370 INTERNATIONAL LAWS FOR THE 



tobacco out of bond it would stop' this traffic, as this is 

 the excuse made for boarding these coopers, and then 

 purchasing spirits ; but if this were done it would practi- 

 cally fail in its object, as there would still be the excuses 

 of buying Eau de Cologne, Dutch drops, meerschaum 

 pipes, concertinas, &c. 



The writer may here describe one way in which he has 

 witnessed this traffic carried on. It can only be done in 

 very fine weather or calms. The smacks lash them- 

 selves alongside the cooper and drift about with her. Com- 

 munication from one vessel to another is thus made easy. 

 Concertinas and dancing form part of the amusements. On 

 one occasion a few years ago, no less than twenty-one vessels 

 were thus lashed together. The old well-known cooper, the 

 " Long Betsy," as she was called (since lost), was about the 

 centre of the lot, and at one end another cooper, a Dutch 

 snib, had taken up her position. These lay becalmed in 

 this way for four days and nights. During one of these 

 nights a man of war, bound from the Baltic to the Downs, 

 hove in sight, and not being able to understand the long 

 row of lights and the noise, sent her steam launch to 

 ascertain what it was. There is a regular vernacular 

 or slang in this business both among sailors and fisher- 

 men, such as, " Can you dress a hat ? " meaning, Do 

 you want to buy any contraband goods? and other 

 phrases of like nature. 



Carriers. The carriers are sometimes owned by salesmen, who 



convey the fish to market as well as sell it, at a fixed com- 

 mission for the whole service, including the use of packages, 

 or simply convey it at a charge to market to the order 

 of another salesman. At small fleets the vessels frequently 

 take it in turn to bring in each other's fish. 



Mackerel fleets are sometimes formed on this principle, 



