212 OK THE BRITISH FISHERIES. • Ocl:. 1 9, 



Account of the prejent State of the infant Settlement at 

 Toiennory, in the Ife cf Mull. 



To the EJicor cf the Bee. 

 Sir, 



1 HAVE obferved with concern, that for fomc years 

 pall you have not appeared in any public manner as a 

 tavourer of the Britiih fiiherlcs. This is fo contrary 

 to what I expected, when I law you on tl "^Ic coalts 

 in the year 1784, that 1 could not belp reniarkin^ it 

 with lome kind of alloniriiment. — Your aftivity on 

 that cccafion, and your zeal in the caufe, excited not 

 my attention alone, but that of mnny others, who, like 

 me, were witnefl'es to your exertions — and we hoped 

 to derive great benefits Irom your labours. — Thefc 

 cxped^lations were not diminiftcd wh'en we perufed 

 your account of the prefent ftate of the Hebrides, and 

 weilern parts of Scotland ; which, unfortunately for 

 lis, we find is but too jult a reprefentation of the ilate 

 of things among us, particularly with refpect to the 

 fait laws — whicli is a grievance of the moll oppredive 

 fort, that nobody who has fpeculatcd upon this fubjccl:, 

 but ycurfelf, feems to have properly regarded. — But 

 even you, Sir, are not, I am perfuaded, fully ap- 

 prifed of all the hardfhips thefe cruel laws are produclive 

 of, to the poor people of this country. — For Cod's fake, 

 then, relume your pen, and exert your belt influence 

 to get thefe deftrudtive lav.'s repealed — for nothing lefs 

 than a total abolition of the fait duties can ever enable 

 the people of this coall to carry on the bufniefs of the 

 hihcrics with advantage. Were that once done, the 

 exertions of the patriotic fociety for encouraging the 

 Britilh liflierics might do much to mitigate the lot of 

 tlie unhappy perfons on thefe coafts, who otheryife 

 rauft emigrate in tlioul'ands. 1 obferve, by feme 



