TURBOT. 235 



various kinds of Flatfish, as Soles, Plaice, Thornbacks, and 

 Turbots ; but when the warm weather has driven the fish 

 into deeper water, and upon banks of a rougher surface, 

 where trawling is no longer practicable, the fishermen have 

 then recourse to their many-hooked lines. The hooks are 

 baited with the common Smelt, and a small fish resembling 

 an Eel, called the Gorebill.* Though very considerable 

 quantities of this fish are now taken on various parts of our 

 own coasts, from the Orkneys to the Land^s End, yet a 

 preference is given in the London market to those caught by 

 the Dutch, who are supposed to have drawn not less than 

 80,000/. a year for the supply of this market alone ; and the 

 Danes from 12,000/. to 15,000/. a year for sauce to this 

 luxury of the table, extracted from one million of lobsters, 

 taken on the rocky shores of Norway, though our own 

 shores are in many parts plentifully supplied with this ma- 

 rine insect, equal in goodness to those of Norway." 



About one-fourth of the whole supply of Turbot to the 

 London market is furnished by Dutch fishermen, who pay 

 a duty of 6/. per boat, each boat bringing from one hundred 

 to one hundred and fifty Turbot. A very considerable 

 quantity is also purchased of the Dutch fishermen at sea on 

 the fishing stations near their own shore by English fisher- 

 men, and is brought by them to our market in their own 

 boats, paying no duty. 



Along our southern coast many Turbot are caught by the 

 trawling vessels, and long-line fishing at particular seasons on 

 the Varne and on the Ridge, two extensive banks of sand, 

 the first about seven miles, and the second about twelve 

 miles, from Dover, towards the French coast. On these 

 banks French fishermen also lay their long-lines ; and when 

 they do not succeed in selling their Turbot at sea, which 

 * Vol. i. page 391. 



