126 NORTH SEA FISHERS AND FIGHTERS 



fleet which is known as herring-drifters, and includes 

 the small boat containing two or three men and the 

 steamer with her round dozen. There are ketches, and 

 a great variety of other rigs, such as yawls, luggers, 

 mules, Zulus, keelboats, yaffers, and sploshers. The 

 sailing " Lowestoftman " it is typical of the North Sea 

 fishing industry that boats are spoken of as " men " 

 of their ports: the " Hullman," the "Fileyman," the 

 " Grimsbyman," and so on is a well-found craft, some 

 80 ft. in length and 17 or 18 in beam. They are 

 honestly and stoutly built, and when they come to 

 grief, it is through stress of wind and sea, and not because 

 of owners' carelessness or fishermen's incapacity. 



The drifters carry nets enough when they are 

 fastened together and suspended in the sea to make a 

 wall which may be a mile long, or even more, and several 

 yards deep. The upper edge, called the "back," has a 

 great number of corks which keep the nets upright, and 

 to afford the necessary buoyancy barrels or great leather 

 floats are used. The nets are shot over the quarter just 

 before sunset, while the vessel sails slowly along. When 

 all the nets are overboard the swing-rope is paid out ; 

 the boat is I brought round head to wind, the ordinary 

 sails are taken in, the foremast is lowered till it rests on 

 the crutch of the mitch-board, the drift-mizzen is set to 

 keep the vessel head to wind, and the fishing-lights are 

 shown the lantern on deck which can be seen in clear 

 weather for five miles round, and a light at the head of 

 the mizzen-mast. A watch is set, a solitary man, and the 

 rest of the crew turn in until he hoarsely calls them up 

 to haul. 



The Lowestoft fishermen say that the method of 



