AND FISHING. 139 



A large eel was caught in the Schelde weighing 

 fifty pounds. Sunday Times, 1834. 



Nourishment derived from eels, and a superior 

 manner of dressing them. The lake of Comma- 

 chio is one hundred and thirty miles in circum- 

 ference, and is divided into forty basins, sur- 

 rounded with dikes, which abound in fish, but 

 more particularly in eels, from which the inha- 

 bitants enjoy an extensive commerce with all 

 Italy. Each basin has its chief, or factor, who 

 has many fishermen under him, and although the 

 fishing takes place only at certain times of the 

 year, it yet requires the fishermen to live there 

 entirely. They are true Ichthyophagi, as they 

 live upon nothing but fish, principally eels ; they 

 dress them in the most simple manner, by cutting 

 them open from the head to the tail, to take out 

 the intestines and dorsal spine : afterwards they 

 put a little salt on them, and broil them, turning 

 them two or three times, until they are done, 

 using no butter, the fat of this fish making the 

 sauce. Spallanzani tasted the eels so dressed ; 

 he says : they are most delicious, and easy of 

 digestion. The fishermen cook them the instant 

 they come out of the net. These men live in the 

 midst of marshes, and have no other food than 

 fish ; they enjoy perfect health, equal to their 

 neighbours who eat meat. There are many 

 among these latter, whose constitutions are weak, 



