54 BRITISH INDUSTRIES. 



all kinds of drift fishing. When new, they are first 

 saturated with linseed oil, then squeezed through a 

 machine, afterwards dried, which takes some days, and, 

 finally they are put into a vat, and hot bark liquor is 

 poured upon them ; in this they remain for two or 

 three days. The bark liquor is a preparation in which 

 catechu is an important ingredient, it having practi- 

 cally superseded the oak bark formerly used for tan- 

 ning nets. In some cases the nets are dressed with 

 coal tar instead of being barked. The herring nets 

 come from the factory in " pieces " 60 yards long and 

 9 or 10 yards deep, the depth of the net containing 

 200 meshes; and it is the custom of the fishermen, 

 when speaking of the size of a net, to say it is so many 

 yards long and so many meshes deep, as the case may 

 be. Each piece is divided into two nets 30 yards long. 

 When a net is prepared for use, it is " mounted," or 

 fastened lengthwise along one edge to a small line 

 only 18 or 20 yards long, that length of line being 

 appropriated to the 30 yards of net, so that the " lint," 

 or netting, is set slack, and gives way a little when the 

 fish strike it; and from its flexibility the net holds 

 the fish better than would be the case if it were 

 fully stretched. The ends of the net are called the 

 " heads," the roped edge of the length the " back," as 

 that is uppermost when the net is in the water, and 

 the lower edge the " foot " or " sole." The heads are 

 roped, as well as the back; but the foot is usually 

 left free, so as to be less likely to hitch in anything at 

 the bottom, when the nets chance to be used in rather 

 shoal water or near the ground. The back of the net 



