214 FISH CULTUEE. 



poisoned water in turn, emptying itself into the sea, 

 carries down very strong deposits, which in time, 

 being driven about and dispersed by the waves, has 

 the effect of driving the fish off the coast. One in- 

 stance of this, out of many, I will, particularize. At 

 Aberystwith, two rivers carry down from the lead 

 mines strong poisonous deposits. Twenty or thirty 

 years ago, before the mines were opened, the rivers 

 abounded in fish, and the sea-coast adjacent was 

 abundantly supplied with many kinds of sea-fish. 

 Within the time specified, however, they have almost 

 entirely disappeared for some miles above and below 

 this place, though plentiful enough beyond the limit. 

 At times, it is true that mackerel, dog-fish, &c. are 

 caught there ; but these are principally mid-water 

 fish, and it is the ground-feeding fish that are mainly 

 affected by these poisonous deposits. 



There is one other fact in connexion with our sea 

 fisheries that I must touch upon, and that is, the per- 

 mitted infringement of our lawful boundaries, secured 

 to us by treaty, on the part of French and Dutch 

 fishing-boats. I have previously noted the action of the 

 Government upon our fisheries in Newfoundland, but 

 here we have a specimen of its inaction upon our own 

 coasts. To such lengths has the supineness of our 

 cruisers and the boundless impertinence of these 



