What is the sort of fish you salt in the Isle of Man ?-Herrings; nothing but herrings. Have you never known it used for salting pilchards?—No, I have not. Have you ever sent any herrings, cured with rock salt, to the Mediterranean? Yes, last season. Were they approved of?-Yes. Where is your chief market?—The West Indies and the Baltic, and the home trade. Do the provisions of the bill now in Parliament give as great freedom to the Fisheries as is desirable for carrying on the business you are engaged in ? -No doubt of it. Though the restrictions have not prevented you from using rock salt in the Isle of Man, they have prevented your using it in England?-Yes, certainly. Mr. WILLIAM HARVEY called in, and examined. INFORM the Committee what you have seen as to the curing of fish by rock salt?—I have tried it myself, by way of experiment, and I found it to answer the purpose completely. I surveyed Mr. Holmes's Fishery the last season, and we had a number of barrels opened for the purpose of inspection; and the fish were certainly as fine cured and as bright as any I ever saw at any curer's whatever. Did you see any thing but herrings ?—No; Mr. Holmes has nothing but herrings. I would beg leave to state, there was an experiment tried by another kind of salt, a hard salt in Cornwall, the last season, and its effect was fully as fine as that of any other. Is that a rock salt?-It is a fused salt, fused by heat. Had that salt the effect of discolouring the fish?-Nothing but what immediately washed off; all fish that are whole are washed before they are put into the barrel, consequently that takes off any deposit there may be upon it. That does not take place with rock salt; does it ?-It may upon the surface; all French salt does the same. What is the price of the fused salt you speak of?—I do not exactly know what the price of it is. What is the price of rock salt ?-About twelve shillings. What is the price of refined salt ?-Twenty shillings; there is an intermediate quality, and, I presume, an intermediate price, but I do not know the exact sum. Do you mean to assert, that the French salt gives the fish a yellow hue ?No; it leaves a deposit of earth, which is very easily washed off, and so does Mr. London's solid salt. Are you of opinion, that the free use of rock salt in the British Fisheries would entirely supersede the use of white salt?—No, I do not think it would. Would it supersede the use of white salt in the Newfoundland Fisheries?— I believe they are not so particular in the colour in the Newfoundland Fisheries as they are in some of our own white fish; and, therefore, I think there may be some doubt whether rock salt, or coloured or dyed salt, would answer i i the purpose. I do not think rock salt would completely answer the purpose; it would leave a deposit upon the surface, which would not be easily removed. Therefore, you think it would not be used at Newfoundland ?-Yes, I think it would be used at Newfoundland; they are not so particular, according to those I have seen imported, as our own White Fisheries. What is the quantity of white salt used in the Newfoundland Fisheries ?I am not aware of the quantity; they sometimes take a cargo of fish immediately from the banks, and will bring a cargo of salt from the place to which the fish were carried. Do you know the quantity sent from England?—No, I do not. Mr. WILLIAM HETHERINGTON called in, and examined. HAVE you had any experience in the use of rock salt in curing fish ?-Only what I saw at Liverpool, in Mr. Holmes's cellar; fish which had been cured at the Isle of Man with rock salt; they were very well cured, and as fine as any fish could be, in my opinion. What do you know about the price of rock salt?—I do not know any thing of it. Would it not be a great relief to the Fisheries, if they had the use of rock salt in curing herrings ?-I think it would. And pilchards?-I conceive it would. Have you ever seen pilchards cured?-Not with rock salt. Do you think it would do for white fish ?—I should doubt it. Would it do for pickled herrings ?—I have no doubt of it. Had you any communication with the persons engaged in the Pilchard Fishery, on the subject of rock salt?—They did not express any desire to have it. Were they aware it was in contemplation ?—Yes. You were present at the inspection of the fish cured with Mr. London's salt?—I was. Do you agree in opinion with Mr. Harvey ?—Yes. Did you compare it with other parcels of fish ?—Yes. Do you conceive it to be equal to fish cured with French salt ?—Yes, I think it equally fine. Was that the general opinion?—It was. Mr. PHILIP LONDON called in, and examined. AT what price could you probably afford to furnish a ton of your fused salt?—I should be very glad to furnish it from five-and-twenty to thirty shil lings at Liverpool. This salt may be something purer than rock salt, for it is the rock salt refined, and likewise there is no water of chrystallization nor dirt.* I have seen pork and beef cured with Mr. London's fused or solid salt, and I am fully convinced that it will, on trial, be preferred to the best foreign salt by the merchants concerned in the provision trade in Ireland.-R. F. 9th May 1817. Mr. WILLIAM HARVEY again called in, and examined. To what countries is rock salt chiefly exported ?-Since the peace, to Holland, and to the Netherlands, I believe. Do you think that the manufactures of refined and rock salt have been in a state of improvement of late?—No, I think not; there has been so many other markets opened for white salt; consequently, I should rather think it has been impoverished since the peace. But prior to the peace ?-I believe it was in a state of progressive improvement before the peace. Have the salt refineries or the rock salt manufactories suffered most since the peace ?—I suppose the refineries; there are establishments of refineries upon the continent; they have recommenced since the peace, and promise fair to give a great permanence to the quantity of rock salt consumed. What is your opinion of the use of rock salt for the Fisheries ?—I think it capable of producing very good effects; the same as every other kind of salt can do, except for white fish. I am apprehensive it would not answer where delicacy of colour is required, unless it be rock salt of the finest quality. You think that the superiority of foreign salt arises from the mixture of earthy matter contained in it? I do. Do you think that rock salt, having the same proportion of earthy matter, would be better calculated for curing fish than the finest rock salt, or the purest refined salt ?-Not than the purest rock salt; I conceive the difference of the impurity, with respect to the fish cured from British salt, arises from that disposition of receiving the oil in its interstices; rock salt, whether pure or impure, would not receive the oil. But you think refined salt will?—I do; a provision is made in the bill, that all the rock salt should be under the inspection of an officer, in order to prevent its being sent to the fish-curers with a greater degree of impurity than what is necessary. Of course, you have never seen pilchards cured with rock salt ?-No. You have no idea what effect that hard quality of rock salt would have upon that tender fish ?—I attended upon the examination of some pilchards cured with a salt equally as hard; and I did not find that there was any kind of impression made upon the outside of the fish from the sharper points, as might have been supposed. Do you mean Mr. London's salt ?—I do. NUMBER VI. RETURN of the Amount of Salt Duty in Ireland, distinguishing the Custom Duty from the Excise, and the Gross from the Net Duty, for the last twelve months. INDEX. ABBOT, Right Hon. CHARLES, now Lord Colchester, remarkable for his attention to the Acts in favour of the Fishery in the reign of Charles II. 64. Agriculture. Important use of rock salt as a manure, 116-Lime not so cheap, nor so uni- America, North. An account of a native of the island of Nantucket proposing to establish ANDERSON, Dr. letter from, respecting the prevention of emigration, and improving the Bangor, considerable Fishery for soles, plaice, turbot, cod, and oysters, app. 51. Bank, Nymph, extent from the coast, 9. See Nymph Bank. BOLTON, CORNELIUS, Esq. of Faithleg, favoured the author with the first information of Mr. Bristol, three voyages of live fish carried to, in great perfection, 21. British Society, objects proposed to be accomplished by, app. 33-Account of the proceedings CALEDONIAN CANAL, objections to; tolls advised to be made a present of to the engineer, on |