A GREAT CAPTURE. 113 



and still the flooring continues to ascend. The entire 

 shoal, or host, of tunnies is discovered. Jostled and 

 pressed one against another, you see these monstrous 

 fish flinging themselves desperately against the sides of 

 the enclosure, exposing their black backs besprinkled 

 with large spots of yellow, or clearing the crimson waters 

 with their great crescent-shaped fins. In their midst a 

 few stray sword-fish leap and tumble like frantic gym- 

 nasts. Intoxicated by the immensity of the spoil before 

 them, the fishermen ply their weapons with the greatest 

 animation, until the spectacle becomes one of indiscrimin- 

 ate butchery. To an English onlooker, less impulsive 

 than the Italians, it ceases to be attractive ; the contest 

 between man and the fish is so obviously unequal. But 

 no relenting weakens the arms of the Sicilian fishermen. 

 Victim after victim falls under their blows, and is hauled 

 on board the two barges, until the camera is emptied, 

 and lowered for the reception of another batch of 

 prisoners. 



We follow the barges to the landing-place, and, dis- 

 embarking, join the noisy procession which, led by a 

 couple of drummers, files off to the Mercata Reale, where 

 we find numbers of great eyeless tunny (the produce of 

 a still earlier haul) piled up in ensanguined heaps on the 

 flags. Here, too, are alalongas, whose long pectorals 

 have been draggled in the mire, with many other large 

 and curious fish, and the long-bladed heads of two or 

 three sword-fish fixed on end in the upper part of the 

 woodwork of the same stalls, while their huge bodies lie 

 below, cut up into great masses ; and whole hampers of 

 labridce attract our gaze by their ever-varying and ex- 

 quisitely beautiful tints. 



