, 1890-12-04

jigger. A large number are smack
rugged, the latter being In common
use here In Shetland Tor It's conven-
iencc In lacking up the narrow woes
or bays. A boat of fifty feet keel,
Firth build, with sailing gear in
cluded, VIII cost about 1900, the
iishing gear costing from el50 ia
elSO, requiring an outlay OF mt least
e475 before equipment for herring
fishing IL complete. 1t was calcu'
lated In 1878 that there were over
1000 boats engaged in the Scotch
herring fisheries. These carried nets
nearly 1900 miles long, sufficient to
cover u superficial area of seventy
square miles.
The number of boats employed In
1888, In Scotland, In the herring
and other sea fisheries mum bered
Ia, 904, with tonnage of l24, ,452
tons. OF these Att were boats OF
the first class, or above thirty feet
Of keel, exclusive of 10Y vessels en-
ployed In fishing with the beam
trawl. For the same year the num-
ber of fishermen and boys by which
the boats were manned was 4S,6lS.
There were 1,047 fish-curers. The
coopers numbered LILO. Others
employed in the work, such us
packers, "gutters," carriers and la-
borers, numbered As, SOC; giving u
total of persons employed in the
fishing industry of 81, SSl souls.
THE SUMMER FISHING SEASON.
East coast summer herring fish
ing begins about the lst of July and
continues until the 10th of Sep
tember. Here in Shetland the sea-
son opens u month earlier. Fisher
men, laborers, curers' crews and
what-not come to all the east coast
ports and to Shetland from every
portion of the north aud west of
Scotland, including the outer Heb
rides, They are simply the crofters
l have spoken of in previous articles,
who take this method of securing
money with which to pay the rent
of their crotts, and without which
they could not exist throughout the
year. AT Wick fifteen years ago
the fishermen helpers received each
wage OF from E6 to GS for season
of about six months, with board
and lodging.
woMEN's WAGES.
The women forming these curers'
crews, who are largely from the
west coast and the Hebrides receive
Gl of bounty, called ''eurnest-
money!" which is known rs ''arles"
on the Aberdeenshlre coast; about
s pence per barrel for clean ng and
packing; and 8 pence per hour when
at the final filings. They are usu-
ally found rude lodgings in addi-
ton, where, in "messes," they live
with the utmost economy; for they
are working here to keep the croft
thatch above their heads at home.
They often labor sixteen and eight
teen hours per day. They are of all
ages, from 10 to 80 years. Working
upon perishable food, depending
upon uncertain delivery from the
fishermen, they do not come within
the restricting provisions rs to hours
of labor of the British factory acts.
Branding and inspection are sim
pie processes. Each curer must
brand his name and place of port of
cure on the side of each barrel, as
also ''scrieve" on the barrel, the
date of .'catch, "day of curen and
grade of fish. Government inspec-
ton consists of assuring barrels of n
legal size, proper hopping, the curer's
brands and marks, and proper classi-
fication under "large fulls," III
inches and upward "fulls," l0i
inches, and ''mattie fulls," 81 inches,
all full of milt or roe. Seven per
cent. of all lots are actually examined
"hit or miss" In 1909 but "a, 70l
barrels were branded. The highest
number known in single year to
the Scottish herring fisheries was
6S9, ,325 barrels. These were branded
in 1885. EDGAR l.. WAKEMAN.