COLLECTING HEX. IN THE SAGAMI SEA. 17 



snoods, each of which terminates in a simple hook. The snood 

 is a hempen string about IV2 mm. thick and about 1 hiro long, 

 fixed to the main-line at intervals of the same length. The hook 

 is made of brass or iron wire, ly.. mm. thick and 45 mm. long 

 in the unbent state. Its point is barbed and slightly bent in- 

 wards in order to prevent its catching the hard bottom too 

 frequently and thus becoming straightened out by the pull. 

 When in store, the dabo-line is coiled up in shallow baskets, 

 each containing normally 100 hiro of the main-line with about 

 an equal number of the snoods and hooks. The hooks are stuck 

 to the basket-edge in a serial row, so that when the main-line 

 is being paid out they are detached and given off in succession 

 from one end to the other of the row. Ten to twenty basketfuls 

 are used at a time, the main-lines being tied end to end. 



The boat for dabo-lining is manned by at least five men. 

 On the way to the fishing ground, generally under sail, the 

 baiting of the hooks is accomplished with expedition. For the 

 bait is employed any kind of cheaply or conveniently obtainable 

 fish, cut into suitable sizes. Arrived at the fishing ground, a 

 strong rope, thicker than the main-line in the baskets, and of a 

 length somewhat greater than the depth at the spot, is paid out. 

 This rope is intended to descend perpendicularly to the bottom. 

 Its upper end is buoyed, generally by means of a closed tub to 

 which is fixed a wand with a bunch of bamboo-branches at the 

 top, — a broom-like arrangement which is kept erect by the 

 weight of the perpendicular rope below and serves as a sight- 

 mark from distances. To the lower end of the rope is attached 

 a stone as a sinker and here is also tied one end of the dabo- 

 line in the basket. As the sinker descends and the boat is 

 slowly rowed away, the dabo-line runs out of itself, while one 



