294 



or ever accept the tail-piece of either lamprey or herring. 

 The skate however is not so particular with regard to the 

 joint. 



The lines are coiled into a tray made of wood, usually 

 480 fathoms in each, and the hooks are placed with careful 

 regularity in rows on the bottom of the tray. About two 

 or three hours before sunrise the lines are laid out. The 

 end of the line is attached to an anchor, which is secured to 

 a buoy-line and buoy, the vessel is steered away, usually 

 to the wind or close hauled, and one of the men "pays 

 out " or " shoots " the line, as it is termed, while the rest 

 attend to the anchors and buoys. When the whole length 

 of line is out, it is allowed to remain two or three hours, 

 and then the hauling commences. As soon as a cod or 

 ling is caught it is carefully pierced under the fin on the 

 right side, in order that the air with which the belly of the 

 fish is inflated may escape. This operation, which is 

 carried out in less time than I have used to relate it, being 

 performed, the fish is dropped into the well. The cod and 

 haddock are usually allowed to swim about free, the ling 

 and halibut are suspended by their tails, and so confined 

 they are found to live longer. 



A day's catch may vary from twenty cod or even less, to 

 three or four hundred cod and ling, and proportionate 

 quantities of haddock and other fish. The vessel usu- 

 ally returns to port after an absence of from eight to twenty 

 days ; on its arrival the live fish are put into chests or 

 trunks, which are kept afloat in the dock and adapted so 

 that the water may circulate freely from without. The 

 dead fish are landed in the market, and it is sold at once, 

 being forwarded thence to all parts of England, Scotland, 

 and even to Ireland. 



During the summer months the greater number of the 



