35 



fishing grounds at Kinsale, Skibbereen, Baltimore, and 

 Bantry, and in the Bay of Bantry a steamer had been put 

 on, so that every evening the fish caught in any of those 

 places could be shipped, and next day it would be delivered 

 in the cities and towns of England. The great thing to be 

 desired was to have as few people as possible between the 

 consumer and the fishermen, otherwise the profit was scat- 

 tered about by the number of hands through which the fish 

 passed. If there were any gentlemen present engaged in 

 the fish business, he would recommend them to send their 

 agents over there, who would day by day collect the fish 

 and send it forward. He knew, from practical experience, 

 that fishermen got very little as the result of their industry ; 

 this did not apply so much to the mackerel fishery, because 

 it was mostly conducted by men of skill and experience 

 who could take care of themselves. 



Mr. C. E. FRYER had great pleasure in seconding the 

 vote of thanks. The Chairman had referred to the beautiful 

 scene presented at night when the boats were leaving the 

 harbour, but it appeared to him the enjoyment was much 

 enhanced when you happened to be on board one of the 

 vessels going to the fishing grounds. Having had the 

 pleasure himself, he could recommend any one who visited 

 Cornwall to endeavour to get a night's fishing on board 

 one of those boats ; for no more beautiful scene could be 

 imagined than was presented on a fine evening on board a 

 boat off the Land's End. The energy of the Cornish fisher- 

 men had been referred to, but, like many others engaged 

 in the same vocation, they were remarkably conservative in 

 their habits, and it was very difficult to induce them to 

 adopt improved methods of fishing. He had had the great 

 satisfaction of introducing into this country the system of 

 preserving pilchards in oil, in the manner in which sardines 



