house-side; there, precipitous headlands run out into the deep; and here and there are patches of sandy beach, on which the white breakers roll with a roar that reminds us of that mighty Voice which is "as the sound of many waters."

On the rocky shore are found limpets, clinging to the rocks as youths and men should cling to truth and righteousness and God; also mussels and periwinkles, and a great variety of the beautiful sea-anemone, together with sea-weeds of various kinds, some of which our young friends, not accustomed to the sea-shore, might mistake for bootlaces ten or twelve feet long, and others that might be mistaken for ribbons.

The fish that are caught here are the cod, ling, hake, bass, whiting, skate, ray, gurnard, lance, sole, plaice, lobster, crawfish, crab, &c.; and occasionally the salmon, at points where small fresh-water streams run into the sea.

Besides these, are caught in larger numbers in their seasons the mackerel (of which one boat took last Christmas 16,000 in one night), the herring, the sprat, and the pilchard, of which we have more particularly to speak.

The pilchard belongs to a large family of fish of the genus Clupea, of which genus naturalists have described twenty-two spécies.

The following are the principal of these:-Clupea harengus, the common herring; C. sprattus, the sprat; C. alosa, the shad; C. encrasicolus, the anchovy; C. cyprinoides, the deep-water fish; C. trissa, the large sprat; C. Sinensis, the Chinese herring; C. pilchardus, the pilchard; C. Africana, the African herring; C. atherinoides, the silver-striped herring; C. Malabaricus, the Malabar herring; and C. nasus, the nose herring.

The whole of these are eatable fish. The Clupea trissa is, however, said to be poisonous when it has fed on certain kinds of food.* The pilchard is nearly as large as the herring, and much resembles it, though it is easily distinguished from it by fishermen and naturalists. The principal differences are (1) in the position of the dorsal fin, which in the pilchard is placed in the middle of the back and centre of gravity, so that when the fish is suspended from its tip it balances, while in the herring it is nearer to the tail, so that, being suspended from it, the head descends; (2) in the scales, which in the pilchard are much larger than in the herring; (3) in the pilchard being without teeth, while the herring has teeth; (4) in the pilchard being shorter and thicker than the herring.

The pilchard, like the herring, sprat, &c., is a gregarious fish, travelling in vast swarms or shoals of many millions, and visiting certain localities at regular seasons. Where it is bred and from what quarter it comes to our shores has not been ascertained,

* Londinensis Encyc. Art. "Clupea."

and though it generally appears to approach St. Ives' Bay from the east-from the Welsh and Devon coasts-this is not invariably the

case.

The pilchard is caught in small numbers from about the middle of summer, but the season begins in September, when about 300 boats, which have been hauled up on the beach from the last season, are got in readiness, and the large pilchard nets, called "seines"-of which there are 286 belonging to St. Ives-are put on board. These nets are carefully coiled, so as to enable the men to cast or "shoot" them with the greatest possible dispatch when the fish appear. Each seine requires three boats when in use, and at least sixteen men. One boat carries the seine, which is about 200 fathoms long and 10 fathoms wide; another carries the stop-net, which is about half as long, and generally of the same width; and the third is a row-boat, as tender on the other two.

The seines are appointed their "stems" or stations in turn, according to a list prepared before the season begins, by authority of an Act of Parliament; and that seine which is on any stem when the fish approach it, has the exclusive right to the first chance of taking them, no other boat being permitted to shoot its seine until that one has done so.

Watchers or "huers "" are stationed on the hills to watch for the approach of the shoals of fish, which by long experience they are enabled to discover with great accuracy-by the colour of the water, by a peculiar ripple on the water, by the flight of sea-birds, and, according to some, by the peculiar smell which the fish bring with them. When the fish appear, the huers call the attention of the men in the boats by long speaking-trumpets, and by waving white "bushes" formed by hoops covered with cloth.

Whenever the movement of these bushes is seen, or the sound of the speaking-trumpet is heard, it is the signal for general excitement in the town-being hailed with delight by the whole population-and occasions the general cry, "Ever! Ever!" Multitudes hasten to the hills, to watch the process and speculate on the chance of taking them.

The huers, having secured the attention of the men, direct the movement of the boats by well-known signals, pointing out the precise spot where and the moment when to shoot the net. At the given signal they begin, each boat rowing in an opposite direction, so as to form a circle, and enclose as many fish as possible. The nets are floated from the surface by cork, and, being weighted with lead at the bottom, descend to the floor of the bay, forming a wall of net, and impounding the fish. While this is being done, the men dash the water with their oars, so as to frighten the fish towards the net and prevent their escape. The ends of the nets are then attached, and men on shore, called "blousers," assist in bringing the seine with its freight into a convenient and safe position, where it is anchored until the fish are taken up.

The process of "tucking," or taking up the fish, is one of the most exciting character. Four or more of the large boats with the "tuck-net" press over the sides of the seine, and, letting down the net, draw it beneath the fish, so as to bring them to the surface; and, forming a square-the net being drawn up to the side of each boat-the men take them up with baskets as fast as they can dip them, and put them into the boats, which, as they are filled, are drawn off to shore, while others take their place. This tucking sometimes lasts for days, according to the number which the seine has enclosed. Sometimes, by storms coming on, the net is broken, and the fish escape.

The hilarity of the men employed in this operation, the sight of so many millions of the little creatures flapping and struggling in the last throes of life, the darting every now and then of one and another across the square over their struggling brethren, as if making one last desperate effort to escape from their captors, the baskets dipping and rising with their finny load, and the boats laden to their gunwales with these sparkling treasures of the deep mysterious sea, sent for the food of man by a bountiful God-combine to make an impression on the mind not easy to be effaced.

Sometimes as many as 100 boat-loads, each containing thirty hogsheads, have lain near the shore together, sparkling like silver in the rays of the autumn sun. They are carted or carried thence to the cellars, where they are carefully piled in salt, by tiers around the walls. They remain in this state for five or six weeks, when they are taken up, washed, packed in hogsheads, pressed (to extract the oil), re-packed, and shipped off to Italy, where they are consumed, chiefly by the Catholics during Lent.

It will not be surprising that a great deal of excitement is occasioned by the approach of the pilchards, when we state that as many as 7,000 hogsheads have been taken at once, each hogshead containing 2,500 or 3,000 fish, and being worth-if as much as the average price last year-£3 3. per hogshead: this would be £22,050 for the whole. This is the largest quantity known to be taken in one seine; but if only half that quantity be likely to be taken by an operation of only a few minutes, it will be seen that the material interests at stake are great and important.

Besides the seine-fishing, considerable numbers of pilchards are taken by drift-fishing. This is a process entirely different from the former. The "drip" or sailing boats are not permitted to fish in the bay during the day in the pilchard season. Nor, indeed, would it be of any advantage to do so, as the fish will not -as too many thoughtless and wicked people do-run into the net in broad daylight; nor even in strong moonlight, which makes the nets visible. At evening, therefore, they spread their sails, and form one of the prettiest marine views which our coasts present, as from 80 to 100 boats go out from the pier and dot the bay at convenient distances from each other for their work. Each boat

carries about fourteen nets; each net being about twenty-six fathoms long, and four fathoms deep as it is suspended by its own weight in the water. These nets are attached together, and extend in a line from the boat.

The meshes of the net are of such a size as to admit, with a little pressure, the head of the fish, which, finding some resisting substance before it, and perhaps pursued by some predacious monster of the deep, forces itself forward; but being unable to get its body through, in its fright extends its gills, and is unable to draw back. It is therefore, after a few struggles, hanged and drowned, as much as any "land-lubber" could be, in its own native element. After the nets have been out a sufficient time, they are drawn into the boat, and the fish are shaken or picked from them. Sometimes 60,000 pilchards have thus been taken by one boat in a night. They are then subjected to the same curing process as those caught in the seines.

The largest number of pilchards taken during the last thirty-six years on the Cornish coast was 40,883 hogsheads, in 1847; and the smallest number was 3,145 hogsheads, in 1859. Their value has ranged from £1 10s. per hogshead, in 1852, to £4, in 1860.

The last and the largest shoal taken last season came later than has been known for thirty years, after special prayer that God would interpose to save many families from want who were dependent on them, thus answering the prayer-"Give us this day our daily bread."

R. C. T.

HAVE YOU BEEN GRATEFUL?

NEW YEAR'S ADDRESS.

MY DEAR YOUNG FRIENDS,-Another year is gone-gone never to be called back again. It is a solemn thing, when we give it a moment's reflection, the shortness and fleetness of time. There are those whom we have conversed and had friendly intercourse with in the year that has passed, who have been called awayhave had to leave the world and all its associations, have had to leave their dearest friends behind, and never to behold them any more in this mortal state, but with a hope to meet in yonder blissful country, "where the wicked cease from troubling and the weary are at rest."

Jesus has been kind and loving to many of us during the past year; we have much to be thankful for, and much to praise the Lord for, all the way which he has led us and comforted us. My dear young friends, have you been grateful for all those blessings, those mercies ? Have you been grateful for kind friends, for raiment, for food, for habitation, for kind teachers, for God's mercy in extending your life to see the beginning of a new year?

Have

you thought a moment on the greatness of God's love in sending his Son to die a dreadful death on the cross for not only your sins, but for the sins of the whole world? Your sins must be pardoned, or else you cannot fully realize and understand the wonderful kindness and love of God to perishing sinners. Dear young friends, I hope you are on the Lord's side now! Perhaps when I last addressed you, in 1870, you were far from the kingdom; but now you are grateful to confess that your sins are forgiven, you are doubly grateful and thankful to God in pardoning your sins and extending your life to see the beginning of another year-1871. I hope now you are the followers of Jesus, that you will work well for him and serve him; those who are still in their sins, may you seek him now without any more delay, for you do not know what a day may bring forth. "He will save to the uttermost " (Heb. vii. 25). "He (Jesus) cleanses us from all sin" (1 John i. 7). "He (Jesus) has brought us nigh by the blood of his cross (Eph. ii. 13).

Consider, my dear young friends, for a moment, what stupendous love the Saviour must have had to leave his throne of glory to wear a crown of thorns! But listen! "He first loved us (1 John iv. 19). Our blessed Lord Jesus is able and willing to receive all that come to him with true repentance. How good it is to see the young coming to the Saviour, and he stretching out his arms to receive them, and giving to such the peace which passeth all knowledge! I hope you will

"Let love through all your actions run,

And all your words be mild;

Live like the blessed Virgin's Son,

That sweet and lovely child!”

In conclusion, may you be fully decided to serve the Saviour now! May you be grateful to God that he is a God of love, that it will "save you from a thousand snares, to mind religion young.' I hope this address will, by the blessing of God, be the means of turning those who are yet undecided, and will thus, ere long, have joined the Saviour. Amen. THOMAS HEATH, Junior,

Plymouth.

THINGS I MEET WITH.

LET it be understood that the words "Things I meet with" mean as well things which meet me. I do not wish to be held literally to my text; for what preacher could flourish at all if he were held literally to his text ? I have heard of preachers going as far as seventeenthly from the same text! but what text would bear this extensive subdivision? I have heard some sermons in my life which had not seventeen ideas in them, much less seventeen subdivisions of ideas. It would be the ruin of us all if we were tied up to the literal sense at all times. True, there are times and things