MACKEREL. 143 



the whole of the nets arc thus handed out, the drift-rope is 

 shifted from the stern to the bow of the vessel, and she. rides 

 by it as if at anchor. The benefit gained by the boat's hang- 

 ing at the end of the drift-rope is, that the net is kept 

 strained in a straight line, which, without this pull upon it, 

 would not be the case. The nets are shot in the evening, 

 and sometimes hauled once during the night, at others al- 

 lowed to remain in the water all night. The fish roving in 

 the dark through the water, hang in the meshes of the net, 

 which are large enough to admit them beyond the gill-covers 

 and pectoral fins, but not large enough to allow the thickest 

 part of the body to pass through. In the morning early, 

 preparations are made for hauling the nets. A capstan on 

 the deck is manned, about which two turns of the drift-rope 

 are taken. One man stands forward to untie the upper edge 

 of each net from the drift-rope, which is called, casting off 

 the lashings ; others hand in the net with the fish caught, to 

 which one side of the vessel is devoted ; the other side is 

 occupied by the drift- rope, which is wound in by the men at 

 the capstan. The whole of the net in, and the fish secured, 

 the vessel runs back into harbour with her fish ; or, deposit- 

 ing them on board some other boat in company, that carries 

 for the party to the nearest market, the fishing-vessel remains 

 at sea for the next night's operation. 



Near to land, another mode of fishing is adopted, which is 

 thus described by Mr. Couch in his MS : " A long deep 

 net is employed, of which, unlike the former, the meshes are 

 too small to admit any of the fish. Two boats are necessary; 

 one of which is rowed round the sclmll,* while the net is 

 thrown overboard by two men to enclose it : the other boat 



* Shoal. 



In sculls that oft 



Bank the mid sea. 



MILTON. 

 This word is in Cornwall, I have been told, pronounced like school. 



