1 1 8 BRITISH IND US TRIES. 



which is always the best for catching soles. They 

 consequently have almost always a large proportion of 

 " offal " fish ; but this soon finds purchasers, and a 

 great deal of all the fish landed at Plymouth is at once 

 sent away by rail. The effect of bad weather on that 

 part of the coast is sometimes so completely to stop 

 all local supply to the market, that the town has been 

 frequently dependent for its fish on such as has been 

 sent from distant parts of Cornwall; and not very 

 long ago, it was the fact, and by no means for the first 

 time, that the only fish in Plymouth market was some 

 that had been sent down from London. Such is the 

 effect of stormy weather on the supply of fish to our 

 markets. Trawling, however, is now carried on to 

 such an extent on widely-separated parts of our coast, 

 that strong winds from any one quarter do not inter- 

 rupt the fisheries in every place ; and when the weather 

 is bad in the west of England, it is generally fine in 

 the North Sea. Billingsgate is, therefore, never with- 

 out a supply ; but the worst time for that great market 

 is, when a succession of gales interrupts the consign- 

 ments from the hundreds of trawlers which regularly 

 work in the North Sea. Contrary to the general rule 

 of late years on our coasts, the second-class boats in 

 the Plymouth Customs' district have increased, whilst 

 those of the first class have slightly diminished. This 

 is due to the drift and line fishing having been very 

 successful, the latter especially having been very pro- 

 ductive of whiting, which is in particular favour when 

 caught by the hook. An immense quantity of drift 

 fish is every year landed at Plymouth, that being a 



