314 TRAVELS IN 
fuch as can be acquired only by conftant habit from early youths 
The cultivation of the fiflieries would afford a never failing 
fupply of men fo inftrudted j would furnifli the markets with 
a wholefome and nutricious food ; and would increafe our 
conveniency, extend our manufactures, and promote our com- 
merce. 
For, Independent of the Important confideration of reducing 
the prefent high price of butchers' meat, by a more ample fup- 
ply of fifh to the feveral markets of England, whale oil is now 
become fo valuable an article of confumption in Great Britain, 
not only for the fafety and conveniency it affords by lighting the 
ftreets of our cities and great towns at a moderate expence,, 
but as a fubftitute for tallow and greafe in various manufactures, 
that it may be confidered as an indifpenfable commodity, whofe 
demand is likely to increafe in proportion as arts and manufac- 
tures are extended, and new applications of its ufe dlfcovered.. 
We ought, then, to confider both the home fifhery for fupply- 
ing the markets with food, and the whale fifhery for furnifhing 
our warehoufes with oil, as two {landing nurferies for the edur- 
cation of fearaen. 
One would fcarcely infer, from the ftate of the fifheries at the 
prefent day, that our legiflature has ever regarded them in this 
point of view. They have hitherto been carried on in a very 
limited and partial manner, with encouragement jufl: fufficient 
(and but barely fo) for the fupply of our awn markets ; when 
common policy fhould induce us to open foreign markets to take 
off the furplus of our depots. Hence h happens, and efpecially 
in 
