52 FEENCH SEA FISHEEIES. 



country being enormous — in length, reaching from Dunkirk to 

 Bayonne, including sinuosities, it will be considerably over 2000 

 kilometres — there is a great abundance of fish, the only regret 

 in connection with the food fisheries being that at those places 

 where the yield could be best obtained the fishing is but lazily 

 prosecuted, in consequence of the want of inland conveyance. 

 Prom many of the fishing villages there is no path to the 

 populous inland cities, and the fish is sold, as it used to be sold 

 in Scotland before the days of railways and other quick con- 

 veyances, by the wives of the fishermen, who hawk the produce 

 of the sea through the country. In such towns as Boulogne, 

 where there is a large resident population, and a constant 

 accession of English visitors as well, the demand for fish is con- 

 stant and considerable, and well supplied. ' In the department 

 of the Pas de Calais there are over 600 fishing-boats. In 

 Boulogne harbour, which is the chief port of the district, the 

 English visitors wiQ see a large number of boats, chiefly trawls, 

 and all who visit Boulogne have seen the fishwives, if not dressed 

 en fete, then in their work-a-day habits, doing hard labour for 

 their husbands or the tourists. Sea fish is scarce and dear over 

 most of inland France ; the prices in the market at Paris rule 

 very high for premier qualities, but in that gay capital there is 

 apparently no scarcity. Pish must be had, and fish can always 

 be obtained, whenever there is money to pay the price demanded. 

 In fact, a glance at the fish department of the grand marM 

 would lead one to suppose that, next to growing fruit and 

 vegetables, catching fish was the great industry of the country. 

 The modes of sea-fishing are so much alike in every country 

 that it is unnecessary to do more than just mention that the 

 French method of trawling is very similar to our own. But 

 there are details of fishing industry connected with that pursuit 

 on the French coasts that we are not familiar with in Britain. 

 The neighbouring peasantry, for instance, come to the seaside 

 and fish with nets which are called has pa/rc; and these are 

 spread out before the tide is fuU, in order to retain all the fish 

 which are brought within their meshes. The children of these 

 land-fishers also work, although with smaller nets, at these fore- 

 shore fisheries, while the wives poke about the sand for shrimps 

 and the smaller Crustacea. These people thus not only ensure 

 a supply of food for themselves djiring winter, but also contrive 

 during summer to take as much fish as brings them in a little 

 store of money. 



