90 BRITISH IND USTRIES. 



distance from the shore ; the boat with the sean throw- 

 ing out the net in a direction parallel with the shore, 

 while the stop-sean is shot as the boat is rowed towards 

 the beach. The two boats ultimately turn towards 

 each other, and gradually bring the ends of the two 

 nets together, thus completely surrounding the fish. 

 The nets are then fastened together at the point of 

 meeting, and the circle gradually contracted by hauling 

 up the stop-sean until the whole of the fish are enclosed 

 by the large sean alone. If there be a probability of 

 enclosing a very large number of fish, a second stop- 

 sean is fastened to the first before the circle of nets is 

 completed ; but this is only required on rare occasions, 

 and, in any case, the fish are ultimately brought within 

 the compass of the single large sean. When this has 

 been accomplished, the whole circle of netting with the 

 enclosed fish is slowly hauled towards the shore, into 

 some quiet place out of the tide, if possible, till the 

 foot of the net touches the bottom, and there it is 

 securely moored. This is necessary, because the hauls 

 of fish are sometimes so large, that several days may 

 elapse before the net can be emptied. Now comes the 

 operation of what is called " tucking " the fish. For 

 this purpose another net, called the "tuck-sean," is 

 employed. It is only seventy or eighty fathoms long, 

 but very deep at the bunt, or middle ; it is shot inside 

 the circle formed by the large sean, and, as it is hauled 

 in, the foot of the bunt is raised so as to get the net 

 under the fish and bring them to the surface, whence 

 they are taken out in large baskets and put into the 

 boats to be carried on shore. I shall give more details 



