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they took their flight southward again, till the season came 

 round. The number of vessels yearly increased, and were 

 added to by Brixham sending her hardy sons in numbers 

 to swell the ranks. Then a migration from the south and 

 west takes place, and many owners and men with their 

 families took up their permanent abode in the good old town 

 of Hull. Hull flourished, and the smacks were steadily on 

 the increase both in numbers and size, and doubtless would 

 have advanced by greater strides had more ample accommo- 

 dation been afforded by the dock and railway authorities. 



Sir Edward Watkin, an able and far-seeing director and 

 chairman of the M. S. & L. Railway, invited a number of 

 smack owners to Grimsby with promises of help in advancing 

 their interests ; a number in response went there, and thus a 

 second fishing port was established on the Humber, and 

 which now outrivals Hull. There is now a fleet of trawlers 

 sailing from the Humber of about 800, this is a surprising 

 increase in 37 years, from 21 small vessels to 800 of the 

 finest and largest of our trawlers in the North Sea. 



Some years ago it was affirmed that trawling did great 

 mischief by destroying the spawn, but that foolish notion 

 was exploded by the inquiry that was then made in 

 consequence, and which brought out much valuable infor- 

 mation. It was then asserted in defence of trawling, " that 

 like the plough the heads and trawl worked the bottom of 

 the sea, doing good instead of harm." This statement I 

 think has been borne out by facts since, one of which 

 is worth mentioning : A few years ago (ten or twelve 

 perhaps) our trawlers worked one part of the Dogger, 

 finding a class of plaice in great quantity which were so ill- 

 fed and of such a peculiarly muddy colour that they received 

 from the fishermen the sobriquet of "Elephants' Lugs," 

 so closely did they resemble them. These fish were sold at 



