26 A TEDIOUS BRIEF EXPLANATION 



about which the great advantage is that it does not 

 much matter whether it turns over in its descent to 

 the bottom or not. 



Our deep-sea trawl, which was used as a dredge, 

 consisted of a stout iron beam, about 14 feet long, 

 with a large stirrup-shaped iron hoop standing back 

 at right angles at each end. The dredge-rope was 

 attached to the middle of the beam, and the dredge- 

 net to the shoes of the stirrups. 



The net is a wide- mouthed, V-shaped bag, between 

 25 and 30 feet long. Just inside its mouth is a 

 second net or curtain, which does not interfere with 

 the passage of animals inwards, but makes it hard for 

 them to find their way out again. Its tail is heavily- 

 weighted with an iron shot, which keeps the net 

 stretched in its descent, and also keeps it down as it 

 trails along the bottom. All round the net, from the 

 angles of the mouth to the tip of the tail, there runs 

 a secure rope, and to this are fixed swabs, in which 

 many animals become entangled. 



Our trawl was worked with a strong wire rope, 

 which was eased out and reeled in by a special 

 machine, something like the sounding-machine much 

 magnified. Sinkers had to be used to carry the 

 trawl to the bottom quickly ; and to guard against 

 sudden strains, which might snap the rope, a special 

 elastic apparatus, known as an "accumulator," was 

 attached to the block over which the rope played as 



