184 BRITISH IND USTEIES. 



attracted to the locality by the herrings, and are 

 caught by set-nets anchored at the bottom. 



Long lining is also carried on from here, and this 

 fishery is worked at eight or ten miles from the 

 land. At Drumore remunerative employment has 

 been found for the fishermen, in dredging the several 

 valuable beds of oysters which have been discovered 

 from time to time in the neighbourhood, and which 

 attract a good many English and Scotch boats to the 

 locality. Portpatrick has also come into notice in 

 the last few years, from the attention there given to the 

 long-line fishery for cod during the winter months. 

 The fish are taken in deep water and among rapid 

 tides, and are considered of finer quality than from 

 any other station in the district. The railway to this 

 port has no doubt had much to do with the develop- 

 ment of this fishery. The only other fishing of any 

 particular importance on this part of the Scotch coast 

 is the beam trawling, which since 1870 has been carried 

 on with considerable success on a stretch of twenty or 

 twenty-five miles between Lochryan and Drumore. The 

 trawling season lasts only through the months of Feb- 

 ruary, March, and April, and successful fishing depends 

 very much on the state of the weather. The trawl- 

 smacks belong chiefly to Whitehaven and Liverpool, 

 and their number has varied from fourteen to twenty- 

 two in the season. Large hauls of fish have been 

 taken, and turbot, holibut, brill, soles, plaice, flounders, 

 cod and whiting, form the marketable produce of this 

 fishery. It seems to be as characteristic of this part 

 of the west coast of Scotland as it is of the corresponding 



