NORTH SEA INVESTIGATIONS, 35 



At the sixth haul, at 10.30 a.m., the catch comprised 8 baskets of 

 haddock, 3 of plaice, 1 turbot, 1 hake, 5 codling, a few whitiug, numbers 

 of dabs, and 1 gurnard. The smallest plaice was lOf in. long. 



Seventh haul, 5 p.m., IMay 18th. 9 baskets of haddock, viz., 3 of 

 gibbers, 6 of kit, 2 baskets of plaice. 1 turbot, 28 i in. long, a female, 

 nearly ripe; 1 brill, 13^- in. long, approaching ripeness. The food of the 

 plaice was, as usual, Solen. 



During the eighth haul the vessel was steered first N.N.E., and then 

 S.S.W., the depth was 13 fathoms and the Inner Horn Eeef light was 

 seen, bearing E. by N., distant about ten miles. I could not obtain the 

 exact position for every haul, but it must be understood that trawling 

 was carried on without interruption, so that one or two fixed points are 

 enough to indicate the fishing ground. A steamer carries two trawls, one 

 on each quarter, and as soon as one was hauled, the other was shot. As 

 we were keeping in the same neighbourhood, the vessel was steered 

 on one course for about three hours, and then on the opposite course for 

 the remaining three. It may be pointed out, that the principal part 

 of the catch in these hauls was the haddock. At the eighth — a ni"ht 

 haul — there were 8 baskets of gibbed haddock and 20 of kit, and only 

 2 baskets of plaice. 



Ninth haul, 8 a.m., May 19th. The foot-rope was broken and the net 

 torn, an indication of rough ground. The marketable fish were, 8 baskets 

 of gibbers, 16 of kit, 2 of plaice, 4 brill, 2 turbot, about 20 cod, 1 halibut. 

 The kit haddocks measured about 15 in. long, the gibbers 20 to 26 in. 

 The smallest plaice was 12h in. long, the largest 26 in. Of the brill — 2, 

 13 in. and 14i in. respectively, were immature females ; 2, 14 in. and 

 16^ in. in length, were ripening. Of the turbot — 1, 13| in., was an 

 immature female ; the other, 14 in., a mature male. The smallest cod 

 was 13 in. long, the rest were about 3 ft. — some more, some less. The 

 stomach of one large cod contained 4 sand-eels and 2 crabs (Inachns) ; 

 another contained 12 sand-eels ; another a large crab (Hyas). The 

 halibut was 4 ft. 8 in. long, a spent female, and had 10 haddocks in 

 its stomach. 



Tenth haul, 6 p.m. ; depth, 13 fathoms. The trawl was down nine 

 hours this time, the day being Sunday. There was in the net 1 mackerel 

 — a ripe male ; 3 hake — 2 males, 1 female, mature, but not ripe ; 7 large 

 turbot, female, mature, but not ripe ; 1 brill, over 12 in. ; 1 sprat, a ripe 

 female ; 4 baskets of kit haddock, l basket gibbers ; 2 baskets of plaice. 

 In the stomach of one of the turbot were 3 sprats and 2 sand-eels. A 

 few large mackerel were also got at the eleventh haul. 



Twelfth haul, 8 a.m.. May 20th. During this haul, at 2 a.m., the 

 Outer Horn Eeef Light was seen, bearing N.E. by N., and distant about 

 10 miles. The net brought up 9 baskets of kit haddock, 2 of gibbers, 



]) 2 



