FISHERMEN CAN'T SWIM ! 193 



pect. He was a minister, but he taught me to do three 

 things ride, row, and swim. Can any of you swim ?" 

 " No, sir." " Why, man, if you fell out of your boat in 

 smooth water even, you would be drowned ! n " The 

 Lord could save me, sir." " Oh, yes, He could, but He 

 won't. Do you think He will work a miracle to save 

 a man so lazy as not to have learned to swim ? " 



Though there must be great difficulty in either Gov- 

 ernment or private persons indoctrinating fishermen 

 with ideas foreign to their experience and modes of 

 thought, the effort to enlighten and assist them so far 

 as proper should be perseveringly made. Government 

 may regulate the size and equipment of their boats, and 

 afford them the protection of large vessels and steamers 

 at different points during the busy season, besides pro- 

 viding charts indicating the best fishing-grounds, and 

 the nature of the tides, currents, &c. Above all, it is 

 bound to be liberal in aiding the construction of har- 

 bours of refuge, the existence of which will go far to 

 prevent those scenes of disaster which so often fill 

 fishing villages with lamentation, and entail upon the 

 poor-rates the heavy burden of maintaining families 

 bereaved of the support wont to be supplied by the 

 rough hands which laboured hard to " win the bairns' 

 bread." 



