i;2 NORTH SEA FISHERS AND FIGHTERS 



paid by wages, all the time they were at sea they were 

 fed at the owners' expense. "The labour is great and 

 intermittent," he said. " For many nights consecutively 

 the men are out. In some cases, where the boats are 

 large enough, they have sleeping accommodation ; but 

 when the boats are small the hardship is great. When 

 the fisherman is paid by wages he defrays no part of the 

 expense; but it is otherwise when he works by shares." 

 Professor Levi estimated the cost of a pilchard-boat at 

 more than ^200 ; a herring-boat, ^35 to ^40 ; a trawl- 

 boat about 20; a line-boat, ^60; a seine-boat, ^15, 

 besides the cost of fitting up. These craft were, of 

 course, much smaller than those which are now in use 

 for similar purposes. In 1865 no fewer than 98 fishing- 

 smacks were wrecked, "but many isolated accidents 

 occur of which we have no account." In referring to 

 " fishing-smacks " Professor Levi doubtless included all 

 fishing- vessels ; even so, the loss was heavy. At that 

 time there was little or no interest taken in fishermen, 

 many of whom were miserably poor and often forced to 

 put to sea in rotten craft with corresponding sails and 

 rigging and gear. In this respect there has been an 

 amazing advance, largely owing to official encourage- 

 ment, but mainly due to private enterprise. No man 

 who understands steamboats would hesitate to journey 

 to any part of the world in a modern North Sea trawler, 

 especially with a North Sea crew. 



Valuable and interesting information with respect to 

 the earnings of Scottish fishermen is given in the last 

 annual report of the Scottish Fishery Board ; but the 

 details cannot in many cases be considered more than 

 approximately accurate because of the unwillingness of 



