134 PEARLS AND PEARLING 



oughly this plan is a good one, but one has to be very 

 careful to keep the net from getting caught in the pro- 

 peller. 



There is another method which is more commonly 

 used in which the rope does not allow the net to go back 

 as far as the propeller wheel. The boat is first placed 

 over the mussel bed, and the rudder is set to keep the 

 boat in a circle. The dip net is placed in the water on 

 the side of the boat that will put it inside of the circle 

 and the engine is started. In using either method the 

 operator must press the dip net downward so the teeth 

 will dig into the mud in order to catch the mussels. When 

 the net is full it is lifted to the surface and splashed into 

 the water a few times to wash out the mud and then the 

 mussels are emptied into the boat. 



One man can run an outfit by arranging a guiding 

 lever where he stands so he can guide the boat with one 

 knee. Many of the boats have two men, though. 



Where "shelling" is good two men, or one man and a 

 boy, can gather nearly a ton of shells in half a day, with 

 a boat containing a strong engine. 



Some boats are rather short for this work and a boom 

 is placed on the bow of the boat. An old wagon tongue 

 costs twenty-five cents and answers for this purpose very 

 nicely. The heavy end of the tongue is bolted to heavy 

 timbers at the bow of the boat and the rope is attached 

 to the pole cap iron at the end of the tongue. The outfit 

 is then long enough to allow the use of a longer rope 

 which will reach to the bottom of the river. 



The dip net is very practical where the water is not 



