280 DEEP-SEA FISHING. 



tage in the larger classes, there seems no reason why it 

 should not answer for fishing boats. Steam has also 

 been applied ; but, as in the case of trawlers, the expe- 

 riment has not yet succeeded. We shall probably hear 

 of it again under more favourable circumstances. 



The statistics furnished by the Scotch Fishery Board 

 in their Annual Reports, although only relating to the 

 quantities of herring, cod, ling, and hake w^hich are 

 cured, and therefore giving no very definite idea of the 

 total catch around the coast, are still extremely valuable 

 in showing, by the number of boats and men eugaged 

 in those fisheries, whether or not there is any indication 

 of failure in the supjoly of fish. There is frequently 

 considerable fluctuation in the success of the fisheries 

 from year to year, and in the number of boats and men 

 in each district; and the difference between the east 

 and west coast fisheries is sometimes very great; but 

 the general result for the whole coast in 1872 shows a 

 remarkable advance in the extent of the fisheries within 

 the last few years. The followiug returns, extracted 

 from the Reports of the Fishery Board, show the number 

 of boats and men engaged in the herring and white 

 fisheries in 1862, and after two successive intervals of 

 five years : — 



There was a slight decrease in the number of boats 

 aud men in 1872, as compared with those at work in 

 1871 ; but the aggregate tonnage of the boats in 1872 

 was greater than in any previous year. This may be 

 accounted for by the increase at many places in the size 

 of the boats. 



