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HELIGOLAND. 



(See Plan, p. 76.) 

 THE fislring industry of Heligoland is carried on by a fleet of open boats which consist of : 



All these boats are built entirely of oak, and are flat-bottomed, to enable them to be 

 beached, and are sailed with lee boards. 



Big. The sloops are rigged with sprit sail and fore sail, with two jibs ; as they carry 

 no bowsprit, a spar is used temporarily for setting the jib, and when running free this spar is 

 rigged out on the biam with the jib set on it. They all carry eight days' provisions and water, 

 two anchors, a hemp cable, and from 7 to 9 cwt. of stone ballast. In case of the weather 

 being too bad for them to get back, they anchor, take the mast down, and thus ride out the 

 heaviest gale, one man constantly baling. The other boats are all rigged with standing lug. 



Gear. The fish is caught entirely by line ; every sloop carries from 15 to 22 lines, each 

 of 40 fathoms with 40 hooks. The lines are shot across the stream ; the first line is secured 

 to an anchor, which is buoyed ; the boat then stands across,' veering the lines as she goes, 

 each line being bent to the next, and each line having a small anchor to take it to the bottom, 

 and keep it there. When the end of the last line is nearly out, the boat anchors, and after 

 a time weighs and works towards the buoy, hauling the lines in as she goes. The bait is usually 

 sand eels, which are principally got on " Sandy Island," three-quarters of a mile from the main 

 island of Heligoland. 



Formerly the fishing fleet consisted of nearly a hundred sloops, but by constant losses through 

 gales it has dwindled down to the present number, of which but 27 are now fit for sea. 



Seasons. There are two fishing seasons, from March to the end of June, and from October 

 to about January, i e. when the weather necessitates the hauling up of the boats. The fish 

 caught is almost entirely haddock, with a few cod and an occasional turbot. 



Winter. In the winter the fishing is carried on in company. The fish is brought to 

 the island and delivered to an agent, who has it cleaned and packed, to be forwarded by 

 steamers, which are sent over on receipt of telegrams by the contractor on the continent. This 

 autumn fishing for the last five years has yielded an average of 171,000. The highest year 

 was 1880, with 368,700 haddock and 1,266 cod; the lowest 1881, with 58,300 haddock and 154 

 cod, calculated at seven score the hundred, the average price paid by the contractor during 

 the above period being 1 3s. per hundred (140) haddock and cod Is. each. 



Spring Fishing. In spring the boats generally take their own fish to such markets on 

 the opposite coasts, often from the fishing grounds themselves ; it is therefore very difficult to 

 arrive at a correct calculation of the season's catch, as well as to estimate the total sum 

 realized, no data having been kept. Prices, however, I find vary from 15. to 3 10s. per 

 seven score. 



Summer. In summer there is little or no fishing carried on beyond what is needed to 

 supply the wants of the restaurants, &c., most of the fishermen being employed in the ferry 

 which takes the visitors over to bathe at Sandy Island, and in boating along with the guests. 



Lobsters. From 20,000 to 30,000 lobsters are collected annually on our rocks, the close 

 season being from the 13th June to the 13th September. These are stored in lobster boxes 



