382 JOURNAL OF THE PLYMOUTH INSTITUTION. 
the great distance from land they have to go to find fish ; whilst 
we get ours comparatively close to the shore. 
In former days, after getting a fair catch, the Grimsby, Hull, 
Eamsgate, and Yarmouth men would come to land and make for 
the nearest possible port, according to wind, &c, and this would 
cause them to lose much time, till at last mutual interest led 
them to form themselves into small fleets, when each in turn would 
go to market with the result of the twenty-four hours' catch of 
the whole fleet ; so that a fresh supply was maintained at market 
daily. Each crew would pack their fish in baskets, termed potd, 
and put them on board the craft whose turn it was to go to 
market, and they would be labelled for the fish salesman at 
Billingsgate, or other market, employed to sell the respective 
consignments. This plan of fishing in fleets in course of time 
became almost universal, especially at Hull and Yarmouth the 
whole year through, and at the other ports in summer months. 
The fastest among the fleet were generally engaged for this carrying- 
purpose, and received payment at per package for their work. 
From sailing cutters as carriers it became necessary to employ 
steam vessels; and this is now the general method for bringing 
the fish to market, which ensures a regular and quick transit from 
the various fleets to London or elsewhere, as desired. 
Each fleet is under the charge of an Admiral, who determines 
the proceedings of his followers by signal, using flags by day and 
rockets by night ; and generally he has from twenty to seventy, 
and sometimes as many as one hundred and fifty, vessels fishing- 
together under his personal direction ; so that a uniform system 
is going on every day in the year, and every night as well, among 
the greater number of our trawlers in the North Sea ; and at day- 
break it is a sight to see a fleet of trawlers getting their gear 
on board, and preparing their catch for the carrier, which has been 
waiting all night in their midst to attend to them in due course. 
The carrying of the night catch in the small boat from the smack 
to the carrier constitutes a great source of danger, especially in 
winter time, when it blows heavily. Many lives have been lost in 
thus boarding the carriers, and considerable discontent is caused 
among the fishermen, that they are forced to continue this practice 
in winter time. The Grimsby men particularly object to this 
fleeting system, not only on account of the risk to life in boarding 
the carrier, but also that it keeps them out at sea from six to eighl 
