turbot. 
162 
structed for the purpose of encountering a moun- 
tainous sea ; they hoist sail when the wind suits. 
The five-men boat is forty feet long, and fifteen 
broad, and of twenty-five tons burthen ; it is so 
called, though navigated by six men and a boy, be- 
cause one of the men is commonly hired to cook, 
&c., and does not share in the profits with the other 
five. All our able fishermen go in these boats to 
the herring fishery at Yarmouth the latter end of 
September, and return about the middle of No- 
vember. The boats are then laid up until the be- 
ginning of Lent, at which time they go off in them 
to the edge of the Dogger and other places, to fish 
for turbot, cod, ling, skates, &c. They always 
take two cobles on board, and when they come 
upon their ground anchor their boat, throw out the 
cobles, and fish in the same manner as those do 
who go from shore in a coble ; with this difference 
only, that here each man is provided with double 
the quantity of lines, and, instead of waiting the re- 
turn of tide in the coble, they return to the boat and 
bait their other lines: thus hauling one set and 
shooting another every turn of the tide. They 
commonly run into harbour twice a-week to deliver 
their fish. The five-men boat is decked at each 
end, but open in the middle, and has two large 
lug sails. 
The best bait for all kinds of fish is fresh herring 
Gut in pieces of a proper size ; and notwithstanding 
what has been said to the contrary, they are taken 
