44 
as Mr. Alward said, that thirty years ago there were small 
soles in the Silver Pits, but there were a great many large 
ones. Where you got one pair of large soles, you would 
get fifty then. He believed at this day there were more 
soles caught in number than there were fifty years ago, but, 
on the other hand, not one-tenth as much in weight. Why 
was this? Because all round the coast you found horses 
and donkeys drawing trawls up and down the beach, and 
the little soles and plaice might be seen left to dry on the 
beach. If that was not destruction, he did not know what 
was; and unless something were done to stop it, the 
sole would be almost a thing of the past. Not that he 
thought they were going to exhaust the sea, they never 
could do it, because there was a grand command, “Be 
fruitful and multiply, and bring forth abundantly ;” and 
out of the whole creation the fish was the only thing that 
was commanded to fill the waters of the sea, and they were 
full. (Loud applause.) 
Mr. J. W. ARNOLD (of Kingsdown, near Deal) said 
something like forty-five years ago he started fishing, first 
with the shrimp-net, then for sprats, then for herrings, and 
afterwards mackerel. At certain seasons of the year, in 
going along the beach, you came to small transparent 
purses sticking out of the sand at low water, generally 
close to what was called honeycomb rock, and those when 
examined would be found to be full of small soles, and 
others turbot, brill, and all that kind of fish, except skate 
or wray, which were found in four-square purses. All this 
young fry should be protected, for this must begin at their 
own doors. The moment the herring and sprats came out 
of the eggs they were able to take care of themselves. In 
his belief, the donkey-trawl was the greatest destroyer, 
much more so than the deep-sea trawl, which he did not 
