34: BRITISH IND USTRIES. 



mencing work, as she can then tow for several hours in 

 one direction, and the usual practice is to keep the 

 trawl down till the tide has done, about five or six 

 hours at a time. The vessel is put under easy sail in 

 the direction in which she is going to tow, depending 

 on the wind being suitable for going with the tide. 

 This is of such importance, that when the tide is run- 

 ning dead against the wind no work can be done, and 

 the fishermen can only beat up against the wind in 

 order to take a suitable position for trawling in the 

 opposite direction as soon as the tide has turned ; or, 

 if the fishing ground be a large one, they heave-to, and 

 wait for the favourable time. Most persons who have 

 seen a trawl vessel either in harbour, or going out of or 

 coming into it, will have noticed the long beam, with 

 the curiously-shaped head-irons at each end, resting on 

 the top of the bulwark, generally on the port or left 

 side of the vessel when looking forward from the 

 stern, and the immense net lying in irregular folds on 

 the top of the beam. We may suppose this to be the 

 position of the trawl just before the fishing begins. 

 The vessel then being slowly sailing along her in- 

 tended course, the first thing to be done is to put the 

 net overboard, beginning with the small end, and 

 throwing it out, or " shooting " it, until the whole is 

 hanging over from the beam, and towing alongside. 

 The front end of the beam is then slacked away till it 

 is well clear of the vessel, and, being caught by the 

 water, is turned outwards at nearly a right angle from 

 the stern. The other end is then lowered from the 

 stern, till the whole beam is level in the water ; and if 



