630 THE OCEAN WORLt>. 



times found eight and nine feet in length, and weighing 300 to 400 

 pounds. The upper part of the body is a bluish-black ; the belly is 

 grey, with silvery spots. These fishes sometimes present themselves 

 in the Atlantic, but in the Mediterranean they are very abundant. 

 At some periods of the year they approach the coast in innumerable 

 shoals, and in numerous serried ranks, forming a vast battalion, which 

 conceals itself under the waves, and only betrays itself on the exterior 

 by the motion of the sea, caused by such vast numbers travelling 

 rapidly through the water. In many localities the shoals of tunnies 

 show themselves in the spring, pursuing their way towards the sea; 

 and in the autumn we find them pursuing an opposite direction. We 

 see the same thing on the coast of Provence. Upon the coast of La 

 Ciotat a first fishing takes place from the months of March to July, 

 and a second again from July to October. But at other points of the 

 coast they arrive at the same time from very different directions \ 

 nevertheless, in some places they are only winter visitors. 



The tunny-fishing goes back to the remotest antiquity. The 

 Phoenicians, the first navigators known, carried it on on the coast of 

 Spain. In our days the fishing is carried on with great activity on 

 the coasts of Provence, of Sardinia, and Sicily. 



The fishing is generally carried on by the tunny-net, but in 

 Provence it is conducted in an enclosed pace called the madragne. 



The tunny-net consists of a combination of nets, which is quickly 

 cast into the sea in order to head the tunnies at the moment of their 

 passage. When the sentinels, posted for the purpose, as in the pil- 

 chard fishery, have signalled the approach of a shoal of tunnies, and 

 its direction, by the indications of a flag which points to the spot 

 occupied by the finny tribe, the fishing-boats are immediately directed 

 to the designated spot, and ranged in curved lines, forming with the 

 light floating net a half circular enclosure, turned towards the shore, 

 the interior of which is called the garden. The tunnies thus enclosed 

 in this garden, between the coast and the net, become agitated with 

 terror. As they advance towards the shore they press upon the en- 

 closure, or rather a new interior enclosure is formed with other nets 

 held in reserve. In this second enclosure an opening is left, through 

 which the tunnies have to pass. In continuing thus to diminish the 

 space by successive enclosures, each occupies a smaller diameter, in 

 which the fish are enclosed in about a fathom and a half of water. 

 At this moment a species of seine-net is thrown into the garden. This 

 net is hauled into shallow water by the fishermen, and the small 

 tunnies are taken by the hand, the larger by hooks. The boats are 

 filled with them, and they are carried ashore. A single day's fishing 



