THE FISHERIES OF THE FAR EAST 



are specially licensed by the Government, and seem to 

 prove a fruitful source of revenue. 



Japan, more ready to follow Western nations than its 

 neighbours, takes her fisheries very much in earnest. The 

 European trawl-net is in use, as also the various forms of 

 seine, though we cannot expect to find anything answer- 

 ing to our notions of a smack ; for the Japanese fishers 

 have no medium between the most up-to-date steam- 

 trawler and the old-fashioned junk. The latter is slightly 

 different in make and rig from the Chinese boat. It has 

 no bulwarks beyond a shallow plank ; is built rather high, 

 and has immense storing accommodation below decks. 

 At the very top of the mast is a bamboo yard from 

 which hangs the sail, plain, oblong, divided from top to 

 bottom, and so long that it almost sweeps the deck. 

 Another very common fishing-boat of native build, 

 though latterly of European rig, is the sampan. 



The magurO) a large, salmon-fleshed fish, the cod, 

 mackerel, and a variety of sea-bream called the tai, are 

 the commoner fish taken in the nets ; the last-named is 

 more often eaten raw than cooked, and either way it is 

 very appetising. I once saw the tai served up raw, 

 sprinkled with vinegar and herbs ; and the very next 

 course was the same fish cooked, stewed in a sort of 

 soupe au vin. 



The chief fishing ports are Hakodate, Nagasaki, and 

 Yokohama; in fact, till 1859, Yokohama had no other 

 occupation than fishing. 



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