FISHERY. 
coasts of Bretagne employs annually about 
300 ships. The pilchards caught on our 
coasts, though bigger, are not so much va- 
lued as those on the coasts of France, owing 
principally to their not being so thoroughly 
cured. They naturally follow the light, 
which contributes much to the facility of 
the lishery: the season is from June to 
September. On the coasts of France they 
make use of the roes of the cod-fish, as a 
bait, which thrown into the sea, rtiakes 
them rise from the bottom, and run into 
the nets : on our coasts there are persons 
posted ashore, who spying by the colour of 
the water where the shoals are, make signs 
to the boats to go among them to cast their 
nets. When taken, they are brought on 
shore to a warehouse, where they are laid 
up in broad piles, supported with backs and 
sides, and as they are piled they salt them 
with bay salt, in which lying to soak 20 or 
30 days, they run out a deal of blood, with 
dirty pickle and bittern : then they wash 
them clean in sea-water ; and when dry, bar- 
rel and press them hard down to squeeze 
out the oil, which issues out at a hole in the 
bottom of the cask. The Cornish men ob- 
serve of the pilchard, that it is the least 
fish in size, most in number, and great- 
est for gain, of any they take out of the 
sea. 
Fishery, salmon. The chief salmon fish- 
eries in Europe are in England, Scotland, 
and Ireland, in the rivers and sea-coasts 
adjoining to the river mouths. Those most 
distinguished for salmon in Scotland, are 
the river Tweed, the Clyde, the Tay, the 
Dee, the Don, the Spey, the Ness, the 
Bewley, &c. in most of which it is very 
common about the height of summer, espe- 
cially if the weather happen to be very hot, 
to catcli four or five score of salmon at a 
draught. The chief rivers in England for 
salmon are the Tyne, the Trent, the Severn, 
and the Thames. The fishing usually be- 
gins about January, and in Scotland, they 
are obliged to give over about the 15th of 
August, because, as it is then supposed the 
fish come up to spawn, it would be quite 
depopulating the rivers to continue fishing 
any longer. It is performed with nets, and 
sometimes with a kind of locks or wears 
made on purpose, which in certain places 
have iron or wooden grates so disposed, in 
an angle, that being impelled by any force 
in a contrary direction to the course of the 
river, they may give way and open a little 
at the point of contact, and immediately 
shut again, closing the angle. The salmon, 
therefore, coming up into the rivers, are 
admitted into these grates, which open, and 
suffer them to pass through, but shut again, 
and prevent their return. Salmon are also 
caught with a spear, which they dart into 
him when they see him swimming near the 
surface of the water. It is customary like- 
wise to catch them with a candle and lan- 
thorn, or wisp of straw set on fire; for the 
fish naturally following the light, are struck 
with the spear, or taken in a net spread for 
that purpose, and lifted with a sudden jerk 
from the bottom. We make no mention 
of the method of catching salmon with a 
line or hook, because it is much the same 
with trout fishing. 
Curing salmon. When the salmon are 
taken, they open them along the back, take 
out the guts and gills, and cut out the great- 
est part of the bones, endeavouring to make 
the inside as smooth as possible, then salt 
the fish in large tubs for the purpose, where 
they lie a considerable time soaking in brine, 
and about October they are packed close 
up in barrels, and sent to London, or ex- 
ported up the Mediterranean. They have 
also in Scotland a great deal of salmon salted 
in the common way, which after soaking in 
brine a competent time, is well pressed, and 
then dried in smoke : this is called kipper, 
and is chiefly made for home consumption, 
and if properly cured and prepared, is reck- 
oned very delicious. 
Fishery, sturgeon. The greatest stur- 
geon fishery is in tiie mouth of the Volga, 
on the Caspian Sea, where the Muscovites 
employ a great number of hands, and catch 
them in a kind of inclosure formed by huge 
stakes, representing the letter Z, repeated 
several times. These fisheries are open on 
the side next the sea, and close on the 
other, by which means the fish ascending in 
the season up the river are embarrassed in 
these narrow angular retreats, and thus are 
easily killed with a harping-iron. Stur- 
geons, when fresh, eat deliciously ; and in 
order to make them keep they are salted 
or pickled in large pieces, and put up in 
cags from thirty to fifty pounds. But the 
great object of this fishery is the roe, of 
which the Muscovites are extremely fond, 
and of which is made the cavear or kavia, 
so much esteemed by the Italians. See 
Cavear. 
Fishery, whale. Whales are chiefly 
caught in the North Sea: the largest sort 
are found about Greenland, or Spitzbergen. 
At the first discovery' of this country, whales 
not being used to be disturbed, frequently 
