108 
cay from Monday to Friday ; but an un- 
conquerable fuperftition prevents their go- 
ing cut either on Saturday or Sunday even- 
ings, fo thatin every week they lole a 
night's fifhing, of which, with all due re- 
fpe& te religion, they certainly might 
avail themfelves. 
The fifhermen laft fummer were much 
more fuccefsful than they have been for 
many years. So unproduétive were the 
two or three feafons immediately preced- 
ing, that the inhabitants became diipirit- 
ed, and made but a finall provifion of [alt ; 
the confequence of which was that their 
ftock was exhaufed by the fithing of a 
fortnight, and unti! the arrival of a frefh 
importation, the herrings were almoft 
given away. Many boat-loads were fold 
at one fhilling, ten-pence, and even bix- 
pencea hundred,and great quantities were 
ufed for manure. The fith caught by the 
fleet in ene night have been known to fell 
for four thouiand pounds, and it is com- 
puted that near two hundred thoufand 
pounds were taken for herrings laft year 
in the ifle of Man. This has a fplendid 
found ; but fuch a feafon is very rare, and 
when every circumftance is confidered, 
fome of the beft-informed men are far from 
being fatisfied that the fifhery is beneficial 
to the ifland. One gentleman in particu- 
ar once held a fituation which, by putting 
all the necefflary documents into his pof- 
fefion, enabled him to inguire minutely 
into the fubject. With the affiftance of a 
friend, he made a moft elaborate calcula- 
tion of the profit and Jofs of three fuccel- 
five feafons. ‘The price of the boats and 
nets, their wear and tear, the value of the 
labour of the fifhermen, &c. were oppofed 
by the fums received for the herrings in 
various ways, all of which were afcertain- 
ed with the utmoft precifion ; and the re- 
fult ofa fortnight’s clofe inveitigation was, 
that a balance appeared againft the ifland. 
Tt is certain that the fifhery is a caufe of 
great negle& in cultivating the land, The 
common people prefer this hazardous oc- 
cupation, in which, as ina lottery, there 
are fome prizes though many blanks, to 
the moderate but certain gain that agri- 
eulture holds oytto them. Thus ycu fee 
en every fide fields half-tilled, which are. 
capable of the higheft improvement, and 
a icanty harveit rendered fti!l more fo by 
being left to the unfkilful management of 
women and children. In eftimating the 
advantages and difadvantages of this mode 
ct employment, it fhould not, however, be 
forgotten, that it adds much to the ftrength 
ofthe empire, by ferving as a nuriery for 
ghe Brith navy. Mapy of the Manks 
Sketch of the Ile of Man. 
[Sept..t, . 
fithermen enter into the King’s fhips; ha-. | 
bituated from their infancy to the hard- 
fhips and perils of the ocean, they foon” 
acquire nautical knowledge, and become 
excellent feamen. 
Some writers appear folicitous to efta- 
blith ftrongly marked diftinctions between 
the manners of the inhabitants of differ- 
ent countries. What is character is fre- 
quently exaggerated into caricature, and 
when the reader, whole expectations of 
originality have been excited to a high de- 
gree, becomes himielf a fpeétator, he is 
difappointed and difguf%ed where, but for 
{uch diftorted defcriptions, he would have 
been fatisfied and amufed. That great 
varieties of character exift, cannot be de- 
nied, but feldom is it that thefe are not 
magnified by the imagination of the tra- 
veller, warmed by the wifh to thew him- 
felf a fcrutinizing obferver of human na- 
ture. Thofe who vifit the Manks will 
find them not very unlike their neighbours, 
and yét with characteriftic traits fuffici- 
ently diftinguifhing. The men are in ge- 
neral tall, ftout, and well-proportioned ; 
boifterous, yet kind; warm in‘their at- 
tachments ; ‘© fudden and quick in quare 
rel ;”” poffefling general information, but 
feldom profound erudition.” The inferior 
order, obliged to flave with the utmoft 
perfeverance during the continuance of the 
fifhing feafon, feem then to exhauft their 
activity, and for the remainder of the year 
fink into a ftate of the deepeft torpor.— 
Fight or ten of them may be feen together 
bafking under the reflected funfhine of a 
wall for whole days ; and fo fatisfied are 
they with their moderate acquifitions, that 
itis not a trifling bribe that will roufe 
them from their lethargy into exertion.— 
Asa proof of this, it will only be necef- 
fary to mention, that, although the coafts 
of the ifland abound with the fineft fith of 
various kinds, yet the natives are often’ 
too indolent to make any attempt at pro- 
curing them, and watch the Irith lobfter- 
wherries, and other foreign boats, rifling 
the treafures which their lazy difpofition ¥ 
induces them thus to negle&t. 
Few men of extraordinary talents have 
appeared in this little ifland, probably be- 
caufe few occafions have offered for calling 
them forth. Of thofe who have been dil- 
tinguifhed for fuperior intelleéts or virtue, 
the fame has not croffed the ocean. If it 
is allowable to fele& an individual, the 
o 
univerfal regret lately occafioned in the , 
ifland by the death of the Rev. J. Stowell, _ 
mafter of the free grammar-{chool at Peel, _ 
would juftify particularifing his name. 
He was the fixth brother of a family pro- 
4 
verbial 
+ 
f 
i 
