FISH AND FISHERIES OF EAST SUFFOLK. 



385 



sometimes they gave the water the appearance of being ruffled 

 by the wind. " Did the sea-birds trouble them ? " He assured 

 me that the Gulls were a great nuisance ; they seized on the 

 nets and pulled them out of the water, shaking out the Sprats. 

 Those that " worked " and those that looked on quarrelled over 

 the spoil, to the spratter's disgust. The "Willows" (Guillemots 

 and Razorbills) did not interfere with the nets, but dived in 

 among the shoals, as did the Red-throated Divers. Occasionally 

 they got fast in the meshes and were drowned. 



Sprats were sold by the bushel ; they were sent to London in 

 boxes ; from ten shillings to twelve shillings a bushel was a good 

 price at the beginning of the season, which went down to four 

 shillings and five shillings towards the latter part of it. A good 

 catch was from forty to fifty bushels, and as much as a boat 

 could well carry. The boats used years ago to shoot a number 

 of bushels each into a yawl and send it to Yarmouth — this was 

 thirty years since, but it paid better now to send the bulk to 

 London. There were none sold of! this coast, under ordinary 

 conditions, for manure. 



From him I gathered that Grey Mullet were plentiful at times 

 in the estuary of the Aide ; Bass were numerous also, and afforded 

 great sport to sea-anglers. Smelts were netted, and Eels trawled 

 for at night ; there was fine sport sometimes in winter pritching 

 for Eels. ■ 



Hanging in Chatton's boat- shed were three or four "pritches," 

 a kind of Eel-spear, made of thin iron rod scarcely stouter than 

 bicycle-spokes, spread like the fingers of one's hand, each point 

 being sharp and upturned. The shaft is long and extremely 

 light, the whole apparatus weighing about 2^ lb., whereas a 

 Norfolk " Eel-pick " weighs 7 lb. The " prrtch " is said to have 

 the advantage of not cutting the Eel, which often happens with 

 the spear. . . . 



At noon the boats returned ; they came in on the beginning 

 of the ebb-tide, and negotiated the steep, awkward beach with 

 extreme care, coming straight on, carefully avoiding a broadside, 

 which would not only be very dangerous in anything like a rough 

 sea, but difficult to right. Two or three active fellows were in 

 waiting at each landing with " skids," long flat spars with an 

 iron facing, which were thrust under the stout billage-streaks of 



