A DATS GROUND-FISHING. 113 



have taken them of all sizes, from a quarter of a pound to 

 6 Ibs. 



' How do the Mussels hold out ? ' asked my friend. ' I hope 

 we shall not fall short of bait, eh ? ' 



'They be all opened,' said Rogers : 'and I think as many 

 as we shall want, sir, for as soon as the ebb-tide makes away 

 strong we shall have a nasty lop ; and, as the tide makes along- 

 shore before it does out here, we mustn't wait too long or we 

 shall find bad landing.' 



We continued, therefore, to fish as long as our bait lasted, 

 and, having used the whole of our peck of Mussels, we decided 

 on running home, reeled up our ground-lines, and made things 

 snug in readiness for setting our canvas. 



' Up killick ' is the word, and a couple of hands tailing on 

 to the cable, the stones are brought to the surface, and one 

 after the other carefully lifted on board and stowed in the 

 bottom, so as not to shift. The mast is now stepped, but, 

 whilst the sail is being unfurled for hoisting, the boat has 

 drifted broadside to the sea, and Old Father Neptune, more 

 pressing than polite in his attentions, falls on board us with 

 one of his little white caps on the weather quarter, as if to say, 

 'Now, my lads, it's time to clear out of this.' Requiring no 

 second reminder, I put a paddle out on the weather side, and 

 getting the boat's bow round towards the land, she immediately 

 gathers way before the sea, and the lug being hoisted and 

 sheeted home, urged by both wind and wave, we run rapidly in 

 for the beach. 



A couple of Mackerel lines, with leads of a pound weight, 

 were put out on the principle of making the most of the 

 occasion, but to little purpose, for the speed of the boat was 

 such as to bring the leads nearly to the surface, and the only 

 fish taken was a Gar-fish or Long-Nose (Belone vulgaris), 

 which was caught on a spinner about two hundred yards from 

 the land. 



When we had arrived to within about a hundred yards from 

 the surf (breaking in a line of rolling foam on the shingle), we 

 lowered our sail, struck the mast, and put the boat under a pair 

 of oars, intending to wait for a smooth and get on shore as dry 



i 



