278 THE FALLS OF BALLYSHANNON. 



dred miles from the mouth of their river ; and 

 that they discover their port at last hy coast- 

 ing along with their noses close to the shore 

 till they begin to smell their native waters. 

 It is quite evident, therefore, that if a man 

 can find a place on one of the capes, where he 

 can put out his nets for a hundred yards or 

 so into the sea, anywhere within the estuary, 

 he must intercept one-half of the fish ; and 

 if he can find a place on the other cape, he 

 must intercept the other half, though there 

 be miles of deep water between them ; be- 

 cause it is the nature of the fish to go 

 grubbing down to the shore in search of 

 its river, and not to keep to the deep water." 



" Well," said the Parson, " this must, no 

 doubt, ruin every fishery ; we are sorry for 

 it, but where is the injustice ?" 



" Because it goes against the spirit of 

 the law, though it adheres to the letter. 

 The law was made to protect the fish, and 

 this renders it inoperative." 



" This becomes more evident/' said one 

 of the Ballyshannon fishermen, who was a 

 barrister, and had given some attention to 

 the subject, — " This becomes more evident, 

 when you consider the theory of property 



