Miscellaneous Intelligence. 



437 



Having dwelt at some 



174-4 miles ; and those of Spalding and Darlington, from a base of 58 

 miles, give an altitude of 174-9 miles ;— the mean being 175 miles. 

 The extensive area over which this arch was observed is remarkable. 

 A great magnetic disturbance took place at the same time, extending 

 as far as Toronto. In connexion with the cause of these phenomena, 

 it cannot escape notice that there is great similarity between the two 

 kinds of auroral action and the two modes of magnetic action recently 

 discovered by Prof. Faraday ; the ordinary auroral beams being paral- 

 lel to the direction of the magnetical meridian, and the arches being at 



right angles to that direction. _ . "»i_ »». tr" ' ' 



9. On the Resources of Irish Sea Fisher' 

 (Proc. Brit. Assoc, 1847, Athen. No. 1027.) 

 length on the great abundance of fish in the Irish seas and the want ol 

 food by the Irish people, he stated that so far back as the ninth and 

 tenth centuries the Danes had fisheries on the western coast of Ireland, 

 from whence they sent large exports to the south of Lurope. In 

 Queen Mary's reign, Phillip II. paid l,O00Z. annually lo purchase for 

 the Spaniards a right of fishing on the Irish coast. The Dutch pur- 

 chased a similar right from Charles II. for 30,000Z. ; and in 1650, 

 Sweden was permitted, as a favor, to employ 100 vessels m the Irish 

 fishing. From 1800 to 1830 the immense sum of 2/5,784/. was paid 

 in bounties for the encouragement of Irish fisheries ; but the system 

 was found to encourage fraud rather than stimulate industry, and it vvas 

 abolished. In 1821, the number of boats employed in the Irish fishe- 

 ries were : — 



In 1829 (the year before the abolition 



of the bounty) the numbers were 

 In 1836, 

 In 1843, 



ii. 



66 

 66 



First class. | Second clas 



~276b 



I 



Men 



I 



4, (toil) worked by 36,J6» 



3,590 



2.8D7 



2,371 



9 .552 



7,864 



1 7,51 2 



66 

 66 



66 



64.771 

 54,119 

 >3,073* 



Thus the abolition of the bounty, though it threw back he fisheries 

 for a time, did not eventually injure their W™^™"^ £ e 

 tween the years 1836 and 1843 amount, ig o ^ he ^ 

 inspectors of fisheries agree that within the last tew year 

 ter of the persons employed in the fisher.es has been grea tly impr ed. 

 The author related minutely the history of several abor ,*e efforts to 

 establish joint-stock companies for conducting the fis henes of keland 

 one of which, that of Dunmow, near Water fcr a eem ed » one i,^ 

 to have very fair prospects of success ™< m *™ e data f or fe ;in 



on the white fishery, cod, ling, &c— but with r atner >c « 

 estimate of its re'sults-the notorious frauds ™™*^™Vlto\\y 

 bounty system rendering the returns then made ^ overnm h e ^ *J ^J 

 unworthy of confidence-Mr. Valpy d.rected attentto. to the heir g 

 fishery. The Irish herrings are better in qua Jity and bnn g 

 prices than those of Scotland, but they are for the most part h>n 

 the coast, the fishermen being prevented from going in search 



• The numbers for 1846 are, boats of the first class 2,424, second clam 11,7 , 

 men !)b,538. 



