 
hold an open-air demonstration in front of the Nelson monu- 
ment (which had been decorated with Nelson’s famous signal, 
&c.), the fish salesmen, buyers, and many boat owners held 
an impromptu gathering under cover at the Fish Wharf during 
a lull in the business, when some hearty toasts were pledged 
to the hero of the day. This meeting drew together a motley 
gathering from all parts of the Wharf. Several songs, includ- 
ing “ The Death of Nelson,” “ Heart of Oak,” and “ The Red, 
White, and Blue,” were sung with great heartiness, and three 
times three cheers given with all the lung-power possessed 
by healthy fishermen and others connected with the business 
of the Wharf. 
The closing days of October were very disappointing to 
the greater number of people engaged in the fishing. The 
boats certainly went out, and kept at sea, but Herrings were 
very scarce, as the boats appeared to be unable to drop upon 
the fish in any lai'ge quantities. All this reacted very seriously 
upon the business ashore, and as a result thousands of men 
and women, usually most busy at this season of the year, 
were walking about doing nothing. This state of things 
continued for nearly a week, and then fortunately a change 
took place and the fleet was able to go out of the harbour. 
With the beginning of November a welcome change came 
and good catches were made by the majority of the boats, 
scores of which landed from ten to twelve lasts of fine Herrings. 
The whole of the Fish Wharf was occupied, and every one was 
busy, both here and on the gutting grounds, where hundreds 
of Scotch girls and men were busy through the day and far into 
