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other general purposes. The consequence of the 

 fearful crowding and tumult unavoidably arising 

 is, thatlhe salesman is compelled to sell the fish in 

 a random manner, with a preference to any one 

 who will buy a large proportion, and thus a system 

 of regrating is established clearly injurious in its 

 effect, aiid <>' which the Public are probably little 

 aware. There is a numerous set of persons who 

 attend Billingsgate, passing under the quaint ap- 

 pellation of " Bomarees/' whose business it is to 

 watch all the favourable opportunities of the mar- 

 ket, and to interpose their dealings between th 

 salesmen and the fishmongers, as the variations of 

 it shall render expedient. They are generally very 

 active and expert, and are frequently the most 

 successful in occupying stations of sale, while 

 many of the regular salesmen are absolutely thrust 

 out of it. The salesmen whose business is not 

 considerable are thus particularly inconvenienced. 

 These intermediate dealers are the persons who are 

 expected to buy large quantities of fish, which in 

 the general tumult it is contended would otherwise 

 be sold with great difficulty. The fishmongers 

 purchase to a great amount of these persons, who 

 of course charge them precisely the prices which 

 their dexterity has been able to promote. When 

 the supply is very scanty their opportunities of 

 bargaining are proportionably multiplied ; and 

 when it is not so there is often an unequal compe- 

 tition between them and the fishmongers, who, 



