130 
Mr Stevenson on the State qftlte 
the country perhaps not less than !>. 3000. In coasting along 
between Fraserburgh and the Orkney Islands;, another fleet of 
Butch fishermen was seen at a distance. The harbour and bay 
of Wick were crowded with fishing boats and busses of all de- 
scriptions, collected from the Frith of Forth and southward 
even as far as Yarmouth and Lowestoffe. The Caithness fish- 
ing was said to have been pretty successful, though not equal to 
what it has been in former years. 
In the Orkney and Shetland islands, one would naturally 
look for extensive fishing establishments, both in herrings, and 
what are termed White Fish, (cod, ling and tusk) ; but it is a 
curious fact, that while the Butch have long come from their 
own coast to these islands to fish herrings, it is only within a 
very few years that the people of Orkney, chiefly by the spirit- 
ed and praise-worthy exertions of Samuel Laing, Esq. have gi- 
ven any attention to this important source of wealth. It has 
long been a practice with the great fishmongers of London to 
send their welled smacks to fish for cod, and to purchase lob- 
sters, around the Orkney islands ; and both are carried alive to 
the London market. This trade' has done much good to these 
islands, and has brought a great deal of money to them ; but 
still it is of a more circumscribed nature, and is less calcula- 
ted to swell the national wealth, than the herring and white 
fishery in general. 
Hitherto the industry of the Orcadians has been chiefly di- 
rected to farming pursuits ; while the Shetlanders have been 
almost exclusively occupied in the cod, ling and tusk fishing. 
It is doubtful, indeed, if, up to this period,, there be a single 
boat belonging to the Shetland isles, which is completely equip- 
ped for the herring fishery. But here, again, "another fleet of 
Dutch doggers was seen collecting in numbers off these islands, 
which is considered a rich harvest in Holland. So systemati- 
cally do the Butch pursue the fishing business upon our coasts, 
that their fleet of Busses is accompanied by an Hospital-ship. 
This vessel we now found at anchor in Lerwick roads, and 
were informed that she paid weekly visits to the fleet, to supply 
medicines, and to receive any of the people falling sick, or meet- 
ing with any accident. 
