380 BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 
miral was hauling, and the crew tumbled out of their bunks, hurriedly 
pulled on their heavy leather boots, and, jamming their hats or sou- 
westers on their heads, ran on deck and began to get up the trawl. 1 
The process was an interesting study for me, as I then saw it for the 
first time. I assisted in the work, heaving on the capstan and helping 
the skipper to get the dandy bridle in and the after end of the trawl- 
beam up to the vessel’s stern. 
We had been towing over ground which was more or less rocky, and 
which is known to the fishermen by the technical name of “The 
Rough,” so that when they are fishing on such bottom, which they some- 
times do in summer because fish are more abundant there than else- 
where, they call it “ working The Rough.” As a result of our “ work- 
ing The Rough ” on this occasion, the trawl had been badly torn, which 
mishap was first announced while the net was being gathered in ; the 
second hand exclaiming, in a somewhat disheartened voice : “ She’s all 
gone to smither ends!” The rip was not quite so bad, however, as 
was at first expected ; and about 300 pounds of fish still remained in 
the “cod-end,” which was hoisted on board, and the catch let out on 
deck. In this small lot there were many varieties, chief among which 
were turbot, sole, “cock” sole (which is a different species from the com- 
mon sole, Solea solea ), plaice, cod, hake, ling, gurnard, goosefish or 
monkfish ( Lophius ), besides a large number of star-fishes, anemones, 
sea corn (eggs of whelks), and sea pears, which, together with small 
rocks, and more or less sea grass and shells, made up a very interesting 
collection, though it was not “ fishy ” enough to have any special merit 
or attraction for the smack’s crew. 2 
As soon as the trawl was emptied of its contents the (stay) foresail 
was hoisted and the vessel filled away by the wind, the fourth hand 
took the helm and was ordered to “ keep her along after the fleet,” 
which was then to windward of our vessel, working up for a new berth. 
(See Fig. 25.) The skipper, second, and third hands went to work to 
mend the net, but when this job was well advanced the mending was 
continued by the two former, while “Tom,” the third hand, was or- 
dered to “ box the fish ”; which order implied that he should dress arid 
pack in boxes such as were marketable, about two-thirds of the lot, 
and throw the remainder overboard. In this instance, however, only 
the hake, turbot, cod, and haddock were dressed — that is, eviscerated; 
the others were simply washed before being packed, but were not 
gutted. 
In the mean time the diminutive cook was actively employed in the 
cabin preparing supper, which all seemed glad to partake of ; the ap 
1 The modus operandi of heaving up a beam-trawl, as conducted on this occasion, 
has been described in detail in the paragraphs on methods of fishing, page 342 of this 
report. 
2 In subsequent hauls several other species of fish were taken, among which may 
be mentioned pollack (coalfisk), whiting, catfish or wolf-fish, dabs, flounders, 
skates, etc. 
