FISHING STATIONS— ENGLAND. 225 



Ijiglier rates charged in 1873 by the railways from Yar- 

 mouth and Lowestoft have resulted in diverting a good 

 deal of the trawl-fish traffic from those towns ; and water 

 carriage, wliicli had previously been falling off, is now 

 again increasing, that mode of transport being much 

 faciHtated by the present abundant supply of ice for 

 packing the fish in as soon as they are caught. 



Four steam carrying- vessels belonging to Messrs. 

 Hewett and Co., and each bringing on an average about 

 2800 packages of fish, are constantly employed in this 

 branch of the London fish trade ; and numerous sailing 

 carriei's belonging to various ports, and averaging about 

 1000 packages each, also bring their cargoes direct from 

 the North Sea to Billingsgate. The employment of 

 steamers for bringing the fish to market had been 

 talked of for many years, and, we believe, has been 

 attempted before now, but without the success which, 

 we understand, has been attained by Messrs. Hewett 

 and Co. Their large experience of the fish trade, and 

 the employment of several vessels built for the purpose, 

 have no doubt enabled them to work the system to 

 advantage ; and under proper management it is likely 

 to bear considerable development for the transport of 

 fish from the more distant fishing grounds. It is yet a 

 question whether it will pay to apply steam to the 

 actual trawlers;^ but we had an opportunity in 1872 

 of observing in an experimental vessel the practical 

 advantage gained by its use, both when fishing, and 

 going to and returning from the fishing ground. 



Of the early history of Barking as a fishing station, 

 or when its connection with trawling began, we have 



^ A Steam Cutter Fish-carrying Company have just begun working from 

 Great Yarmoutli. It is intended to use their vessels either for trawling or 

 carrying, as may be from time to time desirable. 



Q 



