248 FISHES I HAVE KNOWN 



hogsheads, the tails pointing to the centre and the 

 heads out. 



By means of heavily weighted levers, pressure is 

 applied, the casks are re-filled and pressed three 

 times a day for over a week, and at last they are 

 fit to be fastened down. The resultant oil is 

 valuable for several purposes, chiefly for mixing 

 paints. 



I have often seen the heading-up of these 

 casks, and wondered how, even by way of morti- 

 fying the flesh during Lent, foreigners could 

 consume these fair-maids. They smell like very 

 fishy bacon. 



At Mevagissy, near St. Austell, South Corn- 

 wall, a sardine industry was established some 

 years ago, mainly through the enterprise of 

 Messrs. Fox, of Falmouth, it being decided by the 

 most competent authorities that young pilchards 

 were identical with the real sardines, which are 

 comparatively scarce even on the coasts of France, 

 sprats being largely substituted for them. Pil- 

 chards were also put up whole in tins. 



Both these products were excellent, but, some- 

 how, the prejudiced public did not extensively 

 patronise these essentially British goods, moderate 

 in price though they were. Neither did they take 

 kindly to the excellent Deal sardines, though 



