4 BRITISH INDUSTRIES. 



cordingly ; and, as they say, if they have fine weather 

 and good luck, they catch them. 



The changes which have taken place in the fishing 

 trade within little more than a generation, and even in 

 recent years, are very remarkable. Formerly, a great 

 deal of the fishing on our coast was carried on in small 

 open boats at a very short distance from the land, and 

 what each boat brought in was readily sold in the 

 place, or was offered at the houses in the neighbour- 

 hood by the fishermen's wives, whose regular busi- 

 ness it was to dispose to the best advantage the 

 varied produce of her husband's morning's work. 

 Now, the whole system of selling fish has been com- 

 pletely changed on a very large proportion of our 

 coasts. Markets for the sale of fish have been opened 

 up in all parts of the country, and such a stimulus 

 has been given to fishing as is little appreciated by 

 many who might be supposed to understand some- 

 thing of what is going on around them. 



The great agent in the change which has taken place 

 is mainly the extension of railways throughout the 

 length and breadth of the land. The cost of carrying 

 fish a hundred miles inland is now of trifling import- 

 ance, and railway companies whose lines run along the 

 coast, or extend inland from places where fish is likely 

 to be landed, have had the good sense to give every 

 facility to the increase of fish- carry ing, seeing the 

 prospect there was of establishing a regular and pro- 

 fitable traffic. The means thus afforded of disposing 

 of any quantity of fish, whilst yet only a few hours 

 out of the water, and in a condition which not many 



