13 
the fishermen and said, “Tell the gentleman how it is 
done,” and he said, “ We leave all that to the women.” 
It will be seen from the numbers which I have given, 
that our mackerel fishery gives employment to about 3,000 
men and boys, who, between the month of February when 
the season begins and June when it ends, usually catch 
about 4,000 tons of fish, which will give six millions of 
individuals. As soon as our mackerel season is over the 
pilchard season begins, and when it ends, our fleet sails 
for the Irish fishery, the Plymouth fishery, or the East coast 
of England fisheries; for they can go anywhere. One 
once reached Australia safely, but now, in these days 
when 14 foot punts cross the Atlantic, that is no great 
feat. 
Still, in 1854, when the Mystery , of 36 foot keel and 
about 15 tons burden made her voyage, no boat of her size 
had ever attempted to deal with the Atlantic Ocean since 
the Caravel, which was the smallest of the little fleet of 
Columbus, had done so 350 years before, and she was 
in company with large vessels, and therefore the voyage 
of the Mystery remains noteworthy. This solitary boat 
sailed from Mount’s Bay on the 18th November, 1854, and 
reached Melbourne on the 14th March, 1855, after a 
voyage of 117 days. She had a crew of seven men and 
carried her nets. I have recovered the log which was kept 
on board of her,* and, judging from it, a more dreary 
voyage than hers was never made. Beyond sighting a few 
ships and a few albatrosses, and being feted at Table Bay, 
nothing seems to have occurred of more importance than 
“ the broaching of the second barrel of pork,” until they were 
nearing Australia, and then, for a short time, things got 
exciting, and they met with weather which made them ride 
* Kindly lent to me by Mrs. Boase, the widow of the seaman who kept it. 
