380 



THE ZOOLOGIST. 



The Fish-markets are situated exceedingly near to the sea. 

 The three " basins " or docks are fairly commodious, and the 

 wharves convenient, but the outlet to the sea is all too narrow. 

 On certain winds, or when a rush of boats takes place, the 

 harbour is not easy to negotiate either in or out. The Herring 

 and Mackerel markets and the Trawl market are distinct. Most 

 of the business in the latter takes place in the morning, whilst 

 the Herring markets, deserted at other periods of the year, pre- 

 sent an indescribably busy scene from early morning until late 

 into the night during the Herring fishery. The Trawl market is 

 carried on all through the year. 



There had been a spell of fine calm weather early in August 

 (1909) ; on the 11th and 12th very few smacks had landed but 

 small catches. Prices ruled high. It was reported in a local 

 paper that a record price had been made in Yarmouth on the 

 11th. The one solitary smack that came into the harbour had 

 landed some Plaice. One "trunk" (of eight or nine stone) had 

 realized £3 10s. This had been eclipsed by Lowestoft, a "trunk " 

 of Plaice having gone as high as £3 14s. 



I was extremely fortunate, on the 13th, in seeing no fewer 

 than one hundred Lowestoft and other smacks in the trawlers' 

 basin at that port, the whole area being covered by a fleet of 

 these beautiful yacht-like craft (fifty or sixty tonners). I had left 

 Yarmouth by an early train, with several Yarmouth fish -buyers, 

 with their tubs, who had gone over with me to the fish-market, 

 which presented a unique spectacle. Before nine o'clock there 

 had been spread hundreds of "trunks" of Plaice, "Boker," 

 Brill, Dabs, "Lemon Soles" (Smeared Dabs), Whitings, Had- 

 docks, Codlings ; huge Turbots and Cods, Congers and heaps of 

 offal (small Bed Gurnards, undersized Dabs, Plaice, &c.) lay in 

 heaps at odd corners. There rumbled, hither and thither, huge 

 springless trollies and sack-barrows over the uneven slime- 

 splashed concrete, emptied, or piled with "trunks " of fish, to and 

 from the smacks, each trundled by one or two gaunt, daring, 

 uncouth smacksmen. Then above this uproar and the riot of 

 voices rang the ear-splitting clanging of auctioneers' bells, and 

 the stentorian bellowing of hoarse -throated salesmen, who 

 yelled " This way Haddock buyers ! " " Now you Sole buyers ! " 

 and "This way Boker!" There would be an excited crowd 



