570 
THE OCEAN WORLD. 
see the shimmering fish as they came up like a sheet of silver from the 
water, each uttering a weak death-chirp as it was flung into the 
bottom of the boat. Formerly the fish were left in the meshes of the 
net till the boat arrived in the harbour ; but now, as the net is hauled 
on board, they are at once shaken out. As our silvery treasure 
showers into the boat we roughly guess our capture at fifty cranes — a 
capital night’s work.” 
But there is a reverse to this medal. Wick Bay is not always 
rippled by the land-breeze as on this occasion. “ The herring fleet 
has been more than once overtaken by a fierce storm, where valuable 
lives have been lost, and thousands of pounds worth of netting and 
boats destroyed, and the gladdening sights of the herring-fishery have 
been changed to wailing and sorrow.” 
The Yarmouth boats are decked vessels of from fifty to eighty tons, 
with attendant boats, costing about one thousand pounds, and having 
stowage for about fifty lasts ; nominally, ten thousand, but, counted 
fisherwise, thirteen thousand, herrings, besides provision for a five or six 
days’ voyage. Leaving a hand or two in charge of the vessel, the 
majority of the crew are out in the smaller boats fishing. 
The Dutch herring-fishery is usually pursued during the night. 
When the nets are in the water the boat is left, as we have seen in 
Dr. Bertram’s excursion, to drift in the meantime. Each boat is 
furnished with a lantern, which serves the double purpose of attract- 
ing the shoals of fish, and preventing collisions with other boats. 
The herring-fishery is extremely capricious in its results ; one or two 
boats havo been known to carry into port the whole takings of a night. 
Valenciennes witnessed the capture of a hundred and ten thousand 
herrings in less than two hours. The nets are hauled in when 
moderately charged with fish by the crew ; but it is often necessary to 
have recourse to the capstan in the process. Some of the hands are 
stationed to detach the fish from the nets ; others detach the nets 
from the buoys ; while others again fold up and stow away the nets 
for future use. 
On the coast of Norway the electric telegraph is applied to the 
herring-fishery, being employed to announce to the inhabitants of the 
fishing towns the approach of the shoals of fish. In the fiords of 
Norway, where the produce of the herring-fishery is the principal 
means of excitement to nearly the entire population, it often happened 
