REMARKS ON TRAWLING. 315 
the side-bunkers adjoining the engine-room, and burn about 23 tons 
per diem, with surface-condensing boilers; but fairly good ships 
often exceed this quantity.* The consumption of coal in such cases 
is, of course, a vital point in the economy of the trade, and a vessel 
which will consume 60 tons in 12 days is seriously handicapped. 
Some think that the larger vessels, which require more coal, are less 
fitted for remunerative work, since they catch no greater number of 
fishes. They might, however, be safer at sea, An improvement is 
the placing of the iron water-tank, which will hold about 270 gallons, 
under the deck, thus economising space and avoiding accidents. 
It is filled by a hose-pipe fixed to a screw-hole on deck. In the large 
screw-vessel from Montrose the tank is placed behind the bulk-head of 
the engine-room, and a hand-pump raises water to the deck. Inthe 
newest ships an oil-tank, to hold from 40 to 50 gallons, is filled 
beneath deck in the same way. 
The bulwarks of the new ships have self-acting scuppers for heavy 
seas, besides the usual small permanent ones, but no cement gutters 
are now present at the sides, as it was found that they were rather 
a disadvantage, for, in such as have seen service, the cement becomes 
dilapidated. In 1884 the ships working off Aberdeen usually carried 
their fishes in covered compartments at the bulwarks in front, or even 
permitted them to lie loosely on deck. ‘This arrangement is now 
seldom seen, probably owing to the use of ice and the greater dis- 
tances traversed. The bag of the trawl containing the fishes is 
emptied in the Aberdeen ships in a series of pounds (about 5 in 
number), formed by passing stout planks into upright grooves on deck 
in front of the winch, and in these the fishes are sorted and ‘‘ gutted,” 
preparatory to being placed in the fish-hold in ice. The labour 
involved by this method is a contrast to that of previous years off 
the eastern Scottish shores. Hence, when the catch at night in- 
cludes haddocks of from 8 to 10 inches in length, these are considered 
unremunerative to treat in this way, and are thrown overboard. 
In the ships of 1884 the stout boat of the trawler was either 
carried on deck or suspended from davits at the sides. They can 
be easily launched from the latter, but may be carried away, and, 
besides, the top weight of the vessel is increased. At Granton the 
vessels formerly described have now placed their boats on strong 
iron rails, 6 feet 6 inches high, on the starboard side, and bolted 
to the engine-room on one hand and the bulwarks on the other. 
Now a larger boat in the newer vessels is placed on rests in the 
centre of the ship over the engine-room, while in the most recent 
it occupies the centre of the stern, and the front “ stock” or support 
* This is much less than the quantity consumed by some of the old paddle-ships in 
1884, e.g. about 35 tons a week, 
