THE THUNNY. 241 



Italian tonnaros, or nets. 



they make a great noise ; and, according to Plu- 

 tarch, go close together in regular rows like her- 

 rings ; which explains what Pliny says concern- 

 ing the fleet of Alexander the Great. " The 

 vessels being unable to pass through such an 

 army of fish, which could not be dispersed by 

 any noise, however great, they were obliged to 

 form in order of battle, and to advance against 

 them as against an enemy." 



There are considerable thunny fisheries in va- 

 rious parts of the Mediterranean, where they are 

 caught with a large net in the form of a sack, 

 called in Italy tonnavo. The principal person in 

 this fishery is called rais, or grand commandant, 

 who must be perfectly acquainted with every 

 circumstance relative to the capture of the thun- 

 ny. According to a pre-concerted plan, an im- 

 mense edifice is formed with a net extended in 

 the open sea, with such solidity, that amidst the 

 most violent tempest it remains immoveable as 

 a rock. It is about the beginning of the month 

 of April that the fishermen prepare these ton- 

 naros. They form a kind of maritime fortress, 

 which they erect at a great expence, with large 

 nets, and fix to the bottom of the sea with 

 anchors and leaden weights. Some idea may be 

 formed of a tonnaro, from the following account 

 given by M. Cetti, who says, that in a light boat 

 with ten oars, it took him three quarters of an 

 hour to go from one extremity to the other. 

 These tonnaros are always constructed in tli<r 

 VOL. v. NO. 35. 2 H 



