456 MR. T. J. WIGG ON THE HERRING FISHERY. 
the fishing, are accustomed to get their living by “ telling ” 
Herrings. 
The quicker despatch enables the boats to get away sooner, 
and in many ways the change has proved most beneficial for 
the quicker clearance of fish cargoes. 
To give some idea of the addition to the population of 
Yarmouth during the height of the Herring season it may be 
stated that there were over 4,200 Scotch fishermen and about 
4.000 Scotch Herring lassies, and in addition there were 
Scotch curers and salesmen, agents, shipbrokers, coopers, 
carters, &c., drawn from all the ports between Berwick and 
Wick. The visit of the Scotch fleet thus brings in its wake 
an increase for some weeks of not far short of 10,000 to the 
normal population. 
Notwithstanding the enormous catches of Herring which 
were landed during the early part of the fishing the prices 
were maintained in a most remarkable manner. Probably 
this is to a great extent due to the splendid market for pickled 
Herrings on the Continent. 
Taken all round, the season of 1906 has been a bad one for 
sailing craft. This was doubtless due to the bad weather which 
prevailed during the busiest weeks of the season. One cannot 
help imagining what a season it would have been had the 
weather not played such havoc with the fishing for several 
weeks. 
“ The high prices which were kept up from start to finish 
have been all in favour of the fishermen. In round numbers 
the catch landed at Yarmouth and Lowestoft was between 
600.000 and 700,000 crans ; but taking it at 600,000 crans, at 
an average price, 30s. a cran, we have the handsome earnings 
of £900,000 to divide among the fishermen. It may be 
argued that a number of the fishermen in sailing craft were 
unfortunate in never having a good shot, but this happens 
every season, however good the general fishing may be, and 
£900,000 goes a long way round in a division, so that if some 
have done ill. there can be no doubt that others must have 
done exceptionally well .” — Fish Trades Gazette. 
During the early part of the Herring season the busy Fish 
