220 REV. R, CO WE ON THE WHITE-FISHERY ON 



m-r;illy. The way of taking them is as follows: Several white 

 hooks, without any bait, are attached to each side of apiece of whale- 

 bone, or of any other material that will answer the purpose, and so 

 secured that they project nearly at right angles to it ; this, which is 

 < illod a jigger, is let down as quickly as it will descend through the 

 water, by the weight of the lead fastened to it ; and after letting out 

 several fathoms of line, it is jerked up and down, when the fish are 

 taken. Sometimes the herrings take the hooks when the line is run- 

 ning out. The fishermen think that the fish mistake the white hooks 

 for sand-eels. 



But the usual mode of taking herrings is by nets. The nets are 

 from fifty to sixty yards long when stretched out at full length ; but 

 when put upon the ropes to be ready for fishing, they are six yards 

 shorter, as they require to be so arranged as to allow the meshes 

 to open when suspended in the water. Each net is three hundred 

 meshes in width, and has about thirty-two meshes to each yard in 

 length. The average number of nets to a boat is eighteen. Each 

 net is suspended by six buoys, which are composed in some cases of 

 dog-skins, but usually of bladders, one when large, and two tied to- 

 gether when small. The tows or cords between the buoys and the 

 rope of the nets are generally three fathoms long, which is found ne- 

 cessary to allow ships to pass over the nets without getting entangled, 

 and also to be a good average depth for successful fishing. When, 

 however, the shoal comes so very near the shore that the nets would 

 be torn by the rocks, if let down three fathoms below the surface 

 of the water, and there being little danger from ships so near the 

 land, two fathoms are used, and sometimes only one. The nets are 

 securely fastened to each other by their respective ropes, when ar- 

 ranged in the boat, the buoys being put in at regular distances ; and 

 when the ground is reached where the crew mean to shoot or put out 

 their nets, they throw the first buoy over the boat's stern into the wa- 

 ter ; and the boat that does this first is understood to be entitled to 

 that berth for the night. The boat is then put right before the wind, 

 way being kept on her sometimes by a part of the sail being allowed 

 to stand, and sometimes by the use of two oars. The nets are put 

 out in a straight line, unless when the nets of the next boat, in the 

 hope of keeping among the fish, causes them to deviate from this 

 course. The newest and best nets are kept next the boat, as being 

 least exposed to danger in this situation ; and the one immediately 

 next the boat is fastened to it by a long and substantial ride rope, 

 technically called the swing, which lets down this net to the level of 

 the rest. After this is done, the mast is taken down to make the 

 boat ride steadily. The boats and nets, thus secured to each other, 

 drift with the tide during the whole night. In spring-tides, they are 

 frequently driven six miles in one direction. About an hour or so 



