14 
termed, of oak twelve to fourteen inches thick; the space 
so set apart is again divided by one or two sectional 
bulkheads, thus forming two or three wells, as the case may 
be. These well-heads are carried upwards for about half 
the entire height of the vessel, or about five feet six 
inches, a strong oak deck is then laid over all from the 
fore to the aft well-head, forming what in a merchant 
ship would be called ‘tween decks, and on board smacks 
is styled a well deck. From the centre of the well deck a 
strongly encased watertight hatchway called a well funnel 
rises to the upper deck. The bottom of the well is planked 
over in the same way as the rest of the vessel outside, 
in the planks well-holes are bored about fifteen inches 
apart, and through these the water is admitted into the 
well, and by the motion of the vessel when at sea is freely 
circulated. Above the well deck and in the after part of 
the vessel’s hold, the space is used for an ice room, where 
about eight tons of ice is stowed, and compartments made 
for the stowage of the fish which die on the voyage. The 
fore part of the vessel’s hold is used for spare sails and the 
fishing gear. The smack carries with it a boat about 
twenty feet in length, six feet four inches in width, and 
three feet in depth. Very frequently this boat is used for 
hauling the lines at sea, and when the winter gales carry 
destruction to the ships in the North Sea, the English 
fisherman is never slow in launching his boat and risking 
his own life in order to save his fellow. Never a 
winter goes by without numerous instances of this kind 
taking place, in many cases without reward or even notice 
being bestowed, in others they are duly acknowledged. 
The bait formerly used by the codmen was whelks, but 
for the last twelve years this has been varied with lampreys 
and herrings, when obtainable, according to the season of 
