CRABS. 



11 



elm, to the under surface, in order to prevent s^^litting, 

 burn a hole with a hot iron large enough for the float 

 line to pass through, tie a knot or work a Turk's head 

 on the end of the line, paint the upper surface of the 

 cork white, and then burn your initials deeply into the 

 cork with a branding iron. The crabbers as a body are 

 rarely dishonest, but little mistakes are at times made 

 when crab-pots are insufliciently marked by the owner, 

 and Crabs at a premium ; still there are very few so 

 utterly indifferent to the voice of public reprobation as 

 to " haul another mans 'poU^'' a crime in the eyes of a 

 fishing community pretty much on a par with stealing 

 a sheep or robbing- a church. Should vou emb^arf^ln a ~/^^ 

 the crabbing line, take our earn- A ^•JI'oS HA -^ 



est advice : provide yourself with 

 a boat with plenty of beam ; 

 have every rope, net, and line you 

 use tanned; and never let your 

 boat's creeper, or " killick," go on 

 rocky ground without making use 

 of the precaution shown in the ac- 

 companying illustration, known as 

 " Becueing," or the loss of creeper 

 and creeper line into the bargain 

 will be very likely to follow. 



It will be seen, on referring to the above cut, that 

 the line after having been secured to the ring at the 



