TOPOGRAPHY OF THE SAGAMI SEA. 9 



ofMisaki ascertain the position of their boats on the sea. This 

 they do with wonderful precision, like all people of their calling 

 on all coasts, by means of landmarks. I have often known them 

 return to the spot where they had lost their fishing gear days 

 before and successfully recover it from a depth of 300-400 hirof-'' 

 For the sea immediately to the west and south of Misaki, 

 an important landmrrk is furnished by a hill, called Togeyama, 

 situated on the Miura Peninsula about 87^ kilometers distant 

 from its southern q\\<\. The bill in question is lower than two 

 others in its proximity to the west, but is better adapted as an 

 indicator, on account of its sharply pointed apex. (See the 

 woodcut on p. 5). By bringing this apex to bear in a due 

 straight line with other landmarks on the sea-board, the fisher- 

 men at sea distinguish a series of lines for the orienting purpose. 

 Of these lines I have put down only the more important on 

 PI. XIV in blue. They are, beginning from the northernmost 

 on the Sagami Bay side, as followsf: 



1. Togeyama -e- Kotö.'l (T. in line with a certain landmark on 



the shore of Koto Bay). 



2. T. -©- Kozuha. (Kozuka, the name of a mound near Nagai 



Village and distinguished by a tall pine-tree when 

 seen from the sea). 



3. T. -e- Yahagi. (A pine-forest in Yahagi Village, on the 



shore north of Shimomiyata). 



* Hiro is a measure of length used by Japanese seamen for nautical purposes. It means 

 the span-length of one's outstretched arms. However, tlie fishermen do not fully extend 

 their arms in rapidly measuring the length of their lines and I have found by repeated ex- 

 periments that their 1 hiro equals 4.7 feet ( = 1.43 meter) on the average. 



t In the language of the Misaki fishermen, the different lines here mentioned are 

 called ' Kotô-gaké,' ' Kôzuka-gaké,' ' Yahagi-gaké,' &c., ' gaké ' meaning the act f)f 

 bringing one thing upon another. The mention of Togeyama is altogether avoided as being 

 understood. 



X The symbol -©- stands for ' in line with.' 



