190 DEEP-SEA FISHING. 



tance from tlie shore is also required. It may appear 

 remarkable to many persons that the Act should ex- 

 pressly state that the fathoms by which the nets and 

 gear are to be measured are to be fathoms of six feet 

 each ; but there is a reason for it, inasmuch as the 

 " fisherman's fathom" in the west of Cornw^all usually 

 consists of only five feet. We do not remember hearing 

 of this short fathom on any other part of our coasts. 



The above dimensions are the smallest allowed for 

 these scans, but there is no limit in the other direction, 

 except that imposed by the difficulty of working much 

 larger nets. Those in use at St. Ives vary from IGO to 

 200 fathoms in length, and are from 8 to 10 fathoms 

 deep; the meshes being from 18 to 20 to the foot, or 

 about tin-ee-quarters of an inch square, and of the same 

 size throughout. The back of the net is supported by 

 a well-corked rope above, and the foot is weighted with 

 leads a little over two pounds each. The quantity of 

 netting in one of these scans is enormous, and the 

 extent of it far exceeds the dimensions of the scan as 

 prepared ready for use ; for 18 feet of netting or 

 "twine" are mounted on every 11 feet of back rope, 

 and the same quantity of netting on 10 feet of rope at 

 the foot. There is consequently a great deal of elas- 

 ticity in the net between the back and foot ropes to 

 meet the varying pressure of the fish when large 

 numbers have been surrounded, and the two ends of 

 tlie scan are brought together. 



Besides the scan, but only in conjunction with it, one 

 or two stop-nets, each not exceeding 120 fathoms in 

 length, are used when first surrounding the fish, so that 

 altogether about 400 fathoms of net are employed in 

 one operation of seaning at St. Ives. 



As there are nearly 250 scans there and only six 



