26 The Commercial Products of the Sea. 



The number of cod, ling, and hake taken in Scotland in 

 1876 was 3,454,198. S9,8i6 cwt. of dried fish were ex- 

 ported, being rather more than half the cure ; but this was 

 22,000 cwt. below the export of the previous year. 



The cod fishery on the Irish coast commences in the 

 lough opposite Moville, about the ist of October, and ends 

 about the ist of July. They move out, and as the weather 

 settles in spring, the fishermen follow them eight miles 

 or more, and finally twenty miles out to Hamden Bank. 



Newfoundland may be said to have a monopoly of the 

 cod fishery, and the market is every day increasing. All 

 tropical people like codfish, and must have it, and there- 

 fore, if the colonists could obtain 5,000,000 tons, they 

 could not supply the demand in future ages. 



The roe of a cod contains 2,000,000 eggs, and if all 

 these came to maturity, one cod would fill the ocean in 

 a few years ; but though countless millions perish, if we 

 do not violate the law of nature by destroying the mother 

 or breeding fish, we cannot lessen the quantity. 



The Grand Bank appears to be the great ' breeding 

 ground of the species, and the finest fish is caught there. 

 The quantity of codfish annually taken from the banks 

 and shores of Newfoundland, and the coasts of Labrador, 

 on the average of years, may be stated to be as follows : — 



Cwt. 

 By the Americans ... ... ... 1,500,000 



,, Frenc'a ... ... ... 1,000,000 



By British subjects ... ... ... 1,500,000 



—worth about 15^. or \6s. a cwt. 4.000,000 



