OUE SEA FISHEEIES. 231 



Norway, the Orkneys, and the "Well-bank, the 

 Dogger-hank, and the Broad Forties — vessels ably 

 manned, well found, and with twelve miles of lines, 

 who fish the Dogger-bank in the North Sea, 150 

 miles from land, remaining months on the ground at 

 anchor or hove-to, weathering heavy seas and heavy 

 gales. A fine vessel I saw at Greenwich, of sixty-six 

 tons, had eleven miles of long Hnes, with hand-lines 

 and nets, had ample stowage between decks for salt 

 and curing fish, and could bring alive in her well 

 2,000 cod-fish. 



" When Government aid and protection were given 

 to our Newfoundland and Labrador fisheries, we had 

 vessels of from 250 to 400 tons working throughout 

 four months of the year on the great banks, in dense 

 fogs, and a perpetual and heavy swell These em- 

 ployed a large number of seamen — they remained at 

 anchor on the banks, veering out 120 fathoms of cable, 

 and sometimes in heavy weather having 200 fathoms 

 of cable on end. In gales they weighed and hove-to. 

 Since the withdrawal of all encouragement, the trade 

 is principally carried on, in the in-shore fisheries, by 

 boats of from nine to fifteen tons. The encourage- 

 ment given by the French Government of several 

 millions of francs a year to the Newfoundland fishery, 

 enables the French to keep on the banks vessels of 



