THE FISHERIES OF JAPAN. 423 



Black Stream; but nothing is as yet known about its migration. In its pursuit of 

 prey it comes into bays and shallow waters near the coast, and can then be caught 

 with ground- seines. At night it is easily attracted by light, and the fishermen take 

 large shoals by burning torches in their boats. 



The food of the mackerel consists principally of sardines, small crustaceans, 

 squids, and pteropods; but it is not very fastidious in its taste and takes even salt 

 fish. Spawning takes place in April and May. Large specimens often measure about 

 2 feet in length and weigh about C pounds. 



Mackerel fishing is carried on in all parts of Japan. Both nets and lines are 

 used for the purpose, but the latter are by far the more effective means. 



A mackerel long line used at Misaka in the province of Sagami, which may be taken 

 as a type of this form of line, is about 350 feet long, bearing 85 snoods of about 2 feet. 

 Fourteen baskets of this line are usually worked by a boat of G or 7 men. When 

 being used, the line is kept floating at some intermediate depth by means of five 

 barrel buoys attached to the principal line by means of ropes 300 to 350 feet long. 

 As ballast a small stone is tied to the lower end of each hanging rope. Beside these, 

 nine smaller stones are attached at intervals to the whole line. 



A mackerel hand line, locally called bishi, used in the same place, consists of a 

 piece of brass wire bent in the middle so as to form a loop, the two ends of which 

 diverge from each other. The wire is then attached by the loop to a line consisting of 

 three strands coiled together, and measuring about 250 feet in length. Each end of 

 the wire bears a snood of silk- worm gut, and to the loop are attached a conical piece 

 of lead and a bag containing bait. This line is worked by night and at a depth of 10 

 to 50 fathoms with good tidal currents; large shoals being made to gather by torch 

 or lamp light. 



For bait, sardines and mackerel are chiefly used. When these can not be obtained 

 fresh, salt sardines or salt mackerel are used; the small bag attached to the loop 

 contains minced flesh of these fish, which acts as a toll bait. 



The mackerel is caught in considerable numbers in the spring and autumn, but 

 also more or less throughout the year. 



A mackerel torchlight net is used near the coast of the southern parts of Japan. 

 The whole is a rectangular net 60 feet by 210 feet, the central portion being made to 

 haug down slack and form a sort of bag. Its meshes vary in different parts from 

 half an inch to about 6 inches. Four ropes made of straw are tied to the short sides 

 of the net and five to the long sides. At the junction of the net and the rope a 

 stone (of 8 to 10 pounds) is attached. The net is first of all kept spread flat by four 

 boats holding the ropes tied to the sides. Two boats with dragons then row on to the 

 middle of the net. A large number of mackerel, attracted by the lights, follow them. 

 Then the men in the four boats begin to work in the ropes, and the boats with dragons 

 extinguish them and row out of the net. This mode of attracting large numbers of 

 the mackerel with torchlights has been in use in Japan for 400 years. 



There are three ways of preserving the mackerel, viz, drying, canning, and salting. 

 Of these, salting is carried on on an extensive scale in every part of Japan. In recent 

 years various improvements, such as the Use of specially selected salt, have been intro- 

 duced, and fine salt mackerel is now not a rare article in the market. If there should 

 be any demand for exportation in future, this mode of curing would doubtless attain a 

 still higher degree of perfection. 



