52 



A small quantity of the marinated fish is packed in 

 tins of various sizes, but this method does not appear to 

 be greatly developed as yet. As already mentioned 

 approximately two-thirds of the eels caught are mari- 

 nated. The remainder is sold alive, special live cars, 

 often of large dimensions being employed to convey 

 them often to distant cities along the coast and up the 

 River Po. They have the form and appearance of a flat- 

 bottomed lake boat ; they are sharp at either end and are 

 fully decked over. The sides and bottom are perforated 

 with rows of long narrow slits thus — O^— ^O- They 

 have no internal partitions and have but a single square 

 hatchway closed with a sliding cover capable of being 

 locked and well secured. The live cars, when prepared 

 to convey quantities of live eels, are corded round with 

 many lashings of rope to enable them to stand the strain 

 of towage. 



Similarly shaped craft {marotd) but of greater size 

 are employed in large numbers as storage receptacles 

 whenever very large catches of fish are made in the 

 labyrinths. If the marinating factory is to be run 

 economically, it is obviously essential that a steady supply 

 of fish shall be available during the working season, 

 hence the value of these great store chests. A usual 

 size is 1 5 metres long by 3 metres beam (49 x 9f feet), 

 with a depth of 2 feet ; each fishing station has a 

 number stored away in its store-sheds ready for use and 

 as the eels live for days and even weeks in them without 

 harm, the administration is prepared to take full advant- 

 age of those notable niohts when Qreat multitudes of 

 eels simultaneously develop an instinct which urges 

 them to seek a way to the sea. In a single night as 

 much as 20,000 quintals (about 200 tons) weight of fish 

 may be taken from the pounds ; the factory requires 

 some weeks to dispose of such a quantity, so were it not 

 for the employment of many marote, work would be 

 forced at a wasteful pace and much of the fish would 

 otherwise be lost. 



Besides these wooden boat-shaped store recept- 

 acles, numbers of spheroidal wicker pots of large 

 dimensions, 6 feet to 7 \ feet diameter, are used for 

 the same purpose. When comparatively small quanti- 

 ties of fish have to be stored, these wicker pots are 



