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good for nothing, have been the very perfons who 

 have been more than once the caufe why no advan- 

 tage has been reaped from it. Dried cod, or what 

 is called la Merluche, can only be taken on the 

 coafts ; which requires great attendance and much 

 experience. M. Denys, who agrees that all thofe 

 he had ever known to follow this commerce in Aca- 

 dia ruined themfelves by it, fully proves, and makes 

 it extremely plain, that they are in the wrong who 

 conclude from thence that the cod is not in great a- 

 bundance in thofe parts. But he afferts, that in order 

 to carry on this filhery there to advantage, the fifhers 

 muft be perfons refiding in the country ; and he 

 reafons in this manner. Every feafon is not equally 

 proper for this fifhery ; it can only be carried on 

 from the beginning of the month of May, till the 

 end of Auguft, Now if you bring failors from 

 France, either you muft pay them for the whole 

 year, in which cafe your expences will fvvallow up 

 the profits, or you muft pay them for the fifhing 

 feafon only, in which they can never find their ac- 

 count. For to fay that they may be employed for 

 the reft of the year in fawing of boards and felling 

 of timber, is certainly a miftake, as they could not 

 poffibly make the expence of their living out of it ; 

 fo that thus either they muft needs ruin the under- 

 taker or die of hunger. 



But if they are inhabitants of the place, the un- 

 dertakers will not only be better ferved, but alfo it 

 will be their own faults if they do not prefently get 

 a fortune. By this means they will be able to make 

 choice of the beft hands they will take their own 

 time to begin the fifhery, they will make choice of 

 proper places, they will make great profits for the 

 fpace of four months ; and the reft of the year they 

 may employ in working for themfelves at home. 



Had 



