FISHING STATIONS— ENGLAND. 191 



stations from which they can be worked, some arrange- 

 ment is necessary to prevent confusion and interference, 

 and to enable each scan to have its turn if possible. 

 Some of the stations also are more favourable for w^ork- 

 ing in than others ; and the regulations in the Act 

 specially relate to the manner in which the stems are 

 to be taken possession of, and the length of time they 

 are to be held. The scans are all registered, and many 

 of them belong to companies. In practice it is found 

 generally convenient for individual owners to unite 

 into associations ; and at a meeting of the sean-owners, 

 held previous to the fishing season, it is usual to arrange 

 all the scans in a certain number of groups as can best 

 be managed, each group having so many turns accord- 

 ing to its size, and then the order in which they are to 

 work is decided on. It will be unnecessary to describe 

 the minute details for which tlie regulations provide, 

 as they are only of local interest; and w^e will now say a 

 few words about the boats and method of working. 



The "sean-boat" is about 32 feet on the keel, and 

 with plenty of room for carrying the net ; it has a 

 crew of eight men, six of them for rowing and two for 

 shooting the scan. Two " tow-boats," about 24 feet long, 

 and each carrying a stop-net, with a crew of six men, 

 make up the working party ; but besides these there is 

 a small boat, called the " lurker " or " volyer," from 

 which the master of the scan directs all the proceed- 

 ings. The position of the shoals is pointed out by men 

 called " huers," who are selected from the sharpest and 

 cleverest of the fishermen. There are generally two 

 of them on the look-out on shore above each station, 

 and they signal with a large white ball to the boats 

 waiting below to take their turns. These men remain 

 on duty for three hours at a time, and receive 3^. a 



