ITS CONSTRUCTION. 421 



general use is called the Sfand-Niit, or fixed net, a kind 

 of flue, the nature of which will be readily understood 

 by the above drawing, taken from M. Rested. A A 

 represents the net when set ; DD two young seals making 

 their approaches towards it, and who, the worthy parson 

 naively remarks, " if they do not turn back, will presently 

 be made prisoners ; " C a seal already in the toils ; and 

 E another seal who, seeing his comrade "in a difficulty," 

 is about to beat a hurried retreat. This net, made of stout 

 twine, is from ten to fifteen fathoms in length, two to 

 three fathoms in depth, according to the locality and 

 depth of the water, with meshes five to six inches 

 square, just sufficient, in short, to admit the head of the 

 seal. It has an upper TelnUuj, or cork line, to which, 

 however, in lieu of corks, is attached a number of Flakor, 

 or oval-shaped pieces of charred wood, each about twelve 

 inches in length, and two in thickness.* But it has no 

 lower "Telning," or head-line, partly because, if there 

 were, the net, during the struggles of the seal, would be 

 apt to fasten to the bottom, and partly because it would 

 be a hindrance to the proper entanglement of the animal 

 in the meshes. 



The " Stand-Nilt " (or it may be nets, several being 

 occasionally fastened together) is most commonly set 

 near a " Skiil-Sten," though at others across a narrow 

 strait, leading to a bay or inlet of the sea that is resorted 

 to by seals. The way of setting it varies. Generally, 

 however, its innermost end is secured by means of a stout 

 rope to a heavy stone, or to sea-weed, on the " Skal-Sten " 

 itself, whilst its outermost end has no other fastening than 



* In lieu of these, people at times substitute straight wooden pins 

 about a foot in length, whicli are secured to the " Telning" by the middle 

 only ; and as soon, therefore, as the net is disturbed by the seal, tliese pins 

 fasten in the meshes, and the animal, in consequence, becomes so \vrap(ied 

 up, that extraction becomes a matter of greatly increased difficulty. 



