276 A HISTORY OF 



the fisherman of all great rivers make a regular preparation for its re 

 ception. At Pillau, particularly, the shores are formed into districts, 

 and allotted to companies of fishermen, some of which are rented for 

 about three hundred pounds a year. The nets in which the sturgeon 

 is caught, are made of small cord, and placed across the mouth of the 

 river ; but in such a manner that, whether the tide ebbs or flows, the 

 pouch of the net goes with the stream. The sturgeon thus caught, 

 while in the water, is one of the strongest fishes that swims, and often 

 breaks the net to pieces that encloses it ; but the instant it is raised 

 with its head above water, all its activity ceases ; it is then a lifeless, 

 spiritless lump, and suffers itself to be tamely dragged on shore. It 

 has been found prudent, however, to draw it to shore gently ; for, if 

 excited by any unnecessary violence, it has been found to break the 

 fisherman's legs with a blow of its tail. The most experienced fishers 

 therefore, when they have drawn it to the brink, keep the head still 

 elevated, which prevents its doing any mischief with the hinder par* 

 of the body : others, by a noose, fasten the head and the tail toge- 

 ther ; and thus, without immediately despatching it, bring it to the 

 market, if there be one near, or keep it till their number is completed 

 for exportation. 



The flesh of this animal, pickle^ is very well known at all the ta- 

 bles of Europe ; and is even more prized in England than in any of 

 the countries where it is usually caught. The fishermen have two 

 different methods of preparing it. The one is by cutting it in long 

 pieces lengthwise, and, having salted them, by hanging them up in 

 the sun to dry : the fish thus prepared is sold in all the countries of 

 the Levant, and supplies the want of better provision. The other 

 method, which is usually practised in Holland, and along the shores 

 of the Baltic, is to cut the sturgeon crosswise, into short pieces, and 

 put it into small barrels, with a pickle made of salt and saumure. 

 This is the sturgeon which is sold in England ; and of which great 

 quantities came from the North, until we gave encouragement to the 

 importation of it from North America. From thence we are very well 

 supplied ; but it is said, not with such good fish as those imported 

 from the North of Europe. 



A very great trade is also carried on with the roe of the sturgeon, 

 preserved in a particular manner, and called Caviar : it is made from 

 the roe of all kinds of sturgeon, but particularly the second. This is 

 much more in request in other countries of Europe than with us. To 

 all these high-relished meats, the appetite must be formed by "de- 

 grees ; and though formerly even in England it was very much in re- 

 quest at the politest tables, it is at present sunk entirely into disue. 

 It is still, however, a considerable merchandize among the Turks, 

 Greeks, and Venetians. Caviar somewhat resembles soft soap in con- 

 sistence ; but it is of a brown, uniform colour, and is eaten as cheese 

 with bread. The manner of making it is this : they take the spawn 

 from the body of the sturgeon for it is to be observed that the stur- 

 geon differs from other cartilaginous fish, in that it has spawn like a 

 cod, and not eggs like a ray. They take the spawn, I say, and free- 

 ing it from the small membranes that connect it together, they wash 

 A. with vinegar, and afterward spread it to dry upon a table ; they 

 ihen put it into a vessel with salt, breaking the spawn with thejr hands 



