men of invention and industry-第62章

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

doing　nothing　to　catch　them；　but　expecting　Providence　to　supply

their　wants。　　Providence；　however；　always　likes　to　be　helped。　

Some　people　forget　that　the　Giver　of　all　good　gifts　requires　us

to　seek　for　them　by　industry；　prudence；　and　perseverance。＇15＇



Some　cry　for　more　loans；　some　cry　for　more　harbours。　　It　would　be

well　to　help　with　suitable　harbours；　but　the　system　of　dependence

upon　Government　loans　is　pernicious。　　The　Irish　ought　to　feel

that　the　very　best　help　must　come　from　themselves。　　This　is　the

best　method　for　teaching　independence。　　Look　at　the　little　Isle

of　Man。　　The　fishermen　there　never　ask　for　loans。　　They　look　to

their　nets　and　their　boats；　they　sail　for　Ireland；　catch　the

fish；　and　sell　them　to　the　Irish　people。　　With　them；　industry

brings　capital；　and　forms　the　fertile　seed…gronnd　of　further

increase　of　boats　and　nets。　　　Surely　what　is　done　by　the　Manxmen；

the　Cornishmen；　and　the　Cockenziemen；　might　be　done　by　the

Irishmen。　　The　difficulty　is　not　to　be　got　over　by　lamenting

about　it；　or　by　staring　at　it；　but　by　grappling　with　it；　and

overcoming　it。　　It　is　deeds；　not　words；　that　are　wanted。　

Employment　for　the　mass　of　the　people　must　spring　from　the　people

themselves。　　Provided　there　is　security　for　life　and　property；

and　an　absence　of　intimidation；　we　believe　that　capital　will

become　invested　in　the　fishing　industry　of　Ireland；　and　that　the

result　will　be　peace；　food；　and　prosperity。



We　must　remember　that　it　is　only　of　comparatively　late　years　that

England　and　Scotland　have　devoted　so　much　attention　to　the

fishery　of　the　seas　surrounding　our　island。　　In　this　fact　there

is　consolation　and　hope　for　Ireland。　　At　the　beginning　of　the

seventeenth　century　Sir　Waiter　Raleigh　laid　before　the　King　his

observations　concerning　the　trade　and　commerce　of　England；　in

which　he　showed　that　the　Dutch　were　almost　monopolising　the

fishing　trade；　and　consequently　adding　to　their　shipping；

commerce；　and　wealth。　　〃Surely；〃　he　says；　〃the　stream　is

necessary　to　be　turned　to　the　good　of　this　kingdom；　to　whose

sea…coasts　alone　God　has　sent　us　these　great　blessings　and

immense　riches　for　us　to　take；　and　that　every　nation　should　carry

away　out　of　this　kingdom　yearly　great　masses　of　money　for　fish

taken　in　our　seas；　and　sold　again　by　them　to　us；　must　needs　be　a

great　dishonour　to　our　nation；　and　hindrance　to　this　realm。〃



The　Hollanders　then　had　about　50；000　people　employed　in　fishing

along　the　English　coast；　and　their　industry　and　enterprise　gave

employment　to　about　150；000　more；　〃by　sea　and　land；　to　make

provision；　to　dress　and　transport　the　fish　they　take；　and　return

commodities；　whereby　they　are　enabled　yearly　to　build　1000　ships

and　vessels。〃　　The　prosperity　of　Amsterdam　was　then　so　great　that

it　was　said　that　Amsterdam　was　〃founded　on　herring…bones。〃　

Tobias　Gentleman　published　in　1614　his　treatise　on　'England's　Way

to　win　Wealth；　and　to　employ　Ships　and　Marines；'＇16＇　in　which　he

urged　the　English　people　to　vie　with　the　Dutch　in　fishing　the

seas；　and　thereby　to　give　abundant　employment；　as　well　as

abundant　food；　to　the　poorer　people　of　the　country。



〃Look；〃　he　said；　〃on　these　fellows；　that　we　call　the　plump

Hollanders；　behold　their　diligence　in　fishing；　and　our　own

careless　negligence！〃　　The　Dutch　not　only　fished　along　the　coasts

near　Yarmouth；　but　their　fishing　vessels　went　north　as　far　as　the

coasts　of　Shetland。　　What　most　roused　Mr。　Gentleman's　indignation

was；　that　the　Dutchmen　caught　the　fish　and　sold　them　to　the

Yarmouth　herring…mongers　〃for　ready　gold；　so　that　it　amounteth　to

a　great　sum　of　money；　which　money　doth　never　come　again　into

England。〃　　〃We　are　daily　scorned；〃　he　says；　〃by　these　Hollanders；

for　being　so　negligent　of　our　Profit；　and　careless　of　our

Fishing；　and　they　do　daily　flout　us　that　be　the　poor　Fishermen　of

England；　to　our　Faces　at　Sea；　calling　to　us；　and　saying；　'Ya

English；　ya　sall　or　oud　scoue　dragien；'　which；　in　English；　is

this；　'You　English；　we　will　make　you　glad　to　wear　our　old

Shoes！'〃



Another　pamphlet；　to　a　similar　effect；　'The　Royal　Fishing

revived；'＇17＇　was　published　fifty　years　later；　in　which　it　was

set　forward　that　the　Dutch　〃have　not　only　gained　to　themselves

almost　the　sole　fishing　in　his　Majesty's　Seas；　but　principally

upon　this　Account　have　very　near　beat　us　out　of　all　our　other

most　profitable　Trades　in　all　Parts　of　the　World。〃　It　was　even

proposed　to　compel　〃all　Sorts　of　begging　Persons　and　all　other

poor　People；　all　People　condemned　for　less　Crimes　than　Blood；〃　as

well　as　〃all　Persons　in　Prison　for　Debt；〃　to　take　part　in　this

fishing　trade！　　But　this　was　not　the　true　way　to　force　the

traffic。　　The　herring　fishery　at　Yarmouth　and　along　the　coast

began　to　make　gradual　progress　with　the　growth　of　wealth　and

enterprise　throughout　the　country；　though　it　was　not　until

1787less　than　a　hundred　years　agothat　the　Yarmouth　men　began

the　deep…sea　herring　fishery。



Before　then；　the　fishing　was　all　carried　on　along　shore　in　little

cobles；　almost　within　sight　of　land。　　The　native　fishery　also

extended　northward；　along　the　east　coast　of　Scotland　and　the

Orkney　and　Shetland　Isles；　until　now　the　herring　fishery　of

Scotland　forms　one　of　the　greatest　industries　in　the　United

Kingdom；　and　gives　employment；　directly　or　indirectly；　to　close

upon　half　a　million　of　people；　or　to　one…seventh　of　the　whole

population　of　Scotland。



Taking　these　facts　into　consideration；　therefore；　there　is　no

reason　to　despair　of　seeing；　before　many　years　have　elapsed；　a

large　development　of　the　fishing　industry　of　Ireland。　　We　may　yet

see　Galway　the　Yarmouth；　Achill　the　Grimsby；　and　Killybegs　the

Wick　of　the　West。　　Modern　society　in　Ireland；　as　everywhere　else；

can　only　be　transformed　through　the　agency　of　labour；　industry；

and　commerceinspired　by　the　spirit　of　work；　and　maintained　by

the　accumulations　of　capital。　　The　first　end　of　all　labour　is

security；security　to　person；　possession；　and　property；　so　that

all　may　enjoy　in　peace　the　fruits　of　their　industry。　　For　no

liberty；　no　freedom；　can　really　exist　which　does　not　include　the

first　liberty　of　allthe　right　of　public　and　private　safety。



To　show　what　energy　and　industry　can　do　in　Ireland；　it　is　only

necessary　to　point　to　Belfast；　one　of　the　most　prosperous　and

enterprising　towns　in　the　British　Islands。　　The　land　is　the　same；

the　climate　is　the　same；　and　the　laws　are　the　same；　as　those

which　prevail　in　other　parts　of　Ireland。　　Belfast　is　the　great

centre　of　Irish　manufactures　and　commerce；　and　what　she　has　been

able　to　do　might　be　done　elsewhere；　with　the　same　amount　of

energy　and　enterprise。　　But　it　is　not　land；　or　climate；　or

altered　laws　that　are　wanted。　　It　is　men　to　lead　and　direct；　and

men　to　follow　with　anxious　and　persevering　industry。　　It　is

always　the　Man　society　wants。



The　influence　of　Belfast　extends　far　out　into　the　country。　　As

you　approach　it　from　Sligo；　you　begin　to　see　that　you　are　nearing

a　place　where　industry　has　accumulated　capital；　and　where　it　has

been　invested　in　cultivating　and　beautifying　the　land。　　After　you

pass　Enniskillen；　the　fields　become　more　highly　cultivated。　　The

drill…rows　are　more　regular；　the　hedges　are　clipped；　the　weeds　no

longer　hide　the　crops；　as　they　sometimes　do　in　the　far　west。　　The

country　is　also　adorned　with　copses；　woods；　and　avenues。　　A　new

crop　begins　to　appear　in　the　fieldsa　crop　almost　peculiar　to

the　neighbourhood　of　Belfast。　　It　is　a　plant　with　a　very　slender

erect　green　stem；　which；　when　full　grown；　branches　at　the　top

into　a　loose　corymb　of　blue　flowers。　　This　is　the　flax　plant；　the

cultivation　and　preparation　of　which　gives　employment　to　a　great

number　of　persons；　and　is　to　a　large　extent　the　foundation　of　the

prosperity　of　Belfast。



The　first　appearance　of　the　linen　industry　of　Ireland；　as　we

approach　Belfast　from　the　west；　is　observed　at　Portadown。　　I