MODE OP USING. 245 



the bow of the vessel, and she rides by it as if at 

 anchor. The benefit gained by the boat's hanging by 

 the end of the drift-rope is, that the net is Kept 

 strained in a straight line, which, without this pull 

 upon it, would not be the case. 



The nets are shot in the evening, and sometimes 

 hauled once during the night, at others allowed to 

 remain in the water all night. The fish, in shoals, 

 roving in the dark through the water, hang in the 

 meshes of the net, which are large enough to admit 

 them beyond the gill-covers and pectoral fins, but not 

 large enough to allow the thickest part of the body to 

 pass through. 



In the morning early, preparations are made for 

 hauling the nets. A capstan on the deck is manned, 

 about which two turns of the drift-rope are taken. 

 One man stands forward to untie each net from the 

 drift-rope, which is called casting off the lashings ; 

 others hand in the net with the fish caught, to which 

 one side of the vessel is devoted ; the other side is oc- 

 cupied by the drift-rope, which is wound in by the 

 hands at the capstan. The whole of the nets being 

 hauled in, and the fish secured, the vessel runs back 

 into harbour with her fish ; or depositing them on 

 board some other boat in company, that carries for the 

 party to the nearest market, the fishing- vessel remains 

 at sea for the next night's operation. 



Near to land another mode of fishing for mackerel 

 is adopted, which is thus described by Mr. Couch in 

 his MS. : A long deep net is employed, of which, 

 unlike the former, the meshes are too small to admit 



