FISHING STATIONS— SCOTLAND. 277 



increasing number of them feel in being better able to 

 face the gales when they come, and in knowing that 

 the clanger of being swamped is reduced to a minimum. 



This w^as practically tested in 1872 ; and the follow- 

 ing interesting information on the subject is given in 

 the Report for that year by the Commissioners of the 

 Scotch Fishery Board : — 



" The decked boat undoubtedly costs more than the 

 open boat, but better fishing returns are obtained from 

 it, and of course more safety and comfort to the crew. 

 Thus in the small village of Coldingham, in Eyemouth 

 District, where the boats are nearly all decked, the 

 gains of the crews at the herring fishing of 1872 

 ranged from lOOZ. to 550^. per boat ; while in the 

 adjacent village of Burnmouth, where the boats are 

 nearly all open, the gains of the crews ranged only 

 from 601, to 160/. per boat; and the Fishery Officer 

 ascertained, from observation and inquiry, that all the 

 decked boats were well fished, while nearly all the open 

 boats were poorly fished ; many of the old boats are in 

 consequence to be lengthened and decked, and all the 

 new boats are to be full-decked and larger than those 

 hitherto in use. The first decked boat built in Eye- 

 mouth was in 1856. She was 40 feet long and cost 

 130/. In 1872, forty full-decked boats were employed 

 in Eyemouth District, and their average length had 

 increased from 40 feet to 44 and up to 56 feet. Not 

 one of them cost less than 200/., several a great deal 

 more." 



These forty boats form, however, but a small propor- 

 tion of the number of fishing boats in the district, and, 

 although a reform was begun so long ago as 1856, the 

 increase of the decked craft has been making but little 

 progress until within the last two or three years. It is 



