FISHERIES AND SEAL-HUNTING. 41 



iug a sort of trellis made of boughs. These parks are arrange/ in zig- 

 zag shape, the outer angles having openings, where leaps ov wooden 

 boxes are placed. These bars are not used in the Petshora, tbe Mezene, 

 the Koulo'i, and the Dwina, but in all the other rivers falling into the 

 White Sea. 



As soon as the rising of the river has subsided, people begiu to build 

 these bars, always leaving an opening of 3 "sagenes" (21 feet) to let 

 the fish and the boats pass. The bar of the river Ponoi consists of two 

 parallel rows of stakes on which transverse beams rest, surmounted by 

 long thick poles weighted down by stones. The stakes are driven in at 

 a distauce of 2 "sagenes" (14 feet) from each other. In the interven- 

 ing spaces, horizontal and vertical poles are fixed, furnished with a 

 trellis of thin branches, and here the apparatus for catching the fish 

 is placed, consisting of a large box whose opening is turned toward the 

 mouth of the river. This apparatus is called "ta'iuik" in Russian. A 

 funnel, 10 inches broad and 1£ "sagenes" (10£ feet) long, leads to this 

 box, open at the top and crossed by planks, on which the fisherman 

 stands ready to take out the captured salmon with a small net. 



In the Onega, near the village of Podporojye, the bar has only one 

 row of wooden stakes, on which thick poles are placed, weighted down by 

 heavy stones. In the intervening spaces, poles driven in at a distance of 

 2 "arsheens" (4 feet 8 inches) from each other, support the trellis. As 

 raits of timber and planks float down the river, bars have been built 2 

 "sagenes" (14 feet) in front of the chief bar, in order to preserve them 

 against accidents. These last-mentioned bars are a sort of ramparts 

 formed by beams floating on the water and attached to trestles placed 

 there for the purpose. In the Onega, no boxes, but sweep-nets, are 

 placed on the bars. While the fishermen take up and examine the 

 sweep-nets, they are replaced by a net stretched on a wooden frame, so 

 as to prevent the fish from passing. 



Near the town of Onega, they use, besides the sweep-nets, a bog-net 

 called "kourma." This is placed opposite the opening of the sweep-net, 

 and is intended to catch those salmon which may attempt to escape the 

 moment the leap is taken up. 



At the bar of the river Kitcha, another sweep-net is used, which has the 

 shape of a truncated pyramid, and consists of a certain number of poles 

 fastened in a wooden frame. The foremost part of this pyramid is open 

 andis turned toward the opening in the bar. A funnel-shaped net, called 

 " gorge, " is attached to the frame, having the shape of a quadrangu- 

 lar, truncated pyramid. This apparatus is placed on a support by means 

 of a winch, and one of the fishermen slips inside to take the salmon* 

 The sweep-nets of the bar of the river Souina are called " merschi," and 

 consist of several wooden frames resembling the apparatus which has just 

 been described. 



Skillful divers are kept at all the bars, who immediately repair any dam- 

 age done under the water. These bars are constructed and put in posi- 



