122 BRITISH INDUSTRIES. 



round again. Saturday is spent in mending nets or 

 doing anything that may be necessary to the vessel, 

 and Sunday is a day of rest for all hands. The fish is 

 sold by auction : and women, at one time the only 

 sellers, still take some part in the work. The old 

 fashion of selling by what is called Dutch auction was 

 the only one adopted here until within the last two 

 years : then for some reason a change took place, and 

 an attempt was made to make the people pay a licence- 

 duty for selling by ordinary auction; but I believe 

 that the Inland Kevenue Board took a liberal view of 

 the matter, and permitted the women to continue their 

 occupation without interference, although the modern 

 style of auction was regularly adopted. 



I shall have occasion to speak of the extensive use 

 of ice on board the North Sea trawlers ; but the short 

 distance of the Brixham trawling ground from the 

 market makes it unnecessary for the smacks to take 

 ice with them to sea. It is largely used, however, in 

 packing the fish to be sent away by rail ; and as fast 

 as the trawlers come in and land their catches, the fish 

 is sold, packed, and forwarded by the next passenger 

 train. Most of the Brixham fish is consigned at first 

 to Bristol, but long before it arrives there, telegrams 

 are sent on from Brixham to direct the sending of dif- 

 ferent quantities to London or other markets, according 

 to the orders which have been received. There are, 

 probably, few business transactions so generally con- 

 ducted by telegraph, as the sale of fish. The article is 

 essentially a perishable one, and it is of the utmost 

 importance to get it into the market without delay ; 



