HERRINGS. 
247 
often so rich as to be unfit for salting, and these 
are sold for consumption while fresh. About the 
month of November, as has been already observed, 
the shoals spawn, and are then unfit for eating, 
and the fishery ceases. As is universally known, 
there are two modes of curing this fish, producing 
what are called white and red herrings. The 
former requiring only to be placed in barrels with 
salt, the process can be performed in the fishing- 
craft ; consequently the vesaels for this fishery are 
larger, being qualified to keep the sea. 
The process as performed by the Dutch, who 
excel all other nations in this art, is described as 
follows. As soon as the fish is removed from the 
water, the throat is cut, and the offal is detached ; 
it is then washed with sea-water, and laid in brine 
sufficiently saturated with salt to float the fish ; 
about eighteen hours afterwards, the batch is 
taken out of the pickle, and placed, layer on layer, 
in barrels, with copious layers of salt ; and here 
they remain as long as the boat continues at sea. 
On her arrival in port, the fish is re-barrelled with 
care, fresh salt being given them, and new brine 
poured over the whole. 
Red herrings, however, require a much more 
elaborate process, which cannot be performed on 
board, and the procuring of them is essentially a 
shore fishery. The Yarmouth men confine them- 
selves to this branch. They sprinkle the fish with 
salt, and lay them in a heap on a stone or brick 
floor, where they remain about six days ; they are 
then washed, and spitted one by one on long 
wooden rods, which pass through the gills : great 
care is required that they may not touch each 
other as they hang ; the rods are then suspended 
