FISHING IN THE MEDITERRANEAN 



out to sea in smacks something like the old Algerine 

 xebecs, rigged with two and three lateen or triangular 

 sails, and furnished with a bag-net that resembles a 

 shrimp-net without the beam. Many of the Genoese 

 anchovy fishers use the same kind of tackle, shooting it 

 from a boat whose build would astonish English fishermen ; 

 for it is a short, broad, clumsy little thing with a double 

 curve along the bottom, leaving her with no keel, or 

 rather with a keel that is buried between the two curves ; 

 nevertheless, experienced persons say that no better boat 

 for the class of work could be found. 



The seine-catches are necessarily enormous. The shoals, 

 which can be seen from a great distance, announce their 

 presence by the pale tint which appears in patches on the 

 water; and at sight of these patches the boats put out. 

 Sometimes the Andalusians have no need to do more than 

 lie in wait on the shore, for the shoals come in so near 

 that it seems as if you could wade out and catch the fish 

 in buckets. Going leisurely to work, the rowing-boats 

 pull out to the far side of the nearest shoal, each two 

 carrying between them a seine a couple of hundred yards 

 long, six to eight fathoms deep in the middle, rounding 

 oft* to three or four at each end or wing. 



When a pair of boats has arrived at the desired spot 

 the seine is shot as soon as they have separated to a 

 distance equal to the length of the net, each end of which 

 is made fast to a long tow-line, the other ends of these 

 being tied one to each boat. Then the rowers pull back 

 very gently, the boats gradually getting nearer one an- 

 other again, and carry the tow-lines ashore, where women 



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