56 



for 333.000 lire.* Be that as it may, after Rome seized 

 the fishery, its value began to decline ; from 1725 to 1748 

 the average net revenue was only lire 74,480. Thence- 

 forward it gradually recovered, being lire 104,931 for the 

 years 1749 to 1757, while from 1767 to 1797 it rose to an 

 average of lire 322,640.! At the end of the last- 

 named period, the fishing rights in the lagoon were sold 

 by Napoleon I to the Commune of Comacchio. The 

 ensuing period of 16 years, if we can trust Pepoli's figures, 

 mark the high tide mark of prosperity in the history of 

 the lagoon, for the average net revenue from 1798 to 

 1813 inclusive is given as lire 567,749 per annum. The 

 figures for the next period, 18 14 — 1825, show a large 

 falling off, the annual net revenue varying between lire 

 200,000 and 250,000. 1825 marks the year of greatest 

 disaster in the history of the establishment ; almost the 

 whole stock offish throughout the whole lagoon perished 

 through the partial drying up and consequent extreme 

 salinity of the water. The Government thereupon was 

 forced to resume the fishery and held it till the end of 

 1868 when it was handed back to the administration of 

 the local Commune. During this period the Government 

 paid a sum varying between lire 89,000 and lire 75,000 

 per annum to the Commune as compensation for occupa- 

 tion of the fishery, but the bargain was a bad one for the 

 Government as five separate disasters, in 1825, 1834, 

 1850, 1859 and 1865, entailed an average annual loss of 

 246,408 lire. J Strangely enough, the return of the 

 fishery to the direct governance of the Commune marked 

 once more the beginning of a long period of prosperity, 

 for, during the 22 years from the end of 1868, the net 

 annual revenue derived from the leasing out of the 

 produce varied between lire 121,318 and lire 185,000. 

 The hot summers of 1890-91 entailed great loss and for 

 a number of years the Commune being unable to lease 

 the fishery, had to conduct it at great loss. With the 

 close of last century recovery was made and it was again 

 possible to lease the catch of fish at a remunerative rate. 

 The fishery is now bringing in a net annual profit ranging 

 between lire 1 20,000 and lire 1 80,000. The mean of these 



* Samaritani, Prov. necessari nella laguna di Comacchio, p. 14. 

 f Bullo, loc. cit., p. 369. X Samaritani, loc. cit., p. 6. 



