ENGLISH FISHERIES. 113 



smaller than the head of the cask, is then placed on the 

 top of the fish, and strong but gradual pressure is 

 applied by means of a lever, until the mass of fish 

 is reduced one-third in bulk, and a great quantity of 

 oil squeezed from them ; this drains through the sides 

 and bottom of the cask, the hoops of which are not at 

 that time very tightly driven, and is collected as before. 

 The quantity of oil obtained from the pilchards depends 

 on the season, but at least two gallons of oil are ex- 

 pected from each hogshead. It is principally used by 

 the leather-dressers. The cask is filled up three times 

 before the pressing is finished, which is not until after 

 eight or nine days, and then the hogshead of fish should 

 weigh four hundredweight gross. The average number 

 of fish packed in a hogshead is about 2500. The 

 pilchards cured at St. Ives in the early part of the 

 season are mostly taken by drift nets, but the sean 

 fishery at a later period is mainly depended on to 

 provide the fish for exportation. In some years the 

 latter fishery is almost a failure ; in others more fish 

 are taken than can be sold in one season. As many as 

 5500 hogsheads of pilchards were once actually saved 

 from the part of a shoal enclosed by a single sean ; but 

 from 500 to 1000 hogsheads is generally considered to 

 be a very good catch. 



The export of pilchards is entirely to the Mediter- 

 ranean, Genoa, Leghorn, Civita Vecchia, Naples, and 

 the Adriatic being their regular destinations, and 

 steamers the general mode of conveyance. 



I am indebted to Messrs. G. C. Fox and Co., of 

 Falmouth, for the following statistics of shipments to 



