THE FISHERIES. 59 



Cornishmen ; we admire their skill, tlieir energy, 

 their superior equipments, and fishing-gear — but, 

 above all, their mild and orderly demeanour. Their 

 lieet, as we have said, consisted of about two hun- 

 dred sail, and frequently in some seasons consists of 

 much more : these boats, with their equipments, are 

 worth about £200 each, so that the whole fleet will 

 represent, in round numbers, a capital of about 

 £40,000. They arrived at Howth this season on 

 the 23rd of June, and were all off on the 1st of 

 September. Having fished our Dubhn coast, they 

 leave the herrings still abundant behind them, and 

 hurry back to Cornwall to be in time for the great 

 pilchard fishery on that coast, which only lasts a 

 brief period, when they reap another abundant har- 

 vest ; and some of them this season again returned 

 to our coast, and again met the herrings. But con- 

 fining our inquiries solely to their catch of herrings 

 on our own coasts during the months of Julv and 

 August of the present year, we find from careful 

 inquiries that most of those boats captured and sold 

 about £200 worth each ; thus clearino; almost the 

 whole floating capital of their fleet within a period 

 little exceeding two months, and carrying off from 

 our shores, in hard cash, an amount little short of 

 £30,000. 



Do we make these observations in an invidious spi- 

 rit ? By no means ; nor are our native fishermen 

 themselves unfriendly to their visitors, or at all dis- 

 posed to act the part of the dog in the manger : 



