14 BRITISH IND USTRIES. 



moment average about fifty-five tons, many of the new 

 ones being as much as seventy or eighty tons ; oyster 

 smacks are also included; and owing to the recent 

 increase of size in the Scottish drift-fishing boats, a 

 majority of them will also rank as first-class boats 

 instead of in the second class, according to former 

 returns. Many of the Cornish, and almost all the 

 Yarmouth drift boats, will also go in the first class. 

 Again, in the second class every description of fishing 

 boat, except such as is used for sean-fishing, is in- 

 cluded, and consequently no idea can be formed from 

 the return of the state of any one fishery. In the 

 third class there should be very few boats except those 

 specially used for sean-fishing and harbour oyster 

 dredging ; but the discretionary power of the register- 

 ing officer must often lead him to put numerous small 

 line, crab and lobster fishing boats in this class, 

 although each of them carries a sail whenever it can 

 be used with advantage, and should accordingly go 

 into the second class. It will, therefore, be seen that 

 one of the objects sought for in the registration of 

 fishing boats, that of showing approximately the 

 number and size of the boats engaged in each kind of 

 fishery, and, therefrom, the flourishing condition or 

 otherwise of that fishery, is entirely defeated by the 

 absence of a good arrangement of the information col- 

 lected by the Customs, and classified by the Begistrar- 

 General of Shipping and Seamen under the direction 

 of the Board of Trade, by whom it is published. It 

 is true that in the second and third classes certain 

 details are given, evidently with the best intention, 



