The Sun.
London, England, 1856-09-02 00:00:00

THE HERRING FISHERY AND THE

NAVY.

Those conversant with the habits of our fishermen are
aware that a bad herring season is to them what a bad
harvest is to the country. It is to the produce of the
herring fishery that tbey look for the redemption of their
debts, for the payment of the tradesmen who supply them
with their boats, nets, and other " work gear," and for
the provision (if any is made) against the shortcomings
of other parts of the year.
The present season has been on the whole a very bad
one, and though some of the boats, by good fortune or
good management, aided by higher prices, have made
out their average profits, others have had to return with
half a dozen fish in the bottom of their boat, as the sole
reward for the night long toil of four or five men.
Under these circumstances it is not to be wondered at
that people view with alarm and distrust the large fleet
of French luggers which every year resort to the east
coast for the purpose of fishing. A visitor sees from the
cliffs of Tynemouth or Oullercoats, in the season, from
15 to 50 large three-masted vessels, each manned by 14
or 16 sailors, and wanting nothing but guns to convert
them into a formidable gun-boat flotilla. The French
system of bounty and protection sends them here, partly
for the purpose of catching herring, and partly to train
and exercise seamen, which the naval conscription ca❑
at any time of emergency draft into the French navy.
The Government pays a bounty upon the fish taken,
which would otherwise find their way into the French
market, as into the markets of other countries, from the
hands of the English fishermen.
The herring fishing is carried on here in small boats, or
" cobles," containing three to five men and boys. In
the dark nights, therefore, the large and heavy French
vessels, powerfully manned, run down over the nets of
our men, and, while dragging in their own nets by means
of grappling irons, often carry off the nets and fish of
our fishermen. Remonstrances are of no avail in a
high wind and a foreign tongue, especially with those
who have might on their side ; and the bitterness which
is thus engendered will probably find expression some
night in a volley of fire arms, as was threatened last
summer by some of the northern fishermen.
Such a state of things passes rapidly from bad to
worse, and it will be wise to take steps to prevent such
an explosion.

The French Government, with that attention to details
which seems to be beneath the notice of ours, sends
every year three war steamers to cruise on the coast,
for the purpose of watching the movements of their
fishermen, principally to prevent them from buying in-
stead of catching their fish. There is no doubt, how-
ever, that any misconduct of the French fishermen,
which comes under the notice of the French naval
authorities, woald be punished and repro sed. The
French consul here, too, is readily accessible, and it
is but just to that functionary and his officers to
say that they have, in 'previous years, promptly ex-
erted themselves to obtain redress for losses sustained
by our fishermen from the aggressions of the French. On
our side there is the Fishery Board, costing the country,
we believe, some 30,000 i. a-year, and confining itself to
the pretence of earning its salary by stamping crowns
upon herring barrels and punching holes in codfishes'
tails. A fisherman who had some nets carried off by our
allies two seasons ago was simple enough to write to the
Fishery B card with his complaint, and received for an-
swer a recommendation to apply to the French com-
mandant the next time be visited the coast the following
season.

The coast guard, thinly scattered over miles of fright-
ful rocks and dismal weather-beaten beach, have enough
to do without putting to sea at night, in u,,safe boats, to
protect their natural enemies, the fishermen.
It is to our navy, then, that we must look, and where
is that ? Northumberland and Durham never see it.
We suppose that the climate is too cold and the
weather too boisterous fur the sailors of the Solent. It
is pleasanter to smoke cigars out of the windows of the
marine hotels of the Isle of Wight, or to swagger in uni-
form up the High-street of Portsmouth, than to face
northern blasts, where nothing in tl.e shape of prize-
money is to be earned. Sir C. Wood we think can
scarcely know there is such a river as the Tyne, or he
would deem it worth the presence of a ship of war. If
he would consult the hydrographers of the Admiralty,
they would inform him, hn d furnish him with admirable
surveys of the coast. With these and ample sailing di-
i
rections, two or three small steamers might surely fol-
low in the track of La Corse, La Biche, and La Reine
Hortense.

No man acquainted with our fishermen and seamen
coukl read without a smile the solemn platitudes of the
First Lord of the Admiralty on the expediency of making
our seafaring population familiar with her Majesty's
ships, the best and moat obvious means of doi:g so,
which we have here pointed out, being so constantly
and consistently neglected,—Newcastle Chronicle.

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