men of invention and industry-第61章

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be　a　quantity　of　preserved　herrings　from　Lowestoft；　caught　off

the　old　head　of　Kinsale；　and　returned　to　Cork　after　undergoing　a

preserving　process　in　England。〃＇6＇　Fish　caught　off　the　coast　of

Ireland　by　English　fishermen；　taken　to　England　and　cured；　and

then　〃returned　to　Cork〃　for　exhibition！　　Here　is　an　opening　for

patriotic　Irishmen。　　Why　not　catch　and　preserve　the　fish　at　home；

and　get　the　entire　benefit　of　the　fish　traffic？　　Will　it　be

believed　that　there　is　probably　more　money　value　in　the　seas

round　Ireland　than　there　is　in　the　land　itself？　　This　is　actually

the　case　with　the　sea　round　the　county　of　Aberdeen。＇7＇



A　vast　source　of　wealth　lies　at　the　very　doors　of　the　Irish

people。　　But　the　harvest　of　an　ocean　teeming　with　life　is　allowed

to　pass　into　other　hands。　　The　majority　of　the　boats　which　take

part　in　the　fishery　at　Kinsale　are　from　the　little　island　of　Man；

from　Cornwall；　from　France；　and　from　Scotland。　　The　fishermen

catch　the　fish；　salt　them；　and　carry　them　or　send　them　away。　

While　the　Irish　boats　are　diminishing　in　number；　those　of　the

strangers　are　increasing。　　In　an　East　Lothian　paper；　published　in

May　1881；　I　find　the　following　paragraph；　under　the　head　of

Cockenzie：…



〃Departure　of　Boats。In　the　early　part　of　this　week；　a　number　of

the　boats　here　have　left　for　the　herring…fishery　at　Kinsale；　in

Ireland。　　The　success　attending　their　labours　last　year　at　that

place　and　at　Howth　has　induced　more　of　them　than　usual　to　proceed

thither　this　year。〃



It　may　not　be　generally　known　that　Cockenzie　is　a　little　fishing

village　on　the　Firth　of　Forth；　in　Scotland；　where　the　fishermen

have　provided　themselves；　at　their　own　expense；　with　about　fifty

decked　fishing…boats；　each　costing；　with　nets　and　gear；　about

500L。　　With　these　boats　they　carry　on　their　pursuits　on　the　coast

of　Scotland；　England；　and　Ireland。　　In　1882；　they　sent　about

thirty　boats　to　Kinsale＇8＇　and　Howth。　　The　profits　of　their

fishing　has　been　such　as　to　enable　them；　with　the　assistance　of

Lord　Wemyss；　to　build　for　themselves　a　convenient　harbour　at　Port

Seaton；　without　any　help　from　the　Government。　　They　find　that

self…help　is　the　best　help；　and　that　it　is　absurd　to　look　to　the

Government　and　the　public　purse　for　what　they　can　best　do　for

themselves。



The　wealth　of　the　ocean　round　Ireland　has　long　been　known。　　As

long　ago　as　the　ninth　and　tenth　centuries；　the　Danes　established

a　fishery　off　the　western　coasts；　and　carried　on　a　lucrative

trade　with　the　south　of　Europe。　　In　Queen　Mary's　reign；　Philip

II。　of　Spain　paid　1000L。　annually　in　consideration　of　his

subjects　being　allowed　to　fish　on　the　north…west　coast　of

Ireland；　and　it　appears　that　the　money　was　brought　into　the　Irish

Exchequer。　　In　1650；　Sweden　was　permitted；　as　a　favour；　to　employ

a　hundred　vessels　in　the　Irish　fishery；　and　the　Dutch　in　the

reign　of　Charles　I。　were　admitted　to　the　fisheries　on　the　payment

of　30；000L。　　In　1673；　Sir　W。　Temple；　in　a　letter　to　Lord　Essex；

says　that　〃the　fishing　of　Ireland　might　prove　a　mine　under　water

as　rich　as　any　under　ground。〃＇9＇



The　coasts　of　Ireland　abound　in　all　the　kinds　of　fish　in　common

usecod；　ling；　haddock；　hake；　mackerel；　herring；　whiting；

conger；　turbot；　brill；　bream；　soles；　plaice；　dories；　and　salmon。　

The　banks　off　the　coast　of　Galway　are　frequented　by　myriads　of

excellent　fish；　yet；　of　the　small　quantity　caught；　the　bulk　is

taken　in　the　immediate　neighbourhood　of　the　shores。　　Galway　bay

is　said　to　be　the　finest　fishing　ground　in　the　world；　but　the

fish　cannot　be　expected　to　come　on　shore　unsought：　they　must　be

found；　followed；　and　netted。　　　The　fishing…boats　from　the　west　of

Scotland　are　very　successful；　and　they　often　return　the　fish　to

Ireland；　cured；　which　had　been　taken　out　of　the　Irish　bays。　　〃I

tested　this　fact　in　Galway；〃　says　Mr。　S。　C。　Hall。　　〃I　had　ordered

fish　for　dinner；　two　salt　haddocks　were　brought　to　me。　　On

inquiry；　I　ascertained　where　they　were　bought；　and　learned　from

the　seller　that　he　was　the　agent　of　a　Scotch　firm；　whose　boats

were　at　that　time　loading　in　the　bay。〃＇10＇　But　although　Scotland

imports　some　80；000　barrels　of　cured　herrings　annually　into

Ireland；　that　is　not　enough；　for　we　find　that　there　is　a　regular

importation　of　cured　herrings；　cod；　ling；　and　hake；　from

Newfoundland　and　Nova　Scotia；　towards　the　food　of　the　Irish

people。＇11＇



The　fishing　village　of　Claddagh；　at　Galway；　is　more　decaying　than

ever。　　It　seems　to　have　suffered　from　a　bombardment；　like　the

rest　of　the　town。　　The　houses　of　the　fishermen；　when　they　fall

in；　are　left　in　ruins。　　While　the　French；　and　English；　and　Scotch

boats　leave　the　coast　laden　with　fish；　the　Claddagh　men　remain

empty…handed。　　They　will　only　fish　on　〃lucky　days；〃　so　that　the

Galway　market　is　often　destitute　of　fish；　while　the　Claddagh

people　are　starving。　　On　one　occasion　an　English　company　was

formed　for　the　purpose　of　fishing　and　curing　fish　at　Galway；　as

is　now　done　at　Yarmouth；　Grimsby；　Fraserburgh；　Wick；　and　other

places。　　Operations　were　commenced；　but　so　soon　as　the　English

fishermen　put　to　sea　in　their　boats；　the　Claddagh　men　fell　upon

them；　and　they　were　glad　to　escape　with　their　lives。＇12＇　

Unfortunately；　the　Claddagh　men　have　no　organization；　no　fixed

rules；　no　settled　determination　to　work；　unless　when　pressed　by

necessity。　　The　appearance　of　the　men　and　of　their　cabins　show

that　they　are　greatly　in　want　of　capital；　and　fishing　cannot　be

successfully　performed　without　a　sufficiency　of　this　industrial

element。



Illustrations　of　this　neglected　industry　might　be　given　to　any

extent。　　Herring　fishing；　cod　fishing；　and　pilchard　fishing；　are

alike　untouched。　　The　Irish　have　a　strong　prejudice　against　the

pilchard；　they　believe　it　to　be　an　unlucky　fish；　and　that　it　will

rot　the　net　that　takes　it。　　The　Cornishmen　do　not　think　so；　for

they　find　the　pilchard　fishing　to　be　a　source　of　great　wealth。　

The　pilchards　strike　upon　the　Irish　coast　first　before　they　reach

Cornwall。　　When　Mr。　Brady；　Inspector　of　Irish　Fisheries；　visited

St。　Ives　a　few　years　ago；　he　saw　captured；　in　one　seine　alone；

nearly　ten　thousand　pounds　of　this　fish。



Not　long　since；　according　to　a　northern　local　paper；＇13＇　a　large

fleet　of　vessels　in　full　sail　was　seen　from　the　west　coast　of

Donegal；　evidently　making　for　the　shore。　　Many　surmises　were　made

about　the　unusual　sight。　　Some　thought　it　was　the　Fenians；　others

the　Home　Rulers；　others　the　Irish…American　Dynamiters。　　Nothing

of　the　kind！　　It　was　only　a　fleet　of　Scotch　smacks；　sixty…four　in

number；　fishing　for　herring　between　Torry　Island　and　Horn　Head。　

The　Irish　might　say　to　the　Scotch　fishermen；　in　the　words　of　the

Morayshire　legend；　〃Rejoice；　O　my　brethren；　in　the　gifts　of　the

sea；　for　they　enrich　you　without　making　any　one　else　the　poorer！〃



But　while　the　Irish　are　overlooking　their　treasure　of　herring；

the　Scotch　are　carefully　cultivating　it。　　The　Irish　fleet　of

fishing…boats　fell　off　from　27；142　in　1823　to　7181　in　1878；　and

in　1882　they　were　still　further　reduced　to　6089。＇14＇　　Yet　Ireland

has　a　coast…line　of　fishing　ground　of　nearly　three　thousand　miles

in　extent。



The　bights　and　bays　on　the　west　coast　of　Irelandoff　Erris；

Mayo；　Connemara；　and　Donegalswarm　with　fish。　　Near　Achill　Bay；

2000　mackerel　were　lately　taken　at　a　single　haul；　and　Clew　Bay　is

often　alive　with　fish。　　In　Scull　Bay　and　Crookhaven；　near　Cape

Clear；　they　are　so　plentiful　that　the　peasants　often　knock　them

on　the　head　with　oars；　but　will　not　take　the　trouble　to　net　them。



These　swarms　of　fish　might　be　a　source　of　permanent　wealth。　　A

gentleman　of　Cork　one　day　borrowed　a　common　rod　and　line　from　a

Cornish　miner　in　his　employment；　and　caught　fifty…seven　mackerel

from　the　jetty　in　Scull　Bay　before　breakfast。　　Each　of　these

mackerel　was　worth　twopence　in　Cork　market；　thirty　miles　off。　

Yet　the　people　round　about；　many　of　whom　were　short　of　food；　were

doing　nothing　to　catch　them；　but　ex