86 LUNDY ISLAND. 



the boat ; and I for one looked forward with interest 

 to this essay in rifling the treasures of the deep sea. 



On the eastern side of the island the proprietor, 

 some years since, had endeavoured to form an oyster- 

 bed : the ground was suitable, and he had stocked it 

 with living oysters. The result of the experiment 

 had not as yet been tested, and it was proposed that 

 we should make the first examination. 



The dredge, as most of my readers are probably 

 aware, is a bag attached to an iron frame, one side of 

 which is bent outward, so as to form a sort of lip or 

 edge, for the purpose of scraping the ground. The 

 lower side of the bag, or that which drags over the 

 bottom, is formed, not of any textile materials, but of 

 large iron rings, interlocked so as to make a loose 

 chain-work. To a bridle across the mouth a rope is 

 attached, of sufficient length to allow the dredge to 

 lie on the bottom at a considerable distance astern. 

 In action, the dredge is dropped overboard carefully, 

 so that it shall fall lip downward ; the rope is allowed 

 tor run out to a sufficient length, and is then passed 

 over the stern, and belayed. The boat is now rowed, 

 or sailed, if the wind be fair, over the ground ; and 

 its motion being communicated to the dredge, the 

 iron lip scrapes up and lodges in the bag whatever 

 lies loose upon the bottom. The mud, sand, and 

 shingle, which are scraped up also, and everything, 

 in short, that is much below the size of an oyster, 

 passes through the iron meshes or links of the chain, 

 while everything above their size is retained. After 



