276 DEEP-SEA FISHING. 



we believe, quite unknown in Scotland ; and beam- 

 trawling and seaniiig — the latter there called "trawl- 

 ing " — are only carried on in a few localities. Set-nets 

 for turbot, skate, and crabs are in frequent use; and 

 the lobster fishery by means of creels is extensively 

 worked, particularly on the rocky northern and western 

 coasts. In the general style and rig of the fishing 

 boats used in Scotland there is a much greater uni- 

 formity than on the English coast. This arises in a 

 great measure from the general absence of deep-water 

 harbours, and the consequent restriction in the size of 

 the boats which can be conveniently employed ; while 

 the general similarity of the principal fisheries all 

 round the coast does not lead to much variation in the 

 means of conducting them. One very important im- 

 provement, however, has been recently made by the 

 introduction of decked fishing boats at many of the 

 stations; the long-standing prejudice against such 

 craft, which has cost the lives of so many fishermen 

 and brought desolation to so many homes, having been 

 at last to some extent overcome. It is difficult to 

 estimate the full value of this change ; but, apart from 

 the increased safety to the crews, some idea may be 

 formed of it by a consideration of the fact that when 

 the herring season has been a bad one, the failure has 

 been often in a great measure owing, not to the scarcity 

 of fish, but to the inability of the open boats to face the 

 bad weather so frequent on the Scottish coasts. 



In the case of the line-boats, which also go many 

 miles to sea, the advantage of the change must likewise 

 be very great ; and the fear of bad weather, which at 

 particular times has made both kinds of fishermen 

 hesitate to risk their lives and property in the open 

 boats, is now giving way before the confidence an 



