EABNINGS OF THE FISHERMEN. 227 



of fish he considered was their being destroyed farther south. 

 No trawling vessels came here till last summer. They went 

 about twelve mUes from land, and trawled in the fishing-ground. 

 The lines of the fishing-boats were parallel, and about a quarter 

 of a mile apart. When there was a south-east storm they got 

 plenty of fish, but it was not so now. With a north-east storm 

 they had plenty of fish. In his recollection, fifty years back, 

 there was plenty of fish with a south-east storm. There had 

 been no interference with their nets, and no one had regulated 

 the times of fishing. There might be some advantage if the 

 Government made a law to prevent either the English or French 

 fishing from Saturday morning to Monday night. That would 

 give time for the fish to draw together. That alluded to herring. 

 They should not allow the trawl-boats to fish on the coasts. The 

 French boats often came within three miles of the land. 

 Herring are caught within three 'miles of the shore. The 

 French boats shifted with the herring along the coast, and have 

 caught a great quantity. There should be a rule that herring- 

 nets should not be shot before sunset. When the Queen's 

 cutters came the French boats made off to more than three miles 

 from the land. Lobsters had diminished, but not the crabs. 

 He believed they had caught too many lobsters. The boat's 

 crew is not so well off now as thirty years ago. Lodgings were 

 better. They do not earn so much money now. In the course 

 of a year (about 1825) he made £126, and a few years back he 

 made only £78. The average for the last five years at the 

 white fishing was about £50. Other £50 might be made at 

 the herring-fishing. The buoys of the lines were large enough 

 for the trawlers to see them, and they could see where the nets 

 were. They destroyed both the fish and the lines. A line boat 

 with fittings costs about £40, and a herring-boat with nets not 

 less than £100. The men bought the boats with money saved. 

 Little fish was destroyed on their lines, except what was eaten 

 by the dog-fish. There were herring there in January and 

 February, but were not caught. Their boats fished between 

 Tynemouth and Dunstanborough castles. He could remember 

 when there were no French boats on the coast ; they first came 

 Sbout 1824. The French boats fish on the Sundays. Their 

 boats did not. A young man ought to earn £100 a year. It 

 would cost a full third to keep his boat and tackling up. The 

 boats lasted about fourteen years." 



I need not go on repeating similar evidence, but the witnesses 



