ii2 THE FISHERIES OF THE ADRIATIC, 



miles, and back again. Its course is always the same, from one year to 

 the other, and, as it would seem, age after age, — an ever-living stream 

 of undiminished fulness, furnishing food to thousands of the Mediterranean 

 populations. 1 



The fishermen must be continually on the watch for the shoals of fish ; 

 and for this purpose a watchman is constantly posted, during the season of 

 passage, at the top of an inclined ladder, at an angle of about 75 , forming 

 a kind of observatory, or crow's nest, whence the entrance of the fish can be 

 seen. These are the Tliynnoscopi, or Ichthyoscopi of the Greeks. When the 

 shoal has entered the enclosure, the entrance is at once closed by drawing 

 ashore a sufficient quantity of slack netting, which is left hanging for this 

 purpose at the outer end of the net, by means of a rope, the end of which is 

 kept on shore (see Plate XII., Tonnara di Pre /tic a). The alarm is then 

 sounded by throwing stones near the inlet through which the fish have just 

 passed, and by raising a hue and cry, in which all join, in order to drive the 

 shoal towards the closed end of the enclosure. The scene is now one of 

 intense excitement and bustle, the nets are hauled in, and the fish are killed 

 by means of spikes and oars, thrown ashore, disembowelled, and sent to 

 market. 



The Tonnara di Bitccarica (see Plate XIII.) is constructed in a more 

 complicated style, forming a series of three nets similar to that of Preluca. 

 The shoals of Tunny generally hug the land and enter the smaller net close 

 to the shore ; but, owing to the irregular conformation of the coast, they are 

 apt sometimes to pass outside the first or second net, in which case the 

 second and third larger nets are ready for their reception. Owing, again, to 

 the sea-bed not being properly levelled, the shoals sometimes escape under 

 the nets, in which cases the outer nets serve to prevent their further escape, 

 unless they find another exit below the next nets. As a last resource, a net is 

 drawn across the entrance of the bay in which the three nets are fixed, by 

 means of a boat, from the points, a b, shown in Plate XIII. The value of a 

 Tonnara varies in price from 600 florins (Preluca) to 2,000 florins (Peschera): 



1 Godwin-Austen. 



