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together in the manner I shall now show, and form a 

 continuous " string " of netting 4400 yards long. A few 

 inches above the top of the net the floats are arranged. 

 These are composed of small corks, about 3 to 4 inches 

 square, and about an inch thick, and are fastened to the 

 net by two ropes which run the entire length of the 

 "string." These ropes are fastened to the net by means 

 of cords called ossils, 400 of which are used for each 

 piece of net, and the union of all these ropes and corks 

 is called the "top line," or "top back," and serves to 

 extend the nets and keep them afloat. 



At the bottom of the nets another rope runs from end 

 to end, and this is called the " foot line," or " sole rope." 

 Suspended from this foot line, at distances of 50 yards, 

 or half a net, are other ropes, each 27 feet long, and called 

 "stoppers," and finally, at the bottom of the stoppers, runs 

 a thicker rope, " the warp," or " spring back," which is used 

 to haul the nets. 



Some use stoppers, which extend from the top line 

 downwards to the warps, but these are not so advantageous, 

 as they tend to huddle the net together ; whereas the 

 stoppers and warps, being suspended from the sole line or 

 bottom of the net, serve to keep the net strained to a 

 sufficient degree. 



Warps, &c., the full length of the nets are also used, 

 but this is a mistake. It is always advisable to leave, say 

 half a net free at the extreme end, for this steadies the 

 line, and consequently the whole net swings more evenly. 

 The " top line " is not held on board the boat, but the 

 " spring back," or " warp " is, and also a heavy rope called 

 the " swing warp " (about 50 yards long), which is fastened 

 to the end of the " sole rope," and this steadies the whole 

 arrangement when the boat is " lying to." 



