THE MACKEEEL PURSE-SEINE FISHERY. 253 



largest kind of seine-boat, is 190 to 225 fathoms in length, and 20 to 25 fathoms in depth when it 

 is hung, being deeper in the center of the bunt than at the extreme wings, one of which, the "boat 

 end," is from 1 to 10 fathoms deep, and the other, the "dory end," varies from about 7 to 15 fathoms 

 in depth.* It is made of three kinds of twine. The "bailing-piece," which is a section of the net 

 occupying about 10 to 12 fathoms along the center of the cork-line, and having about the same 

 depth as length, is made of the stoutest twine. Beneath this, and composing the remainder of the 

 bunt and extending to the bottom of the seine, is a section knit of twine a size smaller. There is 

 also a baud of large twine, 15 meshes in depth, extending along the cork-line of the seine on either 

 side of the bailing-piece to the extremity of each wing. The remainder of the net is made of 

 smaller twine. 



A seine 200 fathoms in length is usually about 1,000 meshes deep, both in the bunt and in the 

 wings. The strongest twine is placed at those places where the seine is subjected to the greatest 

 strain. On the cork-line are two or three sizes of corks, the largest being placed over the bailing- 

 piece, the smallest generally at the ends of the wings. The cork in the middle of the seine is much 

 larger than the rest, and is painted or covered with canvas in order that it may be easy to find the 

 center of the net either night or day. To one end of the cork-line at the upper corner of the wing, 

 which is first thrown out when the seine is set, is a buoy. The seine is hung to lines which are 

 called the hanging-lines. The lead-line is placed as in an ordinary seine, and is weighted with 

 sinkers about two ounces in weight, which are attached to it at intervals varying from a few inches 

 to several feet. The arrangement of the pursing rings and bridle is described elsewhere. In a 

 mackerel seine of 175 fathoms the bridles are about 15 to IS feet in length, and the rings, which 

 weigh 1 pounds and are 3 inches in diameter, are fastened to the middle of each bridle. The 

 middle ring is on the bottom of the seine, opposite the middle cork already referred to, and is 

 usually made of different metal from the other rings, or is larger, so that the center of the bottom 

 of the seine can be easily found. Small galvanized-iron blocks or pulleys are now used to a consid- 

 erable extent instead of rings, and are found much better adapted for the purpose, since the purse- 

 line runs far easier through them. The purse-line extends through the rings; its center is marked 

 by a line tied around it or tucked through its strands, but more frequently now by a brass swivel, 

 into which the purse-rope is spliced, and which serves the double purpose of marking the center of 

 the line and preventing it from kiuking.t 



* Capt. Joseph Smith tells us that the depth of the seine-ends varies a great deal, according to the fancy of the 

 fishermen. Some of the skippers prefer to have the ends of their seines " taken up " enough to make them very shal- 

 low, while others think a net with deep ends will fish the best. 



tThe following dimensions of an average-sized deep-water mackerel purse-seine have been supplied by Capt. 

 George Merchant, jr., of Gloucester, Mass.: 



Total length of seine when hung, 203 fathoms. 



Depth, 1,000 meshes, or about 21 fathoms. 



Size of mesh in all its parts, 2 inches. 



Length of "bailing-piece" or "bunt," 500 meshes; size of twine, 12-9. 



Depth of "bunt" or "bailing-piece," 500 meshes. 



Length of "sides," each, 300 meshes ; size of twine, 20-9. 



Depth of "sides," each 500 meshes. 



Length of " under," 1,100 meshes ; size of twine, 20-9. 



Depth of " under," 500 meshes. 



The central section of the mackerel purse-seine, that portion composed of the bailing-piece, sides, and nnder, is 

 generally spoken of as the "bunt," though the bunt proper constitutes only a small portion of it. Capt. Joseph 

 Smith, of Gloucester, says that at present the whole center of the seine (including the bunt, sides, and under) is made 

 of one size of twine, 20-12, this portion being 1,000 meshes square. 



There is sometimes considerable difference in the length of the wing and arm of one end of the seine from that of 

 the other, though some are constructed with both ends of equal length. Many of the seiners prefer to have the bunt 

 of their seines a little to one side of the middle of the net. In such cases the ends are, of course, of unequal lengths. 



