TRAWLING. 41 



having been shaken down into the purse as the main 

 body of the net was hauled in. If there are only a 

 few fish in the purse, it is lifted in by hand ; but when, 

 as often happens, there is from half to three-quarters 

 of a ton of fish, the bag is hoisted up by a tackle, and 

 before being lowered on board, the draw-rope, which I 

 previously spoke of as closing the end of the net, is 

 cast loose, and the whole mass of fish falls out on deck. 

 The scene is a remarkable one, as, with few excep- 

 tions, the fish are all alive and brilliant with their 

 natural colours. The contents of the net are fre- 

 quently of a most varied description, and they of course 

 differ according to season and locality. Turbot, soles, 

 plaice, whiting, gurnards of several species, dogfish, 

 skates, with occasionally a lobster, crabs of various 

 kinds, with a host of other inhabitants of the sea 

 friends and foes, the pursuers and the pursued are 

 here mingled in one writhing and slippery heap. In 

 some parts of the North Sea the catch commonly con- 

 sists of little besides haddocks; in others plaice are 

 the principal fish. But they are not left very long to 

 expend their energies in useless flappings ; sorting the 

 fish takes place without delay ; the " prime," or turbot, 

 brill, soles, and red mullet, are picked out and packed 

 away in baskets by themselves, and the other edible 

 but inferior kinds, technically known as "offal," are 

 arranged in separate packages, whilst the fisherman's 

 mortal enemies, the dogfish, are knocked on the head 

 and thrown overboard, with whatever else there may 

 be of no use to anyone. In the North Sea, where the 

 trawlers stay out for many days at a time, the fish 



