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terised them in 1869. The supply of Mussels, however, 

 seems to be rapidly diminishing, irom the persistent 

 poaching of the fishermen, and from want of power 01 

 the Corporation under their "order" to close a sufficient 

 portion 01 the ground every year. A similar " order " was 

 granted to the Corporation of King's Lynn, in 1872. Mr. 

 Hall reports on this "order" that the Corporation system 

 of management in regard to Mussels is dangerous to the 

 permanent welfare of the fishery ; whilst as regards Oysters, 

 the order is not carried into effect. 



Under clause 4 of the order, the Corporation is com- 

 pelled to keep open ior fishing two-thirds of the area o: 

 the Oyster and Mussel beds, thus leaving a large pro- 

 portion of the whole in a great measure at the mercy o( 

 the fishermen ; and Mr. Hall justly points out the danger 

 the Mussel beds of the Wash are necessarily exposed to 

 from this provision. 



When a Mussel bed is opened by either of the above- 

 mentioned Corporations, a day is fixed, and duly adver- 

 tised, and at 12 o'clock at night, scores of boats commence 

 taking the Mussels, some by tons, and some only by a few. 

 bushels. The next day the markets are glutted with small 

 Mussels, and in some instances I have known them to be 

 unsaleable. Even at the best they only make very small 

 prices ; whereas, if they had been gradually sent to the 

 various markets, good prices would have been made. 



I am the lessee of about eleven miles of sea-beach on the 

 Norfolk Coast, belonging to Hamon Le Strange, Esq., whose 

 title to the proprietary right descends from a grant made 

 in the eleventh century by William II. to William d' Albini, 

 his butler. 



The fishing on this beach consists of Mussels, Cockle 

 Clams, Winkles, and a few Oysters. 



