But however well intended, all those Provisions might be, to guard against the Abuses in the FISH Trade, it has been accurately noted by NOORTHOUCK, in his Writings upon the History of LONDON, that no Accumulation of Laws, or Trials of Schemes, have been yet able to bring FISH to LONDON, in Quantities and Prices answerable, to its Neighbourhood to the SEA. "One Method (adds the same Author), remains to be tried; and this, is, to undo all that has been done; to throw the Employment of Catching and Sell By the Report of the Committee of AGRICULture, it appears, that the total Amount of Waste Lands in the United Kingdom, is as follows:-ENGLAND above Six Millions of Acres; WALES Two, and SCOTLAND about Fourteen, If Ministers would use their Efforts, to appropriate one Million of Money to the Cultivation of Waste Lands, it would prove a great Saving to the Public. The above Quantity of Land, divided into Farms of Fifty Acres each, would make Four hundred, thirty-three Thousand, five hundred, twenty-five Farms. A Bill, to enforce the general Enclosure of Commons, &c. would be the most advisable Step to be taken, of Nether Park, of Closeburn, SCOTLAND, which was never before cultivated, a Crop of POTATOE OATS, the general luxuriance of which may be conceived, from this circumstance, that in a variety of instances, one Grain produces Five or six Stalks, and each Stalk three or four Heads from the upper Joint, making the amazing Increase of Two THOUSAND FOLD. ing FISH, entirely open, clear of all CORPORATION Restrictions whatsoever, beyond what may be necessary to preserve the Spawn or Fry, and to maintain an impartial Freedom of SALE," It is observable, that in the Effects of the ACTS of Parliament, relating to the Fisheries, there has always been a Difficulty, so to frame Laws, as to prevent the Mal-practices of dishonest and interested Persons. It was found, that the FISHMONGERS contracted with the Fishermen, for their whole Cargoes, and obliged them to stop at GRAVESEND, instead of coming to BILLINGSGATE, and then they only brought it by Boat Loads at a Time, the Remainder of the Cargo, being shipped into a Well-boat, under the Care of some Servant, who sent it up by Degrees, as directed by his Master. Thus the best Fish was doled out in small Quantities, and often a Month or Six Weeks elapsed, before the last was ordered, or sometimes having wasted in their confined State, so as to be unwholesome, was destroyed, to make Way for Fresh, and perhaps not a Twentieth Part of the Fish caught, had been sold, whilst the Poor were distressed for Food. To perpetuate this Fraud, the FISHMONGERS became themselves Owners of Vessels*, hired Fishermen to * It is an Incident perhaps worth the Narrative, that the SHIPS in which Sir FRANCIS DRAKE, our illustrious COUNTRYMAN, embarked for the WEST INDIES, A. D. 1570, were not of larger Dimensions, than many employed in this Trade, the Pascha, being of Seventy Tons, and the Swan, of Twenty-five, only. The first double Deck Ship built in ENGLAND was A. D. 1509, in the Twenty-fifth Year of the Reign of HENRY VII. whose Name it bore, and was 1000 Tons Burthen, the total Expenditure of which, is estimated at 14,000l. Before this, Twenty-four Gun Ships, were the largest in our NAVY, and those were without Port-Holes, the Guns being on the upper Decks, only. For the Invention of Portholes, and various other Improvements, we are indebted to the Ingenuity of M. DECHARGES, an eminent Mechanic of BREST, about the Year 1500, during the Reign of LOUIS XII. First-rate Ships, did not become very general, until, comparatively speaking, a recent Date, although, in QUEEN ELIZABETH's Time, the Armament of ENGLAND, in the Naval Department, was computed at 15,270 Men. A Seventy-four Gun Ship swallows up nearly, or full, Three Thousand Loads of Oak Timber; a Load of Timber, contains Fifty Cubical Feet, and a Ton, Forty Feet; consequently a Seventy-four Gun Ship, takes Two Thousand large, well-grown, Trees, perhaps two Tons each. The Distance recommended for planting Trees, is Thirty feet; but supposing Trees to stand at the Distance of two Rods go Masters, and compelled the Fishermen's Apprentices to be bound not to the Fisher (Thirty-three Feet), each Statute Acre would contain Forty Trees; of course the Building of a Seventy-four Gun Ship, would clear the Timber of Fifty Acres. The Complaints relative to the Decrease of our Timber, are not to be wondered at, under such Circumstances; but this Calculation points out to landed Proprietors, the Necessity and Patriotism of continually planting more Trees, to supply our future Wants. The Superiority in working our Ships, is undoubted, but many of the Men of War, taken from the FRENCH, and now in our NAVY, are perfect Models. A very essential Alteration has taken place in Building many of his MAJESTY'S Ships, and Vessels, by laying the Timbers in Triangles, instead of right Angles, and it has fully answered all Expectation. The Tremendous, Captain CAMPBELL, İS the first Ship, and she has been employed in the BALTIC, that, being considered a Service, that would try the Alteration: She has worked remarkably well; and will run any Vessel of her own Burthen, out of Sight, in five Hours. The Saving in Timber, Workmanship, and other Expences, particularly in her Keel and Sheathing, is immense; independent of the great Advantage of keeping all Filth away, as well as of admiting a free Circulation of Air, and by that means avoiding the dry Rot, &c. The Ramilies, and some other Ships, have been ordered to be Rebuilt on this plan, and will shortly confirm its Utility. The Two poetical Specimens, One of which is supposed to be the Production of a SAILOR, whilst upon his proper men, but to them, as FISHMONGERS, although the Fishermen are a distinct Company. As Element, and the other, written, amidst the Tumult of a CAMP, and addressed to a Lady, by a SOLDIER, will not weary the Eye, and may probably gratify a momentary Attention, See how beneath the Moon-beam's Smile, And foams and sparkles, for a while, Thus MAN, the Sport of Bliss and Care, YES! I heard the roaring Ocean, Felt my yielding Canvass strain: Tent and Tent-walls, piercing through; Still, regardless of the Weather, All my Soul was turn'd to You. Not a glimm'ring Ray to cheer me, |