86 BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 



some only by a few bushels. The next day the markets are glutted 

 with small mussels, and in some instances I have known them to be 

 unsaleable. Even at the best they only make very small prices, whereas 

 if they had been gradually sent to the various markets good prices 

 would have been made. These provisional orders are simply a farce, 

 as far as regards providing the long-line fishermen with mussels. 



I am the lessee of about eleven miles of sea beach on the Norfolk 

 coast, belonging to Harnon Le Strange, esq., whose title to the propri- 

 etary right descends from a grant made in the eleventh century by 

 William II to William d'Albini, his butler. 



The fishing on this beach consists of mussels, cockles, clams, 'winkles, 

 and a few oysters. 



When I hired the fishing, six years ago, there was not one ton of 

 mussels on the whole eleven miles. I appointed watchers, enforced a 

 close time, cleaned the ground, and endeavored to keep off poachers, 

 but with very indifferent success. Mr. Le Strange, in 1879, applied to 

 the board of trade for the grant of an order for the establishment and 

 maintenance of a several oyster and mussel fishery, under the powers 

 of "The sea fisheries act, 1868," so as to provide a better protection for 

 the fishery. The board of trade sent an inspector down to hold an in- 

 quiry as to the proposed order, but from that day to this the order has 

 not been granted. 



If such an order could be obtained it would greatly benefit the long- 

 line fishermen off the coasts of Northumberland and the south of Scot- 

 land, as I have special railway rates to all the ports on these coasts, 

 and can afford, when I have any mussels, to deliver them at a reason- 

 able price for bait. The importance of mussels for bait to these deep- 

 sea line boats is incalculable. 



Mr. P. Wilson, Her Majesty's fishery officer at Eyemouth, in Scotland, 

 reports that in one week the boats from Burnmouth, Coldingbam, and 

 Eyemouth used for baiting their long lines 61 tons of mussels. They 

 landed, with this quantity of mussels, 25,620 stone of haddocks, besides 

 a considerable quantity of cod and whiting, and got for the fish Is. 8d. 

 per stone, equal to about £2,500. Observe, in one week alone 61 tons 

 of mussels were used at these three fishing stations for bait, the cost of 

 which was about £160, the produce in fish from which was 25,620 stone, 

 worth £2,500. Mr. Wilson also reports that when the fishermen are 

 unable to obtain mussels, they have had to bait their lines in many in- 

 stances with bullock*s liver, and be content with half a catch of fish. 



The greatest trouble I have in protecting my mussel beds is from a 

 class of men who call themselves fishermen, but who are half farm- 

 laborers and half fish hawkers, and arc the scum of the villages border- 

 ing on the coast. 1 have lost from two to three thousand tons of mus- 

 sels in one year by these men, which would otherwise have gone to 

 Scotland to be used as bail by real fishermen. All of this might have 

 been prevented had the board of trade granted a provisional order for 



