out in a fan shape. Thus, an advancing wave first meets 
the oil, of the effect of which we have heard so much 
lately. It then meets, and perhaps breaks against the 
forward beam, and then has to pass under or fall on the 
sheet and in any case will reach the boat in a very 
enfeebled condition. I find practical men are speaking 
very well of this invention. 
Each of our boats carries a crew of seven men and a 
boy (the latter usually a relative of one of the crew), and is 
owned by a practical fisherman—very frequently by the 
master or his father—and is worked on the share system, 
under which each man brings a certain number of nets on 
board, and the proceeds of each season are shared in a 
peculiar and complicated way between the boats, the crew, 
and the nets. We have no large boat-owners and no 
boat-owning companies. This state of affairs produces 
results which, like many other things in Cornwall, are 
peculiar to the county. When the Commissioners came 
down last year on the inquiry as to— 
Cruelty to fisherboys. 
The prevention of desertion, and 
The method of paying wages. 
we satisfied them that under our system there was, in our 
fisheries :— 
No cruelty to fisherboys. 
No desertion—self-interest preventing it. 
No disputes as to wages. 
This last thing puzzled the Commissioners most of 
all. After the meeting two fishermen and myself were 
standing in the lobby when the Chairman came to us and 
said :— 
“ I am satisfied you have no disputes about wages, but I 
cannot make out how it is done.” And I turned to one of 
