In the same way
a long hundred of herrings is actually 132 herrings.

Fishermen weren't that good at counting in the old days.

Edit - according to Google, a long hundred is 120. But in my old Collins Gem dictionary, it definitely says 132.
( K2k6 has a proper job these days, Mon 29 Mar 2010, 9:35, 1 reply, 16 years ago)

I expect a lot of the fisherman came from the west country
and brighton
(Bazongaloid, Mon 29 Mar 2010, 9:39, Reply)

Apparently
in Roxburghshire, in the Scottish borders, sheep and lambs were sold by the hundred, but this was actually 106 animals.
( K2k6 has a proper job these days, Mon 29 Mar 2010, 9:42, Reply)

maybe it allowed for a few dieing before they got them home

(Bazongaloid, Mon 29 Mar 2010, 9:43, Reply)

I was wondering about that.
Or it may have been a backhander. A hundred for the boss, and keep half a dozen for yerself, mate.
( K2k6 has a proper job these days, Mon 29 Mar 2010, 9:47, Reply)