The silver messenger., 1908-10-27

IL has often been stated that the sea
is infinitely more productive, acre for
acre, than the most fertile land in the
world; indeed, without including the
countless myriads of more or less mi
mute organisms that serve as food for
fishes, one has only to consider for a
moment the enormous quantities daily
landed and consumed in England
alone, to be convinced of the truth of
the assertion.
Who is there that has passed over
London bridge, and is not familiar
with the busy scene which takes place
every morning, when, amid the rattle
of steam-winches and raucous shouts
of the porters, London's daily fish sup
ply is landed at Billingsgate market?
Prosaic enough those three or four
small steamers look lying huddled up
side by side against the wharf, with
the white-smocked porters toiling like
strings of ants, each with his load on
his head, across their decks, or return
ing empty-handed for a fresh case
Insignificant and unkempt as they
may appear beside smart passenger
boats, these stoutly built little vessels,
that can scarcely raise ten knots an
hour, will go plunging and wallowing
amid clouds of spray into the teeth
of the fiercest gale that ever blew;
while their aristocratic companions
cover timidly in harbor, waiting for
better weather before they venture
forth. They are built for rough work,
and they get plenty of it as conveyers
of fish from that marvellous floating
town that year in and year out moves
slowly over the famous Dogger bank
or cruises steadily and increasingly
round the North sea, searching for,
and endeavoring to follow, the vast
shoals that frequent these inexhaust-
ible fshing-grounds.
Unheeded as are the inhabitants of
these sea townships by the great ma
iority of landsmen, they are not per-
mitted to go altogether uncared for,
thanks to the Royal Mission to Deep
Sea Fishermen, which has three mis-
sion-steamers stationed permanently
among the fleets. There are four of
these fleets, each consisting of up
wards of 70 or 80 trawlers, irrespective
of foreign vessels and numerous indie
pendent fishing boats.
A visit to the City of the Sea during
the summer months makes a remark
ably enjoyable pleasure trip; but to
see the seamy side of life aboard a
steam trawler one must go in the
winter. when the seas run mountains
high. and the wild north wind, like the
breath of the Ice Spirit, drives the
snow and sleet into the fishermen's
faces as they haul in their nets, and
numbs their fingers as they subse-
ouently clean and sort the catch.
Visiting the fleets in winter is no
light undertaking. Leaving Billings
gate soon after midday We arrived at
Gravesend shortly before dark, and
made fast alongside the coal and ice
hulk TO replenish our stores of these
Indispensable commodities. The coal
IS carried aboard in sacks, while the
ice is transferred by means of chute,
at the upper end of which is a crush
ing machine, which breaks the blocks
of ice into small pieces before allow
ing them to travel down into the fore
hold of the cutter" as a fish-bearing
steamer is called.
On the following morning we had
plowed our way out on to that part
of the fishing grounds in which the
fleet had been last heard of, so a
sharp lookout was kept; but it was
not until late in the afternoon that the
trawlers were sighted. In thick or
foggy weather. and, Indeed, even in