FISHES. 
33 
nets, shaped somewhat like a funnel, with a wide 
mouth, diminishing to a narrow hose at the ex- 
tremity. The Sole and the Gurnards are cap- 
tured by means of a trawl, a net of somewhat 
similar form, but fitted for dragging over the 
bottom ; and the Salmon is taken in several sorts 
of nets, varying much from each other, and pe- 
culiar to this valuable fishery. 
The spear is little used with us as a fishing 
implement. In the north of Scotland, however, 
it is employed to strike Salmon, as at Invermoris- 
ton, where a river fiows in a narrow chasm be- 
tween two projecting rocks. ^^The fisherman 
seats himself on a cleft of this rock, right over 
the cascade, with a spear in his hand, which has 
a line fixed to the upper end of the shaft, similar 
to the practice of fishing for Whales with har- 
poons. Whenever the Salmon makes a spring to 
gain the ascent over the cataract, the spearman 
strikes the fish and lets the shaft go, holding 
only by the line until the fish has exhausted his 
strength ; then the spear and fish are thrown 
ashore by the stream, and taken out at the lower 
side of the pool.” 
In ancient Egypt a favourite mode of fishing 
was that performed with a bident, or two-pronged 
spear. Like angling, it seems to have been an 
amusement of the higher orders, who were ac- 
customed to use a boat made of papyrus, ‘Gn 
which they glided smoothly over the lakes and 
canals within their own grounds, without disturb- 
ing the fish as they lay beneath the broad leaves 
of the lotus plant.” On these occasions they 
were usually accompanied by some of their chil- 
dren, and by one or two attendants, who assisted 
D 
