172 CURING THE PILCHARDS. 



usually one hundred and sixty fathoms in length, is let 

 out by three of the crew, as the boat is rowed softly 

 round the shoal. With so much dexterity is this opera- 

 tion performed, that the whole net is often " shot " in less 

 than five minutes. The volyer, meantime, has kept the 

 net taut at the other end, and as soon as it is in the sea 

 both extremities are warped together, and the lurker 

 takes up its post at the opening, so as to drive back the 

 fish from the only aperture by which they can escape. 

 The moment the ends come in contact, the thwart-net is 

 dropped across, and the seine, being raised cautiously, is 

 quickly tacked together. Then, if the bottom be free 

 from rocks, and the water not too deep, the spoil is quickly 

 secured; and the men proceed at their leisure to count 

 over the number of their captives prior to drawing the 

 seine into shallow water. 



At low tide, another company of men, called regular 

 seiners, proceed to effect the operation of " tucking ; " 

 that is, they remove the fish from the seine into a 

 smaller net the "tuck-net" and from the tuck-net lift 

 them lay flaskets into boats which convey them ashore. 



When once they are safely landed, the pilchards are 

 carried in corvels, or wheeled in barrows, to the curing- 

 cellars, where they are piled up edgewise in great heaps, 

 each tier, as it is completed, being sprinkled with bay- 

 salt. We have used the word " sprinkled," but it is 

 scarcely broad enough in meaning, for the salt and the 

 pilchards are so thickly accumulated as to form separate 

 layers, like courses of masonry first salt, then pilchards, 

 then salt again, and so on. In this condition they are 

 left to drain for about six weeks, after which they are 

 thoroughly washed and cleansed, packed in hogsheads 



