190 ON THE ECONOMICAL USES OF FISHES. 



of this fishery, and there was, until lately, a bounty 

 of 8s. 6d. on every hogshead exported. 



Pilchards are caught with seans or drift nets, but 

 principally with the former. By means of one or more 

 seans, each of which is 360 feet in length and 36 

 in depth, a shoal is enclosed ; then the bottom of the 

 net is drawn together by a peculiar contrivance, and 

 the fish, thus prevented from escaping, are taken 

 out at low water in small bag nets. Sometimes, 

 according to Mr. Yarrell, the quantity enclosed is so 

 great, that a week may elapse before the whole can 

 be conveniently disposed of, a part being taken up 

 every night. Seven thousand hogsheads, or about 

 twenty-four millions and a half of pilchards, are said 

 to have been taken at once from a single shoal, which, 

 however, may cover an extent of several square miles. 



Drift-nets, as we said before, are also used for the 

 same purpose, and several are joined together when 

 required, sometimes extending three quarters, of^ a 

 mile. The most successful time for using them is 

 during a hazy night, with a slight swell or breeze. 

 The nets are drawn soon after sunset, and again 

 before morning, and it is considered a moderate 

 capture if from five to ten thousand fish are taken 

 in a single night. 



Such as are intended for exportation are pickled, 

 and afterwards packed in barrels by means of great 

 pressure, which reduces the bulk of the fish to one- 

 third of what it formerly was, and during this pro- 

 cess, there is obtained a coarse but pure oil in the 

 proportion of three or four gallons from a hogshead 



