64 



DEPTHS OF THE OCEAN 



vith their red lateen-sails came into 



Portuguese 



fishing 



industry. 



fishing-boats witn their red lateen-sails came mto view on 

 the horizon. 



One of these came close to us, and we had an opportunity 

 of learning something of their industry. Their boats were flat- 

 bottomed, with a deep rudder that acted as a sort of keel. 

 They were working with nets on a hard bottom, and, as a rule, 

 in 30-40 fathoms of water. Their catches consisted of the 

 lobster - like " languste " [Palinurzis vzilgaris), large crabs 

 {Cancer, Liikodes), skates (Raia clavata, R. circularis), sharks 

 iyCentrina and Miistelus), and breams {Pagellus centrodontus) , 



They also earned some money 

 by going on board the trawlers 

 and getting the small fish (small 

 whitings, hake, etc.), which are 

 generally thrown away. We 

 came across the trawlers them- 

 selves not long afterwards, and 

 boarded a boat belonging to 

 Boston, England. They were 

 irawling for soles {Soiea V2il- 

 garis) and large hake ; other- 

 wise they got, as a rule, only 

 skates and whitings. We shot 

 our own trawl to see what 

 there was on the bank, and 

 captured the same fishes that 

 the trawlers had spoken about 

 (Station 14). 



The fine weather tempted 

 us to try to make a series of 

 hauls at different depths along the edge of the coast banks. 

 We accordingly lowered the following appliances in the 

 evening : a tow-net at the surface and two more at 50 metres 

 and 100 metres respectively, a young-fish trawl at 150 metres, 

 tow-nets at 300 metres and 500 metres, and another young-fish 

 trawl at 750 metres. 



We had, however, scarcely begun towing our nets before a 

 northerly gale sprang up. Hauling in had therefore to be done 

 in the dark, and the sea became high and broke over the stern, 

 where the gear was being got in. The result was that the 

 violent pitching of the ship tore the silk cloth of the nets and 

 did considerable damage. We lost the tow-nets sent to 100 

 metres and 500 metres, as well as the young-fish trawl at 750 



Portuguese Fishing-Boat. 



