INTRODUCTION. 



XXIX 



usually from 3 to 5, the number varying with the size of the net, which have taken up 

 their position some distance astern of the chief boat (see diagram, fig. 8, 5), commence 

 working towards the net with much shouting and beating of the water in order to 

 drive the fish in front of them. The boys and men working the net also keep up an 

 incessant shouting, the chief fisherman directing operations from the large boat. 

 When the net is all payed out the two ends are gradually brought together, the large 

 boat being poled ahead to keep the top edge of the net fairly taut. Directly the two 

 ends are closed, the boys holding up the net meet in the middle line and keep the two 

 edges close together (see diagram, fig. 8, e), preventing the fish from jumping out. 

 The net is then hauled on to the large boat, and after the contents have been shaken 

 out into the hold it is carefully coiled back on to the two rafts ready for use again. 



Fig. 9. 



Another net used on Lakes Menzaleh and Borollos is known as a " tawansy," which 

 is worked during the summer and until the end of the year and catches all kinds 

 of fish. The complete net is made up of sections, each about 20 metres long and 

 3 metres wide, and attached to about 50 sticks of dried reed-stalks ; the mesh is f of an 

 inch. "When a likely spot has been chosen in fairly shallow water the men get out of 

 their boat and tow the bundles to the fishing-ground, and then quickly unrolling them 

 they thrust the sticks in the ground, placing the sections together until a subcircular 

 piece of water of about 150 metres circumference (diagram, fig. 9,(2) has been enclosed, 

 about 2 metres of the net being above the surface of the water. There are usually 

 7 sections, of which the first is in the centre, the second, fourth, and sixth being 

 on the right and the third, fifth, and seventh on the left. The fourth and fifth sections 

 are placed obliquely, at an angle of about 45 degrees, and outside each of these is 

 placed another section which floats on the water, being fastened to a number of dried 

 reeds like the rest. This floating net is called a " sharrakat" (see diagram, fig. 9, b). 

 When the net has been set out several men start from some distance off and advance 



