FISHERY. 
for fishing herring, the first from June to the 
end of August, and the second in autumn, 
when the fogs become very favourable for 
this kind of fishing. The Dutch begin their 
herring-fishing on the 24th of June, and em- 
ploy no less than 2000 vessels therein, cal- 
led busses, being between 45 and 60 tons 
burden, and carrying three or four small 
cannon. They never stir out of port with- 
out a convoy, unless there be enough toge- 
ther to make about 18 or 20 cannon among 
them, in which case they are allowed to go 
in company. Before they go out, they 
make a verbal agreement, which lias the 
same force as if it were in writing. The 
regulations of the admiralty of Holland are 
partly followed by the French, and other 
nations, and partly improved and augment- 
ed W'ith new ones, as, that no fisher shall cast 
his net within a hundred fathoms of another 
boat: that while the nets are cast, a light 
shall be kept on the hind part of the vessel ; 
that when a boat is by any accident obliged 
to leave off fishing, the light shall be cast 
into the sea : that when the greater part of 
a fleet leaves off fishing, and casts anchor, 
the rest shall do the same, &c. By the late 
act of parliament in Great Britain, the re- 
gulations are, that every vessel entitled to 
the bounty, must carry twelve Winchester 
bushels of salt in new barrels, for every last 
of fish such vessel is capable of holding ; and 
as many more new barrels as such vessels 
can carry; and two fleets of tanned nets, 
that is, a vessel of seventy tons shall carry 
one fleet of 50 nets, each net to be 30 yards 
full upon its rope, and seven fathoms deep ; 
and so in proportion for greater or smaller 
vessels; and be provided with one other 
fleet of fifty like nets, on board a tender, or 
left on shore i« a proper place, for the use 
of the said vessel, &c. 
There is nothing particular in the manner 
of fishing. The nets wherein the fish are 
drawn should regularly have their meshes 
an inch square to let all the lesser fry go 
through. 
Curing- and preparing herring. The com- 
merce of herring, both white or pickled, 
and red, is very considerable./ The white 
Dutch herrings are the most esteemed, be- 
ing distinguished into four sorts, according 
to their sizes ; and the best are those that 
are fat, fleshy, firm, and white, salted the 
same day they are taken with good salt, and 
well barrelled. The British herrings are 
little inferior, if not equal to the Dutch ; 
for in spite of all their endeavours to conceal 
the secret, their method of curing, lasting, 
or cashing the herrings, Las been discovered, 
and is as follows. After they have hauled 
in their nets, which they drag in the sterns 
of their vessels backwards and forwards in 
traversing the coast, they throw them upon 
the ship's deck, which is cleared of every 
thing for that purpose ; the crew is separat- 
ed into sundry divisions, and each division 
has a peculiar task: one part opens and 
guts the herrings, leaving the melts and 
roes : another cures and salts them, by lin- 
ing or rubbing their inside with salt : the 
next packs them, and between each row 
and division they sprinkle handfuls of salt : 
lastly, the cooper puts the finishing hand to 
all by heading the casks very tight, and 
stowing them in the hold. It is customary 
with us to wash the herring in fresh water, 
and steep them 12 or 15 hours in a strong 
brine before we proceed to barrel them. 
Red herrings must lie 24 hours in the 
brine, in as much as they are to take all 
their salt there, and when they are taken 
out, they are spitted, that is, strung by the 
head on little wooden spits, and then hung 
in a chimney made for that purpose. After 
which a fire of brushwood, which yields a 
deal of smoke, but no flame, being made! 
under them, they remain there till sufficient- 
ly smoked and dried, and are afterwards 
barrelled up for keeping. 
Fishery, mackrel. The mackrel are 
found in large shoals in the ocean, but es- 
pecially on the French and English coasts. 
They enter the English channel in April, 
and proceeding as the summer advances, 
about June they are on the coasts of Corn- 
wall, Sussex, Normandy, Picardy, &c. where 
the fishery is most considerable. They are 
taken either with a line or nets: the latter 
is preferable, and is usually performed in 
the night time. They are pickled two 
ways, first by opening and gutting them, 
and cramming their bellies as hard as pos- 
sible with salt, by means of a stick, and 
then laying them in rows at the bottom of 
the vessel, strewing salt between each layer. 
The second way is putting them directly 
into tubs full of brine, made of salt and 
fresh water, and leaving them to steep till 
they have taken salt enough to keep. After 
this, they are barrelled up and pressed close 
down. 
Fishery, pearl. See Pearl fishery. . 
Fishery, pilchard. The chief pilchard 
fisheries are along the coasts of Dalmatia, 
on the coast of Bretagne, and along the 
coasts of Cornwall and Devonshire. That 
of Dalmatia is very plentiful; that on the 
