2SS
water, for the purpose of depositing their spawn. The analogyto salmon seems also to hold in herrings, in the circumstance, ofa distinct character of herrings being ever found in the samelochs, just as salmon of distinct characters frequent each theirappropriate river. Hence the conclusion seems not improbable,that herrings may not only be catched in lochs, but that, at alltimes, the same herrings may be found in the deep seas, in thenear vicinity of those lochs which they regularly frequent. Toascertain the reality, and, if found real, to reap the advantage ofthis deep-sea fishing, as a more constant subject of industry thanthe loch fishing, the bounty upon tonnage is now confined tolarger vessels, equipped for the deep-sea fishing; though, fromtvhat has been stated, the expediency of any bounty seems veryquestionable, and that upon mere tonnage the most inexpedientof all.
The boat-fishing still shares the advantages of the drawbackof the duties upon salt; but this indulgence, it is said, serves toraise up an host of smugglers, who obtain the salt, duty free, un-der pretence of applying it to the curing of fish, but who in factsell it to be employed for various other purposes, j- It is repre-sented, at. the same time, that the regulations to prevent smug-gling of the salt, given duty free, are so extremely complicated,that those who intend bona fide to use the salt in curing fish, maylose altogether the opportunity of fishing, before the forms can begone through ; and when the fishing is over, that vast distancesmust sometimes be travelled, in order to render the account ofthe salt at the office required: Meantime, a crowd of officers,having an interest in forfeitures, are ready to embarrass theforms, that compliance with them maybe more difficult, and for-feitures more readily incurred, and to impute forfeitures wherenone have in reality taken place; and that these causes, triedbefore Justices , who pretend not to comprehend the verbose dic-tion of acts of Parliament , are generally decided according tothe interpretation put upon the law by those that pursue for, andhave an interest in, the forfeiture. *
The ingenious author of the survey last mentioned, proposesa scheme in regard to the salt, which would make a total altera-tion of the wh^sle system of the fishery, but which would tend toremove much present inconvenience and obstruction to that spe-cies of industry.
tie proposes that government warehouses of salt, well stored
. j- See the valuable and spirited 'Report of the Counties of Ross and Cromar-ty , by Sir George S. Mackenzie, Cart, p. 316 .
, * A gentleman-farmer of a keen and anxious temper, was laid under the ne-cessity of short absences from home, from an office he held : on departing, h ewas in use to leave; minute written directions as to every part of work, to hisservant. Upon his return,* nothing was* done. The tvhoie time of his absencehad been taken up in studying the voluminous code of instructions.