BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 383 
The catch being small on this occasion the boating was soon finished, 
the crews returned to their respective vessels, the admiral showed his 
signal for sailing, and as the fleet stood off, close-hauled for the fishing 
ground, their companion, the homeward-bound cutter, set all sail and 
filled away for Grimsby. 
I sent a letter by her to Professor Goode, in London, and decided to 
stay out until the next carrier went in. 
The fleet kept under full sail, working to windward about two hours, 
when, at 10 o’clock a. m., the trawls were shot where the ground was 
rather rocky. 
After towing about an hour our trawl caught afoul of the bottom, so 
as to stop the vessel entirely. We hove it up and found it had swept 
an old anchor weighing about 150 pounds that was still hanging to the 
net, which had been so badly torn by it that all the fish, if there were 
any in the trawl, had made their escape. This was rather discourag- 
ing to the crew, the members of which, however, took the matter rather 
cooly, and with far less grumbling than one might naturally expect, 
they pulled in the net and began to mend it As soon as the repairs 
were completed, the trawl was put out again, but misfortune again 
awaited us, for in about an hour and a half it got fastened to the bottom, 
and it was necessary to heave it up. By this time several other vessels 
of the fleet were seen in the same predicament, and, perhaps an the 
principle that “ misery loves company,” our crew seemed to derive a 
certain sort of grim satisfaction from the fact that they were not the 
only ones having ill luck, and it was thought that when so many of the 
fleet met with this mishap the admiral would lose faith in u working 
The Rough.” 
When it was up, we found the trawl badly split; indeed, in this in- 
stance, it would have been no exaggeration to say it was a all gone to 
smither ends and five or six plaice, that were jammed in the pockets, 
constituted its entire contents. The skipper, second and third hands 
turned to again to repair damages, and as the rest of the fleet hove up 
their gear about the same time, we all filled away and stood along by the 
wind until 8 p. m., when, in obedience to the admiral’s signal, the trawl 
was shot in 20 fathoms. We had previously fished in from 18 to 25 
fathoms, and for the most part, as has been indicated, on rough ground. 
Capt. Tidder believes that little can be done u working The Rough,” 
even where fish are comparatively plenty, since the gear is liable to 
much damage, and may possibly be rendered entirely useless. Spare 
trawl nets, beams, heads, etc., are carried on the smacks to replace 
losses which may occur, but it is evident that should these be unusual 
even all the spare gear may be destroyed and the vessel compelled to 
leave the ground and go in for more. This rarely happens, so far as 
could be learned. 
The day was spent by me, like its predecessors on this trip, in taking 
notes and making sketches, varied by assisting the men to heave up 
