OUR SEA FISHEKIBS. 229 



pursuit of knowledge on fishery matters, frequently 

 mentions tlie fact of seeing immense shoals of pil- 

 chards and herrings weeks before they could be 

 attempted to be taken by the fishermen, owing to the 

 fact of the smallness of their boats, and insufficiency 

 of their gear. He mentions other cases of foreign 

 craft loading with fine fish off the coast in a few days, 

 and sailing for their respective ports ; while there 

 was not a craft on the coast that could come into 

 competition with them, and the natives could but 

 look on while the foreigner filled his pockets with 

 what should have been their wealth, if they only 

 possessed the means to take it. This, as Mr. Andrews 

 points out, is from the poverty of the inhabitants 

 and the absence of encouragemeni} I will again quote 

 from his excellent paper : — 



"The men of Skerries and of Eush, who once 

 followed annually the deep-sea fishery (and when the 

 bounty was given, large quantities of ling and cod 

 were brought home and cured at Eush), still inherit 

 the desire to make their north-west cruises. In 1853 

 this spirit stimulated them to fit out four vessels for 

 Iceland ; but not having good information when on 



' With our existence depending on our resources as a naval power, 

 and, if possible, upon our exclusive possession of those resources, 

 it is buf reasonable to ask that some means of encouraging the 

 prosecution of these valuable fisheries should be-found. 



