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nor remarkable for its cheapness. The Jersey fishermen,
are not fishermen solely; they have generally
some property adjoining the sea; and do not always
find it convenient to launch their boats. The consequence
is, that the market is neither regularly nor
abundantly supplied. The fish commonly brought to
market, are whiting, sole, plaice, bass, grey and red
mullet, john dorey, mackerel, gar,—a fish resembling
an e e l; and several inferior kinds of fish, which are not
worth naming. The conger eel is also very common,
and most kinds of shell fish are very abundant and
good. Turbot is rarely seen; salmon, still more
rarely; haddock, never; cod, very unfrequently; and
fresh herring, scarcely ever in a palatable state.
The price of fish varies so greatly, that it is difficult
to state any average price. I may say, however, that
excepting the shell fish, none of them are so cheap as
the same, or equally good fish in the fishy English seaports.
Mullet and bass, are perhaps, cheaper in Jersey,
but then the haddock, cod, and herring of the English
markets are more than an equivalent. The largest
and finest lobsters may be bought for a shilling; and
one may have as many fine prawns for breakfast, as
one can eat, for twopence.
So far, it will be seen that Jersey has no advantage
over any of the more abundant English counties; and
that excepting in the article of butter, the advantage
over even the metropolis, is small. It is to excisable
commodities we must look, for the advantage which
Jersey possesses in point of cheapness. Tea, that in
England would cost from 6s. to 8s., may be purchased
in Jersey at from Ss. M. to 4s. or 4s. M. The best
gunpowder tea costs 6s. 6d. Loaf sugar, such as woidd
cost in London, 10c/., and in the country llcZ., may be
bought in Jersey for 6d. Raw sugars are scarcely
more than half their price in England. Coffee is not
more than two-thirds of its price in England. Rice is
3d. per lb.; currants 4c/.; raisinsJor puddings about
the same. These are the articles of foreign and colonial
produce the most in use; but in all others of less
consumption, such as spices, oil, olives, dried fruits,
&c., the price is proportionately low. In this large
class of articles then,—the produce of foreign countries,
which may now be almost all classed amongst the
necessaries of life, Jersey has a decided advantage;
and from this enumeration, we have a direct illustration
of the effects of taxation, and of the extent to
which it operates, in depressing the condition of a
people. r . J
But it yet remains, to notice that large class of taxed
commodities, which are more properly termed luxuries;
I mean, wines and spirit. In the low price of these,
Jersey will compete with any place in the world: for
although, in the wine countries, the superior wines
may be drunk for next to nothing in the districts
which produce them, Jersey has the command of all
wines duty fre e ; and consequently, the vintages ot
France, Spain, and Portugal, are all, proportionately
low-priced. That there is much of bad wine in Jersey,
is tru e ; but so there is in England; and so there is, in
the countries which produce wines. I have drunk vile
Moselle at Luxembourg ; villauous Hermitage ou the
Rhoue; aud wretched Sherry iu Cadiz. But, to be
more m iu u te ,-P o rt, from two to eight years old, aud
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