A. NIGHT'S STEA M-TRAW LIN G IN SCOTLAND.

OUR Fish supply is a subject of the greatest importance to every one interested in the welfare of the nation. Legis- lation seems endless, Bill after Bill appears to confuse ad annoy ; but all the while, the greater question—that of the adaptation of the harvest of the sea to the services of the people—is but feebly touched. At a time when we have a literature on the salmon, we are content to remain in compara- tive ignorance of the habits of many of the other fish which swarm in our estuaries. True, we know of the herring, and. have profited. by the knowledge ; we are also aware that all round our coasts fleets of small boats are engaged in the "white fishing," some of them going far out to sea, and remaining on the grounds for days ; and we know, further, that most com- mendable efforts have been successfully made to improve the class of boats sailing from Newhaven and other ports. But it appears more thau surprising to learn that the practice of steam-trawling, which has been long carried on around the English coasts, was practically unknown in Scotland two years ago. About that time, a few N-essels arrived from the Tyne, their departure being hastened by the state of trade there. They were principally powerful tugs, fitted. up with trawliug gear, but not otherwise suitable for the trade. Success was almost immediate, and as the intelligence spread, some local tug-owners converted their vessels into trawlers, while the regular traders in the North of England de- termined to seek "fresh fields and pastures new." There was soon an outcry amongst the fishermen on the coasts, and a climax was reached when one of the trawlers was attacked by two boats' crews off Prestonpans and seriously damaged. This outrage drew public attention to the trade which had been so quietly going on for months, and the seemingly endless ques- tion of the merits and. demerits of steam-trawling in estuaries became ground for long and bitter discussions.

The trawlers, having secured. the punishment of,-,their assail- ants in the Law Courts, proceeded to their work again, despite the threatenings levelled at them by intending legislators. Vessels were built and dispatched to the French and Spanish Coasts, where the supplies of fish are illimitable, and as news of heavy hauls. of 'splendid. cod and haddocks spread, the indignation of the fishing-people began to wane, and the fishwives, after a little show of anger, swelled their profits by Belling the fish obtained by means of the ugly and hated trawl. The Government Commission elicited some interesting facts regarding trawling, and the measure now before Parliament is one of the results ; but as the clauses more essentially refer to the damage likely to be done to clam and oyster-beds in narrow estuaries, the wider question of the legality and advisability of steam-trawling is not touched. With the view of giving a general idea of the trade as at present carried on in the Firth of Forth, the de- scription of a day and night in a steam-trawler may be of prac- tical use, at a time When Royalty is seen interesting itself in each a matter as the Norwich Exhibition.

Hugh Miller, with his graphic pen, has described with mar- vellous pmver the night passed in a herring-boat. There is not very much romance in a steam-trawler. • Dingy, damp, and disagreeable,—these are the impressions which first strike the looker-on. The person who goes trawling must be prepared to rough it; he must exhibit contentment when lying on a hard board, and be satisfied with the modest refreshment of very black coffee and butter of pronounced odour. He may account himself fortunate if, after half-a-dozen rebuffs, he secures a skipper who can get over the idea of any person, other than a lunatic, seeking to go out all night for pleasure. But his troubles are not over when he has secured Ms passage.

His garments are not adapted for the fishy and tarry home he is to occupy for so many hours, and as he views the begrimed men, and casts his eyes forward to the dripping cables, he realises that Beau Brummel could hardly feel at home in a steam-trawler.

The vessel leaves the crowded harbour of Leith, and instantly the voyager's fears and troubles vanish. For who could at midday refuse to thank God for the privilege of breath, when he looks upon the Firth of Forth in a brilliant spring day, with her million waves dancing in the sun. Out between the piers, pass- ing a foreign war-vessel with yawning portholes, steams the trawler, and soon she nears the frowning fortifications of Inchkeith, and skirts the dangerous reef of the Herwit.

There are half-a-dozen men on board, including the master and errgineera. The master is the owner, a native of the Tyne, not "an ancient mariner," by any means, but a fresh, jovial fellow, given to singing Methodist hymns and denouncing whisky. , His crew all hail from the north of England. They work on the system of payment by results,—that is, a share is laid aside for

the " boat," another share for the master, and smaller pro- portions for each of the crew. In some of the trawlers there is a modification of this system, the small fish falling to the men, but in all cases the crew are encouraged to work on the principle of sharing in the general Profits. The one called the "fisherman" must have an intimate knowledge of the whole business he is engaged in, ready for all emergencies, quick at expedients, and acquainted with every foot of sea the vessel has to travel over. If the other men are not fishing they are mending their nets, for dire is the destruction if even a piece of wreckage should come across the path of the trawl, as it is being dragged over the bottom of the sea. One of the crew is oiling the steam-winch on deck, another is casting the lead, reporting shallow water or a muddy bottom ; and just as dark- ness is beginning to creep over us, the lights of North Berwick gleam out, the loom of the Bass is seen, and all hands are at work to prepare the trawl for its first descent into the deep.

Without a sketch it would be difficult to give a non-technical reader a full idea of the beam trawl. It may be very briefly described as a long net attached to a wooden beam, which is trailed. along the bottom of the sea. By an ingenious arrange- ment, the fish caught in the net are not permitted to escape, so that the trawl may be allowed to remain at the bottom for several hours. A warp, sixty or eighty fathoms in length, con- nects the beam and nets with the steamer. The depth of water having been sounded, the muter considers it advisable to begin operations. The nets are adjusted, the beam disappears over the side, the warp runs out quickly, orders are given to ease the engines so as to secure a knot an hour of speed, and soon "manfully against the gale we tak' the tide," The wind has freshened, and the steamer rocks uneasily, in a manner rather destructive to human rest and peace. We ask Borrowfully enough, as the sea breaks over the deck, if it was for this we were ordained, and fail to obtain consolation in the thought that he who would learn much must suffer much. Yet there is a limit to all things, and when the chatty captain, pitying our half-moribund condition, agrees to forget consist- ency, and produces some refreshment of the orthodox kind, life becomes worth living again. " This must go on for three hours," we are told. Recognising the inevitable, we resolve to make the beat of it, by endeavouring to extract sonic infor- mation from our skipper. He is nothing loth to utter his opinions. "Custom hath made in him a property of uneasi- ness," for he is ready at all points to answer the daring ones who would for one moment blame the trawler with doing an unwise or illegal thing. "Look you," he said, in his rough, genuine, Northumberland.twang, " there's never a fisherman yet who was contented. Give them everything that's in the sea, and they'd wish for all the hares and rabbits on the land.

Don't tell me that we're harrying the Firth ; there's as good fish in the sea as ever came out of it, and more, too ; and yet they'd lot poor folks starve, rather than see steam on their Firth; that's what they call theirs. And they do say that steam frightens the herrings away, so let's have done with all the steamers that sail up the Firth ; that would. do, wouldn't it P Then they tell

us that we spoil the breeding-beds, as if they knew anything about the very thing that puzzled Frank Duckland. I had

Frank a trip with me once, and Lor' ! I'd hue liked to let the

fishermen hear what he said." And the worthy captain had to relieve himself by a hearty guffaw. "And more, they're threatening law on us. D'ye think we want to go near their clam-beds,--no, no ! we're more careful of our nets than that. Or why don't they get their beds buoyed off, I

would like to know P Starving poor folks by clearing away the fish in the Firth, nonsense ! Why, at the Tyne there they've been going on for years, and the fish are as plentiful as ever.

The beds off the May would keep us all going for years; and.

when they're no good we'll go further out. And it's all non- sense about picking up nasty timings in our nets ; the folk who say that don't -seem to know that the thing's impossible.

True enough, we've got £50 at a shot, aud earned £200 in a week, but when you take off stormy weather, the wear-and-tear of boats, auctioneers' charges, keeping up the crew, inirbour charges, and all, you see there's a chance of not making a fortnne. Then we get a little towing sometimes, and. on the whole, we're a happy sort of lot."

Time skipper has just turned. optimist, when time vessel gives a sudden wrench, which throws the tumblers to the floor. The

master, with an alacrity which does him credit, rushes up the companion-way, and turns to inform us in a grim whisper that

she's fast." We learn that the trawl had caught upon 'some obstruction at the bottom, but through the watch- hiluess of the man at the wheel, the accident, which might have resulted in the destruction of the whole of the gear, 'had proved a slight one. Our course is across the Firth, -and we arc now near the May Island, the night clear, and a heavy tide flowing up. By twelve o'clock the trawl is ready, laud half an hour is expended. in raising it, even although the steam-winch is fully utilised. The whispers of the men as they 'feel the strain on the warp suggest the possibility of a good haul, and dispose of the half-expressed fear that the net has been torn by the slight accident which occurred. The beam at last appears, the iron framework which goes over the bottom -shining like burnished silver. Fish, apparently stunned, begin to appear on the top of the water, and while we are looking .over, a large-sized cod, which has succeeded in wriggling out of -the net, rises to the surface and floats helplessly. One of the -crew with a short boat-hook transfixes the fish, and instantly lands it upon the deck. Glad to have sport of any kind, we lower buckets over and make frantic efforts to catch the other fish floating about. While we do so, the " bag " has been hoisted horn the sea, and hangs from the" cross-beam," a mass of moving 'silver in the bright moonlight. Lanterns are placed all around,

• and when the order is given, the crew turn the "bag," pear- shaped with the weight of fish, and with every mesh drawn like whipcord. In an instant the " fisherman " cuts a piece of rope, and the contents of the net fall upon the deck. Nearly a ton of fish has been caught, and the sight under the gleaming lamps is weird and striking. The haul mainly consists of flat- fish, the variety of "lemon-soles" being the most prominent. 'There is an immense skate, some hundreds of haddocks, whit- ings of all sizes, and many other varieties of fish. The hideous monk" appears, with gaping jaws full of the fish he has en- deavoured to devour in the net, and the men on deck soon close Ins lease of life by knocking in his head, and throwing him .overboard. The disgusting catfish affords some amusement, sis the men, knowing hie character, put his mouth near one of the iron bars, which he seizes in a manner calculated to make us ;shudder. The ink-fish, which, we are told, is considered a great 'delicacy by the Italians, sends its defilement over the mass. When the fish have been "sorted," the (lands is searched; and. sve find such articles as pieces of coal, old iron, and timber. 'There are hundreds of immature fish of all kinds, and there are :also a large quantity of clams, thus giving force tothe allegation that damage may be done to beds. The "catch" having been placed in boxes ready for transmission by mail-train to London, the water hose is turned upon them, and the sight becomes a pretty one. The trawl is again overboard, and we are going :slowly up the Firth—homewards.