222 REV. R. COWE ON THE WHITE-FISHERY ON 



i way their nets, and make with all possible speed for the nearest 

 harbour. The danger is increased in stormy weather, when the nets 

 of two or more boats are entangled together. The plunging of the 

 boats and the dashing of the waves render it very dangerous for the 

 men to stoop over the boats to clear the nets ; and the risk of collision 

 prevents the boats from coming near each other to assist in clearing 

 away the entangled parts. The nets are seldom got afterwards when 

 thus cut away ; or when found after the storm, they have been so 

 much torn as to be almost useless. Nets are also frequently injured 

 or lost by the buoys being maliciously cut olf, when the nets go to 

 the bottom and get fast to the rocks. 



Instances have occurred, though not very lately, of boats deeply 

 laden with herrings being, before reaching the shore, overtaken by 

 wind, and going down. In one case, an accident of this kind near 

 Holy Island was occasioned by the boat getting stern way through 

 mismanagement, when she immediately filled and turned bottom up. 

 Two of the men clung to the boat till they were rescued by another 

 boat ; other three who were in the boat perished. About twenty years 

 ago, a Buckhaven boat went down about half-way between Berwick 

 and Burnmouth from having too large a cargo. The night had been 

 fine, but a brisk breeze sprung up in the morning-, which was too 

 much for the overburdened boat. A fisherman, from whom the writer 

 had the account, was in a boat a little farther out at sea at the time, 

 and he says, that the fears of himself and his companions were first 

 awakened by seeing different articles, such as a hat and an oar, 

 drifting past them. On sailing in the direction from which the float- 

 ing materials came, the boat was found bottom up, but not one of the 

 crew was to be seen. Weighed down by their heavy boots, and ex- 

 hausted by previous fatigue, they had sunk to rise no more. But se- 

 rious accidents sometimes happen at this fishing from mere stress of 

 weather. Twelve years ago, a Greens' boat was upset in taking 1 

 Berwick harbour during a heavy sea, occasioned by a violent north- 

 east wind. Two men were drowned. The other two kept themselves 

 afloat by the aid of the oars till they were rescued. A very affecting- 

 occurrence took place off North Sunderland six years ago, when the 

 boats were fishing there. When about twelve miles from the land, 

 they encountered a very high sea and violent wind, which compelled 

 them to return. On their way back to the shore, one of the Eyemouth 

 boats was struck by a heavy wave, and filled with water. The next 

 boat tried to aid them : the steersman of it had a brother in the 

 disabled boat, who was seen sitting on one of the thwarts immersed 

 in the water, with his son, a boy, in his arms. The rest of the crew 

 cried out to the skipper as they approached," Will! mind your brother;" 

 but in spite of all that he could do, the bow of the boat, tossed by 

 the waves, pitched on the back of the unfortunate man, and then 



