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of fish altogether. It did not readily bear carriage, but 

 had to be eaten as soon as possible after it was out of the 

 water, and consequently the great trade in pilchards was 

 when they were salted or preserved in oil. He could not 

 give the statistics of the men, boats, and capital employed, 

 but, to give some idea of the magnitude of the fisheries, he 

 might mention that, in his own immediate neighbourhood, 

 the water on which he could look down from his own 

 windows contained within two and a half miles a fleet of 

 something like four hundred boats, with all kinds of nets 

 and gear and other appliances, representing a capital of 

 something like 140,000. If a proportional amount of 

 capital and men were employed in other parts of the 

 country, it could readily be seen how important those 

 fisheries were. They were not only important as a means 

 of providing food, but formed an excellent nursery and 

 school for a race of seamen than whom there were none, 

 either in this kingdom or anywhere else in Europe, more 

 industrious, steady, independent or courageous. 



MACKEREL AND PILCHARD FISHERIES. 



The honour has been done me of requesting me to read 

 a Paper before you on the " Mackerel and the Pilchard," 

 and I presume that this has been done, because I come 

 from West Cornwall, the principal English home of the 

 fisheries for these two fish, and am well acquainted with 

 them ; but my ignorance makes it advisable that I should 

 confine my remarks to the familiar facts which I know of 

 these fish in my own county, rather than attempt to deal 

 with the subject scientifically. 



