596 THE OCEAN WORLD. 



it was time to take stock. We found that the boat had floated quietly 

 with the tide till we were a long distance from the harbour. The 

 skipper had a presentiment that there were fish in his net ; and the 

 bobbing down of a few of the bladders made it almost a certainty ; 

 and he resolved to examine the drifts. By means of the swing rope, 

 the boat was hauled up to the nets. 'Hurrah !' exclaimed Murdoch 

 of Skye ; 'there's a lot of fish, skipper, and no mistake 1' Murdoch's 

 news was true ; our nets were silvery with herrings — so laden, in fact, 

 that it took a long time to haul them in. It was a beautiful sight to 

 see the shimmering fish as they came up like a sheet of silver from 

 the water, each uttering a weak death-chirp as it was flung into the 

 bottom of the boat. Formerly the fish were left in the meshes of the 

 net till the boat arrived in the harbour ; but now, as the net is hauled 

 on board, they are at once shaken out. As our silveiy treasure 

 showers into the boat, we roughly guess our capture at fifty cranes — 

 a capital night's work." 



But there is a reverse to this medal. Wick Bay is not always 

 rippled by the land-breeze as on this occasion. " The herring fleet 

 has been more than once overtaken by a fierce storm, when valuable 

 lives have been lost, and thousands of pounds worth of netting and 

 boats destroyed, and the gladdening sights of the herring-fishery have 

 been changed to wailing and sorrow." 



The Yarmouth boats are decked vessels of from fifty to eighty 

 tons, with attendant boats, costing about ^r,ooo, and having stowage 

 for about fifty lasts; nominally, 10,000, but, counted fisherwise, 13,000, 

 herrings, besides provision for a five or six days' voyage. Leaving a 

 hand or two in charge of the vessel, the majority of the crew are out 

 in the smaller boats, fishing. 



The Dutch herring fishery is usually pursued during the night. 

 When the nets are in the water, the boat is left, as we have seen in 

 Dr. Bertram's excursion, to drift in the meantime. Each boat is 

 furnished with a lantern, which serves the double purpose of attracting 

 the shoals of fish, and preventing coflisions with other boats. The 

 herring fishery is extremely capricious in its results; one or two boats 

 have been known to carry into port the whole takings of a night. 

 Valenciermes witnessed the capture of 110,000 herrings in less than 

 two hours. The nets are hauled in when moderately charged with 

 fish by the crew ; but it is often necessary to have recourse to the 

 capstan in the process. Some of the hands are stationed to detach 

 the fish from the nets ; others detach the nets from the buoys ; while 

 others again fold up and stow away the nets for future use. 



On the coast of Norway the electric telegraph is applied to the 



