THE SEA FISH OF TRINIDAD AS SEA-FOOD 39 



possible, and in such a position as to be out of the way, and 

 at the same time conveniently placed for lowering again 

 when required. All this may be easily effected by having 

 the beam of such a length in proportion to the size of the 

 vessel that when hoisted up one end of it may come over the 

 taffrail, with the iron head just clear outside, and the fore 

 end in front of one of the shrouds. The object and use of the 

 beam is to extend the mouth of the net, but in order to allow 

 room for the fish to enter, the beam, and with it the back of 

 the net which is laced to it, must be raised a certain distance 

 from the ground. For this purpose the beam is fastened at 

 each end to the top of an iron frame, shaped somewhat 

 like an irregularly formed stirrup, which is fitted to it at right 

 angles by a square socket at the top. By these ' heads ' or 

 'irons,' the beam is supported at a height of nearly 3 ft. 

 from the groimd, and, contrary to the popular idea on the 

 subject, never touches the bottom. The lower part of the 

 trawl-head or iron is straight and flat, just like the corre- 

 sponding part of a stirrup. It is called the 'shoe' and is the 

 part which slides over the ground as the trawl beam and 

 following net are towed along. We now have the long beam 

 supported at each end by a more or less strirup-shaped iron 

 fitted at right angles. The next thing to be considered is the 

 net. When the net is spread out in the manner it would be 

 when working, the upper part or back has its straight front 

 edge fastened to the beam, but the corresponding lower part 

 or belly is cut away in such a manner that the front margin 

 forms a deep curve extending from the shoe of one trawl- 

 head to the other, the centre of the curve, or bosom as it is 

 called, being at a considerable distance behind the beam. 

 This lower edge of the mouth of the trawl is fastened to and 

 protected by the 'ground-rope,' which is made of an old 

 hawser 'rounded' or covered with small rope to keep it from 

 chafing and to make it heavier. The ends of the ground- 

 rope are fastened at each side by a few turns round the back 

 of the trawl-heads, just above the shoe, and the rope itself 

 rests on the ground throughout its entire curve. The fish 

 which may be disturbed by it, have, therefore, no chance of 

 escape at either the sides or back of the net, and as the outlet 



