AND LINE-FISHING 



even as whelk-bait. Other kinds of crabs are allowed 

 to depart in peace, but not this one if it can be helped. 



Lightly flicking out the shrimps with the finger-tips, 

 the men gradually raise them into heaps, which are soon 

 scraped into a tub by the " boiler," and thrown into 

 the copper. Now and then a few dabs, codling, or 

 whiting are found ; they are thrown into a bucket for 

 subsequent sale or supper. Lightly veiled by a sparse 

 covering of shrimps is another white body ; " more fish," 

 you say, and go to take hold of it ; but it is a white- 

 bellied crab, which fact you may not discover, if you are 

 foolish enough to put your hand on it, till the crab 

 himself informs you. Now here is a fox-fish ; a thing 

 something like a fat whiting, spotted with grey and 

 black. Take him by the tail and throw him overboard 

 behind you as quickly and carefully as if he were red- 

 hot ; hold him two seconds and you will regret it. His 

 gill-cover is elongated into a sharp, stiff spike, and the 

 moment he is touched he springs round salmon-like and 

 digs this into you, or scratches you with it. Fishermen 

 say that the sting is poisonous, but, experto crede, it is 

 nothing of the kind. He is no good for eating, but if 

 you find a relative of his, the weever, put him aside; 

 skinned and fried it would be difficult to find a fish more 

 delicate and satisfying. It has the same weapon and 

 the same handy way of using it as the fox-fish. 



At last the sorting is done; the waste is brushed 

 through the port-holes and the crew are ready for the 

 second hauling. The number of the hauls will depend 

 on the light, the weather, and the plentifulness of the 



47 



