374 BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 
provided me with a letter of introduction to Mr. Harrison Mudd, a gen- 
tleman largely interested in the fisheries of Grimsby, and who held the 
official position of a town counselor of that port. 
Passage for New York had been, provisionally, taken for our party 
on the North German Lloyds steamship Neckar , which was booked to 
sail from Southampton July 6, and it was thought that if I could get away 
on a trawler within a day or two there would be ample time to make a 
short cruise — long enough to get an idea of the fishery — and for me to 
reach Southampton soon enough to join the rest of our party on the 
Neckar , though this was only a secondary consideration, which was not 
to interfere at all with my trip. Accordingly, I left London next morn- 
ing (June 24), and reached Grimsby the same day. After some delay 
I had the gratification of meeting with Mr. Mudd, who, having been 
made aware of the object of my visit, assured me in the kindest manner 
that he would aid me all he could in procuring a chance to go out on a 
trawler. It is proper that acknowledgment should be made here of 
the obligation I am under to this gentlemau, who interested himself to 
get me a berth on a good vessel, and to whose courtesy I am much 
indebted for any success which may have been obtained in gaining 
a knowledge of the beam-trawl fishery. 
No trawlers were sailing that evening on which Mr. Mudd thought I 
ought to go, but he believed it probable some might go out the follow- 
ing day. He thought it would not be advisable — as my time was so 
limited— for me to go out on a u single-boater,” which might be gone 
two or three weeks; neither would he advise that a cruise should be 
made on a cutter bound to the u steamer fleet,” which at that time was 
working off the German coast, some 300 miles or more distant from 
Grimsby, since, with the prevailing light winds, the vessel might be 
nearly a week in reaching the fishing ground and the fleet with which 
she worked. The best chance for me, ic was considered, would be to 
go out on a smack that was to join one of the small u cutter fleets” on 
the Dogger Bank, which would probably be reached in twenty-four 
hours with favorable winds; thus I might have several days on the 
fishing ground, observe the method of working the beam trawl, etc., 
and return by another vessel in time to reach Southampton and sail on 
the Neckar. The smack Willie and Ada was fitting out to join one of 
the cutter fleets. Mr. Mudd thought she would sail the next day, and 
he assured me I could have a chance on her whenever she went to sea. 
I learned, however, on the following day (which was Friday, June 25) 
that the Willie and Ada would not sail before the Monday following, 
because of the accidental sinking of her boat in the dock, by which mis- 
hap two of her crew were nearly drowned and rendered quite unfit, for 
a day or two, to go to sea. As no other smacks were sailing to the cut- 
ter fleets before Monday, either from Grimsby or Hull— as was ascer- 
tained later — there was nothing to do but to wait. 
In the interim, there was an opportunity to note the various phases 
