of Cornwall, Sussex, Normandy, Picardy, &c. where the fishery is most considerable. They are an excellent food fresh; and not to be despised, when well prepared, pickled, and put up in bar rels; a method of preserving them chiefly used in Cornwall. The fish is taken in two ways; either with a line or nets: the latter is the more considerable, and is usually performed in the nighttime. See SCOMBER.

Oyster Fishery. This fishery is principally car. ried on at Colchester in Essex; Feversham and Milton in Kent; the Isle of Wight; the Swales of the Medway; and Tenby on the coast of Wales, From Feversham, and adjacent parts, the Dutch have sometimes loaded a hundred large hoys with oysters in a year. They are also taken in great quantities near Portsmouth, and in all the creeks and rivers between Southampton and Chichester; many of which are carried about by sea to Lon don and to Colchester, to be fed in pits about Wavenhoe and other places. See OSTREA.

Fishery (Pearl). See PEARL FISHERY. Pilchord Fishery. The pilchard is a small salt water fish, bigger than the anchovy, but less than the herring, which in other respects it resembles. Its head is yellow; its belly white; and its back a sea-green. It eats admirably, fresh, or lightly salted.

There are certain seasons for fishing the pilchard; which, like the herring and anchovy, is a fish of passage; and its arrival is indicated by similar signs with that of the herrings. They are prepared and salted much as the anchovy is; with this difference, that the head is cut off the latter; but the pilchard were distinguishable from the anchovy, even though its head were off likewise; the pilchard having a very flat back, and the anchovy a round one.

The chief pilchard fisheries are along the coasts of Dalmatia, to the south of the island Issen; on the coasts of Bretagne, from Belle island as far as Brest; and along the coasts of Cornwall and

Devonshire.

about the height of summer, especially if the weather happens to be very hot, to catch four or five score salmon at a draught. The chief rivers in England for salmon are, the Tyne, the Trent, the Severn, and the Thames. The fishing is performed with nets, and sometimes with a kind of locks or wears made on purpose, which in certain places have iron or wooden grates so disposed, in an angle, that being impelled by any force in a contrary direction to the course of the river, they may give way and open a little at the point of contact, and immediately shut again, closing the angle. The salmon, therefore, coming up into the rivers, are admitted into these grates, which open, and suffer them to pass through, but shut again, caught with a spear, which they dart into him and prevent their return. The salmon is also when they see him swimming near the surface of the water. It is customary likewise to catch them with a candle and ianthorn, or whisps of straw set on fire; for the fish naturally following the light, are struck with the spear, or taken in a net spread from the bottom. for that purpose, and lifted with a sudden jerk

"The capture of salmon in the Tweed, about the month of July (says Mr. Pennant) is prodigious. In a good fishery, often a boat load, and sometimes near two, are taken in a tide: some few years ago there were above 700 fish taken at one haul, but from 50 to 100 is very frequent. The coopers in Berwick then begin to salt the salmon thoroughly in pipes and other large vessels, and afterwards barrel them to send abroad, having then far more than the London markets can take off their hands." See SALMO.

Sturgeon-Fishery. The greatest sturgeon-fishery is in the mouth of the Volga, on the Caspian sea; where the Muscovites employ a great number of hands, and catch them in a kind of inclosure formed by huge stakes representing the letter Z repeated several times. These fisheries are open on the side next the sea, and close on the other; by which means the fish ascending in its season up the river is embarrassed in these narrow angular retreats, and so easily killed with a harping-iron. Sturgeons, when fresh, eat deliciously; and in order to make them keep, they are salted or pickled in large pieces, and put up in cags from 30 to 50 pounds. But the great object of this fishery is the roe, of which the Muscovites cavear, or kavia, so much esteemed by the Italiare extremely fond, and of which is made the ans. See CAVEAR and ACCIPENSER.

Whale-Fishery. These immense fish are chiefly caught in the North sea. The largest sort are there two hundred feet in length. Those on the found about Spitzbergen, some of them being coasts of America are about ninety or a hundred; and those on the coasts of Guyenne, and the Mediterranean, are the smallest of all.

The legislature, justly considering this trade as of great national importance, bestowed upon it at different periods very considerable encouragements. In particular, every British vessel of 200 tons or upwards, bound to the Greenland seas on the whale-fishery, if found to be duly qualified according to the act, obtained a licence from the commissioners of the customs to proceed on such voyage: and on the ship's return, the master and mate making oath that they proceeded on such voyage and no other, and used all their endeavours to take whales, &c. and that all the whalefins, blubber, oil, &c. imported in their ship, were taken by their crew in those seas, there was al-

lowed 40s. for every ton according to the admeasurement of the ship.

It was afterwards found, however, that so great a bounty was neither necessary to the success of the trade, nor expedient with regard to the public. In 1786, therefore, the acts conferring the said emoluments being upon the point of expiring, the subject was brought under the consideration of parliament; and it was proposed to continue the former measures, but with a reduction of the bounty from 40s. to 30s. In proposing this altera tion, it was stated, "that the sums which this country had paid in bounties for the Greenland fishery amounted to 1,265,4611.; that in the last year we had paid 94,8581.; and that, from the consequent deduction of the price of the fish, the public at present paid 60 per cent. upon every cargo. In the Greenland fishery there were employed 6000 seamen, and these seamen cost government 131. 10s. per man per annum, though we were never able to obtain more than 500 of that number to serve on board our ships of war. Besides, the vast encouragement given to the trade had occasioned such a glut in the market, that it was found necessary to export considerable quantities; and thus we paid a large share of the purchase-money for foreign nations, as well as for our own people, besides supplying them with the materials of several important manufactures." This proposition was opposed by several members, but was finally carried; and the propriety of the measure became very soon apparent. At that time (1786) the number of ships employed from England in the whale-fishery to Davis's Straits and the Greenland seas amounted to 159, besides 15 from Scotland. The proposed alteration took place the next year (1787): and notwithstanding the diminution of the bounty, the trade increased, the number of ships employed the same year from England amounting to 217, and the next year (1788) to 222.

To give some idea of the manner and importance of this trade, we shall here subjoin the discipline for a long time observed in the whalefishery; the method of fishing; the caro and equipage of a vessel; and the produce thereof.

The discipline is adjusted by a standing regulation, consisting of twelve articles; the principal whereof are:

That in case a fishing-vessel be shipwrecked, and the captain and crew saved, the next vessel they meet shall take them in; and the second vessel take half of them from the first; but that no vessel shall be obliged to take any of the loading of a vessel shipwrecked; that the effects of a shipwrecked vessel, which are absolutely relinquished, and which another captain shall find, and take up, upon his arrival in Holland, he shall account for one half of them to the proprietors of the shipwrecked vessel, clear of all expences; that, if the crew desert a shipwrecked vessel, they shall have no claim to any of the effects saved, but the whole shall go to the proprietor; but if they be present when the effects are saved, and assist therein, they shall have one-fourth thereof, that if a person kill a fish on the ice, it shall be reputed his own, so long as he leaves any person with it; but the minute he leaves it, it becomes the due of the first captain that comes that way; but that, if a fish be tied to an anchor, or a rope fastened to the shore, it shall remain to its first proprietor, though he leaves it alone; that if any person be wounded or lamed in the service, the commissioners of the fishery undertake to

procure him a reasonable satisfaction; to which the whole fleet shall contribute.

Besides this general regulation, to the observance of which all the captains, pilots, and masters of vessels, are obliged to swear, before they put to sea, there is also a particular one for each ship's crew, which they are all sworn to execute, in presence of one of the commissioners, who goes aboard every ship, to receive the oath.

This regulation is a kind of charter-party, importing, that they will attend prayers morning and evening, on pain of an amercement, at the discretion of the captain; that they will not get drunk, nor draw their knives, on forfeiture of half of their wages; nor fight, on forfeiture of the whole; that no one shall lay wagers on the good or ill success of the fishing, nor buy or sell, on these conditions, in case we take one or more fish, on penalty of twenty-five florins; that they will be contented with the provisions allowed them; and that they will never light fire, candle, or match, by night or day, without the captain's leave, on the like penalty.

After the reading of this regulation, the crew are all called, to receive the customary gratuity before their setting out, with an assurance of an other surn at their return, in proportion to the success of the fishing.

The captain, on this occasion, receives from a hundred to a hundred and fifty florins; the pilot from forty to sixty; cach_harpooner from forty to fifty florins; the other officers from twenty-six to thirty-six florins; the elder sailors twenty; and the younger twelve.

The fleet, which consists mostly of fluyts, from two to three hundred tons, and from thirty-six men to forty-two, usually sets sail about the beginning of April, and takes its course by the isles of Iceland, from 60 to 61 degrees of latitude; after which, leaving them to the west, it steers northward, through 73, 74, and 75 deg. of latitude, where they begin to find the ice.

It is among these huge heaps of ice, wherewith the whole quarter is filled, that they first begin to spy the whales; and there most of the vessels fix their abode for the fishing. But as the fish are larger and fatter the farther north they go, some captains will venture as far as 80 or 82o of north lat. Each vessel of three hundred tons has six shalloops; and each shalloop has six harpooners, with five seamen to row it. To every shalloop there are seven lines, of three inches circumference; five of them in the hind part of the vessel, and two before. The hind lines together make six hundred fathoms, and, with the addition of the other two, eight hundred and eighty. If the whale dive deeper, or run farther underneath the ice than this stint, the line must be cut, lest the shalloop be drawn after it.

In the English whale-fishery every ship has six or seven boats; each of which has one harpooner, one boat-steerer, one manager of the line, and four seamen to row it. In each boat there are two or three harpoons, several lances, and six lines fastened together, each line being one hundred and twenty fathom long. To each harpingiron is fastened a strong stick, about six feet long, and a soft pliable line, about six fathom lang, called the fore-gauger, which is fastened to the lines in the boat. When more line is wanted, the lines of a second boat are fastened to those of the first. See BALENA.

The instrument, wherewith the whale is struck, is a harping-iron, or javelin, five or six feet long,

pointed with steel, în a triangular shape, like the barb of an arrow.

The harpooner, upon sight of the fish, from one end of the shalloop where he is placed, flings the harping-iron with all his might against his back: and, if he be so happy as to make it penetrate the skin and fat into the flesh, he lets go a string fastened to the harping-iron, at the end whereof is a dry gourd, which swimming on the water, discovers whereabouts the whale is; for the minute he is struck, he plunges to the bottom, commonly swimming against the wind.

If the whale return to breathe in the air, the harpooner takes occasion to give him a fresh wound, till, fainting by the loss of blood, the men have an opportunity of approaching him, and thrusting a long steeled lance under his gills into his breast, and through the intestines, soon dispatch him; and when the carcase begins to float, they cut holes in the fins and tail: and tying a rope in these holes, they tow him to the vessel, where he is fastened along the larboard side of the ship, floating upon his back almost level with the sea. They then begin to take the blubber or fat, and the fins as they are called, or whale-bone. In order to this, several men stand upon the fish, with a kind of iron calkers, or spurs, to prevent their slipping, and cut off the tail, which is hoisted upon deck, and then cut out square pieces of blubber, weighing two or three thousand pounds, which are hoisted on board with the capstan, where each piece is again cut into smaller pieces, each of two or three hundred pounds weight, and these are thrown into the hold, and left to drain for three or four days. When all the blubber is cut from the belly of the fish, it is turned on one side, by means of a piece of blubber, left in the middle, called the cant or turning-piece; and then they cut out this side in large pieces, called hockies, as before, and also the whale-bones with the gums, which are preserved entire, and hoisted on deck, where the blades are cut and separated, and left till they have time to clean and scrape them. The fish is next turned on his back, and the blubber cut out from the back and crown bone; and last of all they cut the blubber from the other side, as before. They then cut out the two large jaw-bones, situated in the underlip, which are hoisted on deck, cleansed and fastened to the shrouds, and tubs are placed under them to receive the oil which they discharge; this oil belongs to the captain, and likewise the tail and fins. The carcase is left to float, and supplies food for Greenland birds, called mallemucks, &c. In three or four days, they hoist the pieces of blubber out of the hold, chop them, and put small pieces through the bung-holes into their casks.

A whale, the longest blade of whose mouth is nine or ten feet, generally fills thirty buts with blubber; but one of the largest fish will fill seventy buts and more. A good large whale is valued at about 10001. sterling. A full ship of three hundred tons is worth, clear of all expense, at least 50001. There is a premium assigned to every person in the ship for every whale: the captain has three guineas; the mate, one; each harpooner, one; the surgeon, one; carpenter, one; cook and boat-steerers, half a guinea each; a common man, a crown; and each boy, half a crown. The captain and harpooners have no wages; but the captain is allowed twenty-five pounds, and the harpooners, nine guineas each. In a successful voyage they have six shillings

for every ton of oil boiled in Greenland-dock; but the rest of the ship's company have monthly wages, besides the fish-money, but no oil-money. Nothing now remains, but to sail homewards, where the fat is to be boiled, and melted down into train-oil.

The whale-fishery of the Caroline islands is more easy and agreeable than that of all other places, and beside the great profit, affords a pleasant spectacle to multitudes of people on the shores.

There are ten or twelve of these isles disposed in form of a circle, so that they make a sort of port, in which the sea is perpetually calm and pleasant. When a whale appears in this gulf, the people all get into their canoes, and rowing toward the sea, keep between the creature and its retreat, and drive him forward towards the isles at the bottom of the port. They drive him in this manner before them into the shallows, where they plunge into the water themselves, and some get ropes and chains about him, while others dart him with their spears. Their agility and address is wonderful in this. The creature can never get away when they have once got him fastened, but is soon killed, and got to the shore.

The whale-fishery begins in May, and continues through the months of June and July; but whether the ships have had good or bad success, they must come away and get clear of the ice by the end of August; so that in the month of September at farthest they may be expected home; but the more fortunate ships may return in June or July. See BALENA, PHYSETER, and DELPHINUS. FISHES. See PISCES.

FISHES(Breeding of). Fishes are an object of general attention in regard to sport, food, and ornament. The first of these three heads, or that of sport, is the foundation of the art of ANGLING, and has already been discussed at some length under that article. The two remaining heads, which we shall now enter upon, relate chiefly to the breed of fishes, fishing-ponds, and fish-streams. In breeding fishes, there seems to be no small degree of caprice, for the most promising ponds do not always prove serviceable: one of the best indications of a breeding pond is, when there is good quantity of rush and grazing about it, with gravelly shoals, such as those of horse-ponds; so that when a water takes thus to breeding, with a few milters and spawners, two or three of each, a whole country may often be stocked in a short time. Eels and perches are of very good use to keep down the stock of fishes; for they prey much upon the spawn and fry, and generally destroy their superfluity of them. Pike, perch, tench, roach, &c. are observed to breed in almost any waters, and very numerously; eels never breed in standing-waters, without springs; and in such, are neither found, nor increase, but by putting in; yet where springs exist, they are never wanting, though not put in. And which is truly extraordinary, no person ever saw in an eel the least token of propagation, either by melt or spawn; so that the mode of their breeding and propagation are questions mysterious, and unresolved. The fecundity of fishes is wonderful: a pike caught in the Rhine, weighing only nine pounds, had 148,000 ova in it; and Petit mentions a carp with upwards of 348,000.

In feeding fishes take the following remarks: 1. In a stew, thirty or forty carps may be kept up from October to March, without feeding; and by fishing with trammels or flews in March, or

April, you may take from your great waters to recruit the stews; but you must not fail to feed all summer, from March to October again, as constantly as cooped chickens are fed, and it will turn to as good an account.

2. The care of feeding is best committed to a butler or gardener, always at hand, because the constant and regular serving the stew conduces very much to the thriving of the fishes.

3. Boiled grain is rich to feed with, especially pease, and malt coarse ground; the grains after brewing, while fresh and sweet, are very proper; but one bushel of malt not brewed will go as far as two of grains; chippings of bread and scraps off a table, steeped in tap droppings of strong beer or ale, are an excellent food for carp; and of these the quantity of two quarts to thirty carp every day is sufficient, and a small meal morning and evening is better than a larger once a day only.

4. There is a sort of food for fishes that may be called accidental, which is no less improving than the best that can be provided; and that is, when the ponds happen to receive the wash of commons, where many sheep have pastured; the water is enriched by the soil, and will feed a greater number of carp than it otherwise would do. In like manner, the dung that falls from cattle standing in the water in hot weather is a very valuable nutriment.

5. The most proper food to raise pikes to an extraordinary fatness is eels, without which it is not to be done but in a long time; small perches are the next best meat you can give them. Bream put into a pike-pond breed exceedingly, and are fit to maintain pikes, that will take care they shall not increase too largely; the numerous fry of roaches and rouds, which come from the greater pools into a pike's quarters, will likewise be a good diet for him.

6. Pike in all streams, and carp in hungry springing waters, being fed at certain times, will come up and take their meat almost from your hand; aud it is diverting to see the greediness and contention that will exist among them for the good bits, with the boldness they will attain to by constant and regular feeding.

7. The most convenient feeding place is towards the mouth of the pond, at the depth of about half a yard; for by that means the deep will be kept clean and neat, as it were a parlour to retire to and rest in: the meat, thrown in this place into the water, without other trouble, will be picked up by the fishes, and nothing will be lost; yet there are several ingenious devices for giving them food, especially peas: as a square board let down with the meat upon it by the four corners, whence a string proceeds, made fast to the end of a stick, like a scale, which may be readily managed.

8. When fishes are fed in the larger pools or ponds, where their numbers are also great, there will require some expense as well as pains; but as soon as they are taken out, and it appears how much they have thriven, it will appear also how well both have been employed; either malt boiled or fresh grains is the best food in this case. Thus carp may be fed and raised like capons, and tench will feed as well, but perch are not proper for a stew in feeding time.

If cattle graze near your great pools, they will delight to come and stand in the water, which conduces much to the thriving of the cattle, as well as to the feeding of your fishes by their dung

ing, as has been already hinted: it is therefore advisable to have ponds in cow-pastures and grazing grounds.

With respect to sowing oats in the bottom of a pond, take care to dry your great water once in three, or at most four, years, and that at the end of January, or beginning of March, which (if the year do not prove very unseasonable) will be time enough. After Michaelmas following, you may put in a great stock of fishes, and thin them in succeeding years, as the feed declines. See POND.

In selecting a spot for ponds, it may be suffcient to observe here, that those grounds are best which are full of springs or apt to be moorish: the one breeds fishes well, and the other preserves them from being stolen

The situation of the pond is likewise to be considered, and the nature of the currents that fall into it; as also whether it can be refreshed from a little brook, or rain water falling from an adjacent hilly ground. Those ponds which receive the stale and dung of horses breed the largest and fattest fishes.

In forming the pond, observe that the head be placed at the lowest part of the ground; and that the trench of the flood-gate, or sluice, have a good swift fall, that it may not be long in emptying.

If the pond carry six feet of water, it is enough; but it must be eight feet deep to receive the freshes and rains that should fall into it.

It would also be advantageous to have shoals on the sides, for the fishes to sun themselves in, and lay their spawn on; and in other places, certain holes, hollow banks, shelves, roots of trees, islands, &c. to serve as their retiring places. If your pond be naturally adapted for breeding, never expect any large carps from it, as the greatness of the number of spawn will overstock it.

For large carps a store-pond is ever accounted the best: and, to make a breeding-pond become a store-pond, observe what quantity of carp it will contain; then put in all milters or all spawners, whereby in a little time you may have carps that are both large and exceedingly fat. Thus by putting in one sex alone there is an impossibility of a farther increase, except in roaches, which, notwithstanding this precaution, will multiply. Reserve some great waters for the head-quarters of the fishes, whence you may take, or wherein you may put any quantity at pleasure. And be careful to have stews, and other auxiliary waters. so that you may convey any part of the stock from one to the other, and lose no time in the growth of the fishes, but employ your water, as you do your land, to the best advantage. View the grounds, and find out some fall between the hills, as near a flat as may be, so as to leave a proper current for the water. If there be any difficulty of judging of such, take an opportunity, after some sudden rain, or breaking up of a great snow in winter, and you will plainly see which way the ground casts; for the water will take the true fall, and run accordingly.

The condition of the place must determine the quantity of the ground to be covered with water. For example, fifteen acres in three ponds, or eight acres in two, and not less; and these ponds should be placed one above another, so that the point of the lower may almost reach the head or bank of the upper, which contrivance is no less beautiful than advantageous.

The head, or bank, which by stopping the current is to raise the water, and so make a pond,