58 THE UNAPPRECIATED FISHER FOLK. 
gear with which to catch them ; at some places the boats 
and machinery of capture are of the most fragile description, 
and if improved vessels were to be provided there are no 
fitting harbours in which they could be received, whilst the 
distance of many of the seats of fishing from a profitable 
market is another serious drawback to the advancement of 
fishing enterprise inIreland. Thus the fisher folks of Ireland 
are heavily handicapped in every way they desire to turn 
themselves. As an instance of how the men are held down 
we may state, on the authority of the inspectors, that in June 
1881, two consignments, consisting of 19 and 30 boxes of 
mackerel respectively, each containing 120 fish, were sent 
up from the county of Cork to Dublin at a charge of 52 2s. 
1d. and 7/. 14s. respectively, and the balances remitted to 
the senders were IIs. I1d.in one case and 1/ 6s. in the 
other, making a total of 14 17s. 11d. for 5,880 fish, or about 
three of these fine fish for a farthing. The value of the 
cod fish caught by the Irish fishermen, and exported to 
England during the year 1882, amounted, in round figures, 
to 389,240/. 10s. 
The Irish Salmon Fisheries afford employment to many 
persons, the total yield of these fine fish being considerable, 
far in advance even of Scotland. The estimated money 
value of the salmon captured in Irish waters has been set 
down of late years (1882 excepted) as being considerably 
above half a million sterling, a fact which, we think, is not 
generally known. There is one branch of fishing which 
might, we think, afford remunerative employment to a 
large number of persons, namely, that for crabs, which 
might be carried on in such a way as to be independent 
of early markets, as these crustaceans might be stored in 
rudely constructed ponds to be kept till called for. Could 
the crabs of Ireland be brought to English ports they 
