

344 INTERNATIONAL LAWS FOR THE 



years, owing to the straining caused by going ashore laden 

 with fish. On the other hand, a curious fact may be noted 

 here as regards their religious ideas. They usually hold 

 prayer meetings on board morning and evening, and never 

 commence a meal without saying or singing their grace, 

 which by those who have witnessed it is not easily forgot- 

 ten, such a thing being the exception on board our own 

 vessels. As regards the liners from this country they 

 prosecute this class of fishing for cod as far away as Iceland, 

 salting the fish as soon as they are caught. 



Belgium. Belgium has had an unenviable notoriety as regards the 



instrument known as the Belgian devil, which has been 

 the cause of so much damage to English fishermen's nets. 

 The principal fishery prosecuted by this nation is trawling, 

 and to this fact may be attributed in a certain measure 

 their antipathy to our drifters. Trawling is prosecuted 

 by awkward-looking cutter-rigged vessels usually of about 

 25 to 35 tons. The crews sometimes speak Dutch, some- 

 times Flemish, sometimes French. They usually work on 

 the same ground as the Lowestoft drifters in the season, 

 sometimes getting more northerly to where the Yarmouth 

 boats are working ; hence the complaints against them come 

 from Yarmouth and Lowestoft only. There are some drift- 

 boats belonging to this nation, but not a very large number. 



France. The fishing transactions of France are of large propor- 



tions. In many ways the French fishermen are ahead of 

 us, especially as regards their craft and the working of 

 their gear. This nation has some of the largest fishing 

 craft in existence, which are schooners of from 150 to 200 

 tons, which prosecute the cod fisheries either on the 

 Icelandic coasts, the Dogger Bank, or the banks of 

 Newfoundland. These vessels generally salt their fish, 

 and when actually engaged on the fishing grounds, send 



