120 



out in a fan shape. Thus, an advancing wave first meets 

 the oil, of the effect of which we have heard so much 

 lately. It then meets, and perhaps breaks against the 

 forward beam, and then has to pass under or fall on the 

 sheet and in any case will reach the boat in a very 

 enfeebled* condition. I find practical men are speaking 

 very well of this invention. 



Each of our boats carries a crew of seven men and a 

 boy (the latter usually a relative of one of the crew), and is 

 owned by a practical fisherman very frequently by the 

 master or his father and is worked on the share system, 

 under which each man brings a certain number of nets on 

 board, and the proceeds of each season are shared in a 

 peculiar and complicated way between the boats, the. crew, 

 and the nets. We have no large boat-owners and no 

 boat-owning companies. This state of affairs produces 

 results which, like many other things in Cornwall, are 

 peculiar to the county. When the Commissioners came 

 down last year on the inquiry as to 



Cruelty to fisherboys. 



The prevention of desertion, and 



The method of paying wages. 



we satisfied them that under our system there was, in our 

 fisheries : 



No cruelty to fisherboys. 



No desertion self-interest preventing it. 



No disputes as to wages. 



This last thing puzzled the Commissioners most of 

 all. After the meeting two fishermen and myself were 

 standing in the lobby when the Chairman came to us and 

 said : 



" I am satisfied you have no disputes about wages, but I 

 cannot make out how it is done." And I turned to one of 



