I'ISIIIXO STA'IMOXS— ENGLAND. 215 



On tlie evening of Easter Day in that, year some boats, 

 contrary to the usual custom of not fishing on a Sunday, 

 went out with their drift-nets in pursuit of the herrings, 

 and succeeded in catching some thousands of these fish. 

 The herrings were brought on shore and sold readily 

 in the market; but as the fishermen were bringing 

 their captures to the market-place they were met by an 

 old man whose many years had been spent on the 

 stormy seas which wash the rocky shores of the island, 

 and who, throughout his long career, had been ac- 

 customed to regard Sunday as a day of rest alike for 

 fishes and fishermen. He inquired of the fishermen, 

 now heavily laden with their spoil, 'When did you 

 catch these fish?' 'Last night — Sunday night,' was 

 the reply. ' Sunday night ! ' said he ; ' then we shall 

 have no more herrings.'^ There has been no herring 

 fishery at Gruernsey since that year ! " 



Herrings used also to be caught there by scans. 



Gruernsey is particularly famous for its congers ; the 

 rocky character of the coast there being well suited to 

 the habits of this fish. Trots or longlines are employed 

 for catching it, and squid is considered the best sort of 

 bait from September to February ; afterwards fish-bait 

 of certain kinds is more generally used. Very large 

 congers are sometimes caught there, and the museum at 

 St. Peter's Port contains an example taken at the end 

 of 1844, which measured 7 feet 6 inches in length and 

 scaled 96 lbs. Gruernsey weight, equal to more than 

 100 lbs. English. Conger is the important ingredient 

 in the white soup so much in favour in the island. 



Among the fish taken with handlines pollock, there 



^ The Guernsey fish evidently must have had much greater respect for tlie 

 ordinances of the Church than those herrings which were said to Irave forsaken 

 some other coast as soon as the newly-appointed vicar of the parish intimated 

 his intention of takins; tithe of the fish. 



