136 SrOllT IN NOKTH AMERICA. 



This tlien is liow the fishermen proceed in working 

 these nets. The tunny fisliing is carried on twice a 

 day, evening and in the morning before sunrise. 

 Often during the early years of my youth I awoke 

 about three o'clock in the morning, and went to the 

 part of the beach where some of the fishermen were 

 waiting for me. I used to get into the boat of the 

 master-pilot, who led the party, and which was 

 followed by three other boats. 



The thing to be done was to find out the shoal of 

 tunnies, so as to drive them among the nets, and 

 this was generally soon done. Directly we saw 

 them bounding over the crests of the waves, the 

 four boats advanced upon them so as to drive them 

 along the nearest wall of the net, whence they were 

 conducted from chamber to chamber into the bastille 

 or prison of the net. And then, what delight it was 

 to see the beauties, with perhaps one or two excep- 

 tions, entangle themselves within the inextricable 

 intricacies of the nets. We would chase them with 

 shouts of triumph ; for the more noise made, the 

 more readily did the fish fall into the snare. At 

 length, the tunnies were all captive, when all that 

 remained to be done was to get them into the 



gation. If this objection had been taken in the case of the navigation 

 of a river, I could have understood it ; but I must confess that, as it 

 regards the sea, it appears to me somewhat chimerical. For my part, 

 I vote for the fishermen of Marseilles. Like a true epicure, I am fond 

 of tunny — a delicacy which the epicures of that city would be very 

 soriy to be deprived of. 



