THE FISHERIES OF JAPAN. 425 



and with floats of unhewn timber. The meshes of the pouch vary from about 1 foot 

 4 inches to about half an inch in length. 



This net proves itself to have been constructed with a full knowledge of the habits 

 of the fish for which it is intended. Owing to the presence of a rectangular bend in 

 the barrier and the curvature of the pouch, the fish which have once entered the net 

 can not possibly get out of it again. Moreover, if a second shoal of fish comes after 

 the first has entered the pouch the latter is driven beyond the second intercepting net, 

 and the net at the entrance of the pouch is opened; then the second shoal merely 

 swims to and fro between the barrier and the entrance of the pouch for any length of 

 time, and there is no fear of their escape. 



In the watchtower 2 men always keep a lookout, while below is a boat with 

 6 men. When the fish enter the net, word is given from the tower to the boat and 

 the intercepting nets are put into action. Moreover, signals are made 1o the fisher- 

 men's huts on the shore, according to the number of fish. 



The tunny drift net is used in the vicinity of the Bay of Tokyo. A single net- 

 ting is about 275 feet long and 20 feet wide. Twelve such pieces (or " mogai," as the 

 fishermen call them, are joined into a single net. The meshes are about 7 inches, and 

 the knots are made so as to prevent sliding in either direction. A big rope is tied to 

 the upper margin. In order to make the net float on the surface, the rope is made 

 from the fibers of the palm (Trachycarpus excelsa), and floats are attached to it at 

 a distance of about every 1 foot 4 inches. The rope of the lower margin is made of 

 hemp, and no stones are attached to it. 



This net is worked in the spring and in the open sea at a depth of 500 to 1,000 feet. 

 Many boats form a line and intercept the route of the fish, and the net is shot down 

 the tidal current. While being drifted, one end of the net is kept tied to the boat, 

 while the other end is attached to a float, with a floating signal and a lighted lamp. 



Tunnies are mostly eaten raw in Japan. Until recently the only methods of pres- 

 ervation were by salting, and by smoking and drying; but now they are also canned 

 and preserved in oil according to European methods. The only method which 

 offers any peculiarities is smoking. As preliminary to that process, the flesh is first 

 boiled in water, and after being smoked is dried. It can be kept for any length of 

 time without any alteration in its taste. It is daily used in Japanese households as a 

 condiment, and is especially excellent as a stock for soup. One hundred pounds cost 

 12 to 15 yen. 



THE BONITO FISHERY. 



The fishes embraced by the name bonito include a number of scombroid species, 

 chief among which in Japan are Thynnus pelamys, called Katsuwo,* and Auxis tapein- 

 osoma, called Soda-gatsuwa. 



These two fishes, especially the first, are of prime importance in the fisheries of 

 Japan; and the amount of their catch directly affects the monetary condition of the 

 fishing villages. They are both migratory fishes. Coming in the spring in large 

 shoals along with the Kuro-Shiwo from the southern seas, they pass the summer about 

 submarine rocks near the coast, and go back to the south in the autumn ; but of the 

 details of their routes, their habits, and the time and place of their spawning, nothing 

 accurate is known. Large specimens often measure about 1 foot and 5 or 6 inches in 



* Changed into gatbuwo when compounded with a prefix. 



