ON THE ENGLISH SEA FISHERIES. ri 
besides, some boats of about ten or twelve tons each, engaged in 
the hook and line fishing; and also three boats, which fish with 
seine nets. Twenty years ago, there were far more line fishers, 
and the number is still diminishing. These are also engaged, 
during the herring season, in the drift net fishing. They vary 
in size from four to fifteen tons. The smaller class are called 
yawls. The trawlers never workin the bay unless it should be 
blowing a gale of wind outside, and only rarely during the fence 
months under any circumstances. They generally trawl in the 
offing between Start Point and Hope’s Nose, about five miles 
from the entrance to the bay, sometimes in thirty fathoms; but 
they vary their ground according to the state of the weather. 
With strong westerly winds the fish lie off in deep water. It is 
_ a mode of fishing peculiarly exposed to casualties. A sloop wil) 
sometimes lose her whole gear, to the value of £40 and upwards. 
The laws relating to fence months are not well understood bu; 
they seldom trawl in the bays as the ground is only fit in 
the centre, being foul all along shore on both sides. The French 
boats from Dieppe and Bordeaux often come in during the win- 
ter. They do not fish within the limits prescribed by the Con- 
vention Act, but purchase skate, which is taken in very large 
quantities, but no other fish. They are always well received, as 
good customers for a kind of fish otherwise very unsaleable. 
Theowners of sloops have a large club room at the George Inn; 
they elect a president and other officers. The chief object of the 
society is to make provision for the payment of a certain sum of 
money to any member who may be so unfortunate as to lose his 
vessel. The terms of membership require an annual inspection 
of the boat, and a certificate of its seaworthiness and proper 
equipment, The Brixham vessels are not only increasing in 
numbers, but their size and general style of equipment is im- 
proving also. The vessels are generally built of oak and English 
elm, copper fastened below the water line, and with galvanised 
iron fastenings above. The average price of a good Brixham 
trawler is about £700. There is a public establishment on one 
of the quays for the preparation of the material for barking sails. 
A composition of bark boiled with a small quantity of tallow, 
