678 SUPPLEMENT ON 



that direction the termination of the basis supporting the 

 British Islands, have not been exactly determined. 



The north, west, and south coasts of Ireland, possessing 

 admirable fishing ports and salmon streams, abounding with 

 every description of excellent fish, appear to have suffered 

 equal, if not greater mismanagement. Mr. Fraser, as zealous 

 on this coast as he had been on the Scottish, made personal 

 inspections of the Nymph bank, in June, 1802, and found 

 abundance of fish of the best description for the markets. 

 A fishery has accordingly been established on that coast, and 

 pursued with various success : still the intention of supplying 

 the London market with fresh fish does not appear to have 

 been at all effected l . It is said, that the relaxation of reli- 

 gious opinions in the South of Europe has reduced the de- 

 mand for salt and cured fish ; but the decrease of the con- 

 sumption is probably not considerable. Habit and climate 

 are agents which counteract a change of manners ; it may be 

 said with more truth, that during the wars of the Revolution 

 the Dutch lost the power of supplying the foreign markets, 

 and with it the practice of extensive open sea fishing, which 

 they have not since been able to recover. 



Accordingly, the present times have been more favourable 



1 Unfortunately, the life of privation inseparable from sea-faring and 

 the practice of fishing, is, it would appear, not congenial to the Hibernian 

 people, and the want of stimulus to continued industry besets all classes. 

 Hence, though Lough Swilly, and many parts of the coast, swarm with 

 herrings, the fish caught is managed with so little care, being generally 

 cast into holes for salting, that no prime commodity ever can be derived 

 from them ; consequently, no increase of demand and of supply can 

 arise on a coast where the population is so much in want of the means of 

 subsistence. Ignorance also destroyed Mr. Whately's valuable invention 

 of the trammel net, while idleness and prejudice preserved the beam-trail, 

 which destroys infinitely more embryo fish than are caught by it. But it 

 may be hoped, that, in this respect, better times are at hand. 



