90 PILCHARD. 



brought together, and fastened with cords, if at the same time 

 the quantity of fish is great, and the sea is rough or the tide 

 strong, it is further rendered secure by heavy grapnels, which 

 are carried off from it in the direction from which the danger 

 is to be feared. 



Such is the manner in which the sean is employed in first 

 securing the fish in many places; but it varies in different 

 stations, and more especially in the west and north of Cornwall. 

 In these latter districts the generally light colour of the 

 bottom enables the huer on the hills to discern the situation 

 and motions of the school much more clearly than is the case 

 on the eastmost borders, and on this account his services are 

 the more highly important; and on the north coast, in 

 addition to the usual sean, there is another net of about half 

 the length of the former, which is called a stop-net, and is 

 carried by another boat; and which, when the seaners begin 

 to shoot what may be termed the principal sean, the second 

 boat also throws out in the opposite direction. In some cases 

 two of these secondary nets are employed, and even three, by 

 which means the circle is completed in much less time and 

 in a larger compass than if only one net were employed; and 

 when the body of fish is large, as it often is at St. Ives, 

 where this method of employing seans is chiefly practised, it 

 is only thus that they could be effectually secured. It is also 

 only under very favourable circumstances, and with considerable 

 risk, that the fish thus enclosed in the circle of the net can 

 be warped, as they sometimes are, from the situation in 

 which they were first found into shallower water; but from 

 this account of the proceedings of the fishermen it will be 

 seen that it is not more difficult to take a thousand hogsheads 

 than a much less number; the only difference being, that with 

 the larger body the sean is regularly moored, while with a 

 small quantity this is unnecessary. It may even be said that 

 the taking of the larger body is the most easily effected; for 

 as its movements are more slow, its course is less liable to be 

 changed through any alarm. 



When the evening is closing in, and in preference when the 

 tide is low, preparations are made to take up the fish; and for 

 this purpose the principal sean is left undisturbed, while the 

 volyer passes within the enclosure and lays its sean, termed the 



