211 



the rod should cant the ceh to the bhore with a quick but 

 steady motion, so as not to jerk them off: for they are 

 held merely by the fibres of the yarn. 



A boat is a great help on this occasion, as the eels, 

 when disengaged, give no trouble to hunt for them as 

 they do in the grass. 



There are various devices for catching eels, such as 

 wooden boxes baited with guts, Sec. which being sunk af 

 their haunts, they soon enter ; and not being always dis- 

 posed to go out when they have made their meal, such as 

 remain are taken out with the box, when it is drawn up. 



I recollect, when I was quite a boy, seeing an eel 

 taken out of a box wherein, from the utter impossibility 

 of its then passing through any of the augur- holes, it was 

 supposed to have been for a long time. The box was 

 taken out of a pond (near Wandsworth) which was clear- 

 ing out, and no person knew that a box had been sunk 

 in it. 



In all probability it had been left by some former pro- 

 prietor. I should remark, that in the eel were found 

 two smaller ones ; whence we may conclude it was lat- 

 terly compelled by hunger to destroy its own species. 

 The fish, weighed several pounds. 



Baskets made of ivithett, or osier, are set in many 

 places at the bottom of the water, for the purpose of 

 catchir eeh y or whatever may offer. These are called 

 by various names in different parts, such as hulUes, kei/s, 

 krails, uires, it'cirSj cags, cages, flues, and I believe 

 as many more. Some are small, and are laid chiefly for 

 gudgeons ; while those in use principally among the mil- 

 lers in the West of England, are as big as a hogshead, 

 and are very strongly bound together. 



This 



