GREAT BRITAIN. 53 



herrings enters its capacious maw. The vessel is anchored 

 in a tideway, while from the same anchor four ropes pass, 

 one to each corner of the mouth of the net. A wooden 

 balk or beam is fixed across the upper edge of the mouth 

 of the net, and another across its lower edge, while the 

 bridles from the anchor are attached one to each end of 

 these balks. Superiorly from the vessel two ropes pass 

 down, one to each end of the upper balk, so that it may be 

 raised from the vessel to the desired height, while the lower 

 balk is weighted in order to cause it to sink, and thus keep 

 the mouth open. This net is put overboard as the tide 

 makes, and continues overboard in the tideway until nearly 

 slack water. When it is desired to raise it, the mouth of 

 the net is first closed by means of a chain, which passes 

 from the centre of the lower balk through a ring in the 

 centre of the upper balk, and is continued on to the vessel. 

 These stow-nets are of various forms and patterns, while 

 small ones are employed for the purpose of capturing 

 whitebait. 



Line fishing for taking commercial sea fish is divisible 

 into two kinds, hand lining and long lining, the first being 

 employed by an individual who holds the line in his hand, 

 whereas the second is left in the sea a longer or shorter 

 period before it is examined. I shall allude to these forms 

 of fishing when remarking upon the cod-fish. Here I will 

 only express my regret that the disastrous repeal of the 

 fishery laws has led to partial ruin in many places, the total 

 ruin in others, of our mussel beds, so much required as bait 

 for fishing.* 



* Oysters being now almost exhausted, mussels are employed to 

 take their place. The upholders of the repeal of the fishery laws must 

 see how the destruction of the mussel beds is destroying the fisher- 

 men's bait, but they perversely reply, " Then use something else, as 



