TRAWLIXG. 293 



familiar ; and tlierefore contented myself with tlie less 

 exciting and more remunerative labour of deep-water 

 hunting. By this I got initiated into the art and 

 mystery of trawling, having made friends with a fisher- 

 man, master of a Trawler of about twenty tons. 



Pleasant it is on a bright sunny morning, with a nice 

 breeze from the shore, to recline on the deck of a fast- 

 sailiuo; vessel, and listen to the men retailins; their 

 experiences, or watch them heave out and haul in the 

 net. Away we glide towards the coast of France, 

 Jersey melting in the distance, — 



" The sands untumbled, the blue waves untost, 

 And all is stillness, save the seabird's cry 

 And dolphin's leap." 



The net is at the bottom, collecting in its gaping mouth 

 the treasures we are duly awaiting ; meanwhile, in a 

 sort of dreamy content, we stretch ourselves in the sun 

 till the word is given to haul in, and then anxiety dis- 

 sipates the luxurious calm. The trawl is a huge net of 

 somewhat conical shape, from twenty to thirty feet 

 wide, from thirty to forty deep. Along the edge of the 

 wide opening is a stout wooden beam, to the ends of 

 which are fastened the trawl heads, namely, thick flat 

 semiciixular bands of iron, which serve to keep at a 

 distance of three feet from the beam that portion of 

 the net meant to touch the bottom. In the net there 

 are various pockets. When the trawl is thrown over- 

 board, the weight of the iron carries it to the bottom, 

 the buoyancy of the wooden beam, assisted by the per- 

 pendicular support of the iron bands, keeping the 



