BRITISH, COLONIAL AND OTHER CORRESPONDENCE, ETC. 591 



trawl-irons, and one, known as the Barking pattern, from having 

 been adopted at that old trawling station on the Thames, is shaped 

 exactly like a stirrup; but generally the irons are preferred with 

 the aft side straight. We now have the long beam supported at 

 each end by a more or less stirrup-shaped iron fitted at right angles. 

 The next thing to be considered is the net. This was previously 

 spoken of as flattened and purse-shaped. When the net is spreacl 

 out in the manner it would be when working, the upper part or 

 back has its straight front edge fastened to the beam, but the corre- 

 sponding lower part or belly is cut away in such a manner that the 

 front margin forms deep curve extending from the shoe of the trawl- 

 head to the other, the centre of the curve or " bosoni," as it is called, 

 being at a considerable distance behind the beam. The usual rule 

 in English trawls is for the distance between the beam and the 

 bosom to be about the same as the length of the beaT-.. In French 

 trawls this distance is generally much less; but in all cases the 

 beam and back of the net must pass over a considerable space 

 of ground when the trawl is at work before the fish are disturbed 

 by much of the lower margin of the net. This lower edge of the 

 mouth of the trawl is fastened to and protected by the " ground- 

 rope," which is made of an old hawser " rounded " or covered with 

 small rope to keep it from chafing, and to make it heavier. The 

 ends of the ground-rope are fastened at each side by a few turns 

 round the back of the trawl-heads, just above the shoe, and the 

 rope itself rests on the ground throughout its entire curve. The 

 fish which may be disturbed by it have therefore no chance of 

 escape at either the sides or back of the net, and as the outlet under 

 the beam is a long way past them, and is steadily moving on, their 

 fate is sooner or later decided by their passing over the ground- 

 rope and finding their way into the funnel-shaped end of the net, 

 from which a small valve of netting prevents their return. The 

 ground-rope is the part which directly bears on the ground, and to 

 prevent the possibility of the fish passing under it, the rope should 

 have some weight in it so as to " bite " well, or press the ground 

 closely. It is, however, always made of old material, so that it may 

 break in case of getting foul of rocks or such other chance obstruction 

 as may be met with on the generally smooth ground where the trawl 

 can only be worked with advantage. If in such a contingency the 

 rope were so strong and good as not to break, there would be serious 

 danger of the tow-rope snapping, and then the whole apparatus 

 might be lost; but the ground-rope giving way enables the net to 

 be cleared and hauled up with probably no more damage to it than 

 the broken rope and perhaps some torn netting. The remaining 

 part of the trawl extending from the bosom to the extreme end, 

 forms a complete bag gradually diminishing in breadth to within 

 about the last 10 feet, which part is called the " cod or purse," and 

 is closed by a draw-rope or cod-line " at the extremity when the 

 net is being used. This is the general receptacle for the various 

 fishes which enter the net ; and when the trawl is hauled up and got 

 on board the vessel, the draw-rope is cast off and the fish all fall out 

 on the deck. We must now say a few words about the ingenious 

 contrivances for preventing the escape of the fish which have 

 entered the purse and reached the farthest extremity of the net. 

 It has been mentioned that the body of the net tapers away to the 



