DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE WORLD. 175 



or lower, as is wanted. The butt end of the 

 pole is kept on board, and at the other end a 

 light net, about eight feet square, is slung, being 

 kept distended by two slender rods, fixed diago- 

 nally to the opposite corners, and bound together 

 in the middle, where they cross each other, and 

 where also they are fixed to the end of the swing- 

 ing pole before mentioned. A stone is thrown 

 into the middle of the net to assist it in sinking, 

 so that it may, when down, spread out on the 

 bottom of the river. When the fisherman thinks 

 any fish are passing over the net, he suddenly 

 hoists it above the water, and if he has made a 

 capture, he swings the net on board to take out 

 the fish ; if none are caught, he drops it again into 

 that, or some other place, even amongst barges ; 

 this plan might be useful in this country for carp- 

 fishing, in ponds having steep and rugged banks, 

 by taking the advantage of a tree, to which the 

 pole and net may be slung, lowering it in the 

 day time, and throwing thereon a handful of 

 brewers' grains, or other bait : at night the fish 

 would feed, and quickly hoisting the net, a fine 

 shoal might be taken. Eels might be so taken in 

 rivers. 



A clear engraving of this net may be seen, 

 with the above account, in Mag. Nat. Hist, vol . 

 v. No. 27. 



