ENGLISH WHITE FISHERIES. 295 



between the fhank and the point,* The line 

 is made of finall cording, and is always tanned be- 

 fore it is ufed. Turbots, and all the rays, are ex- 

 tremely delicate in their choice of baits. If a piece 

 of herring or haddock has been 12 hours out of the 

 fea, and then ufed as bait, they will not touch it. 



Such is the manner of fifhing on theEngliHi coaft 

 for thofe fifh that ufually keep near the bottom ; and 

 Duhamel obferves, that the belt weather for fucceed- 

 ing, is a half calm^ when the waves are juft curled 

 with a filent breeze* t 



la 



* The hooks ufed in England are genecally white and bright, 

 ^s if plated. Of this circumftance the fifhermen are very exa<% 

 taking care to fcour or polifii them occaiionally. 



f But the extent of the Englilh fiming lines, \vhich run, as we 

 have feen, 3 miles along the bottom, is nothing to what the Itali- 

 ans throw out in the Mediterranean. Their fiihery is carried on 

 in a Tartan, which is .a vellel much larger than ours ; and they 

 ibait a line of no lefs than 20 miles long, with 10 or 12000 hooks. 

 This line is called the Parafma, and the frflving goes by that of the 

 Fielago. The line is not regularly drawn every 6 hours, as on the 

 icoaft of Yorkfhire, but remains fome time in the fea ; and requires 

 ^4 hours to take it up. By this apparatus they take rays, (harks., 

 .and other fifti, fome of which are above -1000 pound weight. 

 When they have caught any of this .magnitude, they llrike them 

 through with an harpoon., to bring them on bearo^, and kill them 

 sis fad as they can. 



This method of catching fifn is obvioufly fatiguing and dange- 

 rous, but the value of the capture generally repays the labour. The 

 fkate and the thornback are -very good food ; and their fize, which 

 Js from i o pound to 200 weight, iufficiently rewards the trouble of 

 timing for them. But it {ometimes happens that the lines are vi- 

 fi ted by very unwelcome intruders; by the rough-ray, the fire- 

 <flare, or the torpedo. To all theie the'fimermen have the greateft 

 -antipathy; and, when difcovered, mudderat the fight ; however, 

 they are not always ib much upon their guard, but that they fome- 

 -tirnes teel the diffetent refentments of this angry tribe ; and, in- . 

 ftead of a prize, find they have caught a vindictive enemy. When 

 Juch is the cafe, they .'take care to -threw them back into' their own 

 element with theiu jfteft. expedition. 



The rough-ray inflich but flight wounds with the prickles wifb 

 -which its whole body is furnilhed. To the ignorant it ieems harm-' 



, and a man would at firft fight venture to take it in his hand, 

 any apprehenlioiij but he loon finds that there is not a 

 T 4 



