PROTECTION OF DEEP SEA FISHERIES. 339 



tiontoRamsgate and Brixham,it may be said to be a port de- 

 voted to drift and seine fishing, trawling being the exception. 

 The fishing is principally for mackerel and pilchards, though 

 for some years past numbers of these boats have made it a 

 practice to leave home in July, and go as far as the northern 

 coal ports to prosecute the North Sea herring fishery, and 

 return home again late in September. This number in- 

 creases every year, and last year the number must have 

 been between two and three hundred sail. This increase 

 may be accounted for by the fact that the boats from this port 

 in years past were not decked, being thus more handy for 

 the pilchard voyage at home, which is prosecuted at about 

 half a mile from the shore, and were consequently not fit for 

 a long voyage. The boats of recent build are much improved 

 in size, and many of the largest of the old boats have been 

 decked. They are lug-rigged, but are peculiarly built, 

 having a very light draught of water forward, and very 

 deep aft. They carry in consequence unusually large mizens, 

 which drive them ahead very fast, and cause them to sail 

 very near to the wind. Apprentices are uncommon here, 

 and there are a good many shore owners, though in some 

 cases masters and mates have an interest The crews 

 usually sail by the share, the owners finding the boat and 

 gear, and taking a proportionate share for them. 



St. Ives is the next port ; there are a good many boats here, St. Ives. 

 similar in every respect to the Penzance boats just alluded 

 to. They usually work on the same grounds as the 

 Penzance men. 



The ports on the West coast as far as the fisheries are con- West coast, 

 cerned are not of much importance ; they include Padstow, 

 Bideford, Barnstaple, Bristol, Cardiff, Swansea, Milford, 

 Cardigan, Carnarvon, Beaumaris. There are a few vessels 

 at all these ports, but they are principally small trawlers 



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