CHRONOLOGICAL HISTORY OF THE HERRING-FISHERY. 353 



dore in regard to the Fern Islands, the interpreting the 

 boundary line to be three miles from the mainland, which 

 would have allowed the French to fish close to the Fern 

 Islands, while Captain Strange, of H.M.S. Archer, held 

 the boundary to be three miles outside of low water-mark 

 of the Fern Islands. Ultimately the case was remitted to 

 the Queen's Advocate, who determined that the boundary 

 was three miles outside of the Fern Islands." The said 

 report farther states, — " The Tartarus war steamer, being 

 able to come near the shore, was very successful in de- 

 tecting and putting a stop to infringements of the Con- 

 vention ;". and "the masters of several of the French 

 vessels were brought before the magistrates and fined." 

 Now fining looks very plausible, but we suppose the fine 

 would not exceed L.5, while no doubt L.50 or L.lOO 

 value of herrings had been fished within the limit or 

 boundary. " They order this matter better in France ;" 

 for if any of the English oyster-fishermen are found 

 dredging within the boundary on the French coast, we 

 are informed that they are detained for a considerable 

 time, sometimes until after the fishery. We own, rather 

 than run the risk, from such dangerous proximity, of dis- 

 putes with a friendly power, that it would be better to 

 abandon the oyster-fishery limits on the French coast, 

 and arrange that the boundary for fishing on the British 

 coasts should be, as formerly, at three leagues, the actual 

 legal boundary beyond which all strangers can be com- 

 pelled to keep when so occupied, and we give a strong- 

 reason for this in our next observation ; but we must 

 point out the great necessity of some strict arrangement, 

 or permanent supervision, by the continued presence of 

 shijjs of war or naval row-boats, as on the coast of Nor- 

 way fishery, because, when large fishing vessels take up 



