Fishes. 1647 



Cornish side of the Channel, — from off St. Ives to the Land's End. 

 The " schull ? or " schulls," when they begin their great annual move- 

 ment, pass southward, and a portion strikes the land to the north of 

 Cape Cornwall, and turns in a north-easterly direction towards St. 

 Ives, and constitutes their summer fishery, which in that district is the 

 smallest. The great bulk passes between the Scilly Islands and the 

 main land, through that sheet of water called the Lionese, like an im- 

 mense army, extending itself parallel to the land. To look from Cape 

 Cornwall, or from any of the highlands of St. Just, and see this im- 

 mense moving mass extending as far as the eye can reach, approach- 

 ing the shores and reddening the waters, is a sight of great interest 

 and beauty, and such an one as would repay any exertion to witness 

 it; — they approach, and 



" Forthwith the sounds and seas, each creek and bay 

 With fry innumerable swarm, and shoals 

 Of fish, that with their fins and shining scales 

 Glide under the green wave in schulls that oft 

 Bank the mid sea." 



In most of the sandy bays in their passage, seines are established for 

 their capture. In some seasons they approach so near, that their course 

 corresponds with the indentations of the shores. They will take, for 

 instance, the sweep of Whitsand Bay, and pass between Cowloe and 

 Pedn-mean-du, and between the Longships light-house and the Land's 

 End ; then close to Tol-pedn-penwith and Pedn-mean-annear, and 

 from thence into Mount's Bay. Sometimes they pass into the bay, 

 and at others cross over towards the Lizard. During this part of the 

 fishery the boats of Mount's Bay go to the westward, and get a clear 

 offing to the north-west, so that the fish may come uninterruptedly to 

 their nets, the meshing always occurring from that direction. After 

 this their progress is eastward ; but it depends on the state of the tide 

 whether they shall cross to the Lizard, or take the sweep of Mount's 

 Bay. If they strike the Lizard, they turn in by the land, and are taken 

 at Mullion. If they pass beyond the Lizard, they go on to Mevagissey, 

 Fowey, Polperro, Looe, and the other points of the fishery. During 

 the last season, after the fish had passed Tol-pedn-penwith, they dis- 

 appeared ; but on the fourth day after it blew smartly from the south- 

 west, when the fish struck the shore near Marazion Green and St. Mi- 

 chael's Mount, and there they were taken by the seines. At another 

 time they disappeared at the same point, and in three days were ob- 

 served at Mullion, on the eastern side of the bay. If they are taken 

 by the drift-nets, out in the bay, their course is eastward ; if near the 



