90 
riLCHABD. 
brought together, and fastened with cords, if at the same time 
the quantity of fish is great, and the sea is rough or the tide 
strong, it is further rendered secure by heavy grapnels, which 
are carried off from it in the direction from which the danger 
is to be feared. 
Such is the manner in which the scan is employed in first 
securing the fish in many places; but it varies in different 
stations, and more especially in the west and north of Cornwall. 
In these latter districts the generally light colour of the 
bottom enables the huer on the hills to discern the situation 
jjiotions of the school much moi e clearly than is the case 
on the eastmost borders, and on this account his services aie 
the more highly important; and on the north coast, in 
addition to the usual scan, there is another net of about half 
the length of the former, which is called a stop-net, and is 
carried by another boat; and which, when the seaners begin 
to shoot what may be termed the principal sean, the second 
boat also throws out in the opposite direction. In some cases 
two of these secondary nets are employed, and even three, by 
which means the circle is completed in much less time and 
in a larger compass than if only one net were employed; and 
when the body of fish is large, as it often is at St. Ives, 
where this method of employing seans is chiefly practised, it 
is only thus that they could be efi'ectually secured. It is also 
only under very favourable circumstances, and with considerable 
risk, that the fish thus enclosed in the circle of the net can 
be warped, as they sometimes are, from the situation in 
which they were first found into shallower water; but from 
this account of the proceedings of the fishermen it will be 
seen that it is not more difficult to take a thousand hogsheads 
than a much less number; the only difference being, that with 
the larger body the sean is regularly moored, while with a 
small quantity this is unnecessary. It may even be said that 
the taking of the larger body is the most easily effected; for 
as its movements are more slow, its course is less liable to be 
changed through any alarm. 
When the evening is closing in, and in preference when the 
tide is low, preparations are made to take up the fish; and for 
this purpose the principal sean is left undisturbed, while the 
volyer passes within the enclosure and lays its sean, termed the 
