OTTE SEA FISHERIES. 233 



To show further the magnitude of the interests 

 involved in our fisheries, I may state that, according 

 to the report of the Commissioners, in spite of the 

 great depression existing in Ireland in 1860, there 

 were no less than 53,714 men, 3,384 boys, and 14,182 

 vessels of aU sizes, more or less engaged in fishing 

 of various kinds. The boats of course, as has been 

 previously poiated out, are, for the most part, small 

 craft, and far from as efficient as they might be, 

 while- the number of boys engaged appears to have 

 faUen off from the year previous, which cannot but 

 be looked on as a bad sign. I have no means of 

 estimating the number of men and vessels engaged 

 in England, but they must be considerable, as the 

 fisheries on our north-west and south-east coasts are 

 of great extent and importance. But one' firm alone, 

 the Messrs. Hewett, of Barking, maintain at sea a 

 fleet of fishing vessels averaging 80 or 90 tons each 

 in burthen, manned by splendid crews ; with a sup- 

 plementary fleet of cutters to attend on them and 

 carry the fish, of 115 tons each. To give some idea 

 of the extent of their operations, they employ 10,000 

 tons of ice annually. The firm having been in ex- 

 istence within a year or two of a century, is now 

 about to be merged into a Joint Stock Company, in 

 order largely to increase its operations and efi&ciency. 



