FISHERIES AND SEAL-HUNTING. 43 



drag-net, which consist of two or three parallel nets, the inner part of 

 which has small meshes, while the two outer have large ones, or a sin- 

 gle large-meshed net. 



The floating seines used in the Dwina are from 150 to 200 "sagenes" 

 (1,050 to 1,400 feet) long, seldom as long as 300 "sagenes," (2,100 feet.) 

 Those of the Petshora are usnsually 200 "sagenes" (1,400 feet) long, 

 and those of the other rivers from 80 to 100 "sagenes,'' (560 to 700 feet.) 

 The depth of the seine is from 28 to 32 meshes, each measuring from 2 

 to 2h square inches. Two boats, at some distance from each other, go 

 down the stream dragging the net ; they finally approach each other, 

 and the net is gradually drawn into one of the boats. This fishing is 

 carried on from the middle of July till the rivers are frozen. 



Fishing is also carried on in these streams with floating nets in the 

 shape of a bag, measuring 2i "sagenes" in length, (17£ feet.) 



In the dark autumn nights, the salmon, the pike, and the " lavaretus" 

 are caught with fish-gigs by torch-light. The fish-gig has the shape of 

 a fork with three or four prongs, each terminating in a barbed pike. A 

 fire is made ou a chafing-dish on the prow of the boat, so that the fish 

 at the bottom of the river can easily be seen and speared. They also 

 use fish-gigs composed of a whole bunch of prongs. 



Preparing the salmon. — Salmon is mostly placed in the market salted, 

 rarely smoked. The salting is done in the following manner : The 

 head of the fish is cut off, the belly is opened, and the entrails are 

 taken out; then it is washed clean and filled with salt ; salt is also put 

 under the gills, and the scales are usually rubbed with it. They cal- 

 culate, generally, 17£ pounds of salt to 100 pounds of fish. The quan- 

 tity of salt to be used depends also on the season of the year and on the 

 quality of the fish. The best salmon comes from the Onega and the 

 Dwiua. That of the Petshora is larger and fatter, but it is salted so 

 little that it becomes worthless. 



3. — THE " NAVAGA" (GADUS NAVAGA) AND OTHER SALT-WATER FISH. 



The " uavaga " appears in large numbers at the mouths of rivers aud 

 near the sea-shore toward the end of the autumn. This fish, which is 

 very voracious, spawns in the autumn. It has an excellent flavor, and 

 is sent frozen, in enormous quantities, into the interior of Russia as far 

 as Astrachan, where fish is so plentiful. 



In the villages located on the rivers falling into the White Sea, 

 flounders (Pleuronectes flcsus) and plaice (Pleuronectes platessa) are, when 

 caught, stuck on small poles, and are thus smoked ; while at Mezeue, 

 they are salted. In the bay of Kandalakcha, a small kind of cod-fish is 

 caught, which the fishermen salt exclusively for their own use. 



Implements for catching these fish. — A line of twisted horse-hair is 

 attached to a stick or to a piece of lath, from which hangs a piece of 

 lead pierced by a strong wire. To the two ends of this wire, aud some- 

 times also in the middle, thin little horse-hair strings are tied, furnished 



