56 
MR. C. STACY-WATSON ON THE HERRING FISHERY. 
highest being 23.8.0; and 64 boats the same day ranged from 
10 to 20 lasts per boat; these were amongst the largest catches 
of the season. The following table shows the days upon which 
the largest deliveries were made at Yarmouth. On 
October 29th, 52 E. 
boats landed at the 
Wharf 
225 
lasts. 
„ 30th, 46 E. 
33 33 33 
33 
230 
33 
„ „ 86 S. 
33 33 33 
33 
311 
33 
Tsovember 4th, 90 E. 
33 »3 >3 
S3 
630 
33 
co 
o 
tei 
33 33 33 
33 
201 
33 
„ „ 79 S. 
33 33 3* 
3 
151 
3 l 
„ 12th & } 104 y 
13th, ) 104 L ‘ 
33 33 33 
33 
1,100 
33 
„ 19th, 67 E. 
33 33 33 
33 
559 
33 
„ 20th, 36 E. 
33 33 33 
3 • 
294 
33 
541 
352 
equal to 528 j 7 jj lasts per day for the seven days. 
I regret I am unable to give a similar table of deliveries at 
Lowestoft ; but, doubtless, they were in proportion to the above. 
By the end of November the catch, which hitherto had been 
less than the previous year, exceeded it by 617 lasts. The prices 
did not fluctuate throughout the season as violently as is usually 
the case ; but for a few days specially fine fresh Herrings realised as 
high as £28 per last, whilst, on other days, inferior quality, fresh, 
only obtained £4 per last. Bloater “ stuff',” superior, one day 
touched £18 per last, and another £6 10s.; whilst salt “stuff” 
travelled from £5 to £10, according to quality. 
The value of these fishings to the catchers ranged from £400 
to £1400 per boat. One boat’s season’s catch realised £1400; 
another £1,300 ; another £1000. The average per boat of the 
fleet of 145 Yarmouth boats is estimated to be about £750 ; whilst, 
for the Scotch boats, the prices ranged from £300 to less than 
£100. Their ill-fortune may be attributed somewhat to the fact 
that during the closing days of October these boats fell in with 
a large school of fish, which, in many cases, struck their nets and 
filled them so heavily that they carried them to the bottom, twisting 
and entangling them to such an extent that many of them were 
so injured as to be of no further use; this misfortune prevented 
them taking their full share of the spoil during November, when 
quality, quantity, and prices are generally at their best. 
The season has not been signalised by those destructive gales 
which so frequently ravage our coast at this period of the year, 
