80 DEEP-SEA FISHING. 



between two of the shrouds. Nothing now remains 

 but to gather in the net ; this is done hy hand, and 

 it is stowed away on the top of the beam and the gun- 

 wale till only tlie cod is left, the various fish whicli 

 congregate in and crowd the pockets being shaken from 

 their hiding-place as the net is hauled in, so that the 

 whole catch is in the cod or end of the trawl when 

 it comes on board. Eager looks are cast over the side 

 to see what sort of a haul has been made, and it is a 

 bad sign when nothing is said and the bag is got on 

 board without a word. Should the haul be a tolerably 

 good one, however — perhaps from half to three-quarters 

 of a ton of fish — it is a diiferent matter ; a selvagee 

 strop is passed round the upper part of the bag, the 

 fore halyards are hooked on to it, and the winch is 

 again put into requisition to hoist up the result of the 

 day's work, two of the hands standing ready to receive 

 the bag as it comes on board (Plate TV.), and to cast 

 oif the cod-line which closes the end of the net. This 

 being done, the whole mass of fish falls on deck. The 

 scene is a remarkable one, and such as can be met with 

 nowhere else. The contents of the net are of course 

 frequently of a most varied description, and they differ 

 according to season and locality. The first to separate 

 themselves from the quivering mass on deck are the 

 fishermen's great and ever-present enemies, the dog- 

 fig"ti — " dogs," as they are usually called, lasliing their 

 tails and snapping their jaws, ferocious to the last, as 

 they wriggle about the deck in everybody's way, till 

 they are sooner or later quieted with a blow on the 

 head and once more consigned to the deep. Turbot and 

 brill expend their last energies in convulsive flappings; 

 but the soles, plaice, and skate take things more quietly, 

 whilst some of the various S})ecies of gurnard ovcci I heir 



