110 BRITISH INDUSTRIES. 



the 25th of July to the 25th of December, and no sean 

 is to keep possession of a station for more than one 

 day at a time. At the conclusion of the day, the turn 

 is over, whether the net has been used or not, and on 

 the following day the next sean in rotation takes pos- 

 session of the " stem," and so on throughout the season. 

 There are also strict regulations about the dimensions 

 of the nets, nothing less than 160 fathoms in length 

 along the back-rope, with a depth of eight fathoms in 

 the middle or bunt, and six fathoms at the wings, 

 being allowed. The object of fixing a minimum size 

 for the sean is to prevent a net being used that would 

 only enclose a comparatively small number of fish, 

 when it would be for the benefit, either directly or 

 indirectly, of all the people there that the largest 

 portion possible of the shoal should be captured ; for 

 a vast number of persons besides the fishermen find 

 employment from this fishery, and, when once dis- 

 turbed, that portion of the shoal which has not been 

 surrounded at first, is likely to strike off into deep 

 water and be lost. Sometimes, however, the shoals 

 are so large, and the pressure of the fish in the 

 direction in which the shoal is moving is so great, 

 that they are not easily turned or alarmed, and then 

 several seans may be used almost at the same time, 

 each net being shot in succession as soon as the pre- 

 ceding one has fairly done its utmost. 



The boats used for sean fishing are of three sizes ; 

 the largest of them, known as the "sean-boat," is 

 usually about thirty-two feet on the keel, and with 

 plenty of room in it for carrying the sean. The crew 



