30 APPARATUS. 



scraping edge downwards, until it reaches the 

 ground, when, a good length of rope having been 

 veered out, it is fastened, and the boat rowed away 

 until a sufficient space of ground has been passed 

 over, when it is hauled in and emptied into the 

 boat on a tarpaulin (to keep the boat clean), and 

 then thrown overboard to be again towed, whilst 

 the produce of the former haul is examined and 

 the useless portion rejected. The scraping edge, 

 which collects together the contents of the net, 

 sometimes catches hold of the rocks or any un- 

 even substance at the bottom, and to be cleared 

 it is necessary to reverse the direction of the boat,' 

 so as to trip the dredge, as it is called, and then 

 you can proceed as before. Many hours' amusement 

 and some good catches can be obtained by this 

 implement, the finest oysters and scallops, &c., 

 being brought to the surface by it. Any blacksmith 

 on the coast can make it, and the net is readily 

 fitted by most fishermen if you cannot do it your- 

 self. In larger vessels, when dredging for a cargo, 

 six and sometimes eight dredges are used, and 

 then the end of each rope is attached to a buoy, 

 and when used is fastened by a small piece of 

 string to the vessel, so that, if it catches the 



