i 3 8 THE FISHERIES OF THE ADRIATIC, 



Comisa are already on the watch for fish at the more distant poste off the 

 island of Pelagosa. 



The groups (Brose/ietti) consist of four nets. The nets vary from 

 40-100 fathoms in length, 12-18 fathoms depth of bag, the wings measuring 

 4 fathoms in depth. The Croat names used in Dalmatia are as follow : — 

 the seine-net is called Mrjcza srdcljna ; the bag, Gaja ; the mouth of the 

 bag, Gdse ; the wings, Krilo. One of the drag-ropes is called usaprva; the 

 other, usa zatcga ; they are kept at the surface of the water by means of 

 small casks. 



The iron basket, carried by the boat, Ga'cta (see page 100), for fuel, is 

 called Svitalo ; the fuel itself, Lut. The third boat, which is used for landing 

 the fish, is called Ciglarica. While the fishing is going on, a fire is kept 

 burning on the shore to serve as a landmark : this fire is called palak. The 

 weighted line (s/candaj), used on board the Ga'cta [see page 100), has a hollow 

 pumpkin (tifcva) to sustain it in the water. 



The fuel required is a considerable item of expense. Fifteen cubic m. 

 are used for each net during the twenty scuri of each month, thus making 

 75 m., or 375 florins for the season, at 5 florins per metre. Thirty tratte 

 from Lissa consume 2,250 cubic m. in the course of the season at a cost of 

 10,000 florins; and eighty tratte, hailing from Lesina, 6,000 cubic m. at an 

 expense of 27,000 florins. The devastation of the forests caused by these 

 requirements accounts for the rise in prices from i^fl. to 5 fl. per cubic m. 

 On the island of Lesina alone 50,000 trees are felled every year for the 

 purpose of these fisheries. Supplies are also drawn from Curzola (Corcyra 

 nigra of old, thus called on account of its dense forests), Lagosta, Lissa, 

 Brazza, Meleda, &c. The wood used is the Finns maritima (Croat, morski 

 bor), Juniperus oxycedrus (Croat, smrc), Juniperus phoenicea (Croat, gluhac), 

 and Juniperus macrocarpa (Croat, puk). Common fir-wood (zappino) is also 

 imported from Apulia, the demand exceeding the local supply. 



Division of Profits. 

 The division of the yield of the seine-fisheries amongst the fishermen is 

 deserving of notice. It varies according to locality and season. During the 



