CH. XXXVII. STEAM-TUGS ON FISHING-STATIONS. 283 



they consider as such. When she fires her morning 

 and evening gun, or makes any other signal, the 

 echo is repeated again and again loud and distinct, 

 and then dies away with a rumbling noise like far-off 

 thunder, as the sound penetrates up some distant 

 glen. The deer feeding on the grassy burns of the 

 corrie hear it, and lifting their heads, listen intently 

 for some minutes to the strange sound, until, having 

 made up their mind that it is not a matter that 

 concerns them, they resume their grazing, only listen- 

 ing with increased watchfulness to every noise. 



As the risks and expenses of carrying on the her- 

 ring fishings are large, so are the gains considerable, 

 if the season is favourable and the fishing lucky. 



It would be a very great assistance and cause of 

 safety to the seamen on our northern and most 

 frequented fishing stations had they the advantage 

 of a few small steamboats, or tugs, such as we see 

 in such numbers issuing out of the Tyne and other 

 rivers of England grappling with great black colliers 

 and traders several times as big as themselves, and 

 carrying them off (as a black emmet does a blue- 

 bottle fly) in spite of wind and tide. 



One small steam-tug could tow a line, a perfect 

 Alexandrian line, of herring boats to and from their 

 fishing stations ; and in the event of an approaching 

 storm, a change of wind, or other dangers, they 



