but w ith a r< duction of the bounty from 40s. to 30s. In proposingthis alteration, it was stated, “ that the sums which this countryiiad paid in bounties for the Greenland fishery amounted to1,265,4611. ; that in the last year we had paid 94,8581.; and that,from tiie consequent reduction of the price of the fish, the publicat present paid bo per cent, upon every cargo. In the Greenland fishery there were employed 6000 seamen, and these seamen costgovernment 131. 10s. per man per annum, though we were neverable to obtain more than 500 of that number to serve on boardour ships of war. Besides, the vast encouragement given to thetrade had occasioned such a glut in the market, that it was foundnecessary to export considerable quantities; and thus we paid alarge share of the purchase-money lor foreign nations, as well asfor our own people, besides supplying them with the materials of

several important manufactures.” This proposition was opposedby several members, but was finally’ carried; and the propriety ofthe measure became veiy soon apparent. At that time (1786) thenumber of ships employed from England in the whale-fishery toDavis’s Straights and the Greenland seas amounted to 139, besides15 from Scotland . The proposed alteration took, place the nextyear (1787); and notwithstanding the diminution of the bounty,the trade increased ; the number of siiips employed the same yearfrom England amounting to 217, and the next year (1788) to 222.The whale-fishery has oi late years been considerably indebted to(he introduction of a new kind of harpoon, called the gun-harpoon,which the Society for the Encouragement of Arts, have excitedthemselves to bring into general use.

FISHING.

FISHING, in general, the art of catching fish, whether by Jmeans of nets or spears or of the line and hook. That which is !performed by the net, spear, or harpoon, for tish that go in shoals, |has been explained in the preceding articles. That performed bythe rod, line, and hook, is usually termed angling ; see that article :and for the particular maimer of angling for the different kinds offish, see their respective names, and the follow ing articles ;

1. The barbel, so called on account of the barb or beard that isunder his chaps (see Cypiumcs,) though a coarse fish, gives con-siderable exercise to the angler’s ingenuity. They swim logetheiin great shoals, and are at their worst in April, at which time theyspawn, but soon come in season: the places whither they chielly :resort, are such as arc weedy and gravelly rising grounds, in w hichthis fish is said to dig and root with his nose like a swine. In the■Summer he frequents the strongest and swiftest currents of waters;as deep bridges, weirs, fkc. and is apt to settle himself amongst the jpiles, hollow places, and moss weeds, and will remain there im-moveable'; but in w inter he retires into deep w aters, and helps the 1female to make a hole in the sands to Hide her spaw n in, to hinderits being devoured by other tish. He is a very curious and cun-ning fish; for if his baits are not sweet, dean, well scoured, andkept in sweet moss, he will not bite; but if those are well-ordered2nd carefully kept, he will bite with great eagerness. The bestbail for him is the spawn of a salmon, trout, or any other lish ; ora piece of chandler's greaves which has been boiled ami washed ;lie will also take a large lob-worm ; and if you would leave goodspoil with him, bait the places where you intend to fish with it arnght or two before with tallow-chandler’s greaves; and the earlierin the morning, or the later in the evening, that you fish, the bet-ter it will be. Your rod and line must be bqth strong and long,with a running plummet ou the line ; and let a little bit of lead beplaced afoot or more above the hook, to keep the bullet from fall-ing on it: so the bait will be at the bottom, where they alwaysbite; and when the fish takes the bait, your plummet will lie andnot fihoke him. By the bending of your rod vou may know whenlie bites, as also with your hand you will feel him make a strongsnatdi; then strike, and you will rarely tail, if you play him well;but if you nonage him not dexterously he will break your line.The best time for fishing is about nine in the morning, and themost proper season is the latter part of May, June, July, and thebeginning of August.

2. The bleak is an eager fish, caught with all sorts of wormsbred on trees or plants; as also with Hies, paste, sheep’s blood,iic. Bleak may be angled for with half a score of hooks at once,if they can be all fastened on: he will also in the'evening take anatural or artificial fly. If the day is warm or clear,, there is no Ifly so good for him as the small fly at the top of the water, whichhe will take at any time of the day, e.-pecially in the evening. IBut if the day be cold and cloudy, gentles and caddis are the best ; Iabout two tuct -under water.’ Bui the best method is w ith a drab- I

hie, thus: tie eight or ten small hooks across a line, two inchesabove one another; the biggest hook the lowermost, (whereby,you may sometimes take a b< tter lisli,) and bait them with genlies,Hies, or some small red worms, by w hich means you may take halfa dozen or more at a time; but when you have them they are notworth catching, except as a hate for a pike, trout, &c.

3. For the bream observe the following directions, which willalso apply to carp, tench, or perch fishing. Brocure about a quartof large red worms : put them into fresh moss well washed anddried every three or four days, feeding them wilh tat mould andchopped fennel, anil they w ill be thoroughly scoured in aboutthree weeks.

Let your lines be silk, and s'lk-worm gut at the bottom ; let thefloats be either swan-quills or goose-quills. Let your plumb be apiece of lead in the shape of a spear, with a small ring at the pointof it; fasten the lead to the line, ami the line-hook to the lead ;about ten or twelve inches space between lead and hook will heenough ; and take care the lead be heavy enough to sink the float.Having baited your hook well with a strong worm, the worm willdraw the hook up and down in the bottom, which will provokethe bream to bite the more eagerly. It will be best to fit up threeor four rods and lines in this manner, and set them us will he di-rected, and this will afford you much the better sport. Find th«exact depth of the vvjter if possible, that your float may swiin onits surface directly over the lead ; then provide the followingground-bait. r l’ake about a peck of sweet gross-ground-inalt, andhaving boiled it a very little, strain it hard through a bag, andcarry it to the water-side where you have sounded ; and into theplace where you suppose the fish resort, there throw in the maltby handfuls squeezed hard together, or rather mixed w ith a littleclay, that the stream may not separate it before it comes to thebottom ; amt be sure to throw it in at least a yard above the placewhere you intend the hook shall lie, otherwise the stream willcarry it down too far. Do this about nine o'clock at night, keep-ing some of the mall in the bag, ami go to the place about threethe next morning, but approach very warily, lest sou should beseen by any of the fi-.li ; lor it is said that they have their sentinelswatching on the top of the water, while the rest are feeding be-low’. llaving baited your hook so lhat the worm may crawl toand fro, the better to allure the fish to bite, cast it in at the placewhere you find file fish to slay most, which is generally in thebroadest and deepest part of the river, so that it may rest aboutthe midst of your ground-bait. Cast in your second Hue so thatit may rest a yard above that, ami a third about a yard below it-Let your rods lie on the bank wilh some stones to keep them downat the great ends ; and then withdraw yourself, yet not so far butthat you can have your eye upon all the floats: and when yt HIsee one bitten and carried away, do not be too hasty to^ inn w*hut give time to the fish to tue himself, and then touch him J 5 c*nt"

ly. When you pensive tb« beat sink, ciecp to Ike water-** 1 -*’*

• gun