PROTECTION OF DEEP SEA FISHERIES. 373 



alongside at a proper gangway and methodically dis- 

 charging their freights one after another, it is more like a 

 swarm of bees round a hive. The steamers have ropes 

 hung round them for the boats to hold on to, the boats 

 race to get their freights delivered quickly and hang to 

 the steamer to windward as well as to leeward and 

 astern, and pour their fish on to the steamer's decks, 

 these being sometimes piled higher than the bulwarks. 

 Other boats come alongside, and finding all the proper 

 ropes' already taken up are obliged to make their own 

 tinters fast where they can. The result of this is 

 it the fish is poured on to the steamer's deck faster 

 in it can be stowed below. The steamer all this time 

 dropping to leeward faster than the boats alongside, 

 rhich get their heads turned to the steamer's stern. The 

 master of the steamer then seeing that he is getting over- 

 done, and that more boats are on the point of coming along- 

 side, steams ahead to get clear of them by leaving them to 

 leeward. He will perhaps chop away all the boats' painters 

 which are made fast to the steamer and not to the proper 

 ropes. Those boats that are allowed to hang on are then 

 towed ahead without having time to turn their heads to 

 the steamer's head, and are consequently towed sharply 

 round. Sometimes they get thawt-hawse one another, or 

 the ropes foul and they are thus capsized. Men on board 

 the steamer, whose boats are cut away have to get back 

 to them as best they can. Those boats on the point 

 of reaching the steamer, being left to leeward, have to 

 make for their vessel again to be towed to windward of 

 the steamer and make a second trial, which is a double risk. 

 The boats being well loaded pull heavily, and the tholes 

 are often broken ; these should be made of metal and 

 attached to the boat. It is true that the masters some- 



