Page:Cornwall; Cambridge county geographies.djvu/108

 92 CORNWALL name of fumados, which name has been corrupted into "fair maids." A not over-complimentary saying in Corn- wall is that "pilchards and women when they are bad are very bad, and when good are only middling." Pilchards constitute an important article of food to the poorer classes on the coast, but doubtless the Cornishmen get very tired of them as an article of diet. Large quantities are exported to Spain and Italy. Some are made into "sardines " in oil in the local factories. A peculiarity of the county is that ecclesiastical dues in the nature of tithes are levied on the persons employed in the pilchard fisheries. The number of hogsheads packed for export every year varies considerably, but the yearly produce averages from 20,000 to 30,000 hogsheads. In certain years the amount has reached nearly 50,000. In 1901 the fishery found employment for 3734 men, in 1905 in Penzance alone for 1275. Beside pilchards, there are mackerel, hake, cod, etc. The quantity of fish taken, other than mackerel, herrings, pilchards, and sprats in 1905 at Looe was 5841 cwt., at Mevagissey 4893, at Falmouth 3213, at Porth- leven 6132, at Newlyn 37,468. Of mackerel, herrings and sprats, at Looe 10,403 cwt., at Mevagissey 40,236, at Falmouth 5991, at Porthleven 26,945, at Newlyn 493,956. The total value of the fish taken in the year at Looe was 5377, at Mevagissey 13,818, at Falmouth 17,718, at Porthleven 11,454, at Newlyn 232,466. Turning to the north coast, in the first category were taken at Sennen 1074 cwt., at St Ives 2431, at Padstow