AND 4NGLING SONGS. 323 



to four or five fathoms, off the points or headlands, the smaller 

 ones edging in with the flow of the tide among the creeks and 

 baylets. They may be taken either from the rocks or from a 

 boat, when the sea is not too rough, at almost every stage of the 

 tide ; but their favourite feeding-time commences about an hour 

 and a half after its turn, whether at flow or ebb (the former 

 period being the preferable), and extends over two or three 

 hours. The neap-tides are also more advantageous than the 

 spring or stream tides for fishing in, the currents being less 

 violent. In the latter end of August, and throughout September, 

 after the herrings have spawned, and the fry begin to make 

 their appearance, immense numbers both of saithe and lythe are 

 occasionally to be met with pressing shorewards in pursuit of 

 the young fish. 



In the month of August 1843, I was sojourning with my 

 family at Eyemouth, on the coast of Berwickshire, when an 

 occurrence of the above description took place. I happened to 

 be walking on the sheltered piece of beach belonging to the 

 little bay or cove on the north side of the harbour, when my 

 attention became directed, the water being smooth, to the surface- 

 breakings of numerous fish close to the promontory called the 

 Fort, a spot where Cromwell and his troops are said to have 

 encamped. On approaching the water's edge I found it actually 

 fringed with herring- fry, thousands upon thousands of the length 

 of one's finger thronging in, in solid masses, towards a corner of 

 the bay. So plentiful were they that they could be taken up in 

 ' neivefu's ; ' and the filling by my children of a large pitcher 

 with the primest of them did not occupy five minutes. There 

 could be no mistake as to the cause of this hurry-skurry and 

 disastrous confusion, or as to the sort of fish in pursuit of the 

 infant shoal. The opportunity thus offering itself for an on- 

 slaught was not to be neglected. I had plenty at hand of the 

 right sort of tackle, and having engaged a boat and the assist- 



