28G EXTRACTS FROM NOTE-BOOKS. CH. XXXV^II. 



has, however, more hands on board, partly for the 

 sake of rowing, and partly of working these long 

 lines, or " shooting " them, as it is called. 



The boats frequently run forty or fifty miles to 

 set their haddock and cod lines ; going fi-om Nairn 

 and the adjacent fishing villages over to Wick, 

 where they are almost always sure of a plentiful 

 supply of fish. 



Trawling for flat fish has not yet been tried to 

 any extent, but I have no doubt that it would be a 

 most profitable and useful speculation. At present 

 we get no soles, but occasionally some turbot are 

 caught : for these, however, the demand is confined 

 to a few of the neighbouring gentry ; and conse- 

 quently this kind of fishing is not much practised. 

 A boat's crew does occasionally go out to fish for 

 turbot, using a very simple and small kind of hang- 

 net, and generally brings home a good supply. 



Looking at the state of British sea-fisheries in 

 general, it appears to me undeniable that the ad- 

 vantage derived from this great and inexhaustible 

 source of wealth is as nothing compared to what it 

 might and ought to be. It is true that of late 

 years some enterprising individuals have done, 

 and are doing, a great deal towards improving 

 this branch of commerce ; and the speculations re- 



