3 to HISTORY OF THE 



and flat fifh; Norfolk, Suffolk, and Eflex in white 

 fifh, flatfifh, fhell fifh, and herrings ; SufTex in mack- 

 arel ; Cornwall in ditto and pilchards ; the Briftol 

 channel in white fi(h, flat filh, and herrings ; the 

 Severn and the Eden in falmon; the adjacent 

 fliores of Scotland, Ireland, and the Ifle of Man in 

 boundlefs Ihoals of large herrings. 



Of the In ft Herring Fi faeries. 



Ireland had remained in a (late of nature, without 

 arts, manufactures, commerce, fifheries, or fhipping, 

 till the reign of Charles II. when the- Duke of Or- 

 mond, in his inductions to the Council of Trade in 

 1664, thus expreffed himfelf: Ton are to cowftder ly 

 what means the ffting trade may be mojl improved in 

 the kingdom of Ireland. But neither the fifheries, 

 nor any other branch of commerce, was profecuted 

 effectually, till about the year 1750, when a confi- 

 derable number of the nobility, gentry, and clergy, 

 incorporated themfelves by royal charter, under the 

 name of he Dublin Society for improving of buf- 

 landry, and other lifeful arts. This fociety being 

 liberally endowed by parliament, diffufed a fpirit of 

 inquiry, induflry, and enterprize, over great part of 

 the nation, particularly the North, where the linen 

 manufacture hath arrived at an incredible height. 



The rife of the fifheries is of a rriuch later date, 

 ov/mg to the inefficacy of premiums, inilead of ton- 

 nage bounties, the only mode by which the fifheries 

 of thefe kingdoms can be carried on for a perma- 

 nency to any confiderable extent. 



In the year 1764, the Irifh parliament confidering 

 this bufinefs as an object of national importance, 

 began to frame fuch laws, and to grant fuch aids, as 

 the nature of the fifheries fuggefted ; liberal, ju- 

 dicious, and flattering, <c every matter relative to the 

 fifheries/' fa-id they, cc ought at once to be rendered 



as 



