78 AMERICAN FISHERIES SOCIETY. 



time the entire trade is concentrated cm the ground floor. With 

 out going- into details concerning the arciiitecture of the build- 

 ing, it is sufficient to say that it is generally admitted that the 

 corporation did not act wisely in enlarging the market at a 

 great expense, and in a way that is of no practical use, instead 

 of widening the approaches to it on the Thames street side. Tlie 

 floors of the building are of polished granite, concealed beneath 

 which are drains of iron for carrying off the dirt and refuse 

 when the market is flushed, which is done daily at the close of 

 the market hours. 



At the present time there are 156 stalls and fourteen shops on 

 the ground floor. The former are located in the center, while 

 the latter are on the sides of the building. There is also a tavern 

 where fish are served as the leading article of diet. Formerly 

 there were three taverns, Simpson's, Bowie's and Bac(jn's, 

 where in other days the salesmen congregated before daylight, 

 drank their black coffee and " afif and aff," ate fish and talked 

 over the prices, sales and supply of fish for the coming day. In 

 order to have more space, however, the number of taverns has 

 been reduced to one, which now brings in a rental of $4,000 an- 

 nually. The stalls vary in size, averaging thirty-two square feet, 

 according to the clerk of the market, Mr. John Little, to whom 

 I am indebted for many courtesies. The stalls, according to 

 location, bring from ten to eighteen cents per square foot per 

 week, or an annual rental from $166 to $300 each. The shops 

 bring from $1,700 to $2,000. 



Avenues cross the market at regular intervals, and from ne- 

 cessity are very narrow. Great effort is required to keep them 

 open, and the rules of the market are very explicit in regard to 

 placing obstructions in them. Porters carry the fish into and 

 from the market in baskets, boxes, crates, barrels, in fact, in all 

 kinds of ways. No one is permitted to perform the duties of 

 porter without a license, for which he has to pay 2s. 6d. When 

 on duty, in order to readily distinguish him, the porter is 

 obliged to wear on his left arm a metallic badge having on it the 

 armorial bearing of the city of London. If a porter misbe- 

 haves, uses any abusive or obscene language, gets intoxicated, 

 steals, commits assaults or violates any of the rules of the mar- 



