222 FISH CULTURE. 



had not a solitary sail on these rich fishing-grounds. 

 It is worthy of note that Canada is the only one of 

 the provinces that offers a bounty for the encourage- 

 ment of deep-sea fisheries, and that she is the only 

 province that does not pursue this branch of industry 

 to an extent worth mentioning. Distance has pro- 

 bably much to do with this anomalous state of 

 things. Gasp^ is the priacipal part .of the province 

 that borders directly on the fishery, and is for the 

 most part unsettled. France and the United States 

 both pursue the policy of giving bounties to en- 

 courage these fisheries. France pays 530,000f. to 

 540,000£ a year, averaging about $68 to each man 

 engaged ia the fishery. This is an expensive process, 

 hut it is alleged that it would cost twice as much to 

 train an equal number of men for the navy in any 

 other way. In 1861 a French commission appointed 

 to inquire into the deep sea-fisheries said in their 

 report : — " It is on fisheries that at this day repose 

 all the most serious hopes of our maritime enlist- 

 ments," and it was added that " no other school can 

 compare with this in preparing them so well, and 

 in numbers so important, for the service of the 

 navy." These bounties are also defended on the 

 ground that the French pursue this fishery at a great 

 disadvantage of distance, and from having no pos- 



