94 DEEP-SEA FISHING. 



and other prime fish ; among those most favoured by the 

 fishermen are the Swarte Bank, Inner Well Bank, Inner 

 Silver Pit, Sole Pit, Leman, Smith's Knoll, and the 

 Dowsings ; whilst farther north and more off the land, 

 there are the Dogger, Outer Well Bank, Glreat Silver 

 Pit, and Botany Gut. What the trawlers call the real 

 Well Bank is south of the G-reat Silver Pit, and 

 they consider that marked " Outer Well Bank " on 

 the Admiralty charts as merely part of the Dogger. 

 Botany Gut runs along the eastern side of the AYell 

 Bank nearly up to the Silver Pit, but does not actually 

 join it. These are grounds systematically trawled over 

 at some part or other throughout the year, according to 

 season and weather ; for it is found that, year after 

 year, fish of various kinds congregate for a time in 

 particular places, and then move off to other quarters. 

 If the fishermen do not find them in one place, they 

 look for them in another, and they have no fear of 

 being very long without getting a supply. Haddocks, 

 plaice, and turbot are the fish principally obtained from 

 the Dogger and neighbouring banks, and soles in the 

 colder weather. 



The Great Silver Pit was first worked over during 

 a very severe winter (about 1843). The Well Bank 

 and Botany Gut had been explored and discovered to 

 be very productive grounds ; and between them and 

 the Dogger, and bearing nearly true east from Flam- 

 borough Head, the Admiralty chart showed a bed of 

 deeper soundings, ranging in some parts of it from 

 30 to 40 fathoms — the whole extending for about 

 60 miles east and west, and from 6 to 10 miles wide. 

 This patch was marked the " Outer Silver Pit," and on 

 trying it with the trawl, in the deeper parts at the 

 western end and near the middle soles were found 



