The Sun.
London, England, 1844-09-16 00:00:00

"ERRING FISHERY in SCOTLAND.

FISHERROW, FRIDAT....-011T port for the last fort-
night has presented a scene of unusual bustle and
activity. The herring made their appearance off
Inchkeith on the 23d ult. Their whereabouts was
made known to our fishing community in rather a
singular manner. Two young lads, the sons of a
widow, had been left behind on the departure of the
others for the fishing ground, in the expectation
of being enabled to catch haddocks for
their own and their mother's support. All
their attempts, however, had failed, and the old
woman began to suspect that, the haddocks being
entirely gone, some other fish had taken their place.
She, acting on this suspicion, ferretted out two or
three old nets from their repose in a garret, and sent
out the lads again to try their luck. The next'
morning they returned, to the old woman's surprise
and gratification, with five thousand herrings, which
they sold at three shillings per hundred. This
lucky capture immediately got wind, and the boats
came in rapidly from the eastward, and a most steady
and most plentiful take has been the consequence.
The shoal was close in with the rock, and very
often the nets were shot in two fathoms water. The
sea around presented an oily appearance, and so nu-
merous were they that the nets were borne down by
the weight of the fish as they went over the boats
side. From this plentiful take, their price was much
reduced. At Dunbar they were selling- at 11s.
a crap: One of our most active curers has nearly
filled a thousand barrels, and at Cockenzie 500 barrels
were cured in one day. They have everywhere met
with a ready market, and have afforded to all classes
a cheap and plentiful supply of food. Other countries
will also benefit by their abundanee. Several French
vessels from the ports of Dunkirk, Boulogne, Dieppe,
Fecamp, Caen, and Gravelines, have been during the
whole time off the Inch, fishing with their own boats,
purchasing from our fishermen, and curing their car-
goes on board. It is not often at this season that the
herring have come so high up in our Firth. In 1793
a similar shoal made their appearance off Cockenzie,
and about seven years ago another equally plentiful,
in the bay of liirkaldy.
BERWICK.—The take throughout this week has
been the best the fishermen have had during the
season. The shoal from which our fishermen ob-
tained their supply last week, lying to the north
of the harbour, at the latter part of it removed fur-
ther in the bay ; of this circumstance the Eyemouth
men were apprised by the crew of a "vessel, and proceed-
ing to the place on Friday last, were amply rewarded.
This induced our men to proceed to the same place
throughout the week, and with the exception of this
morning thererhave .hegin4 girt quatAitiekof herrings
caught; While there are -instances of boats having
on eaci morning only, one craw, oihers again
have had as many as forty, and in some few cases as
many as sixty. Last night the boats proceeded as
usual ; a change of weather, however, took place, and
the most of them thought proper to return in the
course of the night. A thick mist, with an easterly
wind, rendering it extremely dangerous to continue
at sea, excited considerable anxiety for those re-
maining out.. During the morning there were still
three boats out, and as the thickness of the atmosphere
prevented them knowing their position or finding out
the harbour, guns have been fired by the Skylark
cutter brig, in the port ; and the bell at Spittal chapel
has been ringing throughout the morning to assist
them in finding out their course. The fishing will
in all probability close next week ; some boats have
two hundred crans for the season, while others have
below one hundred.
WICK, SEPT. s.—The fishing may be said to be
fairly over fur a season. The total catch for the week
will not add much more than three-fourths of a gran
to the general average for the season, which is about
ninety•nine crans, or eight crane lower than that of
last year. The highest take any day this week has
been 28 crans, and the quality has continued to be of
the finest description. Notwithstanding the amount
of the general average, we do not remember of a
fishing so extremely irregular; for, while many of
the boats have exceeded 300 crans, a considerable
number have not reached 30. All the south boats
have left for home—those belonging to the West
Highlands and Orkney are rapidly leaving, and the
home boats are being drawn up as fast as possible. It
is not likely that any further attempts will be made
' this season. One hundred and twenty-four vessels
• have been entered at Pultneytown for exportation,
and many more will be required ere the total quan-
tity caught be carried off. It may be safely affirmed,
that the general take over the whole coast is far
below an average one; for, while the fishing at Wick
has been good, there has been a considerable falling
off at other stations. The consequence has been a
brisk demand for fish, in all quarters, at a rise in
prices. 17s. 6d has been freely given in Wick for
crown brand, and 17s. without any brand, and in
several cases these have been refused by the curers,
who seem confident of a further rise.

His Excellency Baron Brunnow has left Ashburnham
House for Brighton.
The American newspapers calculate that during
nine months; Mr.-Maeready, the tragedian, has cleared
65,000 dollars, or 14,000/. ; others say that from -85,000
o 40,000 dollars is'niarer the truth.
VESSEL RUN Dowri.—A fishing lugger, belong-
ing to Peel, called the Utility, John Collister, master,
has been missing for some weeks, supposed to have been
run down, whilst riding at her nets ; it has since trans-
pired that this fearful apprehension of her fate has been
too well founded. The unfortunate vessel was sunk, in
the ditrkness of the night by a steamer, on her passage
from Velfast to Liverpool, and the whole of the crew,
seven in number '"
in the depths of the ocean buried."-
Four were married, and had families.—lllinx Liberal.
NOTHING SO CERTAIN.— [From our Paris Cor-
respondent.]—We are informed by b. remarkably fine
officer in the National-Einards—(the gentleman, by-the-
by, is also a remarkably small dealer in coke and char-
coal)•=that, in the event of a war, it is intended to pla-
card the Paris fortifications with " lists of impositions
upon English visitors," under the conviction that, if they
could not keep the British out of Paris, nothing else
would.—Punch,