258 DEEl'-SEA FISHING. 



fishing expired. When she was ready to return to 

 port, she hoisted a flag as a signal to the rest of the 

 fleet, and the smacks then assembled round her, and 

 sent their boats with the fish packed in baskets, and 

 a fish note containing the number of packages and a 

 description of their contents as delivered from each 

 vessel. It was a busy scene, and sometimes difficult 

 work getting the fish on board, the boats crowding 

 alongside and knocking about as the vessel ^rolled and 

 pitched in the angry waters of the German Ocean ; 

 but deep-sea fishermen and trawlers' boats are accus- 

 tomed to rough work ; and unless the weather w^ere 

 very bad, the fish was sooner or later " boarded," and 

 the " flagman " or carrier then crowded all sail for the 

 run home. On arrival at the Hull docks she was 

 placed under a steam-crane and the fish hoisted out, 

 the master handing in his manifest or " pot-list," as it 

 was called, so that each salesman might know wdiat 

 fish was consigned to him, and from which vessels it 

 ^vas sent. 



The share system has always been adopted by the 

 Hull trawlers, as at Brixham, RamsgLtte, and most other 

 stations. When therefore a smack returned from the 

 North Sea after her six weeks' fishing, there were 

 accounts to settle for that time, and on an appointed 

 day the skipper and his tw^o inen (the apprentices not 

 taking part in the division, as they are provided for by 

 the owner) met the salesman and received a detailed 

 account of the proceeds of all tlie fish that had been 

 sent in. Of the net sum realized the skipper received 

 l^ths and each man Truths ; and from this was deducted 

 for each man one-fifth of the cost of the provisions 

 used OH board during the trip. The rest of the money 

 realized went to the vessel ; an<l if ihc skipper had a 



