HOW THE FISHERY IS CONDUCTED. 171 



Land's End, is described by local writers in language of 

 great enthusiasm, and,, unquestionably, must present 

 many features of interest. 



In the beginning of October, the " north coasters" and 

 " winter fish," as they are called, make their appearance 

 on the north-east shore of Cornwall, and in such hosts 

 that no fewer than twelve millions have been caught in a 

 single day. 



The drift-net . and the seine have each their advocates 

 among the fishermen. The former is employed out at 

 sea, and only between sunset and sunrise. The seine 

 fishing is the more general and the more successful, be- 

 cause it encloses the fish in shoals. 



The boats employed in it are three in number : the 

 seine-boat, which carries the great net, or seine ; the volyer, 

 or follower, in which the thwart, or stop-net, is stowed ; 

 and the lurker, under the direction of the master seiner, 

 whose duty it is to keep a vigilant eye on the movements 

 of the fish. When the season has arrived, and the ap- 

 proach of the pilchard hosts is indicated by the gathering 

 of the gulls and other predatory sea-birds, look-out men, 

 called huers* are stationed along the cliffs, to watch the 

 sea until a peculiar red tinge of the water betokens the 

 presence of a shoal. At the welcome shout of Heva, 

 heva, hevaf (" found !") a scene of great excitement takes 

 place in every fishing-village ; the inhabitants rushing 

 frantically to the shore, and the boats pushing off at full 

 speed as if for a life-and-death struggle. The rowers 

 bend to their oars with a will, guiding their boats by the 

 gestures of the huer. No sooner do they reach the 

 " happy hunting-ground" than the great seine, which is 



* From the French verb huer, to shout. 



