312 



Boston Deeps ; a very insignificant portion was from New- 

 haven and Ireland. 



" No better fishermen than the Eyemouth men are to be 

 found anywhere ; they are noted for their industry, perse- 

 verance, and energy, and I certainly do not know of more 

 hardworking fishermen on the Scotch coast than those of 

 Eyemouth. 



" The white fishing trade seems to be undergoing a great 

 revolution in consequence of the steam trawlers. 



" Yours faithfully, 



"JOHN DOULL." 



I consider that, where natural beds of Mussels have once 

 existed, and the ground has not altered, there new Mussel 

 beds may be established and cultivated ; but the Govern- 

 ment must grant provisional orders to persons desirous and 

 willing to take in hand the cultivation of Mussels and 

 Oysters, and not allow the officials at the Board of Trade 

 to prevent the granting of such orders. The orders must 

 enforce heavy penalties on persons illegally taking the 

 molluscs, and provide for the imprisonment of those people 

 who are unable to pay the fines and costs, as the greatest 

 amount of poaching is done by the impecunious inhabitants 

 of the villages adjacent to the shore, and whose forefathers 

 a hundred years ago were the wreckers and smugglers of 

 that age. Illegally taking Oysters and Mussels from such 

 a fishery should be felony. 



Mussels are largely cultivated on the continent. The 

 exports from Antwerp for Paris alone, as recorded in the 

 "Halles Centrales" Statistics for the season of 1873 

 amounted to seven million francs (^28o,ocx>). This repre- 

 sents the produce of natural beds and scalps unimproved 

 by man's care. 



