CHKONOLOGICAL HISTORY OF THE HERRING-FISHERY. 275 



' that there are no signs of improvement whatsoever, but 

 ' the contrary.' He adds, ' that the habits of the fisher- 

 ' men are very disorderly and quarrelsome, unless allowed 

 ' to do exactly as they please.' We regret to state, that 

 having made several visits to Galway during the autumn, 

 we are obliged to confirm this statement. 



" The Board having been urged by some respectable 

 persons, who wished to promote peace, to alter the limits 

 for trawling in the Bay of Galway to a line drawn ' from 

 ' Spiddal to Black Head,' determined, before they should 

 hold any public meeting for the purpose of hearing evi- 

 dence, to cause practical examination to be made, under 

 the direction of an intelligent coast-guard officer, recom- 

 mended by the late Inspecting Commander ; and with 

 the permission of one of the managing directors of the 

 Eoyal Irish Fisheries Company, then trawling in the 

 Bay, he accompanied one of the vessels in several trips, 

 and closely examined the produce of each shot of the 

 trawl, but could observe nothing resembling the spawn of 

 fish. 



" The Board having been desirous to obtain all possible 

 information on this very embarrassing question before 

 they should adopt further restrictions, determined that 

 one of the Inspecting Commissioners should visit Torbay. 

 It would have been quite useless to make the proposed 

 change, as nothing short of closing the whole Bay against 

 trawling, &c., from the Arran Islands inwards, would 

 satisfy the unreasonable demands of the Claddagh fisher- 

 men ; and a communication has recently been made by 

 the Commissioners to the Government, expressing their 

 conviction that nothing but the constant presence of a 

 small armed steamer will secure the preservation of order, 

 as they fear that nothing else can break down the spirit 



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