The Hebrides.—The following is the whole ac count of the fisheries of these numerous islands con, tamed in the Algrioshural Survey: " These" (the fisheries), says Mr Macdonald, " do not belong to an agricultural survey; but they are of very es sential importance to the Hebrides, and therefore merit notice in this place. They bring into those isles L.200,000 a year, at an expence perhaps of L.120,000; that is, they yield a clear profit in mo ney and sustenance of L.80,000 to the natives. They occupy, together with the kelp manufacture, 2562 boats and vessels of every description, and for some months in the year 10,500 sailors. The fen cible men, or those between the age of sixteen and twenty, being one-fourth of the population, are 22,762; so that nearly one half of the effective male population is connected with the fishery. The prin cipal fishing ports are Rothessy in Bute, Stornoway in Lewis, Tobermory in Mull, and Portnahaven in Islay ; but the districts of Harris, Betray, South Uist, Skye, and various other islands, fit out a num ber of boats annually, or supply the Clyde busses with excellent mariners and fishermen." Berwick.—London, it has been already observed, receives a very considerable portion of its fresh sal.] mon from the fishery on the Tweed, that on the English side of the river alone giving employment to 70 small boats and about 800 fishermen. The va lue is not mentioned, but it is stated, in the Survey of Durham, that the rents amount to L.15,766 an nually, and that so far back as 1807, the number of boxes sent to London was 8445, of eight stone each, or 67,560 stone, which, at 16s. a stone, is L54,000, besides what is killed for exportation, -and what is sold fresh in the neighbourhood. The salmon, as they are caught, are pecked in ice and sent away in the vessels well known under the name of Berwick smacks. Formerly it was all pickled and kitted, after being boiled, and sent to London under the name of Newcastle salmon ; but the present mode has so raised the value of• the fish, eel nearly to have banished this article of food from the inhabitants in the environs of the fishery, except as an expensive luxury. Within memory, salted salmon formed a material article of economy in all the farm-houses of the vale of Tweed, insomuch that in-door servants often bargained that they should not be obliged to take more than two weekly meals of salmon. It could then be bought fresh at 2s. the stone, of nine teen pounds weight ; it is now never below 12s. of ten 86s. and sometimes two guineas.
The coast fishery is not of very material import ance. It gives employment to upwards of 100 fish ermen, at eight small fishing stations, with about 20 boats. The fish-carriers, under the name of cadgers • purchase and distribute the white-fish, codlings,had dock, whitings, skate, holibut, and flounders, with a very few turbot, into the inland country, and often as far as Edinburgh. Cod and ling are generally contracted for, by the season, at a fixed price, by the fish-curers, who either salt and dry them, or barrel them, as the weather may serve. The dsheries on the coasts of Cumberland, Northumberland, York shire, and Lancashire, are not once adverted to in the agricultural surveys of these counties.
Durham.—The salmon-fisheries in the Tyne, the Wear, and the Tees, are stated to have declined very much of late years, in consequence, it is supposed, of throwing dams across them, which prevent the fish from getting up the rivers to spawn.
Lincolnshire.—On the coast of this county the fisheries appear to be almost wholly neglected.
There is a little fish, however, in the east and west fens, called a Stickleback, so numerous, that a man has made 4s. a day by selling them at a halfpenny a bushel. They also come from the sea into Boston haven, where they are purchased for manure, being more powerful than any other kind known, even that of the whale refuse. It is almost unnecessary to state that, in this fenny county, pike, carp, perch, and tench, are most abundant.
Norfolk.—The Norfolk surveys take little notice of the fisheries. It appears that the.sticklebacks are caught in immense quantities in the Lynn river, about once in seven years, and are purchased for manure at the rate of sixpence or eightpence a bush el. It is mentioned, however, in Kent's Norfolk, that herrings to the amount of L.50,000 are an nually exported, but that fish, for the use of the in habitants, are neither regularly supplied, nor cheap ; that the best fish are lobsters, soles, and cod ; that the whitings are small, and the oysters very large.
Suffolk—Besides the herring fishery carried on from Lowestoff, by forty or fifty boats of 40 tons each, the mackerel fishery is pursued during the season, with great' igour. The value of this fish, caught in the course of six weeks, is stated to exceed L.10,000, independent of the usual kinds of white-fish for the supply of the neighbourhood and the London mar ket, the total value of the fishings being not less than L80,000 a year. Most of the herrings caught here are dried and sent to the ports of the Mediter ranean.
Essex.—The oyster-fishery is of all others the most important to this county. The principal sta tion of the dredging-boats is at Mereea in Blackwa ter, which, with the Crouch and the Coln, are the most extensive breeding rivers in Essex. The oys ters are brought from the coasts of Hampshire, Dor set, and other maritime counties, even as far as Scot \ land, and laid in the beds or laying: in the creeks adjoining those rivers. The number of vessels im mediately employed in the dredging for oysters are about 200, from 12 to 40 or 60 tons burden each, employing from 400 to 600 men and boys. The quantity of oysters bred and taken in this county and consumed annually, mostly in London, is sup posed to amount to 14,000 or 15,000 bushels. All the other fisheries connected with this part of the coed are stated to employ a capital supposed to amount from L.60,000 to L.80,000.