were given up to the trawls by the
ever-shifting sands. Old wreckage of every description, ancient
crockery, and even a water-logged, old square-rigger that must have
sunk years before were brought one day as far as the surface by the
stout wire warp. After the loss of a large steamer called the Elbe
many of the passengers who had been drowned were hauled up in this
way; and on one occasion great excitement was caused in Hull by a
fisher lad from that port being picked up with his hands tied behind
his back and a heavy weight on his feet. The defence was that the boy
had died, and was thus buried to save breaking the voyage--supported
by the fact that another vessel had also picked up the boy and thrown
him overboard again for the same reason. But those who were a bit
superstitious thought otherwise, and more especially as cruelty to
these boys was not unknown.

These lads were apprenticed to the fishery masters largely from
industrial or reformatory schools, had no relations to look after
them, and often no doubt gave the limit of trouble and irritation. On
the whole, however, the system worked well, and a most excellent class
of capable seamen was developed. At times, however, they were badly
exploited. During their apprenticeship years they were not entitled to
pay, only to pocket money, and yet sometimes the whole crew including
the skipper were apprentices and under twenty-one years of age. Even
after that they were fitted for no other calling but to follow the
sea, and had to accept the master's terms. There were no fishermen's
unions, and the men being very largely illiterate were often left
victims of a peonage system in spite of the Truck Acts. The master of
a vessel has to keep discipline, especially in a fleet, and the best
of boys have faults and need punishing while on land. These skippers
themselves were brought up in a rough school, and those who fell
victims to drink and made the acquaintance of the remedial measures of
our penal system of that day were only further brutalized by it.
Religion scarcely touched the majority; for their brief periods of
leave ashore were not unnaturally spent in having a good time. To
those poisoned by the villainous beverages sold on the sordid grog
vessels no excess was too great. Owners were in sympathy with the
Mission in trying to oust the coper, because their property, in the
form of fish, nets, stores, and even sails, were sometimes bartered on
the high seas for liqu