FISHING STATIONS— ENGLAND. 251 



over Hull, were to a great extent lost sight of by tlie 

 trawlers whilst the railway from the more important 

 town provided the only convenient means of sending 

 away their fish. The greater purity of the water at 

 Grrimshy had, however, led to its adoption as a storing 

 place for live cod ; and we believe it had been connected 

 with the deep-sea line-fishery for several years before 

 the first trawlers made it their head-quarters. This 

 occurred in 1858, when four or five smacks migrated 

 thither from Hull. Since that time Grimsby has been 

 steadily growing in importance ; and its development 

 both as a trading port and a fishing station is mainly 

 due to the Manchester, Sheffield, and Lincolnshire Rail- 

 way Company, which have constructed extensive docks 

 there and carried their line to the waterside. 



The fisheries of which Grimsby is an important centre 

 are the deep-sea trawling and cod-fishing. We have 

 already fully described^ the various incidents connected 

 with the latter fishery, and need only add that the 

 number of cod-smacks belonging to Grimsby has in- 

 creased from 42 in 1863 to 82 in 1872, and that the 

 increase has been in size as well as number. Besides 

 these many liners from other ports land their fish here, 

 and there is every reason to think that most of the 

 cod-smacks will ultimately make Grimsby their head- 

 quarters. There is not so much room, however, for deve- 

 lopment in this particular trade as in trawling ; for the 

 cost and working expenses of a welled-smack for the 

 cod fishery are so great that they can only be met by 

 obtaining a good price for the average catch of fish, 

 and this will depend on the supply not being from too 

 many vessels. The produce of fifty additional smacks 

 would undoubtedly lower the general market consider- 



^ Lino-fisliing, p. 137. 



