ow something about them. The _herring_
fishery takes place twice a year: in August and October. The August fishery
is carried on along the shores of England and the North. From sixty to
eighty vessels, of from twenty-five to thirty tons burthen each, with about
fifteen men in each vessel, are usually employed. They are freighted with
salt and empty barrels, for seasoning and stowing the fish, and they return
about the end of October. The herrings caught in August are considerably
preferable to those caught in October. The October fishery is carried on
with smaller vessels, along the coast of France from Boulogne to Havre.
From one hundred and twenty, to one hundred and thirty vessels, are engaged
in this latter navigation; and the fish, which is smaller, and of inferior
flavour to that caught upon the English coasts, is sent almost entirely to
the provinces and to Paris, where it is eaten fresh. So much for the
herring.[23]

The _Mackarel_ fishery usually commences towards the month of July, along
the coast of Picardy; because, being a sort of fish of passage, it gets
into the channel in the month of April. It then moves towards the straits
of Dover, as summer approaches. For this fishery they make use of large
decked-vessels, from twenty to fifty tons burthen, manned with from twelve
to twenty men. There are however Dieppe boats employed in this fishery
which go as far as the Scilly Islands and Ushant, towards the middle of
April. They carry with them the salt requisite to season the fish, which
are afterwards sent to Paris, and to the provinces in the interior of
France. The _cod fishery_ is divided into the fresh and dried fish. The
former continues from the beginning of February to the end of April--and
the vessels employed, which go as far as Newfoundland, are two deckers, and
from one hundred to one hundred and fifty tons burthen--although, in fact,
they rarely carry more than fifteen tons for fear of spoiling the fish. The
dried-cod fishery is carried on in vessels of all sizes; but it is
essential that they be of a certain depth, because the fish is more
cumbersome than weighty. The vessels however usually set sail about the
month of March or April, in order that they may have the advantage of the
summer season, to dry the fish. There are vessels which go to Newfoundland
laden with brandy, flour, beans, treacle, linen and woollen cloths, which
they dispose of to the inhabitants of the French colonies in exchange f