FISH AND FISHERIES OP EAST SUFFOLK. 881 



winking and nodding to a shouting auctioneer, whilst another 

 would be shrieking his wares to an audience of four ! There was 

 a glut — it was Friday, too, and the boats that had been held back 

 for days had come in pell-mell on the first advantageous shift of 

 wind. Visitors thronged to see the strange scene, and those who 

 were slow to move got mixed up sadly with trunks and fish and 

 barrows. I confess that I had to lay my ear close to catch the 

 purport of the fish -salesmen's clamorous bellowing, and had 

 frequently to ask some bystander what the selling prices closed 

 at. The following prices, as showing the differences attendant 

 upon a " glut " or " famine," may be interesting : — 



Aug. 11th. Per trunk. Aug. 13th. Per trunk. 



The fluctuations in prices shown on the 13th are to be 

 accounted for by the differences in size and quality, as well as 

 fewer buyers as the time passed on. I was by no means im- 

 pressed by the general run of the fish; many of the "Boker " 

 (Thornback Eays) were no larger than dinner-plates, Codlings 

 ran to about a pound in weight, Whitings were undersized, and 

 many others were by no means " prime" fish. A fair-sized 

 John Dory (Zeus faber) was the only fish that might be termed 

 curious. One had need go to the wharf day by day, as Mr. 

 Southwell did in 1901, t to see " strangers" thrown down upon 

 the pavements, e. g. Porbeagles, Sting Eays, Sturgeon, Torpedo 

 Eays, &c. There was nothing beyond the common-place market 

 fishes — not a Crab, Lobster, Whelk, Squid, or Porpoise. From 

 what information I gathered the smacks had been scraping about 

 in the home waters of the North Sea, certainly not beyond 

 Cromer Knowle ; and I also noticed more than one ominous 

 shake of the head when I asked if these smacks were paying. If 

 steam-trawlers should put into Lowestoft the sailing craft might 

 at once cease to trawl. I am not alone in believing so. The 



Plaice £3 14s. 



"Boker"... 28/- to 30/- 



Soles £12 to £13 



Whitings 17/- 



Dabs 18/- 



" Lemon Soles" (fine) ... 



£1 15s. to 18/- 



£3 8s. 

 6/- to 4/- 

 4/-, 8/-, 12/- 

 18/- 



(Price I could not catch)* 



' : There were very few full boxes of Roker. 

 t Vide 1 Zoologist.' 



