196 BRITISH IND USTEIES. 



fresh by steamers to English and Scotch ports. The 

 same may be said of the produce of the other Irish 

 fisheries line, drift, and trawl fish ; for a better 

 market can be obtained on the English side of the 

 Irish Channel, than at Dublin and the inland towns. 



South of Dublin, the oyster fishery near Arklow 

 employs a large number of men and boats. The banks 

 are in 10 or 12 fathoms water, and extend southwards 

 almost to Wexford. It is said that if the fishermen 

 had larger boats, much more might be done than at 

 present in the line fishing, and in working oyster beds 

 at a greater distance from land. A harbour, accessible 

 at all times of tide, is also much needed on this part of 

 the coast. The herring fishery at Wexford is usually 

 late in the year, but it is only on a small scale. The 

 boats, or " cots," there used for the drift fishing are of 

 a peculiar build, and deserve a short notice. They 

 are sharp at both ends, and are entirely flat-bottomed 

 with the exception of a small bit of keel at the bow 

 and stern, and a false keel or bilge piece extending 

 some distance on each side, between the floor and the 

 planking. They are about 30 feet over all, and with 

 7 or 8 feet beam. A centre-board with a depth of 5 

 feet below the floor is lowered, when the boat is on 

 a wind ; and the sails consist of three sprit-sails and a 

 jib. These boats are well suited for working their way 

 over the shoals inside and outside Wexford Harbour. 



On the south coast we find a station of some little 

 importance at Waterford Harbour. There is a con- 

 siderable extent of fishing ground within the harbour 

 itself, and good trawling is to be had outside on the 



