Page:Natural History, Fishes.djvu/261

Rh often so rich as to be unfit for salting, and these are sold for consumption while fresh. About the month of November, as has been already observed, the shoals spawn, and are then unfit for eating, and the fishery ceases. As is universally known, there are two modes of curing this fish, producing what are called white and red herrings. The former requiring only to be placed in barrels with salt, the process can be performed in the fishing-craft; consequently the vessels for this fishery are larger, being qualified to keep the sea.

The process as performed by the Dutch, who excel all other nations in this art, is described as follows. As soon as the fish is removed from the water, the throat is cut, and the offal is detached; it is then washed with sea-water, and laid in brine sufficiently saturated with salt to float the fish; about eighteen hours afterwards, the batch is taken out of the pickle, and placed, layer on layer, in barrels, with copious layers of salt; and here they remain as long as the boat continues at sea. On her arrival in port, the fish is re-barrelled with care, fresh salt being given them, and new brine poured over the whole.

Red herrings, however, require a much more elaborate process, which cannot be performed on board, and the procuring of them is essentially a shore fishery. The Yarmouth men confine themselves to this branch. They sprinkle the fish with salt, and lay them in a heap on a stone or brick floor, where they remain about six days; they are then washed, and spitted one by one on long wooden rods, which pass through the gills: great care is required that they may not touch each other as they hang; the rods are then suspended