The most important objects connected with the History of Cornwall, are its numerous Mines and Fisheries, and which for centuries past, have given employment to nearly one half of its inhabitants, and yielded a considerable revenue to government.
The Pilchard Fisheries, which are mostly confined to East and West Looe, Polparrow, Fowey, Charles Town, near St. Austell, Mevagissey, the Creeks of Falmouth Harbour, Mount’s Bay, on the southern coast, and St. Ives, on the northern coast, generally commence in July and end in November.
The Pilchard, in form and size, very much resembles the Herring, except that it is smaller, and not so flat sided. “The dorsal fin of the Pilchard,” says Dr. Maton, “is placed exactly in the centre of gravity, so that the ordinary mode of distinguishing it from the Herring, is to try whether, when taken up by the fin, it preserves an equilibrium, or not. The body of the Herring dips towards the head, and the scales are also observed to drop off, whereas those of the Pilchard adhere very closely.” They mostly arrive from the North Seas at the Islands of Scilly and Land’s End, about July, and shift their situation as the season prompts and the food allures them; but unfortunately the fish have for the last two seasons been exceedingly scarce, which has been a great loss to the fishermen. They are generally caught in large nets of a peculiar make, called seans, and the fishermen are directed to the shoals of fish by persons stationed on the high lands near the shore, who discover them by the colour of the water. The nets in general, are managed by three boats, containing 18 persons. The seans are about 220 fathoms long, 16 fathoms deep in the middle, and 14 at each end, with lead weights at the bottom and corks at the top. The cost of these seans is very great, sometimes as high as £300 each; and a track sean of about 108 fathoms long and 10 deep, costs £120. The boats for carrying the seans, cost about £60, and the expenses incident to the first out-fit, (including every thing that is necessary,) may be estimated from £1000 to £1200, exclusive of salt.
The fish, immediately upon being brought on shore, are carried to the store-houses or cellars, where the small and damaged fish are picked out by women, and carried away and sold to the poor, or used for manuring land. The remainder are laid up in broad piles and salted. In this state they lie soaking 20 or 30 days, during which time a great quantity of dirty pickle and bittern drains from the fish: when the piles are taken up, the chief part of salt remaining at the bottom, is added to some fresh salt, and serves for another pile. The next process is to wash the fish in sea water, and place them in hogsheads, where, with great weight, they are pressed together as compact as possible, by which operation a great quantity of oil issues through the holes at the bottom of the casks.
The number of fish packed in each hogshead generally amounts to about 3000; and the quantity of salt used annually exceeds 50,000 bushels, each bushel weighing 84lbs. and one hogshead requires 420lbs. of salt; but nearly one half of this quantity is spoiled and sold to the farmers for manure at the rate of 10d. per bushel. Forty-eight hogsheads of Pilchards generally yield a ton or 252 gallons of oil, the price of which varies according to the times, but generally fetches about £25 a ton.
In some instances one sean has been known to take and cure near 1,500 hogsheads in a season; but the fishermen are more fortunate at some places than they are at others. The quantity taken in a season may be estimated at from 40,000 to 60,000 hogsheads of 40 gallons each.
The number of persons employed on the fisheries, cannot be estimated at less than 14,000; and the capital engaged is said to amount to upwards of £350,000. The tythe of each sean is £1 13s. 4d. yearly, exclusive of the duty paid to government for salt.
“The sea,” says Borlase, “is the great store house of Cornwall, which offers not its treasures by piece meals, nor all at once, but in succession, all in plenty in their several seasons, and in such variety, as if nature was solicitous to prevent any excess or superfluity of the same kind.”—Among those which visit the coasts of Cornwall, the following may be enumerated.
The Blower or Fin Fish, (the Physeta of the ancients,) and so called from the quantity of water which it blows into the air through a hole in its head.
The Grampus, the next in size, is usually about 18 feet long, and sometimes large enough to weigh 1000lbs.—The voracity of this fish is so remarkable, that it has been observed to prey upon the Sea Hog.