220 DEEP-SEA FISHING. 



employs a great many boats from the adjoining shores ; 

 and the drift, line, and sean fisheries are worked ac- 

 cording to season and locality on various parts of the 

 coast of Hampshire, Sussex, and the Isle of Wight. 

 Brighton, in the Shoreham district, is the best known 

 among the regular fishing stations, and employs a large 

 number of men with the drift and sean nets. The 

 almost continuous line of beach on the Sussex coast 

 requires a particular style of fishing boat for conve- 

 nience in launching and hauling up where there is no 

 harbour ; they are accordingly built with very flat floors 

 and large bilge-pieces to keep them upright when they 

 are out of the water. Brighton once had a name for a 

 class of boats in which these peculiarities were carried 

 to excess, and there are still a few left of the old style — 

 " hog-boats," as they are called, the representatives of 

 what many years ago was the typical form of Brighton 

 fishing boat. They are not without their admirers at 

 the present day. These boats are rigged with two 

 spritsails, a foresail, and jib, and are now mostly used 

 for trawling. 



The more modern boats, which are used for di'ift- 

 fishing, are much finer craft, although retaining a good 

 deal of the old style of build ; they are longer boats, 

 however, and sail faster, but without any loss of sea- 

 going qualities; and are all rigged as luggers — the 

 most convenient style for drift-fishing. The general 

 tendency around the coast towards an increase in the 

 size of fishing boats, so as to make them more suitable 

 for regular deep-sea work, is shown at Brighton as 

 well as at other places ; and we hear that the smaller 

 drift-boats are being got rid of and larger ones taking 

 their places as fast as they can be turned out by the 

 reffidar builders. Tlie large class of boats are used 



