LONG-HAULING 



I6I 



The shore faces almost due south, and we 

 worked from west to east; but instead of bringing 

 the eastern arm of the seine semicircular-wise back 

 to the beach, it was shot out almost straight in a 

 south-easterly direction. The boat rowed towards 

 shore as far as the grass . rope would reach; a 

 grapnel was put down for anchor; and the three of 

 them aboard, sitting down and swinging to it as if 

 they were rowing, hauled on the grass rope till the 

 eastern arm of the net came level with the boat. 

 Having taken up the grapnel, they again rowed 

 towards shore, paying out the rope, and again they 

 anchored and hauled in their end of the net 

 another rope's length. Finally, paying out the 

 rope a third time, they reached the shore itself and 

 went on hauling therefrom. 



We worked all night, the eight of us, four on 

 each arm of the seine — shooting, long-hauling, 

 boating the net, boxing the fish, shifting further 

 east, and shooting again. Eight hauls we made. 

 The harvest moon rose red above the horizon; 

 chmbed the sky; bathed sea and cliffs in a silvery 

 shimmer. Before us was the limitless water and a 

 moonglade that stretched to the end of sight; 

 above us the cliffs seemed to reach right up to the 

 tranquil star-splashed heavens; and underneath, 



M 



