THE COD-FISHERY 



running ; and if we pulled up a buoy-line, we should see 

 that it is weighted at regular intervals by three large 

 glass balls. At the lowest of these, which would be 

 nearly down to mid- water, the single line becomes two ; 

 one running down to the anchor, at an obtuse angle ; the 

 other continuing in the same straight line with the buoy- 

 rope till it reaches a fourth ball which hangs within a 

 few feet of the bottom. Forming the third side of a 

 triangle, another line runs upwards from the anchor to 

 this fourth ball and, beyond it, to a fifth, placed at the 

 upper corner of the net. This fifth one is the first of a 

 long horizontal row which is threaded upon the whole 

 length of the upper edge of the net, whose other end 

 meets the second set of anchored guide-lines in precisely 

 the same manner as given above. The net thus hangs 

 perpendicularly, with but little freedom to move backwards 

 or forwards, its lower edge lying along the mud, and 

 kept there by another row of glass balls, each of which 

 hangs from a separate short cord tied to the bottom edge 

 of the net. 



One might think that, at such a time of year, the net 

 must needs lie a long time before it is anything like full. 

 On the contrary, it fills very speedily, and can be pulled 

 up any time within twelve or fifteen hours ; for the fish 

 will come out from the mud as soon as they are hungry ; 

 and, considering their vast numbers, the odds are that 

 wherever the net may fall, some hundreds of them, too 

 occupied with family cares to notice where they are 

 going, are bound to swim into the snare laid for them 

 in the course of a few hours. To guard against taking 



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