ii PREFACE. 



knowledge of his profeffion ; nothing but 

 emulation can make him furmount all 

 thefe difficulties. 



A fifherman's fon longs, from his child- 

 hood, to follow his father ; he familiarifes 

 himfelf, by degrees, to an element, which 

 is to furnifh his fubfiftence. After brav- 

 ing the dangers of the fea, they become 

 naturally courageous, and the moft ufeful 

 fubjefts of a maritime ftate. Having 

 ferved their firft apprenticeship in boats, 

 they ufually pafs into the merchants fer- 

 vice, as failors, and from thence to fhips of 

 war. Fifhermen, by toiling on our coafts 

 by night and by day, make excellent 

 coafting pilots. 



The fea fliore prefents many different 

 objects. Here are very high and fteep 

 rocks; there the rocks have lefs elevation, 

 and are fbmetimes covered over by the high 

 tides : in other places there are downs, or 

 great mountains of fand ; fome coafts are 

 formed by earths, more or lefs hard, mixed 

 with ftones, which, falling into the fea, 

 grow round with the friclions of the 



waves. 



