The Sun.
London, England, 1866-03-16 00:00:00

Foreign Fisheries.

In the Annales du Commerce Exterieur, publishera
by the French Government, we find the following
account of the cod-fishing of Belgium during the
past year. The quantity of fish taken in the Ostend
is given as 12,712 tons, being rather more than a
thousand tons less than the quantity obtained last
year ; the price on the contrary was much higher
than in 1864, the average in that year having been
only 345., while this season it reached 435. Bd. The
number of boats engaged was the same each year
namely, 156 ; but in the latter nearly the whole of
the cod was taken on the Doggerbank, and only
356 tons off the Feroe Islands, which the Belgian
fishermen seem to be deserting. The boats are now
setting out again for fresh fish for the market, the
supply having been somewhat diminished by the
recent stormy weather.
The market price of oysters continues to increase,
and there appears no hope of a reduction ; the last
quotations which we have from Ostend are as
follows

One-half ton of 1,600 to 1,800 oysters 175 fr.
One-fourth ditto 800 to 850 „
One-eighth ditto 400 to 425
71
One-sixteenth 200 to 210 „

These are cash prices without discount or abate,
ment of any kind.

A second exhibition of fresh and preserved fish,
matters resulting from the fisheries and applied in
medicine, and in agriculture and other industries,
fishing tackle, implements used in the various preser-
vative processes, raw materials employed in connec-
tion with the fisheries, boats, apparats of pisiculture,
and models of the habitations, clothing and fittings

of fishermen, took place at Bergen, in August last,
the first having been held in 1861. On the latter
occasion, the French Government sent a commis-
sion composed of naval officers, shipowners, and
master fishermen, to report on the results. The
commission, amongst other things, says that the
sail cloths of France carried away the palm from all
competitors, being pronounced to be not only supe-
rior in quality, but also cheaper than those of Hol-
land, which formerly'held the place of honour. The
hints held out for the use of the French fishermen
may possibly be of service to others ; the commis-
sioners say that the winter cod-fishery around the
Luffoden Islands seems highly productive, especially
in the West-Fiord, the abundance of fish being so
great during the season which ended in May last,
that twenty-four :millions were captured, being an
average of a thousand fish for each man engaged in
the taking. Off Iceland the average is said rarely
to amount to 600 fish a head during the season,
although the fishing goes on by night as well as day,
while in Norway the nets are laid overnight to be
taken up the next morning. The French fishermen
are accustomed to set sail for Iceland between the
middle of March and the beginning of April, and
the fishing generally becomes productive about the
middle of the latter month ; the commissioners re-
commend that in future the boats shall set out at
the end 81 February for the entrance of the West-
Fiord, when they will meet the fish on their way out
from the bay. The fishing commencing at that
point may afterwards be continued in the usual
spots around Iceland, and the boats will be filled
much more rapidly than they are at present. With
respect to the herring fishery a similar recommen-
dation is given, namely, that it should commence
about the middle of June, in which month the fish
are found in Norway in great abundance, and be
continued on the coast of Scotland from about the
middle of July.
It is well known that the streams in the West
Indian Islands, and especially of Martinique, abound
in craw fish, or habitants as they are called by the
creoles, and that they grow to a large size, as large
sometimes as the langouste or spring lobster. The
catching of habitants—literally, taking in the natives
—is a very favourite sport with the biped inhabi-
tants of the island, and the method employed is
rather curious. The craw fish are exceendisngdlyofontnhodet
of the manioc root, a smallpiece of which willstupify
nounone ofo rt htehsee silly
of iiivm
eans,Nihoa,n beings,
having
ig
hesitate to take greedily into their mouths that
which steals away their brains. The manioc, cut in
dropped into the course of one of the
gaillons or mountain streams, calm and limpid in
ewe weather, but often converted in an hour or so
waittthacshmeadlltoflatahtes hofo olik.gsh,
tawndootdh,e
clinorke:
(
into rushing torrents,weath everythingewrhiperhoveaersryfine, s
ha
habitants
obsinreifeathersnalsmall
supplied pieces,
a r em.
them. If the the
seize the manioc like maniacs, and straightway be-
come as torpid as a Chineseopium-smoker, or as the
traditionary alderman after dinner, and at night the
fishing party takes abominable advantage of the poor
crustacean's condition ; a number of men provided
with torches illuminate the bed of the stream, and
a hand-net with a strong handle being drawn along
the bottom, the craw fish are captured without dif-
ficulty. But catching habitants is not always agree-
able work. If the skies prove propitious, it is fine
fun for the fisherman ; if otherwise, the tables are
turned upon him rather unpleasantly ; shoulddodneethy
of
the torrential showers overtake him, b
finds the air filled with small flies which get into his
nose, his ears, his eyes, and half blind, half madden
him. Again, if by any accident the torches are tex-
tinguished, the fishermen have to grope their way
.
// iis, overhung by
esuddenly
home down the courses of the gaz o .
; terra
facile as that of Avernus
terrible, but not nearly so
a hole or striking'
with the chance of falling into
huge trees, which make the road as dark, almost as
rn e
tt
oh e
return
ntrabryy
benighted craw .. . ;veinf,tuo
firma, the probabilities are greatly in favour of
against a rock or boulder
stumbling upon some of the venomous reptiles with
which the island abounds. There are few nicer
things than soupe a la bisque, but the raw material,
ike most good things, is not to be picked up with-
out some trouble.

RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE.

METROPOLITAN DISTRICT.

The third half-yearly meeting of this company was
veld yesterday at the London Tavern—the Earl of
Devon in the chair.
The report stated that from the large proportion
of property already acquired, the state of the nego-
tiations for the remainder, and the progress of the
works they might feel confident that the original
estimates of property and works would not be ex-
ceeded, and that in 18 months from the presenttime
the whole of the railway westward of Westminster-
bridge would be opened for public traffic. The direc-
tors had every reason to confirm the accuracy of
those statements, and to express their conviction
that the early realisation of the prospects held out
in the original prospectus might be fully expected.
The success of this undertaking was there based on
the fact that the traffic on the existing Metropoli-
tan Railway being sufficient to pay 7 per cent., and
the cost per mile of the district railway between
_Kensington and Cannon-street not exceeding that
of the Metropolitan line from Paddington to Moor-
gate-street, the question was narrowed to this—viz.,
whether on the complete opening of the line (until
which time the guarantee of £6 per cent. interest
continued in force) the traffic per mile on the line of
the District Railway by Westminster and the Strand
would not, at least, equal that on the line of the ,
Metropolitan Railway, via the New-road. Everything '
that had since occurred had tended to strengthen
those anticipations. A large increase in the traffic
per mile on the Metropolitan Railway had already
taken place since the opening of the extension to
Moorgate-street, and it was becoming daily more
evident that the traffic on the Inner Circle would
only be limited by its capacity to carry it. The re-
jection by the House of Commons, without a divi-
sion, of the Mid-London Railway Bill on the second
reading afforded proof that Parliament was deter-
mined to uphold the decision of the joint committee

of both houses, by which the district line was se-
lected as the one best adapted in conjunction with
the Metropolitan Railway for carrying out the great
scheme of railway communication designed to com-
plete the Inner Circle, and to bring the western
parts of London in communication with the city.
The most harmonious relations continued to prevail
between this Board and that of the Metropolitan
Railway Company, and a joint committee had been
appointed, with a view to insure conveuient and
economical arrangements during construction, and
to prepare for working the two lines to the best
advantagelas one system. The engineers, Mr. J.
Fowler, engineer-in-chief, and Mr. T. M. Johnson,
stated in their report that great exertions had been
made to obtain possession of the property required for
the works from the junction with the West London
Railway and from the joint-station at Kensington
to the Thames embankment at Westminster, and in
about four months there was no reason to doubt the
contractors would be in possession of every part.
The works of the railway and stations were already
in operation at twelve different places, which number

would now be increased almost weekly. The brick-
work;andlironwork at Blackfriars-bridge in connec-
tion with the London, Chatham, and Dover Railway
had been completed, and near to Cannon-street a
portion of the Metropolitan District Railway, which
might have been a source of inconvenience to the
South-Eastern Railway Company, if delayed, was
in a forward state. The works of the Thames Em-
bankment were not yet sufficiently advanced to per-
mit a commencement of the railway works, but if
due diligence was exercised by the contractors of the
Board of Works, and reasonable facilities weregiven
to the company's contractors, this portion of the
Metropolitan District Railway would not occasion
delay or inconvenience, either to the railway or the
'shames Embankment works. The capital account
showed £1,191,350 had been received, and £648,299

expended, leaving a balance of £543,051.
The CHAIRMAN, in moving the adoption of the
report, said he hoped the shareholders considered it
satisfactory. It was believed that the cost of the
line in progress would not exceed the estimate, and
the directors had no doubt that it would be com-
pleted in 18 months. It was difficult to over esti-
mate the importance of the communication through
the districts their line would accommodate. There
could be no doubt they would have a large and re-
munerative traffic. As each section of the line was

opened the traffic over the whole would increase, as
had been the case after the opening of the Metro-
politan Extension line to Finsbury. From the ex-
perience of tho past they might feel they were in
possession of a property that would become highly
remunerative. The Inner Circle Railway had re-
ceived the approval of three successive Parliamen-
tary committees, and the House of Commons had
recently withdrawn its sanction from the Mid-Lon-
don scheme. The subject of providing dwellings
for the labouring classes in lieu of those unavoidably
removed by railways and other improvements had
occupied considerable attention, and he trusted that
the interference with the abodes of the labouring
classes would be more than compensated for by the
large amount of railway accommodation intended
for them, together with cheap fares to and from
the various places. Associations had been formed
for providing suitable dwellings for the labouring
classes, in which several of the officers and directors
of the company had taken shares, and that showed
they were not insensible to the wants of the labour-
ing classes, nor were they unwilling to supply every
facility to remedy the want of a suitable provision
in that respect.
Mr. A. C. SIIERRIFF, M.P., seconded the motion

for the adoption of the report.
A Shareholder wished to know how many shares
were in the hands of the contractor, in order to en-
able him to form an, opinion as to how many more
shares were to be;thrown on the market to depreciate
the shareholders' property. Ile perceived that no
interest was allowed on cash balances, and wished
for an explanation.
Mr. BAXTER, the solicitor, explained that the
contractors paid interest at 6 per cent. on the whole
of the paid-up capital during construction, and, of
course, the interest on cash balances belonged to
them, and did not come into the general account.
Mr. FOWLER, the engineer-in-chief, stated that
every point had been carefully considered before the
contract was entered into, with a view to secure the
interest of the shareholders. He explained, in reply
to a question, that every effort would be made to
come to some definite arrangement, so as to enable
them to carry out the works along the Thames Em-
bankment, and thus prevent the great scandal of
having the works delayed. A space was to have
been left along the embankment for the works of
the railway until they were completed, but it ap-
peared there was some difficulty in doing that in
consequence of want of space for materials. The
present contract extended from Kensington to Can-
non-street, and arrangements would be made for
carrying out the remainder of the line from Cannon-
Street to Tower-hill.
Ml. SHERRIFF stated that the directors never paid
any
yPortion
contractor
hoeldfthe contract price in shares. If the
shares, it showed his confidence in
the undertaking, but they formed no part of the
cost of the undertaking,
-
Mr. FOWLER Said
the whole of the contract was
for payments in cash.
It was stated that the contractor held `)00 shares,
but he had paid for theme -
other shareholders.
The report was then unanimously adopted, and
the directors were authorised to exercise the'bor-
rowing powers of the company to the full extent.
The proceedings concluded with a Vote of thanks
to the chairman and directors.

MIDLAND AND SOT7TIT-IVESTERN JUNCTION,
The half-yearly meeting was held yesterday at
the offices, Old Palace-yard, Westminster; Mr.W.
L. Beale in the chair.
The report stated that since the last meeting the
akreements between the company and the Midland
Railway Company for subscribing to and working
their railway had been duly sealed by the two com-
panies and exchanged, and the Midland Company
had, in pursuance thereof and of the power con-
tamed in the company's act of incorporation, paid
the sum of £15,000 towards the capital of the un-
dertaking. Arrangements had been made for the
construction of tll3 railway, including purch,....^-3 of
]and, for a Burn within the Aare and borrowing

capital of this company, and the necessary steps
were now being taken to obtain possession of the
land to enable the contractors to proceed with the
works at once. The whole of the capital had been
subscribed.
The CHAIRMAN moved the adoption of the report,
and the motion was agreed to.