6 BRITISH INDUSTRIES. 



years the coast population had almost a monopoly of 

 the fish that was brought on shore. A few highly- 

 favoured people in the country occasionally had a 

 small supply of fish sent them by the coaches, but to 

 the vast majority of the inland population fresh fish 

 was a thing utterly unknown. Now the whole system 

 is reversed. Wholesale dealers attend the arrival of 

 the boats at all the fishing stations of the slightest 

 consequence. There are regular agents of the Bil- 

 lingsgate salesmen always on the look-out for anything 

 that is marketable, either to send to their principals 

 in London, or, under their instructions, to forward 

 their purchases to fishmongers at the inland towns. 

 It will, therefore, be readily understood that those 

 persons who formerly had their choice of soles, cod 

 or other kinds of fish, are in these times frequently 

 obliged to send to some large market inland, and 

 perhaps pay a high price for such fish as used to be 

 regularly brought for sale to their own doors. 



There are unfortunately no direct means of ascer- 

 taining, even approximately, the quantity of fish an- 

 nually brought to market. But I may refer to some 

 of the circumstances which show that the supply must 

 have very largely increased in recent years. What has 

 chiefly led to the increase of the sea fisheries is, as 

 before mentioned, the universal extension of railways 

 wherever it has been practicable to construct them, 

 and there has been a reasonable prospect of their 

 paying. In former years, when railways were in their 

 infancy, most of the fish sold at Billingsgate was 

 brought thither by water carriage. It was the one 



