Britain at Work
A Pictorial Description of Our National Industries

THE SEA FISHERIES the faculty of doing the right thing at the right moment—qualities which go to make up the highest form of seamanship, and which, as seen in our handy man, command at the same time our wonder and admiration. The immense benefit the nation derives from the possession of this important industry, looked at from the national point of view, is the result of our being surrounded by shallow seas. 1 he North Sea, from which more OF GREAT BRITAIN. 65 practically anywhere he wishes within the limits of the North Sea. The fishing industry is divided into two distinct branches, being known as trawling and drift-net fishing. The first method of fishing is the more important, and is, again, divided into two branches — fleeters and single-boaters. As the name implies, the former work together in fleets, under the control of fishermen selected on account of EMPTYING THE NET. than four-fifths of our fish comes, is nowhere so deep but that the cross on St. Paul’s Cathedral would be exposed—if it were possible to transport that handsome struc- ture and drop it clown in the German Ocean—while in other spots frequented by the fishermen, a goodly portion of the dome would also appear above the waves, and in certain places on the Dogger Bank the west door would scarcely be covered. If it were otherwise, the trawl fisherman’s attention would perforce be confined entirely to the coast limits, instead of his being able, as is the case, to let down his trawl 9 their great experience, and called admirals. I hese men direct the movements of the fleets and choose the ground to be fished over, issuing their orders in the daytime by flags and at night by rockets. I he single - boaters, on the other hand, possess a roving commission and are free to select their own fishing grounds, and so long as they justify this freedom of action by results are not interfered with by their employers. The men commanding such vessels resort to all sorts of methods to conceal the grounds they have been working in the event of one of them meeting with