242 PRODUCE OP TRAWL-NET. 



at each end of the beam, called the trawl-heads, which 

 assist by their weight to sink the net and keep it on 

 the ground. The upper edge of the netting is at- 

 tached along the whole length of the beam ; the lower 

 edge is fastened along a heavy rope called the ground- 

 rope, and follows, on the ground, considerably behind 

 and below the advanced straight line of the beam, 

 forming the portion of the circle seen through the 

 upper surface of the net in the representation. This 

 sort of net is only adapted for taking those fish that 

 live upon, or very near, the bottom. When drawn 

 along, the first part of the net that touches the fish 

 is the ground-rope, from the contact of which the fish 

 darts upwards ; but that part of the net hanging 

 from the beam is not only over, but also in advance 

 of him, while the onward draught of the net, by the 

 progress of the boat, soon brings the fish against the 

 closed end of the tail, and if he then shoots forward 

 towards the mouth of the net, he is stopped and en- 

 tangled in pockets that only open backwards. As the 

 fish in the tide-way lie with then" head against the 

 stream, the fishermen trawl with the tide; that is, 

 draw the net down with the stream, carrying only so 

 much sail on their boat as will give their net the 

 proper degree of speed along the ground generally at 

 the rate of two and a half or three miles an hour. 

 When it is desirable to examine the contents of the 

 net, the beam is hauled up to the side of the boat by 

 the trawl-warp, the tail of the net is handed in, untied, 

 and the contents shaken out. The produce, depend- 

 ing somewhat on the nature of ground over which the 



