THE BASIN OF AHOAOHON. 53 



By far the best place to study the economy of the French 

 fisheries is at the basin of Aicachon, 34 miles from Bordeaux. 

 There may be seen the small boat as well as the trawl fishery ; 

 and, above aU, in the placid waters of the basin may be seen 

 the model oyster-beds of France — beds that rarely languish 

 for lack of spat, which has seldom been known to fail ; beds 

 which produce a nice, fat, tasteful oyster, placed in an inland sea 

 that is prolific of many of the best food fishes, and contains the 

 finest grey mullet in the world. To those who are anxious 

 thoroughly to study the French mode of fishing, Arcachon has 

 this advantage, that it has a day as well as a night fishery, and 

 is also one of the most unique bathing-places in the whole of 

 France. From the balconies of one's hotel, or from the windows 

 of the houses, the whole industry of the basin may be observed 

 daily and nightly ; but the best plan for seeing a fishery is to 

 take a part in it, to saU out in the boats, and handle the trawl 

 or other nets. The chief fishing quarter is at the extreme east 

 end of Arcachon, consisting of a cluster of wooden houses, 

 easily known as those of the fishermen, from the various appa- 

 ratus and articles of dress which are depending about, and from 

 the " ancient and fish-like smell " which prevails in their neigh- 

 bourhood. No less than thirteen hundred sailors find employ- 

 ment in and about the basin ; and there are close on five hun- 

 dred boats of aU kinds, a number of them being steam trawlers. 

 The value of the fishery of which Arcachon is the head-quar- 

 ters is estimated at over l,500,000f., exclusive of the revenue 

 derived from the oyster-beds. In the basin there are lots of 

 fish of all kinds, both round and fiat, capital soles in tolerable 

 abundance, and very excellent mullet, both red and grey ; there 

 are also occasional takes of sardines, which fish is locally known 

 as the roycm. The steamboats refen:ed to go out into the Bay 

 of Biscay to trawl, and carry also an immense net, which the 

 men call a trammel ; it is cumbrous and heavy, and can only be 

 drawn in by using the steam-engine of the ship. Great " takes " 

 of mullet are occasionally got at Arcachon by watching and 

 hemming in shoals which get lost in the numerous creeks that 

 indent the shores of the basin. There is a ready market for all 

 the fish that can be taken in Bordeaux, Poitiers, Tours, and 

 neighbourhood, and it is because of this market that there has 

 grown up at Arcachon such a considerable fishing industry. 

 The most picturesque part of the fishing industry carried on at 

 Arcachon is the night fishery. Whenever it becomes dark 



