90 TUNNY. 



well-known practice as early as the days of Pisistratus, about 

 five hundred and fifty years before Christ, — 



"The net is set, and dexterously thrown; 

 By the clear moonlight shall the Tunnies come;" 



we will content ourselves with quoting the accounts left us 

 by the ancient writers — ^Elian and Oppian, the narrative by 

 the former author being of greater interest to us from the 

 fact, that there is reason for supposing that what he describes 

 is the origin of a practice now used on a part of the coast 

 of CornAvall for taking Pilchards. The antiquity and origin 

 of the thing will further appear from some remarks which we 

 owe to the kindness of an eminent scholar, who does not 

 survive to accept the thanks we would have offered him for 

 the information thus afforded, ^lian says (B. 15, C 5.) that 

 the people who lived in the cities of Portus Avere well aware 

 of the times when these fishes came to their coasts; and they 

 prepared for them with boats, nets, and the other materials 

 that were necessary; and especially they reared up in some 

 commanding situation a watch-tower for the use of a man 

 whom we may well designate the huer, and who answers to 

 him who for the same purpose is employed also on the coasts 

 of Italy; but the towers spoken of by Strabo were built of 

 stone, whereas the one described by ^lian was formed of 

 stout beams of wood. Each boat had a crew of six young 

 men, and carried a long net, which was floated by means of 

 corks along the head line, and the bottom weighed down with 

 leads. When the weather was favourable the huer descried 

 the approaching school, and gave the alarm. The movements 

 of the rowers were guided by the sounds he uttered, and so 

 skilfully was the proceeding conducted, that it often happened 

 that the whole of the school became their prize. It will 

 sometimes happen, however, that this assembled army of fish 

 will change their course, and pass off towards the deeper 

 water; but this was soon detected by the ready observation 

 of the huer, who directed his orders accordingly. A long- 

 hawser was fastened to one of the posts of the huer's watch- 

 tower for the purpose of sustaining the shore end of the net; 

 and several boats proceeded in chase, each one Avith a section 

 of the net that was intended to enclose the school. The first 



