Nairn and Moray.—The principal fishery of this part of North Britain is that for salmon, chiefly in the rivers Nairn, Findhorn, and Spey, the whole of which, supposed to amount yearly to about L.25,000, is exported to the London market in smacks of 80 or 100 tons burden, packed to the number of three or five in a box with pounded ice. These smacks keep the sea in all kinds of weather, and generally reach their destination from the fifth to the ninth day. When salmon begins to be too plentiful in the market, it is then boiled and sent up in kits. The price is so high where caught, that salmon is consi dered as a luxury, and is exhibited only at a feast.
Aberdeen.—The salmon-fishery is the most consi derable in this county, and most productive on the Dee and the Don. The usual practice, formerly, was to salt the fish, pack them in barrels of about four hundred weight each, and export them to the south of Europe. In 1798, the quantity caught on the Dee was equal to 1890i of these barrels, and on the Don 1667 barrels. At present they are sent up fresh to the London market; and it is stated, that the price, since 1768, has increased in a five-fold proportion, and that not more than one pound of salmon is consumed in the county for forty that are exported. The fishings on the Ugie, the Ythan, and coast near these rivers, vary from 200 to 600 barrels.
The ordinary sea-fishing for haddocks, cod, ling, skate, turbot, halibut, &c. is stated to employ a num ber of fishermen, who carry on their occupation chiefly in small creeks, and that it brings in yearly from L.15,000 to L.S0,000, the greater part of which is consumed within the county ; excepting about 500 barrels of cod, and a considerable quan tity of ling exported from Peterhead ; from which place also, and Aberdeen, the Greenland whale fish ery has been carried on with great success.
The whole of the fisheries connected with the county yield from L.80,000 to L.100;000 annually.
Kincardine.—The sea-fishing, or white-fisheryas it is usually called, is stated to have greatly fallen off in this county. In upwards of thirty miles of sea coast, the annual value of the white-fish caught, and chiefly consumed in the county, does not exceed L.6000, giving employment to about 303 fishermen, or 200 families, or 900 souls, The number of boats is about 43, and of yawls 27.
The salmon-fishery is of more importance ; that in the North Esk is farmed at 'upwards of L.2400 a yes. This, however, is the principal fishery, all the other waters in the county not producing a ren tal of more than L.300 a-year.
The Lothians.—Except a limited herring-fishery at Dunbar, and a local fishery for the scanty supply of the neighbouring towns, the only other fishery deserving of notiee, as- a braneh of trade in East Lothian, is the oyster-fishery at Prestonpans. From
this place have been sent to fatten, in bays near the mouths of the Thames and Medway, thirty cargoes in one season, each cargo consisting of 820 barrels, and each barrel containing 1200 saleable oysters, which brought in about L.2500; the- quantity con sumed near the spot, and in Edinburgh, brought somewhat more, and this branch of trade gave occa sional employment to about 40 boats.
In that part of the Frith of Forth which washes the coast of West Lothian, besides a herring-fishery, on a limited scale, a scanty supply of cod, haddocks, whitings, skate, flounders, crabs, lobsters, and oys ters are taken for the use of the neighbouring towns.
Dumfries.—The only fishery of any importance in this county, is the salmon-fishery in the Solway Frith, and the rivers, chiefly the Annan, falling into it ; the rents of which do not exceed L.1400 a year, and are supposed to be too high ; the fishing having greatly decreased in consequence of the destructive engines made use of by the renters. It is stated by one gentleman, that the number of salmon taken is not equal to one in one hundred some forty years ago.
Inverness.—The salmon-fisheries in the lochs and rivers of this county are those of most importance, and let for about L.8000 a year. Those on Loch Beauly and Loch Ness are the most valuable. A singular method of taking salmon is described near Invennoriston, where the river flows in a narrow chasm between two projecting rocks: " The fisher man seats himself on a cleft of this rock, right over the cascade, with a spear in his hand, which has a line fixed to, the upper end of the shaft, similar to the practice of fishing for whales with harpoons. Whenever the salmon makes a spring to gain the ascent over the cataract, the Spearman strikes the fish and lets the shaft go, holding only by the line until the fish has exhausted his strength ; then the spear and fish are thrown ashore by the stream, and taken out at the lower side of the pool.'l Argyk.—The whole of this county is so intersect ed with sounds, straits, lochs, and rivers, that the fisheries might be carried on within them to almost any extent; and fishing is accordingly the occupa tion of a great number of its inhabitants; there being in the whole about 1500 fishing-boats employed;of which Lochfine alone employs 600; and the value of the fish caught is stated to be from L.40,000 to L.50,000 annually.