192 BRITISH IND USTRIES. 



emigration which has long been setting westward. 

 But the majority of those who left the west coast, and 

 of those who still remain there, had never much claim 

 to the title of fishermen, for they belonged to the class 

 who . only fish occasionally, when seaweed-cutting, 

 farming, and other occupations fail them. 



On the east coast there is a more pleasing picture. 

 The example set by Cornish, Scotch, and Manx fisher- 

 men appears to be having some effect on those in that 

 part of Ireland. Boats are improving, the men are 

 more industrious than formerly, and their numbers are 

 increasing there to some extent ; but there is still 

 great room for improvement, and there must assuredly 

 be sufficient inducement for them to work at the 

 fisheries, when it pays hundreds of fishermen from 

 'other parts to come long distances for the sake of the 

 profits to be made in the Irish Channel. It is too 

 early yet to judge of the working of the Irish Kepro- 

 ductive Loan Fund recently established under a Par- 

 liamentary grant, for the purpose of assisting needy 

 fishermen with loans to be expended on fishing gear ; 

 but as might have been expected, the money applied 

 for has been far in excess of what can be provided. 

 About 8000Z. was available, and the total amount 

 asked for exceeded 40,000/. The Inspectors express 

 some surprise that the applications were not for a con- 

 siderably larger sum. There is much difference of 

 opinion as to the probability of these loans doing any 

 real good to the fishermen ; but as the experiment is 

 now being fairly tried, we must wait and hope for a 

 satisfactory result. I should have been glad, how- 



