374 DEEP-SEA FISHING. 



on board, and form no part of the fish which is landed 

 at Kinsale. 



We should be glad if we could commend the Kinsale 

 fishermen for their industry, but it is difficult to do so 

 when we have ourselves seen almost all their boats 

 lying idle in the harbour in the midst of the mackerel 

 season, whilst Manx boats were bringing in their cargoes 

 of fish. On inquiring the reason for this, we heard 

 that the Kinsale boats had had large takes of mackerel 

 two days before, and the men had since been occupied 

 in " drinking their money." We then went among the 

 fishermen, and after a little conversation here and there 

 about what sort of fishing they were making, ascertained 

 that a good many mackerel had been lately caught, and 

 the boats were going out again soon. A little tobacco 

 is generally very effective in opening a fisherman's 

 heart, but in more than one instance at Kinsale our in- 

 quiries were interrupted by a request for " the price of 

 a glass of whisky." The almost irresistible attraction 

 of whisky to these men when they have any money to 

 spend is unfortunately not a matter for question ; but 

 better reports of them have been given recently, and it 

 is to be hoped that examples of temperance and industry 

 among themselves will not be without effect on the rest 

 of the fishermen. 



Kinsale suffered with other places during the famine 

 years, but it is said the fisheries there were in a de- 

 clining state before that time. There are, we believe, 

 very few of the large boats now belonging to the fisher- 

 men ; the owners being fish salesmen, and others who 

 engage the men to fish for them, and would keep them 

 constantly employed if they were willing to be so. The 

 South of Ireland Fishing Company worked for a few 

 years at Kinsale, but has now added one more to the 



