.most advantageous in the world for catching 
lish : the Scottish islands, particularly those 
FISHERY. 
to toe north and west, lie most commodious 
tor carrying on the fishing trade to perfection. 
L I tnese advantages the Scots seem indeed 
to have been abundantly sensible ; for their 
ticUnc in herrings is even noticed in history 
so eai.v as the ninth century. The frequent 
laws which were enacted in the reigns of 
.•ames Ilf. [\ . and V. discover a steady de- 
tei mined zeal for the benefit of the country, 
and the full restoration of these fisheries, 
yhich the Dutch had found means to en- 
gross. 
i no Scottisli fisheries were, however, more 
particularly indebted to the zealous encou- 
ragement of James V. and VI. ; the former 
having planned, and the latter carried info 
execution, various projects for their extension, 
i he well-meant efforts of James VI. were im- 
peded, and at last wholly suspended, by the dis 
putes which prevailed in the kingdom at that 
period concerning the succession. N ever- 
theless toe plan was resumed by Charles T. 
who “ordained an association of the three 
kingdoms, for a general fishing within the 
seas and coasts of his majesty’s said king- 
doms ; and for the government of the said as- 
sociation, ordained, that there should be a 
standing committee chosen and nominated 
by his majesty and his successors from time 
to time, &c. Several persons of distinction 
embarked in the design, which the king ho- 
noured with his patronage, and encouraged 
by his bounty, lie also ordered Lent to be 
more strictly observed ; prohibited the im- 
poilation ot fish taken by foreigners; and 
agreed to purchase from the company his 
naval stores, and the fish for his fleets. Thus 
the scheme for establishing a fishery in the 
Hebrides began to assume a favourable as- 
pect ; but all the hopes of the adventurers 
were frustrated by the breaking out of the ci- 
vil wars, and the very tragical' death of their 
benefactor. 
In 1691, Charles II., the duke of York, 
lord Clarendon, and other persons of rank 
i ud fortune, resumed the business of the 
fisheries with greater vigour than any of their 
predecessors. For this purpose, the' most sa- 
lutary kv.vs were enacted by the parliaments 
ot Kngkind and Scotland ; in virtue of which, 
vm materials used in, or depending upon, the 
fisheries, were exempted from all duties, ex- 
cises, or imposts whatever. In England, 
the company were authorised to set up 'a lot- 
t cy, and to have a voluntary collection in 
all parish churches. Houses of entertain- 
ment, as taverns, inns, ale-houses, were to 
take one or more barrels of herrings, at the 
stated price of 30. per barrel : also 2-v. fir/, 
per barrelDutcn was to be paid to the company 
on all imported lish taken by foreigners 
Some families 
laitted, to settle at Btorna\vay r : the herrings 
cured by the royal English company gave 
general satisfaction, and, as mentioned above, 
brought a high price for those days. Every 
circumstance attending this new establish- 
ment seemed the result ot a judicious plan 
and thorough knowledge of the business, 
"’hen the necessities of the king obliged him 
to withdraw his subscription or bounty ; which 
gave such umbrage to the parties concerned, 
that they soon after dissolved. 
In 1677, a new royal company was es- 
tablished in England, at the head of which 
, . v ci -riJimiLCki a cuimniuee 
also invited, or per-^to inquire into the state of the herring and 
were the duke of V ork, the earl of Derby, 
&c - besides all the privileges which former 
companies had enjoyed, the king granted this 
new company a perpetuity, with power to 
purchase lands ; and also 20/. to be paid 
them annually, out of the customs of the port 
of London, tor every dogger or buss thev 
should build and send out for seven years 
to come. A stock of 10,980/. was immedi- 
ately advanced, and afterwards 1 600/. more. 
Ibis small capital was soon exhausted in 
purchasing and fitting out busses, with other 
incidental expences. The company made, 
however, a successful beginning ; and one of 
their busses or doggers actually, took and 
brought home 32,000 cod lish ; other vessels 
had also a favourable fishery. Such flatter- 
ing beginnings might have excited fresh sub- 
scriptions, when an unforeseen event ruined 
the whole beyond tiie possibility of recovery. 
Most of the busses had been built in Hol- 
land, and manned with Dutchmen ; on which 
pretence the French, who were then at war 
w ith Holland, seized six out of seven vessels, 
with their cargoes and fishing-tackle: and 
the company being now in debt, sold in 1680 
the remaining stores, &c. A number of 
gentlemen and merchants raised a new sub- 
scription of 60,000/. under the privileges and 
immunities of the former charter. T his at- 
tempt also came to nothing, owing to the 
death of the king, and the troubles of the 
subsecpient reign. 
Soon after the Revolution this business was 
again resumed upon a more extensive scale; 
the proposed capital being 300,000/. pf which 
100,000/. was to have been raised by the 
surviving patentees or their successors, and 
20,000/. by new subscribers. Copies of the 
letters patent, the constitution of the com- 
pany, and terms of subscription, were lodged 
at sundry places in London and Westminster 
for the perusal of the public, while the sub- 
scription was filling. It is probable that 
king William’s partiality to the Dutch fish- 
eries, the succeeding war, or both of these 
circumstances, frustrated this new attempt ; 
of which we have no further account in the 
annals of that reign or since. 
I he Scottish parliament had also, during 
the last three reigns, passed various acts for 
erecting companies and promoting the fish- 
eries; but the intestine commotions of 
that country, and the great exertions which 
were made for the Darien establishment, 
enfeebled all other attempts, whether collec- 
tively or by individuals, within that kiim- 
doin. ' ° 
In 1749, his late majesty, having, at the 
opening of the parliament, warmly recom- 
mended the improvement of the fisheries, the 
house mf commons appointed a committee 
white fisheries, and to consider of the most 
probable means of extending the same. All 
ranks of men were elevated with an idea of 
the boundless riches that would flow into the 
kingdom from this source. A subscription 
of 500,000/. was immediately filled in the 
city, by a body of men who were Incorpo- 
rated for 21 years by the name of The So- 
ciety of the tree British Fishery. Every 
encouragement was held out by government, 
both to the society and to individuals, who 
might embark in this national business. A 
bounty of 36s. per ton was to be paid an-’’ 
j nually out of the customs, for 1 4 years, to 
! Bie owners of all decked vessels or busses, 
j from 20 to 80 tons burden, which should be 
j built after the commencement of the act, for 
| the use of, and fitted out and employed in, 
| the said fisheries, whether by the society or 
any other persons. At the same time nu- 
merous pamphlets and newspaper-essays 
came forth ; all pretending to elucidate the 
subject, and to convince tiie public with 
what facility the herring-fisheries might be 
transferred from Dutch to British hands. 
I his proved, however, a more arduous 
task than had been foreseen by superficial 
speculators. r l lie Dutch w ere frugal in their 
expenditures and living;' perfect masters of 
the arts of fishing and curing, which they 
had carried to the greatest height and per- 
fection. They were in full possession ol the 
European markets ; and their fish, whether 
deseiving or otherwise, had the reputation 
of superior qualities to all others taken in 
our seas. \\ ith such advantages, the Dutch 
not only maintained their ground against this 
formidable company, but had also the plea- 
sure of seeing the capital gradually sinking, 
without having procured an adequate return 
to the adventurers ; notwithstanding various 
aids and efforts of government from time to 
time in their favour, particularly in 1757, 
w hen an advance of 20a-. per ton was added 
to the bounty. 
In 1/86 the public attention was again 
called to the state of the British fisheries, hy 
the suggestions of Mr. Dempster in the 
house of commons, and by different pub- 
lications that appeared upon the subject : in 
consequence of which, the minister suffered 
a committee to be named, to inquire into 
this great source of national wealth. To that 
committee it appeared, that the best way of 
niiprov ing the fisheries was, to encourage the? 
inhabitants living nearest to the seat of' them 
to become fishers. And it being found that 
tne north-western coast of the kingdom, 
though abounding with fish and fine har- 
bours, was utterly destitute of towns, an act 
was passed for incorporating certain persons 
therein named, by the style of “ The Bri- 
tish Society for extending of the fisheries, 
mid improving the sea-coasts of this king- 
dom ; and to enable them to subscribe a 
joint stock and therewith to purchase lands, 
and build thereon free towns, villages, and 
: fishing-stations in the Highlands, and islands 
i in that part ot Great Britain called Scotland, 
; and for other purposes. The isle of Mull 
Loch-Broom, the Isles of Sky and of Canay 
have already been marked as proper situa- 
tions for some of these towns. The progress 
of such an undertaking from its nature must 
be slow but still slower when carried on 
with a limited capital arising from the sub- 
scriptions of a few public-spirited individuals. 
,‘t lt: I s not tu be doubted that it will 
ultimately tend to the increase cf our fish- 
eries, and to the improvement of the High- 
land part ot this kingdom. Its tendency is 
also to lessen the emigration of a brave and 
industrious race of inhabitants, too many of 
whom have already removed with their fit- 
unites to America. 
• rn. The anchovy is caught 
the ™ onths y a » June, and July/on 
the coasts of Catalonia, Provence, &c. at 
vyhtch season it constantly repairs up 'the 
straits of Gibraltar into the Mediterranean, 
