522 OYSTERS, AND ALL ABOUT THEM. 



In the second case poisoning causes death ; but I 

 hasten to state that this condition of the pares at La 

 Hougue has been much exaggerated, and affords no cause 

 for alarm. I am, on the contrary, very happy to affirm that 

 the importance of the oyster industry goes on increasing 

 constantly. The industry is about to make new increased 

 efforts. Many abandoned pares have been taken again, 

 and are now prospering. It will be enough for me to say 

 that 300 persons find occupation every day in the conces- 

 sions of St. Vaast-de-la-Hougue, and that this number is at 

 least doubled at every spring tide. 



GRANVILLE. 



It is on this part of the French coast washed by the 

 Channel, and between St. Malo, Cancale, Granville, and 

 R6gneville, that our richest natural deposits lie. In the 

 neighbourhood of Granville alone we count the banks of 

 La Forraine, Haguet, Trou-a-Girou, Saint Marc, Bout-du- 

 Roc, St. Germain, Gefosse, S6nequet, La Cortaise, Le 

 Ronquet, Le Pirou, 1 1 natural banks in all. 



It would be difficult to estimate the number of inha- 

 bitants on this coast who get their living by the oyster 

 fishery : it is considerable. Still it has sensibly diminished 

 for some years, as the fishery is less productive than for- 

 merly. 



With a view of competing with English fishermen in 

 the working of the open sea, fishermen living near the 

 Granville and Cancale banks were authorised to break the 

 rule which restrained them from ever staying out at night 

 with their boats. It resulted that under pretence of dredg- 

 ing concurrently with the English on the common grounds, 

 they worked in preference upon the oyster-beds reserved 



, 



in the territorial waters, and ruined them. 



