234 THE RELATIONS OF THE STATE WITH 



net, combines something of the alternately active and medi- 

 tative sport of the angler in trying holes, with skill in navi- 

 gation equal to that required by the herring-boat. 



In deep-sea lining there is again a much closer analogy 

 to angling, for the principle of hooks and bait, not seen in 

 the other modes of sea-fishing on a large scale, are directly 

 introduced, whilst the fish are assiduously tempted and 

 caught individually, and not in shoals, although they are 

 hauled up collectively. The skill of choosing and fixing 

 the bait is here seen. 



The first three classes into which fish have been divided 

 for commercial classification afford the large harvests of the 

 sea. The capture of the fourth class, such as crabs and 

 shrimps, or the careful attention paid to the protection of 

 oyster-beds, and the means of bringing shell-fish to the 

 surface, may be said to bear the same analogy to large-net 

 and long-line fishing as is borne by the assiduous gathering 

 in of the products of a nursery garden to the rough reaping 

 of a large farm. 



The legislation of 1868 has divided fishing-boats into 

 three classes : those of 1 5 tons and upwards ; those less 

 than 1 5 tons navigated otherwise than by oars only ; and, 

 lastly, those navigated by oars alone. The chief trawlers 

 and smacks, usually cutter-rigged, and herring and mack- 

 erel-boats, with their lug-sails, belong to the first class. 

 Boats carrying small trawls and shrimpers belong to the 

 second, whilst row-boats are sufficient to tend fixed instru- 

 ments, and in some cases to manage line-fishing on a small 

 scale. 



For convenience of treatment the subject of this essay 

 generally will, perhaps, come beneath a fourfold division. 



Reference will first be made to the home legislation 

 which, besides regulating the relations of the State with 



