286 CHRONOLOGICAL HISTORY OF THE HERRING-FISHERY, 



come into the bay in spring. Most of the boats belong to 

 wealthy owners on shore, but the crews and masters gene- 

 rally have shares of the vessels. The division of the fish 

 is in the proportions of — 



Owner, ... 1 share 



Vessel, . . . 1 „ 



Master . . . 1 „ 



Crew, . . . 2 „ 



5 shares. 



" The vessel's share keeps up the equipment. The pro- 

 visions are found by owners. The ordinary wear and tear 

 of a boat and gear, without allowing for casualties, may 

 be set down at a L.lOO per year, or thereabouts. 



" It is the custom for all the boats to come into harbour 

 on Friday afternoon, and to remain till 11 o'clock on Sun- 

 day night, — the Saturday being devoted to repairs and pre- 

 parations for the following week. The number in on 

 Friday the 15th October, was 120. 



" Mr Samuel Saunders, harbour-master, was once a 

 trawler himself. 



" There are old laws and regulations about fence months 

 and limits ; but they are not much remembered. Lord 

 Vernon, who lived at Churston, was anxious some time 

 ago, over thirty-five years since, to see those regulations 

 enforced ; but the people did, for a short time, observe 

 them, and have fallen since into the old ways, ' governed 

 ' only by the common law of the land against doing injury 

 ' one to another, and by the law of God and of conscience ; 

 * but their conviction is, the more trawling the more fish. 

 ' They see no diminution in the supplies, though the 

 ' number of takers is daily increasing. It is like plough- 

 ' ing the ground, — the small worms are roused up, and 

 ' then come the shoals of fish after them.' 



