BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FlSH COMMISSION. 
same time, with a short distance between them, say one box for every 
6 yards of rope. By this means I believe the catch could be transferred, 
day or night, and in almost all weather, with a tenth part of the present 
labor, and no risk to life or boats, as quickly as the steamer could haul 
the boxes up her sides. A supply of empty cases could be sent to the 
smack in the same manner.” 
Whether this plan will be found feasible or not it is difficult to say. 
We could not learn that any practical test of it has been made. But 
the difficulty of keeping two vessels at the proper distance to work in 
a heavy sea without danger of collision would unquestionably be found 
very great, and then only one could work at a time, which would be of 
small consequence when a hundred others were waiting to discharge 
their fish. 
In a remarkably brief space of time the steamer’s deck is filled with 
boxes, which as fast as possible are being transferred from the deck to 
the hold, this transfer being actively conducted by the carrier’s crew, 
who are sometimes assisted by the men from the fishing smacks. Each 
steamer has a compartment in which enough ice is carried to preserve 
the fish. This place is called the u ice house,” and is connected with 
the main hold — where the fish are stowed — by a hole in the bulkhead 
which can be opened and closed as required. While part of the 
steamer’s maw are busied in passing down and stowing the a trunks ” 
of fish others are hard at work converting the blocks of ice into fine 
particles, and when a tier of boxes have been stowed in the hold a layer 
of fine ice is thrown on them, and so the work goes on until the hold is 
filled (if there be fish enough) with alternate layers of fish and ice, a 
few baskets of the latter being thrown on top of the last tier of boxes. 
Over all is laid a cloth, and then the hatches are closed and securely bat- 
tened down. 
In the mean time the confusion, incident to getting the fish on board 
and the chaffing of the smacknien who crowd the steamer’s deck, has 
ceased; most if not all of the boats have returned to their respective 
vessels, which may now be seen stretching off together in obedience to 
the admiral’s u sailing signal,” while the carrier’s bow is pointed for port, 
and no time is lost in getting all sail set that she will carry, for no effort 
is spared to increase the speed. 1 
H. Marketing- the Catch; Fish Carriage, etc. 
1. Landing the fish at Billingsgate .— The arrival of a steam carrier in 
the Thames is immediately telegraphed to London from the signal 
stations near the river’s mouth, and Billingsgate makes all necessary 
provision for receiving and disposing of her cargo. As soon as she ar- 
rives her load is rapidly transferred from the steamer’s hold to the 
] It does not always happen that enough fish are taken to make a sufficiently full 
cargo for a carrier to go to market with, in which case she may wait until another 
day to complete her load. 
