THE COAST OF BERWICKSHIRE. 227 



less when the bait is hired out, and one person undertakes two or 

 more lines; in this case, ninrprnce is paid for each line every day it 

 is fresh baited. There is first the fisherman, secondly, a boy or girl 

 to gather the bait and put it on the line, and, thirdly, a woman to go 

 to market and sell the fish. Sometimes the whole earnings go to de- 

 fray the expense of bait. The limpets have become very scarce of late, 

 from the Eyemouth bait-gatherers coming to the rocks in the neigh- 

 bourhood of Berwick, and even sometimes to the rocks south of Spit- 

 tal, and filling their creels with the limpets upon them. The diffi- 

 culty of procuring necessary bait is from this cause increasing every 

 year. 



It may here be noticed, that both the herring and haddock fishings 

 sometimes suffer very considerably from the ravages of dog-fish. These 

 pirates are seldom abundant when the herrings are in a compact body ; 

 but not un frequently they occasion great destruction when a shoal is 

 first drawing in near the land. The havoc they make is such, that 

 they have been found to consume a dozen of barrels out of one boat's 

 nets in the course of an hour. They also are very destructive to the 

 nets when they get entangled. By their efforts to get free, their hard 

 fins tear the nets : there is reason to think that they also use their 

 teeth for this purpose. In like manner they make sad work among 

 the haddocks. Occasionally half of those that take the hook have 

 only the head left when they reach the boat. Sometimes the tail is 

 stumped awry ; sometimes a bite is taken out of the belly, and at 

 other times out of the back. A cod-fish sometimes comesnip a mere 

 skeleton, stripped to the bone on both sides. They have their tastes, 

 too, like other creatures. A haddock is preferred by them before a 

 codling. 



3. Turbot. Turbot is taken with nets. The nets are 150 yards 

 long, are corked along the ropes, have very large meshes, and are 

 set on sandy ground, such as the fish is known to frequent. They are 

 allowed to stand two or three days before being drawn up and taken 

 on shore. The nets are let down to the bottom, as the turbot, like all 

 flat fish, swims low, having an anchor or large stone at each end, with 

 a buoy floating above. The turbot is rolled in the net when taken. 

 This fish is not abundant about Berwick, but more would be taken if 

 the price continued good, when brought regularly to market. The 

 fishermen naturally employ themselves in the way that pays them 

 best. 



4. Lobsters and Crabs Lobsters and crabs are taken in two ways. 

 The most common method is to employ a sort of case covered with 

 net, with a heavy stone in the middle to keep it steady on the ground, 

 and two round holes at each end. They are generally about three 



B. N. c. NO. vin. R 



