That which concerns Lower Brittany is very imperfect, mainly, I take it, because I had already nearly filled my destined two volumes when I reached it.

I find there, however, the following notice of the sardine fishery, which has some interest at the present day.

Perhaps the majority of the thousands of English people who nowadays have "sardines" on their breakfast-table every morning are not aware that the contents of a very large number of the little tin boxes which are supposed to contain the delicacy are not sardines at all.

They are very excellent little fishes, but not sardines; for the enormously increased demand for them has outstripped the supply.

In the days when the following sentences were written sardines might certainly be had in London (as what might not ?) at such shops as Fortnum and Mason's, but they were costly, and by no means commonly met with.
On reaching Douarnenez in the summer of 1839 I wrote:--"The whole population and the existence of Douarnenez depend on the sardine fishery.