Morning journal and courier., 1890-11-29

which 734, ,2S0 barrels were sent to the
continent; while on the west coast the
yearly catch averages two hundred and
1888 of at least eleven hundred thousand
barrels, exclusive of the herrings used
fresh in fishing ports, those "kippered"
and those sent fresh to Scottish and Eng
lish markets, which amount annually to
one hundred and forty thousand 'crans;n
and it should be borne in mind t,iat the
Gran measure is equal to thirty-seven and
one-half imperial gallons. 1t is still the
standard of measure, although seldom
used as utensil for measurement. An
idea of the predominating importance of
the herring fisheries may be gained from
the fact-that the total value of the her
ring, white, shell and salmon fisheries of
Scotland in 1886 was &c, $50, ,77S, of which
herrings represented c1 400, ,9S1.
The boats in use at the middle of the
present century were about twenty-four
feet of keel, undecked and carried twenty
four hemps nets, forty yards long, seven
yards deep, with thirty-three meshes after
a years use. The boats built within the
past five years are from forty-eight to fif-
ty five feet of keel. They are decked and
carry an average drift of fifty cotton nets,
each sixty yards long and eleven yards
deep, with about thirty-fiv meshes to the
yard after years use. There are three
classes, Firth boats, straight in stem and
steru, fifty-fve feet of keel and fifty-seven
and one-Lalf feet extreme length above;
the Skafie boats, ssfiddle-shaped" bow and
sloped stern, with thirty-four feet keel
and fifty feet length above; and the Zulu
boats, with straight bow and sloped stern,
with forty-five feet of keel and fifty-five
feet length above. The general rig is lug
sail, jib and jigger. A large number are
smack-rigged, the latter being in common
use here in Shetland for its convenience in
tacking up the narrow woes or bays. A
boat of fifty feet keel, Firth build, with
sailing gear included, will cost about three
hundred pounds, the fishing gear costing
from one hundred and fifty to one hun
dred and eighty pounds, requiring an out
lay of at least four hundred and seventy
five pounds, before equipment for herring
fishing is complete. 1t was calculated in
1878 that there were over seven thousand
boats engaged in the Scotch herring fish
cries. These carried nets nearly twelve
thousand miles long; sufficient to cover a
superficial area of seventy square miles.
The number of boats employed, in 1888,
in Scotland, in the herring and other sea
fisheries numbered IA, ,904, with a tonnage
of 124, ,452 tons. OF these Att were
boats of the first class, or above thirty
feet of keel, exclusive of one hundred and
seven vessels employed in fishing with the
beam trawl. For the same year the num-
Der of fishermen and boys by which the
boats were manned was 4S,61S. There
were !, ,047 fish-curers. The coopers num-
bered 1, ,410. Others employed in the
work, such as packers, "gutters," carriers
and laborers, numbered 4S, S06; giving a
total of persons employed in the fishing
industry of 81, ,SS1 souls.
East coast summer herring fishing be-
gins about the first of July and continues
until the tenth of September. Here in
Shetland the season opens month earlier.
Fishermen, laborers, curers-crews and
what-not come to all the east coast ports
and to Shetland from every portion of the
north and west of Scotland, including the
outer Hebrides. They are simply the
crofters have spoken of in previous arti-
cles, who take this method of securing
money with which to pay the rent of their
crofts, and without which they could not
exist throughout the year. At Wick fif-
teen years ago the fishermen helpers re-
ceiyed each a wage of from six to eight
pounds for season of about six months,
with board and lodging. A few years
since it was six to eight pounds, with one
shilling for each cram of herring landed,
which with other perquisites increased
their earnings to fifteen or twenty pounds
At present in Shetland, the principal seal
of the herring industry, the system gene
| rally prevailing is to allow one-half of tn,
proceeds of the fishing to the owner o.
owners of the boat, who provides all ma
| terial, the other half being equally divided
between members of the crew, the owner
receiving n share as such if he be one Of
the crew. On the east coast it is also be
coming general to give hired fishers on.
shilling on each pound sterling value Of
herring landed. At some ports men re
ceive certain proportion of the boat'i
earnings providing their own subsistence,
on shore, but getting their "o;l-skins" fol
| sea use as prrquisite.
The preparations OF the fsh-curer are O
| interest and importance. All winter lons
coopers have been employed in making tn
necessary supply of barrels. They re
| ceive from ten-pence to one shilling fo
each barrel made, and during the herriny
season are paid regular wages ranginl
| from twenty-five to thirty shillings pc
week. The herring barrel must holt
| twenty-six and two-third imperial gallons
| the half barrel, thirteen and third: bu
no official cognizance is taken of quarter
or less. Having secured sufficient GROUND
| fot curing purposes, which is called a cur
| ing yard or station" )" we will suppose b,
| intends using the fish landed by ten boats
| He provides n rectangular box with side
about two feet high, into which the her
| rings are emptied from the fishermen'
baskets, or from his own carts, ant
around which the screws" of "curers
| work. Formerly the ''creel," or squar
wicker basket, was used in the delivery O
4 Geh T1nso hau haaY. urrr,a Ia1 hx-4
| Circular s'quarter-cran" basket, four O
| which make the "cran" of thirty-seve
and one-half imperial gallons, the stand
| acd measure upon which all estimates o
Scottish herring, and expense in securin
the same, are based. For handling tn
fish of ten boats. the curer will emplo
three coopers. and one crew of ''gutters,
or thirty ''gutters" in all. The latter ar
invariably women, erofters' wives, daugh
ters, sisters. Five tons or two hundre
bushels of salt to the one hundred Gran
will be needed; and he provides barrel
and salt on the basis of an average year
fishing giving him from eighteen. hundre
to two thousand Grams of fish from the te
boats.
On the arrival of the ''fieet'' the fish al
sold by auction, plan very recently il
troduced, and identical with that of OF
| OWN QeIIlnB-uSItTs dl I-astpoII. Malu
Sample. of herring are retained by Il
auctioneer in case of disputes. The sale
man charges the fishermen small pc
centage, as at Newhaven, on the Firth
Forth; he becomes responsible to the fisl
ermen for the money; and payments a
made daily or weekly, as agreed. At 9
ordinary east-coast herring fishing po
fnlly one thousand CUTTERS" and packe
, will be at work. Perhaps six hundred
these are women. AS stated, three form
"crew" Two use the knife and oil
| s'packs." They work with marvellous 7
, pidity. The herring is held in the le
hand. Inserting the knife in the throat
fthe fish, sidewise, with the right han
with one swift movement in ga pull-il
: cut" as one of the women described it
. me, the herring is opened and cleaned, al
! whisked into basket. 1t is SO quick
done that the eye cannot follow the pr
cess. The herrings are next sorted, shii
! ed to receiving boxes, aad then empti,
: into "rousing- boxes" where they are tho
| oughly "roused" or mixed with salt.
packing, which Immediately follows, t
tiers are formed, between layers of sal
by placing the herrings' backs downwar
, One herring is laid in the center of forr
ing tier, and then a line of the fish is II
] in either direction to the barrel-sides, Il
, spaces left on each side of this line beiI
I laid with fish, heads outwards. Every 9