FIS
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FIS
Herring foems to have been unknown to the Antients : It is neither the Halec, nor Hatex, nor Moenis, nor Lencomce- siis, nor the Gerres of Pliny. See Roizdelet.de Pifcii. ma~ rin. L. V. c. 15. and VoJJius Me IdoloL
Herrings are chiefly found in the North Sea. 'Tis true, there are Fijheries elfewhere, but none lo copious.
They ufually make two Fifhing Seafons ; the firft in Au- gujl; andthefecond in Autumn: The latter of which is the more confiderable, on account of the Fogs, which are very favourable to this kind of Fifhing.
'Tis commonly laid, that no body ever faw a Herring alive; and that they die the Minute they are taken out of Water : But there are Instances to the Contrary.
The Herring is a Fifh of Paffage ; fo that it is allowed to fifh. them on Holydays, and Sundays : In the Decretal there is an exprefs Chapter to this Effect. They go chiefly in Droves, and are fond of following Fire, or Light ; and in their Paffage refembie a kind of Lightning themfelves.
The Dutch were the firft who began the Herring Fi- Jbery, and obferv'd the fcveral Seafons of their Paffage. Their firft regular Fifhing is fix'd to the Tear 11^3.
The Method ofSalring and Barreling them, was notdif- cover'd, till the Year 1416. If i Hough by, in his Hiftory of Fijkes,S>b{etves, thatfVdl. Stickeljz^a. Native of SierVUet, render'd his Name immortal, by the Difcovery of the Se- cret of Curing and Pickling Herring : He adds, that the Emperor Charles V. coming in to the Low Countries, made a Journey to SierUliet, with the Queen of Hungary , on purpofe to view the Tomb of this firft Barreler of Herring. The Dutch begin their Herring Fijhing on the 14 th of ^WK^and employ no lefs than 1000 Veffels therein. Thefe Veffels are a kind of Barks, by the Dutch called Fly boats, carrying from 45 to 60 Tun, and two or three fmall Canon. See Boat.
None of them arc allowed to Air out of Port without a "Convoy; unlefs there be enough of them together, to make 18, or 20 Pieces of Canon: In which cafe they are allowed to go in Conferve, or Company. Before they fet out, they make a verbal Convention; which has the fame Force, as if it were in Writing.
Thefe Regulations of the Admiralty of Holland are part- ly followed by the French, and other Nations ; and partly improved, and augmented with new ones; as, that No Fifher /hall caft his Net within a hundred Fathoms of another Boat : That while the Nets are caff, a Light /hall be kept on the hind Part of the Veffel : That when a Boat is by any Accident obliged to leave off Fifhing, the Light /hall be caft into the Sea : That when the greater Part of a Fleet leaves off Fifhing, and calls Anchor, the reft /hall do the fame, &c. \
The Manner otFiflring has nothing particular in it. The Nets wherein the Fifh is drawn, /hould, regularly, have their Matties an Inch fquare, that none of the lcffer Fry may be taken. See Nets.
The Commerce of Herring, both pickled, and red, is very conliderable : But there are fo many different Sorts prepared; in fuch different ways, and different Places, that 'tis hard to fay any thing precife thereupon.
Thofe prepared by the Dutch, are in the greateft Re- pute : They are diftinguifh'd into four Kinds, according to their Sizes. The Goodnefs of this Commodity confifts in its being fat, flefhy, firm, white; falted the fame Day
'tis taken, and with good Salt, and well barrel'd. ■
The Irifh Herring are the next in Value after thofe of Holland} and principally thofe otGermttth and Dublin, which are fcarce inferior to the beft Herring of Rotterdam, or Enk~ tiyfen. ThzScotch Herring is not near fo well prepared, gutted, falted, nor barrel'd as the Dutch ; and yet its Tafte is ex- cellent; Nor is it doubted, but that if the Scotch were as careful in thefe Circumftances, as their Neighbours, their Herring would be the bell in the World. The Herring fifh'd in England is inconfiderable ; the Fifh being too dry and frefh for the Market.
Method of Curings and 'Preparing Pickled, and Red He rri ng.
i°. For Pickled Herring: As foon as the Herring are taken out of the Sea, one of the Crew, appointed for this Office, cuts them open, and takes out the Guts, and every thing but the Milt, and the Eggs which arc always to be left in the Body of the Fi/h. Then, wa/hing them in frefh Water, they are left the Space of twelve or fifteen Hours in a Tub full of flrong Brine made of frefh Water, and Sea Salt.
When^ they are taken out, they drain them; and when Well drain'd, put them up in Barrels 5 taking care to dif- pofe and range them evenly, in Rows, or Layers ; and pref- fing them well down; and /hewing a Layer of Salt both at Top, and Bottom.
When the Barrel is full, they ftop it up very clofe • that no Air may get in, nor any Brine out ; either of which is very prejudicial to the Fifh.
z°. Fcr Red Herrings: The Fifh being caught, thef proceed to wafh, gut, and lay them in Brine, as tor pickled Herring ; only they let them lie double the Time in Brine, viz. twenty four Hours; inafmuch as they arc to take all their Salt here, whereas the other Kind takes half its Salt in the Barrel.
When the FIcrring is taken out of the Brine, they fpit them, i. e. ftring them by the Head on little wooden Spits, and thus hang them in a kind of Chimneys, made for the purpofe; and when the Chimney is as full as it will hold, which lefs than ten or twelve thoufand feldom effects, they make a little Fire underneath, of brufh Wood, which yields a dealofSmoak, but no Flame.
Here the Herring remains, till fufficicntly fmoaked, and dried; which ordinarily is in 24 Hours. Then they are taken down, and barrel'd up for keeping.
Their Goodnefs confifls in their being large, firm, and dry; their Outfide of a yellow, golden Colour ; their Eggs, or Milt within, and well falted and barrel'd. — —
Salmon Fishery^
The Salmon, according to feme, breeds in the Sea; but the Opinion of others feems better warranted, that he breeds in the clear fandy Parts of Rivers, not lar from the Mouths thereof. They commonly fpawn mOBober, and the young becomes a Samlet the following Year, and in a few Months a large Salmon. The Milter and Spawner having perform'd theirOrEce, betake themfelves to the Sea; and if their Re- turn be prevented by Wears, or the like, they become fick, lean, pine away, and die in two Years time: If they fpawn in the mean time, the Produce is a diminutive Sal- mon, called Skegger, which will never arrive at the natural Bulk ; it being the Sea that makes them grow big, and the Rivers, fat. The Female is diftinguifh'd from the Male, in that itsNofe is longer and more hooked, its Scales not fo bright, and its Body fpeckled over with dark-brown Spots ■ its Belly flatter, and its Flefh not fo red ; more dry, and lefs delicious to the Tafte. In fpawning Time, when they repair from the Sea up the Rivers, fcarce any thing can flop their Progrefs. We have feen them leap up Ca- taracts and Precipices, many Yards high. ■
The chief Salmon Fijheries in Europe, are along the Coafts of England, Scotland, and Ireland. The Fifhing ufually begins about the firft of January, and ends by the laft of September \ It is perform'd with Nets, in the Places where the Rivers empty themfelves into the Sea; and a- long the Sea Coafis there about. 1 The Fifh are feen to croud thither frequently in Shoals from all Parts, in iearch of the frefh Water : They alfo fi/h for them higher up in the Rivers ; fometimes with Nats; and fometimes with a kind of Dikes, or Wears made for the Purpofe, with iron Grates therein, fo difpofed, as that the Fifh, in going up the River, open them with their Head ; but are no fooner enter'd, than the Gate claps to. Thus the Salmon are in- clofed as in a Refervoir, where it is eafy taking them. In fome Places they fifh for Salmon in the Night time, by the Light of Torches, or kindled Straw. The Fi/hermen watch when the Fifh draws towards the Light, whereof he is naturally a great Lover, and ftrikehim with a Fork, or Lifter. In fome Parts of Scotland, it is faid, they ride a-fifliing up the Rivers, and when they fpy them in the
/hallow Parts, fhoot them with Piftols
When the Fifh is taken, they open them ; take out the Guts and Gills, and fait them, in large Tubs for the Pur- pofe : Out of which they are not taken before OBober, to be pack'd up in Cafks from three to four hundred and fifty Pound Weight.
Salmon is alfo fiftfd in Rivers, after the manner of Trout, with a Line, and Hook. He bites beft in the Af- ternoon, about Three, in May, June, July, and Augufl ; the Water being clear, and a little Breeze of Wind ftir- ring ; efpecially if the Wind and Stream fet contrary ways. The Salmon is catch'd like a 'Trout, with Worm, Fly, and Minion; and efpecially the Garden Worm, if well fcour'd, and kept twenty Days in Mofs. The Salmon never flays long in a Place, but is continually /hifting ; to be as near the Spring Head as poflible, and fwimming generally in the deepeft and broadeft Parts of the Rivers, near the Ground. Put two, or three Garden Worms well fcour'd on your Hook at once, as if you were baiting for Trout ; and be fure to give him Time to gorge his Bait, before you ftrike. Some ufe a Wire-ring on the Top of the Rod, through which the Line may be let run to any Length at Pieafure, by a Reel near at hand.
Mackarel Fishery.
The Mackarel is a Salt-water Fifh, without Scales. Its Body is round, and flefhy; terminating almoft in afoint> at each Extreme.
Some
