THEIR ROUND OF LIFE AND LABOUR. 49 
cunning to get it off the hooks without being themselves 
captured. 
The long lines are used in the winter season in various 
parts of the North Sea, some of them very far apart, 
whilst there are vessels that venture to great distances 
in pursuit of codfish, not, however, with any view of bring- 
ing the fish home alive, as that would be impossible under 
the circumstances, and therefore they are salted or cured in 
some particular way, so that they may be marketable, and 
bring a profit to those who capture them. The vessels 
alluded to make a voyage to Iceland or the Faroe Islands, 
on these occasions the fishing is carried on by means of 
handlines. At home, what we may call the coast fishing 
for cod is carried on during the summer months, when the 
smacks (the same vessels as are used in winter) keep from 
about ten to twenty five miles off the shore, using the hand- 
lines. The number of men employed at this season is the 
same as in the winter fishery, and it is found that the best 
fishing is obtained about sunset, at which time all hands 
will be found industriously at work. We have not entered 
into any of the technicalities of line fishing, as the business 
we have now in hand is to give an account of the work 
achieved by the fishermen and of the remuneration which 
they receive for performing it. The cod smacks in 
England—we are speaking of those of Great Grimsby—of 
which we have personal knowledge, are all of them boats of 
considerable value, costing, with their appliances, as much 
probably as £1600, and it is only because of the high 
money value which codfish commands that men go to 
such expense to carry on what is at its best a very specu- 
lative business and of the small profits of which they 
complain very much. It is only the captain of a liner who 
is paid by a share of the profits, his proportion, we were 
E 
