LAWS OF THE FISHEIRY. 821 



A fish may be said to be in possession, whenever 

 it is connected, by any rope, pole, staff, or any other 

 similar controllable* medium, to a ship, or to a 

 boat containing one or more of her crew, or to or 

 with any individual belonging to the crew of the 

 said ship, whether he be in a boat, or on the ice, or 

 even in the water. Thus, if a fish be fast by a 

 liarpoon and line, or a line without a harpoon, — ^by 

 a man resting upon the fish, or touching it in any 

 part, though he be in the water himself, or upon a 

 piece of ice, — by having a man holding it with 

 a boat-hook, a cord, a lance, or any other article, — 

 or, indeed, by a man either holding one end of any 

 article which touches the fish with the other, or be- 

 ing in a boat with whose lines one end of such ar- 

 ticle is connected, — the fisli thus circumstanced is in- 

 disputably in possession. But no boat, or any num- 

 ber of boats connected with the fish, in the most se- 

 cure manner, where no person is with them, can 

 secure the possession of the fish, for even these 

 boats themselves appear to be in some measure free 

 prizes; at least, vmder such circumstances boats have, 

 occasionally, been peremptorily detained. 



* I use tlie word controllable here, to distinguish the articles 

 meant, from some others, which, though foniiing a connection, 

 do not establish the possession. For instance, a man may have 

 hold of, or be upon a piece of ice, which, on the opposite side, 

 vests against a fish, or touches it ; but though, in this case,. 

 tlicre is a kind of connection, the ice, not being under liis con- 

 tronl, does not convey the necessary possession. 

 VOL. II. X 



