USING THE CROW-FOOT DREDGE 123 



hand for a few minutes. If it seems to move rather 

 unevenly it is a good sign it is catching the mussels, hut 

 if it drags very smoothly and evenly it is an indication 

 that the boat is not over the mussel bed. By using the 

 guide ropes on the mule the boat can be guided to the 

 right or left so as to move to a more favorable position. 

 The top rope of the mule is to regulate the speed of the 

 boat. The deeper the mule sets in the water, the faster 

 it moves the boat. By a little practice one can soon tell 

 just about the time required to get a loaded dredge bar 

 in a certain river. They should be taken from the water 

 at regular intervals, however, as when they are left to 

 drag too long, the mussels that have been caught on the 

 hooks will gradually let loose. In raising the dredge bar 

 the first thing to do is" to take the mule out of the 

 water. Then loosen the rope at the front and stand in 

 the center of the boat and pull in the rope and lift the 

 dredge and set it on the half rests. Then turn around 

 and place the other dredge into the water and let out 

 sufficient rope and tie the hauling rope to the front of the 

 boat again. The next thing is to place the mule to work 

 again and raise the loaded bar, one end at a time, upon 

 the high standard where the mussels can be pulled from 

 the hooks, and if some hooks are bent straight they may 

 be bent properly. The pearl hunter should stand in the 

 center of the boat while drawing in the dredge for the 

 reason that this plan will make the boat lie crosswise 

 with the stream and will therefore be in the proper posi- 

 tion when he turns around to place the other dredge into 

 the water, By the time the mussels are taken from the 



