74: BRITISH INDUSTRIES. 



operation has been completed, the smack heaves-to in 

 the neighbourhood of the last buoy, till the tide has 

 nearly finished. The fishermen then proceed to haul 

 up the line. The foresail of the vessel having been 

 lowered to make room for the men to work at hauling 

 in the line, and the end buoy having been got on board, 

 the smack sails along the course of the line as straight 

 as she can go, making short tacks when necessary, the 

 direction of the line being shown by the buoys at each 

 mile, which by practised eyes can be easily observed. 

 The line is then hauled in as the vessel goes on, and 

 the fish are taken off the hooks. If the wind be very 

 light, and so much ahead that the vessel cannot closely 

 follow the course of the line, the work is done from the 

 smack's boat a roomy one, about eighteen feet long, 

 and with a well built in it, in which the fish can be 

 kept alive for a time, until they can be put into the 

 proper well of the vessel. As cod are not only the 

 most valuable fish commonly taken by these lines, but 

 also command a specially high price if they can be de- 

 livered perfectly fresh to the market, every precaution 

 is taken to keep them alive ; they are accordingly 

 placed in the well of the vessel as soon as possible ; 

 and a large proportion of those which are lively and 

 vigorous when taken off the hook, are capable of bearing 

 many days' confinement in this way without any appa- 

 rent loss of condition. 



" Welled smacks," as they are called, were first tried 

 in this country in 1712, at Harwich, and it has been 

 said that the idea was taken from the Dutch fishermen. 

 These vessels are specially constructed for the pur- 



