144 THE FISHERIES. 



l)L'gaii to take root in various liarboui's on the eastern and south- 

 ern shores, ami these continued to grow in spite of all ditticulties 

 and discouragements. 



STRUOGI.E OF KESIUEXT FISHERMEN. 



Tlien began the long and melancholy struggle, described in 

 the Historical Sketch, lietween "the mercliant a<lventurer.s" who 

 wanted to hold a monopcjly of the fisheries and prevent a set- 

 tlement of the island, and tlie constantly increasing resident 

 pojjulation, which after a century and a lialf terminated in 

 a complete triumph for the latter. So early as 1698, no le.ss 

 than 265,198 (piintals of dried codfish were exixirted, nearly half 

 of -wiiich (juantity was taken by tlie resident population. The 

 cod and other fisheries conlinued to ex])and and extended to 

 Labradoi'. Tlie population increased from year to year, and 

 a corresponding increase in the catcli of fish took place. In 1764 

 the resident population was 13,112, and the (piantity of codfish 

 exported was 470,118 (piintals. In 1789, the population was 

 19,106 ; tlie export of cod 649,092. In 181."), for the first tinier, 

 the export exceeded a million (piintals. The following table 

 s]iow.s how the export has fluctuated siuc(' that date, sometimes 

 exceeding a million and a half (piintals, and occasionally falling 

 IicIdw a million : — 



Ye;u-. Qtls. exported. 



1815 1,086,266 



1825 973,464 



1835 712,588 



1845 1,000,233 



1850 1,089,182 



1854 774,117 



1860 1,379,804 



1863 1,012,321 



1870 . ■. . . . 1,164,535 



1872 1,221,156 



1873 .. . . 1,369,205 



1874 . . . 1,609,724 



