The North Country Anghr. 79 



draw them up a hand breadth, and prop your 

 pole in such a manner, that you may see and 

 feel when the eels are tugging at the worms; 

 when you think they have swallowed some of 

 them far enough, you may draw them up easily 

 to the top of the water ; and then hoist them 

 away, and let them drop off into a basket, or 

 what else you have provided for that purpose. 



In many places they make junkets or eel- 

 traps, and put small live fish into them, and 

 lay them in deeps, among stones, or close under 

 dams, and let them lie two or three nights. 

 This is a very killing way, if the baskets are 

 nicely made, and well baited with a sheep's or 

 beast's liver, guts, &c. 



The millers, those base land-etters, have a 

 way to take them when they run, as they call it, 

 twice in the year, with a strong net, and some- 

 times a poke at the end of it ; which they fix 

 at the end of a sluice, and let the water run 

 through it all night ; and it were Well if they took 

 none but eels ; for when they go down, they 

 never return as salmon and trouts will, but get 

 to sea, and are what the fishermen call congers : 

 But these roguish -millers take carps, trouts, 

 salmons, salmon-fry, and whatever comes to netj 

 without offering them a bait, or letting them, 

 have any chance for their lives. 



