Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1895-07-17
BILLINGSGAIE
A VIEW OF LONDON'S GREAT
FISH MARKET.
An Enormous Annual Output %
Marine Food-The COstermongers'
Work of Observation-Disclosures
cites of Fish Sold.

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of fish does not fall far short OF
that of meat, being nearly 49,
600 tons. Even this amount,
large as it is, would be much IN
creased had London the wharfage and
storage conveniences of this city, but
that great metropolis is sixty miles
from the sea, with her sole dis
:ributive market situated upon a mar
row and crowded river, with street
approaches equally cramped and
choked.
Thousands OF tons of fish are IN
nually wasted at this market-the
famous Billingsgate that has existed
upon its present site since the time of
the Normans. It is the largest fish
market in the world, and, like our
Fulton Market, supplies a wide extent
of exterior territory, shipping fresh
as well as sailed fish to Germany,
France, and other foreign countries.
This pre-eminence is largely due t.
Great Britain's mmensely-productive
fisheries, that in amount greatly ex-
coed those Of any other country. Her
eastern boundary is the North Sea, by
far the richest portion of the globe in
edible fish, its annual product being
valued at 1925, 000, 900.
Under careful and thorough cult
walton an acre of land may be induced
once a year to yield a ton of wheat,
but there are hundreds of thousands OF
acres in the North Sea capable Of yield
ing more than that weight of edible
fish every week. It's average depth is
only ninety feet, one-ifth of its area
being occupied by banks which are the
resort of the fish.
1t is from this wonderfully produc-
tive quarter that th%ree-fourths Of Lon
don's annual supply is derived, the
waters of the Channel and of the At
lantic furnishing the remainder. The
shipments of fish to the metropolis are
maintained throughout the year IN
tolerably even volume. Different fish
are present at different seasons, and
the presence of somei is almost constant
upon some point or another Of the
coast.
The larger portion of the supply OF
Billingsgate arrives by rail and is
brought to the market in vans, which
choke the narrow streets and greatly
embarrass as well as limit the traffic.
The increase of the metropolitan sup
ply by the railroads would not have
attained its present proportions but
for the efforts of the humble coster-
mongers, to whose industry and enter
prise the general distribution OF the
fish is largely due.
The market opens at 5 a. m, and
the various auction sales at once be-
gin. The larger costers often divide
their purchases with their humber
brethren, some OF whose stock is so
limited that it is carried in large baskets
upon their backs others rise to the
dignity of barrows, and still others to
.he ~ahluence of n donkey cart.
The skate, dogfish, and other So
,allel offal in this country tindat Bill
.ngsgate a ready market.
OOLAt Vi VIC CAAOANG buN " 10 III
familier fish at Billingsgate are turbot,
brill. soles, dories, and mullet-the
iast is a summer fish from the Chan
mel, the others from the North Sea.
The sprat, q winter fish, is most abun-
dant in December and January, when
Billingsgate is besieged by an army of
frantic costers, who handle nine-tenths
Of the supply, and who in the DISPOSE.
lion of this as well as all other fish ma
terially undersell the shops.
The sole. another winter fish, is very
popular, from II, 900 to 10, 900 tons
being sold annually. OF fresh salmon,
London takes every year about 1000
tons, all of which, save about $50 tons
from Norway, is the yield of British
waters. In addition, nearly one-hali
of our product Of canned salmon is
exported to England, where this royal
fish meets with its fullest measure OF
appreciation. Eels, ranking equally
high in food value as salmon, and for
the same reason, are also largely con-
sumed, the supply coming mainly
from Holland, although the best are
from Ireland.
Mackerel, another oily fish, is
brought from Devon and Cornwall, of
whose shores enormous shoals an.
nually appear. HOLSTERS are furnished
chiefly by Norway and Scotland. As
with ourselves, the supply has much
abated of late years, and the English
public are large consumers of u
canned lobster. The English edible
crab is much larger than our far more
common and abundant blue crab, and
is most frequent off Cornwall and
Scotland. Oysters are much dearer
than here, and are main the product
of the Channel waters. Shrimp are
caught in immense quantities in the
estuary of the Thames, and are peddled
by the costers the year through, often
as low as four cents a pint. The tooth
some and succulent clam is a stranger
to British waters, and Billingsgate
knows him not.
Herring is the fish of largest con.
sumption, place, cod, soles, and
mackerel following in their respective
order. At Fulton Market New York;,
cod stands at the head of the list,
bluefsh, msckerel, weakfsh, and hall
but following New York
Times.