240 NORTH SEA FISHERS AND FIGHTERS 



and the thundering of ponderous waggons over granite 

 roads. 



This is the roar and rush and bustle to which the 

 carrier comes direct from the fishing-grounds. She 

 exchanges one scene of toil for another, and that is the 

 only variety she gets. There is no romance, little 

 picturesqueness, small comfort, and ever-present peril ; 

 but to all these things the skipper and his crew become 

 accustomed. They can at least look forward to the 

 summer weather and the sunshine and to the days when 

 they will rest from their labour. 



At Billingsgate there is always to be seen a striking 

 contrast with the most modern type of fishing-craft. This 

 is afforded by the Dutch eel-boats, of which two are con- 

 stantly moored just off the market typical bluff sailers 

 from the other side of the North Sea, comfortable craft 

 which bring their cargoes irrespective of weather and 

 seldom come to grief. The last stage of their journey, 

 that up the Thames, is usually done with the help of 

 steam, in the form of a tow. When Yarrell wrote of 

 these craft, he said that the London market was princi- 

 pally supplied with eels by Dutch fishermen. " There 

 are two companies in Holland, having five vessels each ; 

 their vessels are built with a capacious well, in which 

 large quantities of eels are preserved alive till wanted. 

 One or more of these vessels may be constantly seen 

 lying off Billingsgate ; the others go to Holland for fresh 

 supplies, each bringing a cargo of 15,000 to 20,000 

 pounds' weight of live eels, for which the Dutch mer- 

 chant pays a duty of 13 per cargo for permission to 

 sell. Eels and salmon are the only fish sold by the pound 

 weight in the London market." 



