"RAISING" MACKEREL. 367 



Thus in a collection of from six hundred to a 

 thousand vessels, cruising in one vast body, and 

 spreading over many miles of water, is kept up a 

 constant although silent and imperceptible com- 

 munication, by means of incessant watching with 

 good spyglasses. This is so thorough that a vessel 

 at one end of the fleet can not have mackerel 

 " alongside," technically speaking, five minutes, 

 before every vessel in a circle, the diameter of 

 which may be ten miles, will be aware of the fact, 

 and every man of the ten thousand composing 

 their crews will be engaged in spreading to the 

 wind every available stitch of canvas to force each 

 little bark as quickly as possible into close prox- 

 imity to the coveted prize. And then commences 

 the trial of speed. Then the best helmsman is 

 called to steer; every eye watches the sails, to see 

 that they draw w.ell, and every hand is ready to 

 jump to remedy any defect. Then is the anxious 

 moment for fishermen ; for they see spread out 

 before them a vast school of fish, in the midst of 

 which lie the few favored vessels which have suc- 

 ceeded in raising them, and are now reaping a 

 golden harvest. This is indeed the most exciting 

 scene in the experience of a mackerel catcher. 



The fish are caught with hook and line, each 

 fisherman using two lines. When hauled ou 

 board, they are "struck" off by a peculiarly quick 

 motion of the right hand and arm, into a "strike 

 barrel" standing behind and a little to the right 

 of its proprietor. The same motion which leaves 



