THE HAY 
155 
oblonor piece of wicker work ; the hooks being batted and 
placed very regularly in the centre of the coil. Each line 
is furnished with two hundred and eighty hooks, at the dis- 
tance of six feet two inches from each other. The hooks 
are fastened to lines of twisted horse-hair, twenty-seven 
inches in length. The line is laid across the current and 
always remains upon the ground about six hours. ’ 
“ The best bait for all kinds of lish, is fresh herring 
cut in pieces of a proper size. Next to herrings are the 
lesser lampreys, which come all the winter by land-carriage 
from 1 adcaster. The next baits in esteem are small had- 
docks cut in pieces, sand-worms, muscles, and limpets : and 
lastly, when none of these can be found, they use bullock’s 
liver. 1 he hooks used there are much smaller than those 
employed at Iceland and Newfoundland ; and are two 
inches and a half long in the shank. The line is made 
of small cording, it is always tanned before it is used, and 
is m length about three miles.” 
But this extent of line is nothing to what the Italians 
throw out in the Mediterranean. Their fishing is carried 
on in a tartan, which is a vessel much larger than ours • 
and they bait a line of no less than twenty miles lono-, with 
above ten or twelve thousand hooks. 'This line is not re- 
gularly drawn every six hours, as with us, but remains for 
some time in the sea; and it requires the space of twentv- 
four hours to take it up. By this apparatus they take rays, 
sharks, and other fish ; some of which are above a thou! 
sand pounds weight. When they have caught any of this 
magmtude, they strike them through with an harpoon, to 
nng them on board, and kill them as fast as they can. 
1 his method of catching fish is obviously fatiguing and 
angei ous; but the value of the capture generally repays 
tne pains. 1 he skate and the thorn bade are very good 
ood ; and their size, which is from ten pounds to" two 
undred weight, very well rewards the trouble of lishimr 
them. But it sometimes happens that the lines are 
isited by very unwelcome intruders; by the rough rav 
tbe fire-dare, or the torpedo. ° y ’ 
The rough ray inflicts but slight wounds with the prickles 
uh which its whole body is furnished. To the ignorant 
-msharm.estq and a man would at first sight venture 
soon ff \ 1 1,S without any apprehension ; but he 
not " hnd ) that tllere <s not a single part of its body that is 
tu 1111 , with spines: and that there is no way of seizing 
e animal, but by the little fin at the end of the tail, 
ut tins animal is harmless, when compared to the sting 
