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JOURNAL OF THE PLYMOUTH INSTITUTION. 
at present even these two doeks are not large enough to completely 
grapple with the growing needs of this fishing industry. 
The fish-market, where the business is done of selling the fish 
by wholesale, is said to be the largest in the world. It is 885 
yards long (rather more than half a mile), and not less than 1000 
people find constant employment there, while the scene on 
any day beggars description. Some idea may be gathered of the 
trade done in fish at this port by the following figures : 
1875. 35,929 tons sent away by rail. 
1885. 68,855 
Increase of 32,925 tons, or 90 per cent. 
But the above figures do not give the whole of the fish caught 
by Great Grimsby trawlers ; for there is a constant traffic going on 
from the fleets to London. 
The experience of other ports is equally interesting, and a few 
facts in connection with Great Yarmouth will also be of note, as 
showing how the circumstances and necessities of certain times 
act and re-act on the welfare of places. 
The year 1840 witnessed the first trawling vessel built 
belonging to that port, for a certain Mr. Lincoln, who kept the 
"Feathers Inn." The smack was named the John Bull ; and at 
that time our Torbay men fishing in the North Sea occasionally 
put into Great Yarmouth, and sold their fish there, and, strange to 
say, it was generally sold in the " Feathers Inn " yard ; so I have 
no doubt but that this Mr. Lincoln, seeing what fine catches 
the Torbay men were bringing in from time to time of soles, 
plaice, turbots, brill, haddocks, &c, was prompted to enter into 
this good thing, and not let our men have it all their own w 7 ay, 
and hence had the John Bull built, which began the trawling 
fishing of the port. In those days fish was posted from Yarmouth 
to London by coach ; and as it often happened that head winds 
prevented trawlers fishing in the Silver Pits from getting to 
Billingsgate (London) with their week's fishing in a first-class 
condition, they used to put into Yarmouth to catch a market. 
From that single vessel in 1840, the number had increased to 
sixty-five in 1853, and to-day there are no less than 654 vessels 
sailing from Yarmouth engaged in this important industry, em- 
ploying at least 2,024 men and boys; and nearly the whole of 
their fish is taken to Billingsgate for sale. 
It is well to note here a curious incident, as showing the enter- 
