110 "LA PIPA ! LA PIPA !" 



miserable shoal, and is now in the net. Haul away, my 

 men, and we shall soon make short work of him ! As 

 the flooring continues to rise, the pipa swims to the sur- 

 face, puzzled by such an unusual movement in the 

 tranquil deep ; and no sooner is he seen than three tre- 

 mendous vociferations welcome him. Frightened by the 

 noise, he darts now in one direction and then in another ; 

 rises to the top, plunges down again ; and, in fact, be- 

 haves like a pipa clean gone out of his senses. Up he 

 comes once more, to escape from the mass of tunnies 

 struggling at the bottom of the net ; makes a swift, 

 sudden sweep around the enclosure to find an opening, 

 and finding none, rushes against the -barrier, and with 

 his long weapon rends the meshes. In vain ; he is now 

 hopelessly entangled in the wreck, and in a minute half 

 a dozen harpoons quiver in his body. He struggles 

 violently in his pain, but blow after blow is rained upon 

 him; the water around is "incarnadined;" and in less 

 time than it takes us to tell the story the great scomber 

 is hauled on board. The shouting grows terrific ; ir- 

 regular, excited, rapid shouting, such as proceeds only 

 from an Italian crowd. "Five scudi, my lads, for our 

 share," ciies one of the leading captors ; and " Bless the 

 Virgin and St. Anthony," exclaims another, " he has 

 done but little damage to the net !" 



" Now," say our boatmen, " now, signor, we shall pre- 

 sently see the tunny;" and accordingly, as the movable 

 floor of the camera della nwrte comes to within a few 

 feet of the surface, a motley host of large fish, chiefly of 

 the scomber family, all in violent agitation at the unusual 

 sights and sounds, dash and splash about, and beat the 

 waters into foam. The work of slaughter commences, 



