The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1824-12-14 00:00:00

F.MA RKS.

The Bridgewater anti Company's sham are at
par, because duir ship canal will be finished; but the
Grand We':terta Company's shares were at 31. Ss., because
their caral had been unlikely to become finished. Specu-
lation has caused these shares to rise to 17!., being 831.
oelow the 100/. share.

The superiority of iron-railways over canals has yet to
be proved. They arc much ch,.•aper in the first instance;
yet, whea all circumstances shall have been brought into
an ultimate accetmt, they may prove much dearer; more-
over, the iron-railway front Taunton to Holrombe, pro-
pos:Il to be substituted for a boat ca,ial, appears too
loeal ;3! 0, refure, oppestA to public interests. it will
favour prcprictors of smtie-goarri:s more than prop ietors
of water-carriage. The Grand Western Company will be
pleased not to overlook, that a rail-way from Taunton to
Holcombe, deviating from, the Act of Parliament obtained
for a canal betwetn those places, tends to annul the Act
authorising the latter. .

Respecting the canal from Ifolcornl.e to Tiverton, in-
tended for a summit level to this line of boat canals, it is
enpp!ied from mountain springs, instead of being filled from
the Exe river, to which may be added the Culen. In the
(rent of an extensive commerce there might be a defi-
ciency of water. It is not concealed that this aitimuit
level is cut for boats of 50 tons burden ; while the Bridge-
water end Taunton Canal is excavated for boats of 25
tons : in oohs words, the former work is a useful canal
rnd useless rexrvoir ; but the latter is a useful canal

Nor may this anticipated want of water bo attribut-
able so much to a defect in science on the part of the en-
gineers, as to an opposition expected at that time from the
Chamber of Exeter, who possess franchises over the Exe
and Culen rivers, from their sources to their termination in
the sea. The Chamber, also, have an exclusive liberty of
navigation for six miles round Exeter ; it is concerning this
home privile-te that, in the present day, a strict vigilance
is likely to be observed. Nt•vcrtlieless, it is hoped, that
the Chamber, for the benefit of those cm:corned at large, and
the improvement of their own property, will be disposed to
encourage a canal between Tiverton and Exeter, whether
for shins or for beats ; nay, they may think proper to make
the first six miles adds canal, as well as to require an un-
dertaking that the Bristol and English channels shall actual-
ly become united. Assuming here that this concess7on were
granted, it would be necessary to apply to Parliament fur
an Act, legalizing a canal between Tiverton and Exeter;
a subsaiption, also, might be required to pay for this ca-
nal, and the Act relating to it. . _ _

A short account may be submitted of a ship canal I,
planned to unite the Bristol and English Channels, be—
tween Bridgewater and Seaton ; also, of a ship canal
planned from Bridgewater to Bridport and each may be
contrasted with a ship canal, planned, let it he from Bridge-
water to Exmouth. The summit level of the first canal is
Chard, which is SOO feet and upwards above the sea, and
from which elevation 73 feet must be excavated in order to
get water. The summit level of the second canal would be
460 feet above the sea, whether with or without a tunnel ;
the rivers being the same as in the first case, there would
be a leim quantity of water for such second or higher canal.
Of the third canal, its summit level would be Tiverton,
whose elevation from the sea dces not cum] 300 feet ; here,
besides, no eleevation would be requireel, since at Delver..
ton, which is a whole stage higher up the river Ere than
Tiverton, there is a great deal more water than in the
neighbourhood of ('hard.
Now, it being shown clearly that the Tiverton line hi
preferable fur a ship canal, as it possesses water, not only
in a sufficient quantity, but to excess ; and that this line
has already upon it a ship canal from Exeter to Tapsham,
or rather opposite to 'l'cpshatti • also, that this particular
ship canal is about to be prolonged to Turf, being an addi-
tion of three miles to five, an application from the Grand
Western Company to that of the present ship canal might
not be deemed improper. '1 lie latter Company originated
in one fur a boat canal, and might again be willing to sub-
scribe towards its earlier measure ; it might anticipate,
that upon capital having been employed to return a pro-
fit, the public would cease to withhold the funds equivalent
to the conversion of a boat octal into one for ships anti
bests. The ceremonial of proceeding should be, for the
present Slip Canal Company, to wait on that of the Grand
`Western ; and Mr this Company to cerrespond with the
Chamber of Exeter; but, as the former and the latter
bodies would he considered in opposition, the mediation of
the Grand Western Company might be pleasing to the
other two.

We are happy to state that the rim which took place lost
week on sonic of the banks in this county (ContwallThaud
which wag occasioned by the alarm created by the stoppage
of Messrs. Ball and Son, Mevagissey, has wholly subsided.
The diffoetit estetlishments imaged the ordeal in such a
manner as to nature the confidence of the public.—West
Briton.

5.11,31!1X Fis

TO TILE EDITOR OF Tfl BRITISH Parc;

Si a—The commercial advantages of the sslin,„,
on the rivers and cos -t of land wool". if.
I,
fivated, he incalculable, as they would ..irero
a proiligions capital, besides afibrdirg
ahuncyAt
o tone food. The secs nif
f nourishing
p y t
w i"ht
acts fur their pre,ervation ; and du. lte; tl
the tar
pro t
for fishing salmon, in those times they
rprana of subsistence to the pe:. awry, at tilted
tsis
Ili;;ltlands, to much so, tied it wa no uncu. .t;e:
mss c,,
' ~I'4
stance for the labouring farm-sea to ,tlpuls:,
agreement, that they w,re tint to have seimon
meals, more than twice in a week. At lacier! the-,
fur
tear of such protective stipulations, r the l!eseT
are precluded front tasting it, unless at them.ort,4.
of one shilling per ib. which is the price dett.eelul
the north of Se:ll3nd. Eng',3l:(l it is 11:!•cC:..
The monopolising and mercenary system en wineu,
fisheries
anda e c°e:tull tal loudlyere:
1;
specie,.,
Legislature. There used fertiterly to I. • mat ip
of salmon caught in the ; net 0:14
they thus ill quantity, but flit:). ot re a',
sir., tong of them of two or three stone wkig!tt;
now dwindling every year, Lath in s'xe and Ist
very few being taught that exceed tw-lye
pounds; or
their general welein is a!tnt tea
The reason of which is, that the propri2nea
sometime being greatly st•aieltten„,l in itteir
stances, and the B:rwiek salmon ccut-ev, aware d
and knowing also that the riv, rs of h
owners were teeming with salinon,which foiled a MO
and a ready markt,: on their transit from 11-rwidt 4
don, they offered there prop: knits what by tt cm was/
an enorinons rental, which was without
The Duke of Goavote, for the apse, r.c ire,
annum, and the Earl of nee, for the D: vitt>.
receives 10004 per annum ; while those th..t ito.d
are supposed to net double these sums. They
cleared this profit at first ; whethtr they gin tuts
amount at this moment, I am not equally erepared
'file proprietors en.p.iwer:tl the coopers and the falw"
to resort to whatever means they thought
prgrrtottirtyc
fish. The coopers immediate!y profited hytlas !caw,*
every contrivance T.IM employed h: wit.e,,l ever,
great ant small, young and old, mtlin I e sums& Ti„
are allowed ito chance of e>cape ; embankindas arethasi
up across the river, its which eruires are (code.
made with spars, like a hen-coop): Inc witie or
being, by means of this innbanktnent, (adhered int
strong rush of water, the fish necessarily swim Tee!,,,,,,
and a man sits across and sprars them. Nets with ea,
so small that no fish can pass thin ; the IL:tit-et
labyrinth, made by stretching a ret arms; pole. placti,,
the rivers' sides) ; weirs so cons:rt.:eft, as to nate ps
of every salmon that attempts to cross it ; in short,
mode of destruction and capture that ingenuity uz. z.
vent, and avarice rut in practicz is r•sarted to; r!
escape from the one are cattOtt by the other, so
not a simele fish gets up the river to spawn. l: o;..
quainted with several of the salmon fislnrinen and rn

I.e!onging to being Ile:wick, him at school there n
• • - • - •

they have often informal Inc, that if by chance a
up the river, it never could get down again, and e.
breed of salmon was decreasing every day, fm it was
possible for a few fish to keep up an adequate supply
they did not h• sitate to adroit that it was a coati
mockery of the law to say that the cruives, or weir
were left open, from Saturday night a: twelve. areal
'day night at twelve, for in the summer rearm, and an
weather, the rivers are 90 shellow that the fish onno:it
up to the cruives, and as the fish find painapit-
structed, they immediately return, and warder in e- -
some Et place to deposit their spawn.
An experiment has been frequently tried to aseensi
if the rams smelts returned salmon to the same atm;
by making a mark on their film and they were fontulia
variably to return to the river they were splinted in, If a::
frightaned.away. or obstructed in their passage vp, steeS
is proved by their being again caught, catty es arise, ot
salmon.. •fbe sitidinian arc perfectly aware * hen IS;taislat
water sufficient so tarry them up the river, and dies Step
praying at the river's mouth. until a torrent of
down ati-rah, er asisnaassrairt(MlTtetrir, .2 ;- Us'
then immediately dirt cog- the • river in shOsl6, and es ai
banks of the Tweod 1 have often seen 150 and uo brown
on shore at St trait! with the sweep or drag-net. At Chi
time it is thatilie -fob that esenpe the before-meniked
nets are entrapped in the cruives, and their further grams
stopped.
The protection of the salmon fishery througheta rte
kingdom is an object of the very first importance. Siam
penalties should he inflicted on those that shall infringe:lA
laws which prohibit fishing in elope 14ne, that is, wh;niiis
proper fishing season is ended, end the stream, as it sea,
closed and at rect. The laws shod(' be strictly enCand
against catching smelts or ralincu fry; all end:arkineer
across the rivers such as those for cretin:a and a..frail:aid
be broke down, or should at leaat be left opeu the fn.
week in every month during the !lades cream ; also :'or
all those caught leistering or spewing the !alien, or ,"e-e-
-tag the rive:, as it is called, which frightens the fsh tha
the fine sand boles where they spawn, at the bettotr„ :a
the bed of the river. This nefarious trade is earned or st
night, I have been often an eye-witness ts it: a :ail
made of carnal saeas is held on the point 01 a
fork, over the bows of the boat, or taimen rubble,
where you see the tieli as plain as peraibie 1r
ing at the bottom ; the man v:ith the harpoen strikes
them with tiro greatest ease and certainty. !lave seen
sixty and eighty salmon taken in the Tweed in one uieht
Ly atilt cruel and destructive process. Another te sham.
ful practice should be rigorously suppressed, that of best-
ing the cello, or passages left for the fish to pass out ; art
I have oft, n known fishermen, when a heavy rain Ind
commenced on the Saturday nielt—at *inch time thev are
fobidelett by law to use their nets—stand by the side vi ti e
passage, and beat the water with sticks, and threw in
9t001;11, to stop the flab from rraceedina up, until it had
struck twelve on Sunday ; when htirg dais forciSll
collected together, they then got a great 'reap of tiara
A small buetaty should iikescise be sit ea for the al
seals and otters ; these 'Minis assemble by lietebtsls
the fishing season, at the mouth of the rivets, aal en the
sand banks, and destroy the salmon in protligieus quanti-
ties. This could easily enough he effected were the Beatty
Fistiney 110.11:0 to direct their officers--of whom tart
have a great litinibcr, that du little cr fer:4os
salary—to examine the cruives, and see the law tuktly
enforced, and also to take ac wont, for the hotetty, cfm:o2
seals or otters as may within their dislike.
11 have often amused a hen a bay, in a de
or by torch li6ht, at night, in seeing the salmensls PO
gress in the spawning season ; the inale fish, with his tai.
digs or peeks a reand hole in the tine rand, I;ke a hod Cl
Meson: whilst he is thus employed the female keeps sric'''
wing around on her broad side : when the excarana
coin pkt. the kmale cets into it and eleposita her TM,
which the male gets in and spawns his melt, tapes whi:
both ret i tdustrica lv to tem le, and cover it up with n
is
tails, until the saranie is quite smooth, and in thh pa
tested state ti:v remains until the month Of ArL
when the stunts make their appearance at the ofY"
of the Rive: its shoals, ahont the size of a pin. and
transparent, that thei.• intestine, are e tsily seea ; .item t'`°
month of May they inelease to a length of about :so
inches, and then tiav s ek their way towards the
from thi:nee they team return to the rivers in tee
of July and Att:ust, Irving gained from lea: to saa
pounds weiglit„

I eught, p.rhaps, to apologise for occupying f 0 l'•"%°
zour space, but the present tkplurable state of the st!Tra
tishvtits demands a vt re fall investic,..ition, ant! ea:a!••:
le
too strongly urgo! upon the public attention. For rt .-"?
part, I speak oily wilt a view to the general kt,•::,tr.
;'1
I have no pt-rsultai interest at stake, aril have mal. 011'1
my obsrrvations through the inetliunt of v our F.:IL r. `'
the hope of hastening the application of the
1
Yours, &c. 1.
Fifedaire, Dec. 2.

A number of masons, tistarrvincit;antl labourers• h'
been !tired in Limerick, for thy cans! works now ran!:
on between thouerster and Derklry ; %be,. left
un Wednesday !sit.

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illy C:: z•
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and room
:ten yea;
ccsfshpi
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it was is,
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