10 DEEP-SEA FISHING. 



is necessary to turn out the man-of-war's man of the 

 present day. No doubt there is plenty of material for 

 the purpose in the country, but we question if it must 

 be looked for among the fishermen, or that they will be 

 readily induced in times of peace to give up an occupa- 

 tion they have been familiar with from childhood, so 

 long as it continues to provide them with moderate 

 means of subsistence. 



This brings us to a consideration of the present con- 

 dition of the sea fisheries as compared with their state 

 ten or twenty years ago. 



Two methods naturally suggest themselves by which 

 a conclusion on this subject might be arrived at ; 

 namely^ a comparison of the quantity of fish now and 

 formerly brought to market, and of the amount of 

 capital at different times invested in the fisheries, as 

 indicated by the number and size of the boats employed 

 in them. The circumstances on which in ordinary 

 times these questions would depend are the degree of 

 abundance of fish on the coast, and the demand for them 

 in the market. But other elements must be considered 

 when we look into the state of the Irish sea fisheries, 

 for there we find an almost continuous decline in the 

 number of fishermen and boats, although fish are 

 abundant and markets generally good. Emigration is 

 year after year carrying away thousands of men who 

 are unable to provide themselves with the necessary 

 appliances for fishing, or who at the best of times 

 worked at it in only a half-hearted manner. There are 

 some thriving exceptions, however, and the decline of 

 the fisheries on some parts of the Irish coast is due 

 rather to the condition of the people there than to any 

 jiarticular scarcity of fish. Wo shall enter more into 

 this subject in subsequent pages, and may now consider 



