232 DEEP-SEA FISHINCt. 



and from the north of Scotland. In the year 1745 his 

 four smacks were engaged by the Government to carry 

 the loyalist troops across the Moray Firth from Mickle 

 Ferry to Inverness, from which place they proceeded to 

 the memorable battle of Cnlloden. In 1766 a Mr. 

 Olibar, a fishing smack owner at Harwich, made the 

 first attempt to fish for cod with loiiglines on the Dogger 

 Bank, but although he was very unsuccessful, he still 

 persevered, and was so fortunate that in 1774 the num- 

 ber of smacks had increased to 62, of which 40 went 

 regularly to the Dogger Bank to fish with longlines. 

 In 1788 there were 78 smacks, and in 1798 the number 

 had increased to 96. About this period a few attempts 

 were made at " Gravesend, Greenwich, and Barking to 

 construct smacks of a similar description, and the 

 Harwich fishery gradually declined." 



In 1852 there were only five cod smacks belonging 

 to Harwich, and there has been very little change for 

 the last twenty years. 



It is difficult to understand why Harwich has not 

 kept the position it formerly held ; for although Grimsby 

 has now become the leading station for cod vessels, and 

 is not unlikely one day to monopolize the trade, Harwich 

 has continued in favour as a storing place for live cod 

 for many years since it ceased to have a large fleet of 

 its own. When the Greenwich and other Thames smack- 

 owners were obliged to give up the hope of keeping the 

 cod alive in their own river, they transferred their store- 

 chests to Harwich, and up to the present time cargoes 

 of live cod have been delivered there regularly by the 

 welled-smacks belonging to other places as well as by 

 the few hailing from Harwich itself. The store-chests 

 at Harwich are moored in the tideway, and are con- 



