FISHING STATIONS— ENGLAND. 259 



share in her, wliich was frequently the case, then of 

 course he came in for his portion as part owner. The 

 vessel remained in port for a week and then rejoined 

 the fleet. Such was the course of proceeding ten years 

 ago at Hull with most of the smacks. Ice was, however, 

 then coming into general use, and a few smacks had an 

 ice-box fitted up on hoard and worked independently, 

 running their own "voyages," and landing their fish 

 wherever it was most convenient to do so. Some went 

 to the Dogger, otliers fished off Sunderland or Hartle- 

 pool, and took their fish in every day or two to those 

 markets, to the great indignation of the local fishermen. 

 About this time twenty of the Hull smacks were fitted 

 up as ice-cutters to collect the fish and carry it partly 

 to Hull and partly to London ; and these are still kept 

 at work from May to September, the trawlers at that 

 time fishing in fleets of from twenty to fifty vessels. 

 They then stay out for ten or twelve weeks at a time, 

 and at the end of the " fleet " season they all return 

 together. It answers to employ carriers during the 

 summer months, as then the wind is often light, and 

 the regular fishing smacks not having special conve- 

 niences for stowing away a very large quantity of fish 

 in ice, might not bring their cargoes to market in good 

 condition. From September to May, however, quite a 

 different system is adopted, and each vessel works by 

 herself, bringing in her own catch. An air-tight 

 compartment is fitted in the hold, called the " ice-box," 

 in which from two to four tons of Norwegian block ice 

 are placed when the smack starts for her trip. As the 

 fish is caught it is stowed away below in bulk, with 

 broken ice between each layer, and this is continued 

 till a good quantity of fish has been collected ; then 

 the vessel returns to port, after an absence of perhaps 



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