MR. T. J. WIGG ON THE HERRING FISHERY. 2 73 
great shoals of herring in East Anglian waters. The com- 
bined catch of Yarmouth and Lowestoft amounted to 135,000 
crans, 70,000 being delivered at Yarmouth and 65,000 at 
Lowestoft. Add to these between 3000 and 4000 crans 
landed at Southwold, and the result will place the week’s 
catch in a position of one of the heaviest ever taken in these 
waters. Although there were enormous quantities landed, 
the demand in no way slackened, and the herrings found 
ready buyers at an average price of over 25 shillings a cran. 
November 5th. The stormy weather, with fierce Easterly 
winds, has had its effect on the catches of fish during this 
week, and deliveries were comparatively poor for the great 
fleet of first-class boats operating in East Anglian waters. 
The season up to the present has been the reverse of pro- 
fitable to the merchants. There are so many branches of 
the herring trade, that fancy prices have to be paid for every 
cran purchased. 
November 12th. I note that as a result of the stormy 
weather of last week the returns show a considerable shortage 
on last year’s figures, and the catches at both Yarmouth and 
Lowestoft have been much lighter than was anticipated. 
November 19th. Great things are expected of the moon in 
East Anglian fishings. It has come and will be gone directly, 
and the wonderful improvement in the fishing at Yarmouth 
and Lowestoft which every one anticipated has been long in 
coming. The failure is made all the more aggravating by the 
fact that there is every evidence of large shoals of herring on 
the fishing-grounds, and the catching power of the fleet now 
operating in the North Sea has never before been so great. 
The weather has been of such a bois.terous nature that fishing 
could only be carried on by fits and starts. From a money- 
earning point of view, the fishermen have had the best of it, 
although they have been obliged to work hard for all they 
have earned. No prices are too high for the merchant so 
long as a profit can be obtained, but it requires no expert in 
figures to know that during this season the curing business 
has been carried on at a loss. 
November 26th. Fair catches have been made this week 
and prices went up to 40s. a cran at Lowestoft and 39s. at 
