The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-11-30
FISHERIES or SCOTLAND.
An Interesting History Of the Her
ring Trade Over in
That Country.
Various Systems Of Bounty That
Prevailed from Time to
Time.
The Marvellous Rapitlity with which the
Cleaning, Curing and Packing Of
WI tho Catch 10 Done.

Especial Correspondence OF THE INDEPENDENT.l
LxRw1cK. Shetland, OCT. 6.-The herring
fisheries Of Scotland form such stipend
GUS interest, in capital invested, in the
number OF men, women and boats en-
ployed, and product for home consumption
and export to the continent secured, that
have been at pains to study the subject for
intelligent presentation to American read
ers. The earliest date assigned such fish-
ing ON the coasts Of Britain is about 1880,
although herrinRs are mentioned in the
chronicles Of Evesham in 700. the Normans
having probably then acquired the art Of
sailing fish; and it is probable that
the use of salt was known in the time of
William the Conquerer, az Duhamel quotes
one Of williams charters which states that
in the eleventh century vessels from Dieppe
called ''Grand Droguers'' went to the north
to 6sh for behring's in July and brought
them home in barrels sailed. The Dutch
obtained privilege of Edward /. to take
herrings at Yarmouth. EnRland: and in the
reign Of the third Edward an act was passed
relative to supplying the British feet with
later still, British herring fishing, '', which
was always chiefly along the Scottish coasts,
was even encouraged through the means of
religious fast days.
The Scottish herring fisheries owed their
rise and development to the jealousy of the
Dutch who largely frequented the coast
during the last century and who still send
large feet of fishing ''busses" to the Shet-
land Islands. Their method of curing with
salt is said to have been originated in 1876
by one William Beukles, a native of Flan-
to have laid tho foundation of the Dutch
herring fisheries, which have always
proved one of their greatest sources of ma
tional wealth. The saying is that Amster-
dam itself was "built on herring bones;"
while Beuklers' memory was SO honored by
Netherlands and his sister, the queen of
Hungary, paid memorable visit to his
tomb. The Scotch adopted the Dutch
method of curing herring and these two
people with the fishermen OF our New Eng
land coast are principal competitors for the
The board of British white herring fish
cries was established by parliament in
1909, and is still in existence under the
present title of the Fishery Board for Scot
land. Many restrictive measures have
been enacted during the present century,
such a. .'close'' seasons, barring the use
Of circle trawl-nets. and nets of certain size
Of mesh. but without result; and since 1858
the Scottish herring fisheries have been
practically free from legislative con-
tS0is even sunday nShlng In feliR-
6cottiah board has in its service general
inspector. one assistant, and 80 SUBJ inspec-
tori or officials. ALI of these are not only
graduate 6shermen, but have also been
8sh-curers By occupation. For the purpose
Of easy control and procurinR statistics. the
coasf-line Of Scotland is divided into Is
Districts, the east coast having seventeen
and the Weat coast nine districts. Each
distgiot 4 provided with at least one o6acer,
and esme With two.
Aboanfy system for the encouragement