8 



Of these boats one-half are Manx, one-third Irish, and 

 the remainder English and Scotch. 



This fishery begins about the first week in March, and 

 continues until about the first of July — 14 weeks. The 

 number of fishermen employed in it is over 5000, and 

 the entire number of men engaged in connection with the 

 fishery is about 8000. 



I have inquired as diligently as possible as to the quan- 

 tity of mackerel caught in each season for five years, and 

 have approximated the number to be about 31,500,000; 

 these were sold by the fishermen at an average price of 

 15J. per hundred (of six score). These figures prove for 

 themselves that the average amount of money paid for 

 mackerel at Kinsale, per fourteen weeks (or season), for a 

 period of five years, was over ^250,000 — a quarter of a 

 million. And I have also authority to state that nearly 

 one-fifth of this amount is paid for herrings at Kinsale 

 between the months of May and August in each year. 



These figures are collected, averaged, and approximated 

 from official statistics, and therefore cannot be questioned. 

 Taking into consideration the enormous supply of herrings 

 that are to be found, and that are captured (when sought 

 for) off" Kinsale, it will seem unreasonable that Scotch and 

 other fishermen do not prosecute the fishery after July. 



At the time when the herring fleet leaves Kinsale, the 

 largest "takes " are netted; but the herring fishery opens 

 just then in places where curing houses and cheaper carry- 

 ing rates occur, and naturally the merchants go to the 

 ground where their profit is greatest. 



On the south coast of Ireland there are no curing houses ; 

 herrings captured there have to be transhipped, in the 

 same manner as mackerel, to some port where curing 

 houses exist. It is questionable whether herring thus 



