598 THE OCEAN WORLD. 



of which is attached to the net, and the other is moored to an anchor. 

 The madrague is intended to arrest the shoals of tunnies at the 

 moment when they abandon the shore in order to return to the open 

 sea. For this purpose a long alley or run is established between the 

 sea-shore and the park or madrague. The tunnies follow this alley, 

 and, after passing from chamber to chamber, betake themselves at last 

 to the body of the park. 



In order to force them into the madrague they are pressed towards 

 the shore by means of a long net, which is extended in their rear 

 attached to two boats, each of which sustains one of the upper angles 

 of the net. When the fishes come to the last compartment, the 

 fishermen raise a horizontal net, which makes a sort of plate of this 

 compartment, in which the fishes are gradually raised to the surface 

 of the water. This operation occupies the whole night. 



In the morning the tunnies are collected in a very narrow space, 

 and at varying distances from the shore ; and now the carnage com- 

 mences. The unhappy creatures are struck with long poles, boat- 

 hooks, and other weapons. The tunny- fishing presents a very sad 

 spectacle at this its last stage ; fine large fish perish under the blows 

 of a multitude of fishermen, who pursue their bloody task with most 

 dramatic effect. The sight of the poor creatures, some of them wounded 

 and half dead, trying in vain to struggle with their ferocious assailants, 

 is very painful to endure. The sea, red with blood, long preserves 

 traces of this frightful carnage, of which an illustration is attempted 

 in PL. XXXI. 



The flesh of the tunny is much esteemed, being firm and wholesome. 

 It is called the salmon of Provence. " For our part," says M. Figuier, 

 " we put it far above the salmon. Nothing is comparable to the fresh 

 tunny thrown into a hot frying-pan, and sprinkled with vinegar and 

 salt. When properly cooked, nothing can be more firm or savoury. In 

 short, nothing of the kind can rival, or even be compared, with the 

 tunny, as we find it at Marseilles and Cette." 



The tunny is greatly celebrated among the Greeks and other 

 inhabitants on the shores of the Mediterranean, of the Propontus, and 

 the Black Sea. The Eomans attached great value to certain parts of 

 this fish, as the head and the lower part of the belly. The neigh- 

 bouring parts were in little esteem with them. They cut them into 

 pieces and preserved them in vases filled with salt. They are now 



