Twice round the clock; or, The hours of the day and night in London . four and five oclock at one ofthe principal public-houses, to discuss the quantity and quality of fishabout to be offered for sale. The three taverns are known as Bowlers,Bacons, and Simpsons. The second of these is situated in the centreof the market, and is habitually used by the auctioneers, probably onaccount of the son of the proprietor being the largest consignee atBillingsgate. As the clock strikes five, the auctioneers disperse to their variousboxes. Below each box are piled on forms or bulks the doublesof plaice, so
Twice round the clock; or, The hours of the day and night in London . four and five oclock at one ofthe principal public-houses, to discuss the quantity and quality of fishabout to be offered for sale. The three taverns are known as Bowlers,Bacons, and Simpsons. The second of these is situated in the centreof the market, and is habitually used by the auctioneers, probably onaccount of the son of the proprietor being the largest consignee atBillingsgate. As the clock strikes five, the auctioneers disperse to their variousboxes. Below each box are piled on forms or bulks the doublesof plaice, soles, haddock, whiting, and offal. A double is anoblong basket tapering to the bottom, and containing from three tofour dozen of fish ; offal means odd lots of different kinds of fish,mostly small and broken, but always fresh and wholesome. Whenthe auctioneer is ready, a porter catches up a couple of doubles,and swings one on to each shoulder, and then the bids begin. Soleshave been sold as low as four shillings the double, and have fetched 20 TWICE ROUND THE FOUR O CLOCK —BILLINGSGATE MARKET. 21 as high as three pounds. There is one traditional bid on record,which took place in the early part of the present century, of fortyguineas per hundred for mackerel. Plaice ranges from one-and-six-pence to four shillings the double. The sale is conducted on theprinciple of what is termed a Dutch auction, purchasers not beingallowed to inspect the fish in the doubles before they bid. Offal isbought only by the fryers. You may see, almost every marketmorning, a long, gaunt, greasy man, of that dubious age that youhesitate whether to call him youngish or oldish, with a signet ring onone little finger, and a staring crimson and yellow handkerchief roundthe collar of his not very clean checked shirt, buy from fifteen totwenty doubles of one kind or another ; and in the season the habitues ofthe market say that he will purchase from twenty-five to thirty bushelsof periwinkles and
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Keywords: ., bookauthormcconnel, bookcentury1800, bookdecade1850, bookyear1859
