FISHERMEN AND FISHERIES. 231 



In Drifting, the nets are each about 60 feet long, and 

 extend, connected consecutively by a surface rope in an 

 aggregate or " fleet," for from one to three miles. These 

 drift with the tide ; the upper portion of their width is kept 

 near the surface by floats and buoys on a " back " rope, 

 whilst the remainder hangs like a perpendicular wall for 

 20 feet beneath the sea. Each net is attached at every few 

 inches by a short rope to the " back " rope, whilst the back 

 rope at every 20 feet is attached by longer ropes called 

 " seizings " (which may be altered in length to raise or 

 lower the back rope beneath the surface as may be desir- 

 able) to the surface rope or warp, which extends from the 

 vessel to the farthest net in the " train," and is indicated at 

 intervals by floating kegs or " bowls." Surface fish of the 

 first class, coming in contact with the meshes, force their 

 heads through, and are prevented from returning by the 

 expansion of their gills on the further side. Herodotus in 

 ancient days remarked on the obstinacy which shoal fish 

 display in continuing their course, instead of diverting it, 

 when they meet with an obstacle which at first does not 

 appear to them impenetrable. This pertinacity, which is 

 probably occasioned the leaders of a shoal by the pressure 

 of the myriads in their rear, still stands our unclassical 

 fishermen in good stead. 



In Seaning, the single net (sean, seine, Greek a-dyrjvri) is 

 attached at one end by a long rope to a boat on the shore. 

 The net having been rowed out to sea, the other end is 

 drawn towards the first in a semicircle, and the fish of any 

 class found in the particular waters circumvented are em- 

 bosomed in the folds. On the north of Cornwall a compli- 

 cated variation of this method is applied to the pilchard 

 fishery ; on other coasts it is practised on a small scale only, 

 and amongst most of the fishing class ground seaning is 



