^24 CAPTURING THE TUNNY. 



The gar-fish is not uncommon on English coasts, and is 

 abundant in the Baltic. It attains a length of two or three 

 feet. The upper parts of the body are of a dark greenish- 

 blue mackerel tint, and a curious circumstance is that its 

 bones are green. It has been noticed that when this fish is 

 taken by the hook, it mounts to the surface often before the 

 fishermen have felt the bite, and there, with its slender 

 body half out of the water, struggles with the most violent 

 contortions to wrench the hook from its hold. 



In various chapters of this book we have already men- 

 tioned the mode of capturing the large inhabitants of the 

 deep — the whale, the seal, the shark, sea-unicorn, and oth- 

 ers. We must not omit another important fish of large di- 

 mensions, the Tunny ^ sometimes nine feet in length and up- 

 wards of a thousand pounds in weight, and belonging to the 

 Mackerel family. This fish is found in the Mediterranean 

 and the Atlantic Ocean, but chiefly in the former, where this 

 particular fishery is of great importance, and constitutes 

 one of the greatest branches of Sicilian commerce. The 

 fish appear at the latter end of May, at which time the ton- 

 naire, as they are called, are prepared for their reception. 

 This is a kind of aquatic castle, formed, at a considerable 

 expense, of strong nets fastened to the bottom of the sea 

 by anchors and heavy-laden weights. The tonnaires are 

 fixed in the passages amongst the rocks and islands that are 

 most frequented by the tunny-fish. Care is taken to close 

 wHh nets the entrance into these passages, except one small 

 opening, which is called the " outer gate." This leads into 

 the next compartment, which we may term the " hall." As 

 soon as the fishes have entered here, the fishermen who 

 stand sentries in their boats during the season shut the 

 outer entrance, which is done by letting down a small piece 

 of net, portcullis-fashion, which effectually prevents the 

 tunnies from returning by the way they came. The inner 

 door of the " hall " is then opened, which leads to another 



