AND THE FISH THEREOF. 139 



venturini, i.e., out of the regular season, half of the proceeds goes to the 

 master {padrone), and half to the crew, each supplying his own victuals, and 

 the padrone the wood for lighting. During the regular season, from May to 

 September {scuri priucipali), the partition is of a more complicated descrip- 

 tion. The padrone provides bread and wine for the crew for the twenty 

 nights {scuri), and the firewood for lighting. After each day's haul, ten 

 per cent, is equally divided on the spot amongst the crew, and three and 

 one-third per cent, between the direttore delta tratta and the vogatore (rower). 

 The former is the master of the seine, and the latter the master of the 

 Gaeta, with whom rests the responsibility of finding out the shoals, and 

 leading the craft to a convenient place for making the haul, by means of the 

 artificial light he carries on board. 



This first division is known as the porzione piccola (small share). 



At the end of the twenty nights' fishing in each month of the scuri 

 priucipali the accounts are made up, and the net proceeds are divided into 

 twenty-six shares. Of these four go to the owners of the net, one share to 

 the owners of each of the three boats engaged in the fisheries, and one share 

 to the Church for the privilege of being allowed to fish on Sundays and feast- 

 days, in virtue of a Bull of Pope Alexander III. The remaining eighteen 

 are equally divided amongst the crew, including the master {direttore). Thus, 

 if, as is sometimes the case, the direttore happens to be at the same time the 

 padrone, or owner of craft and gear, he receives altogether eight shares. 



The cost of outfit, i.e., bread, wine, and firewood, is deducted from the 

 proceeds before the final distribution takes place, so that, in fact, everybody 

 bears his share. But, if no catch is made during the month, the padrone, 

 who provides for the outlay in the first instance, has to bear the whole 

 loss, as the expense cannot be carried over to the next month's account. 

 On the other hand, the padrone has the advantage, that the crew is 

 obliged to sell him its share of the catch at about ten shillings a barrel, or 

 half the market value, the difference being supposed to defray the cost of 

 curing and packing. The crew retains for its own use only one barrel for 

 every ten barrels thus sold to the padrone. If the direttore is not at the 

 same time padrone, he receives from the latter a gratuity. 



T 2 



