THE LANDINGS 109 



condition, she steams for the market. 

 A North Sea voyage generally occupies a 

 week or ten days, but a journey to Iceland 

 and back often takes three weeks or a 

 month. Ice is always carried on board. 

 Upon arrival in port the landers com- 

 mence as early as possible in the morning 

 to get the fish ashore, where it is packed 

 and auctioned. The buyer, generally a 

 middleman or merchant, buys on behalf of 

 his customers who are as a rule the fish- 

 mongers whom we see in every town in 

 England. Many kinds are smoked or 

 salted at the fishing port to be sent 

 out afterwards as finnan-haddock or ex- 

 ported as salt- or stock -fish to those 

 Catholic countries which consume this 

 commodity. 



The herring is fished in an entirely 

 different way ; indeed the two fisheries 

 are almost wholly separate. Here the 

 joint-stock company generally gives place 

 to the private individual in ownership, 

 and often the crew all share in owning the 

 boat. The steam drifter, which is gradu- 

 ally displacing the old picturesque sailing 

 vessel, has a length averaging 80 feet 



