a place where great numbers of fish are caught.

The principal fisheries for salmon, herring, mackerel, pilchards, &c. are along the coasts of Scotland, England, and Ireland; for cod, on the banks of Newfoundland; for whales, about Greenland; and for pearls, in the East and West-Indies.

FISHERY denotes also the commerce of fish, more particularly the catching them for sale.

Were we to enter into a very minute and particular consideration of fisheries, as at present established in this kingdom, this article would swell beyond its proper bounds; because to do justice to a subject of that concernment to the British nation, requires a very ample and distinct discussion. We shall, however, observe, that since the Divine Providence has so eminently stored the coasts of Great Britain and Ireland with the most valuable fish; and since fisheries, if successful, become permanent nurseries for breeding expert seamen; it is not only a duty we owe to the Supreme Being, not to despise the wonderful plenty he hath afforded us, by neglecting to extend this branch of commerce to the utmost; but it is a duty we owe to our country, for its natural security, which depends upon the strength of our royal navy. No nation can have a navy, where there there is not a fund of business to breed and employ seamen, without any expense to the public; and no trade is so well calculated for training up these useful members of this society, as fisheries.

The situation of the British coasts is the most advantageous for catching fish in the world: the Scottish islands, particularly those to the north and west, lie most commodious for carrying on the fishing trade to perfection; for no country in Europe can pretend to come up to Scotland in the abundance of the finest fish, with which its various creeks, bays, rivers, lakes, and coast are replenished. King Charles I., was so sensible of the great advantage to be derived from fisheries, that he began the experiment, together with a company of merchants; but the civil wars soon occasioned that project to be set aside. King Charles II., made a like attempt; but his pressing wants made him withdraw what money he had employed that way, whereupon the merchants that joined with him did so too. Since the union, several attempts have been made to retrieve the fisheries, and a corporation settled to that effect, entitled the Royal British Fishery.

In the year 1750, the parliament of Great Britain taking the state of the fisheries into consideration, an act was passed for the encouragement of the white-herring fishery, granting a charter, whereby a corporation is created, to continue twenty one years, by the name of the Society of the Free British Fishery, to be under the direction of a governor, president, vice-president, council, &c. who are to continue in office the space of three years, with power to make bye-laws, &c. and to raise a capital of 500,000l. by way of subscription. And any number of persons, who, in any part of Great Britain, shall subscribe 10,000l. into the stock of this society, under the name of the Fishing Chamber, and carry on the said fishery on their own account of profit and loss, shall be entitled to the same bounty allowed to the society. The bounty is 30s. the tun, to be paid yearly, for fourteen years, besides 3 per cent. for the money advanced by each chamber. The act contains other proper regulations relative to the nets, marks on the herring-barrels, number of hands, and the quantity of salt that is entitled to the bounty, &c. It is then by the encouragement given by this act, that we now see a laudable emulation prevailing all over the two kingdoms, and fishing boats fitted out from almost every port, in order to repair to the Shetland islands, where the herring fishery is carried on with an ardor becoming so important a branch of trade. Scotland, which suffered incredibly from the neglect of this valuable and natural produce of the seas, has not been backward to join in a scheme that tends so evidently to its own advantage; for the cities of Edinburgh and Glasgow, the towns of Montrose, Dundee, Perth, Inverness, and some other boroughs, have raised the proper sum, and chambers have been erected in each of them; the gentlemen of estates adjoining to the respective places above-mentioned, liberally contributing with merchants, towards the profecation of an undertaking so visibly tending to the good of their country in general,

Cod-Fishery. There are two kinds of cod-fish, the one green or white cod, and the other dried or cured cod; though it is all the same fish differently prepared; the former being sometimes salted and barrelled, then taken out for use; and the latter, having lain some competent time in salt, dried in the sun or smoke. We shall therefore speak of each of these apart; and first of Green-cod Fishery. The chief fisheries for green cod are in the bay of Canada, on the great bank of Newfoundland, and on the isle of St Peter, and the isle of Sable, to which places vessels resort from divers parts both of Europe and America. They are from 100 to 150 tons burden, and will catch between thirty and forty thousand cod each. The most essential part of the fishery is, to have a master who knows how to cut up the cod, one who is skilled to take off the head properly, and above all a good salter, on which the preserving of them, and consequently the success of the voyage, depends. The best season is from the beginning of February to the end of April; the fish, which in the winter retire to the deepest water, coming then on the banks, and fattening extremely. What is caught from March to June keeps well; but those taken in July, August, and September, when it is warm on the banks, are apt to spoil soon. Every fisher takes but one at a time; the most expert will take from 350 to 400 in a day; but that is the most, the weight of the fish and the great coldness on the bank fatiguing very much. As soon as the cod are taken, the head is taken off; they are opened, gutted, and salted; and the salter stows them in the bottom of the hold, head to tail, in beds a fathom or two square; laying layers of salt and fish alternately, but never mixing fish caught on different days. When they have lain thus three or four days to drain off the water, they are replaced in another part of the ship, and salted again; where they remain till the vessel is loaded. Sometimes they are cut in thick pieces, and put up in barrels for the conveniency of carriage.

Dry-cod Fishery. The principal fishery for dry cod is, from Cape Rose to the Bay des Exports, along the coast of Placentia, in which compass there are divers commodious ports for the fish to be dried in. These, though of the same kind with the fresh cod, are much smaller, and therefore fitter to keep, as the salt penetrates more easily into them. The fishery of both is much alike; only this latter is most expensive, as it takes up more time, and employs more hands, and yet scarce half so much salt is spent in this as in the other. The bait is herrings, of which great quantities are taken on the coast of Placentia. When several vessels meet and intend to fish in the same port, he whose shallop first touches ground, becomes entitled to the quality and privileges of admiral: he has the choice of his station, and the refusal of all the wood on the coast at his arrival. As fast as the masters arrive, they unrig all their vessels, leaving nothing but the shrouds to sustain the masts, and in the mean time the mates provide a tent on shore, covered with branches of trees, and sails over them, with a scaffold of great trunks of pines, twelve, fifteen, sixteen, and often often twenty feet high, commonly from forty to sixty feet long, and about one third as much in breadth. While the scaffold is preparing, the crew are a fishing; and as fast as they catch, they bring their fish ashore; open and salt them upon moveable benches; but the main salting is performed on the scaffold. When the fish have taken salt, they wash and hang them to drain on rails; when drained, they are laid on kinds of stages, which are small pieces of wood laid across, and covered with branches of trees, having the leaves stripped off for the passage of the air. On these stages, they are disposed, a fish thick, head against tail, with the back uppermost, and are turned carefully four times every twenty-four hours. When they begin to dry, they are laid in heaps ten or twelve thick, in order to retain their warmth; and every day the heaps are enlarged, till they become double their first bulk; then two heaps are joined together, which they turn every day as before; lastly, they are salted again, beginning with those first salted; and being laid in huge piles, they remain in that situation till they are carried on board the ships, where they are laid on the branches of trees disposed for that purpose, upon the ballast, and round the ship, with mats to prevent their contracting any moisture.

There are four kinds of commodities drawn from cod, viz., the wounds, the tongues, the roes, and the oil extracted from the liver. The first is salted at the fishery, together with the fish, and put in barrels from 6 to 700 pounds. The tongues are done in like manner, and brought in barrels from 4 to 500 pounds. The roes are also salted in barrels, and serve to cast into the sea to draw fish together, and particularly pilchards. The oil comes in barrels, from 400 to 520 pounds, and is used in dressing leather.—In Scotland, they catch a small kind of cod on the coasts of Buchan, and all along the Murray frith on both sides; as also in the frith of Forth, Clyde, &c., which is much esteemed. They salt and dry them in the sun upon rocks, and sometimes in the chimney. They also cure skait, and other smaller fish in the same manner; but most of these are for home consumption.

Coral-Fishery. See Coral-fishery.

Herring-Fishery. See Clupea.

Pilchard-Fishery. The chief pilchard-fisheries are along the coasts of Dalmatia on the coast of Bretagne, and along the coasts of Cornwall and Devonshire. That of Dalmatia is very plentiful: that on the coasts of Bretagne employs annually about 300 ships. The pilchards caught on our coasts, though bigger, are not so much valued as those on the coasts of France, owing principally to their not being so thoroughly cured. They naturally follow the light, which contributes much to the facility of the fishery: the season is from June to September. On the coasts of France they make use of the roes of the cod-fish as a bait, which thrown into the sea, makes them rise from the bottom, and run into the nets. On our coasts there are persons posted ashore, who, spying by the colour of the water where the shoals are, make signs to the boats to go among them to cast their nets. When taken, they are brought on shore to a warehouse, where they are laid up in broad piles, supported with backs and sides; and as they are piled, they salt them with bay-salt, in which lying to soak for thirty or forty days, they run out a deal of blood, with dirty pickle and bittern: then they wash them clean in sea-water; and, when dry, barrel and press them hard down to squeeze out the oil, which issues out at a hole in the bottom of the cask. The Cornishmen observe of the pilchard, that it is the least fish in size, most in number, and greatest for gain, of any they take out of the sea.

Salmon-Fishery. The chief salmon fisheries in Europe are in England, Scotland, and Ireland, in the rivers, and sea-coasts adjoining to the river mouths. The most distinguished for salmon in Scotland are, the river Tweed, the Clyde, the Tay, the Dee, the Don, the Spey, the Nefs, the Bewley, &c., in most of which it is very common, about the height of summer, especially if the weather happen to be very hot, to catch four or five score of salmon at a draught. The chief rivers in England for salmon are, the Tyne, the Trent, the Severn, and the Thames. The fishing usually begins about January; and in Scotland they are obliged to give over about the middle of August; because, as it is then supposed the fish come up to spawn, it would be quite depopulating the rivers to continue fishing any longer. It is performed with nets, and sometimes with a kind of locks or weirs 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, and prevent their return. Salmon are also caught with a spear, which they dart into him when they see him swimming near the surface of the water. It is customary likewise to catch them with a candle and lanthorn, or wisp of straw set on fire; for the fish naturally following the light, are struck with the spear, or taken in a net spread for that purpose, and lifted with a sudden jerk from the bottom. We make no mention of the method of catching salmon with a line or hook, because it is much the same with that explained under the article Trout-Fishing.

Curing Salmon. When the salmon are taken, they open them along the back, take out the guts and gills, and cut out the greatest part of the bones, endeavouring to make the inside as smooth as possible; then salt the fish in large tubs for the purpose, where they lie a considerable time soaking in brine; and about October, they are packed close up in barrels, and sent to London, or exported up the Mediterranean. They have also in Scotland, a great deal of salmon salted in the common way, which after soaking in brine a competent time, is well pressed, and then dried in smoke: this is called kipper, and is chiefly made for home consumption, and, if properly cured and prepared, is reckoned very delicious.

Sturgeon- Sturgeon Fishery. The greatest sturgeon-fishery is in the mouth of the Volga, on the Caspian sea, where the Mucovites 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 is 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 casks from thirty to fifty pounds. But the great object of this fishery is the roe, of which the Mucovites are extremely fond, and of which is made the caviar, or kavia, so much esteemed by the Italians. See CAVIAR.

Whale-Fishery. Whales are chiefly caught in the north sea: the largest sort are found about Greenland, or Spitzbergen. At the first discovery of this country, whales not being used to be disturbed, frequently came into the very bays, and were accordingly killed almost close to the shore, so that the blubber being cut off was immediately boiled into oil on the spot. The ships in these times took in nothing but the pure oil and the fins, and all the business was executed in the country, by which means a ship could bring home the product of many more whales than she can according to the present method of conducting this trade. The fishery also was then so plentiful, that they were obliged sometimes to send other ships to fetch off the oil they had made, the quantity being more than the fishing ships could bring away. But time and change of circumstances have shifted the situation of this trade. The ships coming in such numbers from Holland, Denmark, Hamburg, and other northern countries, all intruders upon the English, who were the first discoverers of Greenland, the whales were disturbed, and gradually, as other fish often do, forsaking the place, were not to be killed so near the shore as before; but are now found, and have been so ever since, in the openings and space among the ice, where they have deep water; and where they go sometimes a great many leagues from the shore.

The whale-fishery begins in May, and continues all June and July; but whether the ships have 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 a ship that meets with a fortunate and early fishery in May, may return in June or July.

The manner of taking whales at present is as follows. As soon as the fishermen hear the whale blow, they cry out, Fall! fall! and every ship gets out its long boat, in each of which there are six or seven men: they row till they come pretty near the whale, then the harpooner strikes it with his harpoon. This requires great dexterity; for through the bone of his head there is no striking, but near his spout there is a soft piece of flesh, into which the iron sinks with ease. As soon as he is struck, they take care to give him rope enough, otherwise, when he goes down, as he frequently does, he would inevitably sink the boat: this rope he draws with such violence, that, if it were not well watered, it would, by its friction against the sides of the boat, be soon set on fire. The line fastened to the harpoon is six or seven fathom long, and is called the fore-runner; it is made of the finest and softest hemp, that it may slip the easier: to this they join a heap of lines of 90 or 100 fathoms each; and when there are not enough in one long boat, they borrow from another. The man at the helm observes which way the rope goes, and steers the boat accordingly, that it may run exactly out before; for the whale runs away with the line with so much rapidity, that he would overturn the boat, if it were not kept straight. When the whale is struck, the other long boats row before, and observe which way the line stands, and sometimes pull it; if they feel it stiff, it is a sign the whale still pulls in strength; but if it hangs loose, and the boat lies equally high before and behind upon the water, they pull it in gently, but take care to coil it so, that the whale may have it again easily if he recovers strength: they take care, however, not to give him too much line, because he sometimes entangles it about a rock, and pulls out the harpoon. The fat whales do not sink as soon as dead, but the lean ones do, and come up some days afterwards. As long as they see whales, they lose no time in cutting up what they have taken, but keep fishing for others: when they see no more, or have taken enough, they begin with taking off the fat and whiskers in the following manner. The whale being lashed along-side, they lay it on one side, and put two ropes, one at the head, and the other in the place of the tail, which, together with the fins, is struck off as soon as he is taken, to keep those extremities above water. On the off-side of the whale are two boats, to receive the pieces of fat, utensils, and men, that might otherwise fall into the water on that side. These precautions being taken, three or four men with irons at their feet, to prevent slipping, get on the whale, and begin to cut out pieces of about three feet thick, and eight long, which are hauled up at the capstan or windlass. When the fat is all got off, they cut off the whiskers of the upper jaw with an ax. Before they cut, they are all lashed to keep them firm, which also facilitates the cutting, and prevents them from falling into the sea: when on board, five or six of them are bundled together, and properly stowed; and after all is got off, the carcase is turned adrift, and devoured by the bears, who are very fond of it. In proportion as the large pieces of fat are cut off, the rest of the crew are employed in slicing them smaller, and picking out all the lean. When this is prepared, they stow it under the deck, where it lies till the fat of all the whales is on board; then cutting it still smaller, they put it up in tubs in the hold, cramming them very full and close. Nothing now remains but to sail homewards, where the fat is to be boiled and melted down into train oil. See TRAIN OIL.

It were in vain to speak in this place of the advantages that may be derived to Great Britain from the whale-fishery. We shall only remark, that the legisla- ture think that trade of so great importance, as to grant a very considerable bounty for the encouragement of it; for 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, obtains 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 whale fins, blubber, oil, &c. imported in their ship, were taken by their crew in those seas, there shall be allowed 40s. for every ton according to the admensurement of the ship.

Besides these fisheries, there are several others both on the coasts of Great Britain and in the North Seas, which, although not much the subject of merchandize, nevertheless employ great numbers both of ships and men; as, 1. The oyster-fishing at Colchester, Faversham, the Isle of Wight, in the Swales of the Medway, and in all the creeks between Southampton and Chichester, from whence they are carried to be fed in pits about Wevenhoe and other places. See OYSTER. 2. The lobster-fishing all along the British Channel, the Frith of Edinburgh, on the coast of Northumberland, and on the coast of Norway, from whence great quantities are brought to London. And lastly, the fishing of the pot-fish, fin-fish, sea-unicorn, sea horse, and the seal, or dog-fish; all which are found in the same seas with the whales, and yield blubber in a certain degree; besides, the horn of the unicorn is as estimable as ivory, and the skins of the seals are particularly useful to trunkmakers.

**Trout Fishing.** The baits for this purpose are either natural or artificial, as earth, worms, minnows, and fishing flies, both natural and artificial. Whatever worms are used, they answer best if kept some time in an earthen pot, with moss often changed in summer. If you fish for trout with hand on the ground, the hook is to be introduced into the worm a little above the middle, coming out again a little below; then draw the worm above the arming of the hook, making your first entrance at the tail-end, that the point of the hook may come out at the head-end. When you fish with minnows, take the whitest and middle sized; and after putting the hook in at the mouth, and out at the gills, and drawing it through about three inches, slip it again into his mouth, so as the point and beard may come out at the tail. This done, tie the hook and tail together with a fine white thread, and let the body of the minnow be almost straight upon the hook.

**Fissure of the bones,** in surgery, is when they are divided either transversely or longitudinally, not quite through, but cracked after the manner of glafs, by any external force. See Surgery.

**Fistula,** in the ancient music, an instrument of the wind-kind, resembling our flute, or flageolet.

The principal wind-instruments of the ancients, were the tibia and fistula. But how they were constituted, wherein they differed, or how they were played on, does not appear.

**Fistula,** in medicine and surgery. See Medicine and Surgery.

**Fistula,** in farriery. See Farriery.

**Fistular,** or **Fistulous,** appellations given by surgeons to wounds and ulcers, which degenerate into fistulas.

**Fit,** in medicine. See Paroxysm.

**Fitchet,** in heraldry, a term applied to a cross, when the lower end of it is sharpened into a point, as in Plate LXXX. fig. 6.

**Fitches,** in husbandry, a sort of pulse, more generally known by the name of chick-pea, or cicer. See CICER.

**Fitz,** makes part of the surname of some of the natural sons of the kings of England, as Fitzroy; which is purely French, and signifies the king's son.

**Five Churches,** a bishop's see of lower Hungary, 76 miles south of Buda.

**Fives,** or **Vives,** in farriery. See Farriery, p. 555.

**Fixation,** in chemistry, the rendering any volatile substance fixed, so as not to fly off upon being exposed to a great heat; hence,

**Fixed Bodies** are those which bear a considerable degree of heat without evaporating, or losing any of their weight.

**Flaccidity,** among physicians, a disorder of the solids, cured by astringent and cardiac medicines, joined with exercise and good air.

**Flag,** a general name for colours, standards, ancients, banners, ensigns, &c.

The fashion of pointed or triangular flags, as now used, Rod, Toletan ensues, came from the Mahometan Arabs, or Saracens, upon their seizure of Spain, before which time all the ensigns of war were stretched or extended on cross pieces of wood, like the banners of a church. The pirates of Algiers, and throughout the coasts of Barbary, bear an hexonal flag.

**Flag** is more particularly used at sea; for the colours, ancients, standards, &c. borne on the top of the masts of vessels, to notify the person who commands the ship, of what nation it is, and whether it be equipped for war or trade, see Plate LXXXI.

The admiral in chief carries his flag on the main top, the vice-admiral on the fore-top, and the rear-admiral on the mizzen-top.

When a council of war is to be held at sea, if it be on board the admiral, they hang a flag in the main shrouds; if in the vice-admiral, in the fore-shrouds; and if in the rear-admiral, in the mizzen shrouds.

Besides the national flag, merchant-ships frequently bear lesser flags on the mizzen-mast, with the arms of the city where the matter ordinarily resides; and on the fore-mast, with the arms of the place where the person who freights them lives.

**Flag-officers,** those who command the several squadrons of a fleet, such are the admirals, vice-admirals, and rear-admirals. The flag officers in our pay, are the admiral, vice-admiral, and rear-admiral of the white, red, and blue. See Admiral.

Flag-ship, a ship commanded by a general or flag-officer, who has a right to carry a flag, in contradiction to the secondary vessels under the command thereof.

Flag-flower, in botany. See Iris.

Corr Flag, in botany. See Gladiolus.

Flagellaria, in botany, a genus of the hexandra trigynia clas. The calyx consists of six segments; it has no corolla; and the berry contains but one seed. There is but one species, a native of the East-Indies.