The silver messenger., 1908-10-27
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fine, it is often no easy matter to 10
cate a fleet, as the fishing vessels are
continually on the move, and a cutter
might pass and repass quite close
without sighting them. Finding the
fleet often occupies days, and now and
then a cutter is even compelled to run
back into Hull for more coal, after
fortnight's unsuccessful search for her
own particular fleet.
AS luck would have it, we came
across three fleets all fishing within
sight of one another, forming a yer
table floating town, extending in all
directions as far as the eye could see.
Having located our fleet, the Hellyers
and steamed up to it, the trawl was
cast; for each cutter carries a trawl,
and uses it whilst waiting for her
turn to load and return to London.
The weather by this time was com
paratively fine, and the fleet began to
close in upon another cutter, which
was to take the nights catch to mar.
ket. One by one the trawlers came
up, lowered their boats, and loaded
them with boxes of freshly caught
fish. Boarding" is a lively scene in
any weather. The cutter lies idly
rolling to the swell, surrounded by
crowd of boats on the deck of the cut.
ter a man stands waiting to receive
the boxes one at time; while in the
bow Of the boat that is being unloaded
stands another with a box of fish
ready, waiting for the moment when
the motion of the waves brings him
level with the cutters rail- In an in
slant he has placed one end of the
heavy box upon it, and it has been
grasped by the man on deck; and the
boat drifts away again, and another
box is got ready for the next oppor-
tunity. When the boat is empty it
makes room for another, and so on,
until every trawler in the fleet has
transferred her catch to the cutter.
Then follows the even more lively
scene of taking in empties in order
that each may have a good supply of
boxes in which to pack the next nights
catch.
cordial welcome aboard the mission
ships, the largest and most modern of
which is the Queen Alexandra. These
vessels constitute the centers from
which stores, tobacco and clothing are
distributed to the floating population
of the fleets.
The crew of the mission ships are
no idlers, for as soon as boarding is
over, and the last of the boats that
have called to bring patients, or come
to purchase tobacco or stores, has left
the ship, the trawl is got out: and they
fish just the same as the other mem
bers of the fleet, except on Sundays,
when services are held aboard. In
deed, the mission boats give a very
good account of themselves as fisher
men, their catch generally comparing
well with those of the crack boats of
the fleet The contents of the bag
each haul varies from two to three
boxes of fish to 100 or even more when
shoal of cod is struck. So weighty
are these big catches that, at times.
to hoist them aboard would be to risk
the bursting Of the net and loss of all
the fish; so boats are got out. and
many fish secured as the net hangs
in the water at the ships side. Even
after such a haul, it is by no means
certain that there will be any fish the
next time the net is brought up. Often
only one or two trawlers out of the
whole fleet will get good hauls.
Another interesting feature of the
North sea trawling is the manner in
which the fleets are unanswered. Each
has an admiral whose trawler is the
flgship; and all captains must obey
instructions as to the direction in
which they are to steam; otherwise
the fleet would obviously get hopeless
ly scattered in a few hours. and il
would be impossible to concentrate
around the cutter in the morning to
discharge their fish.
During the daytime flag signals are
used; but at night, once every half
hour, colored rocket scars into the
sky from the admirals trawler, CON
veying directions as to the course to
be steered, according to the color dis.
played