SOME BRITISH SEA FISHES AND FISHING 239 



barrels of oil had been cast upon it. The sail was 

 lowered, the nets were put out and fastened to the 

 boat by a long rope, and silence reigned on board. 



The night had fallen, our riding-lamp was care- 

 fully lighted, as it is most dangerous for fishing- 

 boats to drift about with their nets at night 

 without this warning to steamers, and many a 

 mile of net has been lost and many a craft run 

 down for want of the precaution. 



As day broke we anxiously scanned the long 

 line of floating bladders. They were all very deep 

 in the water. A mighty catch ! We carefully 

 hauled in the great net ; portion after portion was 

 drawn on board, the iridescent half-dead fish were 

 shaken out into the hold, and occasionally a layer 

 of salt was scattered over them until at last the 

 hold was quite full, and the empty net coiled aside 

 in good order. 



Perfectly satisfied — as were also the other boats 

 that followed our lead, for they, too, were deeply 

 laden — ^we hoisted sail, and with fifteen crans, or 

 120,000 splendid herrings, as cargo, we gaily 

 sailed back to Lowestoft Harbour. 



Mackerel and pilchards are also caught with 

 drift-nets, and, where convenient, with shore seine 

 nets, when great is the excitement as, the two ends 

 of the seine being drawn together, a huge mass of 



