P I L 
P I L 
435 
now ferns are ufed for taking them. The fird pilchard- 
fean was eftablifhed at Looe in the year 1778. At pre- 
fent nine feans are put out from Looe. A fean is a net 
of about 220 fathoms long, and about fifteen fathoms 
deep. Three boats belong to each fean; the fird and lar¬ 
ged boat is called the Jean-boat, as it carries the fean and 
feven men. The next boat is called the vollier, (follower, 
fo corrupted probably, or the French voilier,) and carries 
another fean, called the iuck-J'ean, which is about 100 fa¬ 
thoms long, and 18 deep: this boat carries feven men. 
The third boat is call the lurker, and carries three or four 
men. The mader-feaner, or chief commander, is ufually 
in this boat. A new fean-concern, with the boats, &c. 
cods about a thoufand pounds. The pilchard-feafon 
ufually commences in July, and continues for about eight 
or ten weeks. The method of taking them is as follows : 
The boats, with their feans on-board, are put to fea fo as 
to get to their births, as it is called, by three or four 
o’clock in the afternoon. When they get to their birth 
or dation, at a fhort didance from the land, and where the 
place is free from rocks at bottom, the fean-boat and vol¬ 
lier remain at anchor, at a fhort didance from each other, 
and the lurker-boat at a little way off from them; the 
fifhermen in all the boats condantly looking out to fee if 
any pilchards-are jumping out of the water near them. 
They call the jumping of the fifh Jioiting. When a few 
fifhare feen fo doiting, a fignal is given, by waving the 
hat, that fifh are feen ; upon which the fean-boat and vol¬ 
lier get on the fpot, and the crew of the fean-boat pafs, 
as it is called, the wharp, that is, they throw a rope, 
which is fixed to the end of the fean, on-board the vol¬ 
lier, and then they throw or fhoot the fean overboard, 
which, having leaden weights at bottom, finks, and the 
top is buoyed tip by corks. The fean-boat, while three 
men are throwing the fean overboard (which is ufually 
accomplifhed in about eight or ten minutes), is rowed, in 
a circular courfe, round where the fifh were feen doiting: 
and then they arrive again at the vollier, and the fpot 
where the fifh was feen is inclofed. They then, if they 
find the fifh taken, which is known by their doiting in 
the fean, hem with a cord the two ends of the fean to¬ 
gether, foas to prevent the fifh getting out of it; and, 
while this is doing, a man is condantly plunging down a 
done, fadened to a rope, to frighten back the fifh. This 
operation is called throwing the minnis (probably a cor¬ 
ruption of menace, as the filh may be faid to be menaced 
or threatened with danger if they come that way.) When 
the two ends of the fean are thus hemmed together, the 
fifh are furrounded with a circle of net; and grapes, (grap- 
nells or fmall anchors,) fadened with ropes to the fean, 
are let down to keep the fean expanded, and in one place 
till after Hie fifh are taken up. As foon as it grows dark, 
they begin to take up the fifh from the fean in the follow¬ 
ing manner, which is called tucking the fean. The boat 
with the tuck-fean on-board, pafl'es the wharp of that 
fean to one of the other boats, ufually the vollier, or ties 
the end of the wharp to the dop-fean, and then throws 
out or fhoots this tuck-fean within the dop-fean, and then 
draws up the fame to the edge of the water, and dips up 
the fifh with bafkets into their boats. When the boats 
are filled, if any more fifh remain in the dop-fean, this 
dop-fean is left in the water, till, by fucceffive tuckings, 
night after night, all the fifh are taken therefrom. When 
the fifhermen conceive they have but a fmall catch, they 
do not tuck, but draw up the dop-fean at once, with all 
the fifh in it. Sometimes fifhermen obferve the fifh by co¬ 
lour, as they call it; that is, the water appears, upon look¬ 
ing down into it, quite red, owing to the great quantity of 
fifh below. Indeed, in fome parts of Cornwall, though 
not at Looe, men are placed on the cliffs from whence this 
appearance of the water is feen, in order to give the 
fifhermen notice of the place where the fifh are to be 
found. This is done by certain fignificant figns and odd 
gedures of the men on-fhore,and fometimes by hallooing. 
The men giving fuch fignals are called huers, (probably 
from the French word huer, to hoot.) The pilchards 
are feen at times in large, at other times in fmall, quan¬ 
tities, playing on the furface of the water, and thereby 
rendering the fpot of a darker colour than the furround¬ 
ing water. Such filh, fo appearing, are called Jhirmers. 
In general the fifhermen do not choofe to fhoot the fean 
at fhirtners, as few are fuppofed to be below water. The 
doiting of a few fifh out of the water is the principal fign 
of a large flioal. It fometimes happens, that, indead of 
inclofing pilchards, other fifh are caught, fuch as fcads 
or horfe-mackerel, young pullock, mackerel, long-nofes, 
or chads. 
The manner of catching the pilchards is defcribed by 
Mr. Bond with much animation: “ The feans are fre¬ 
quently fhot near Looe. Sometimes you may fee three or 
four (hooting at once within half a mile of the parade; 
from the hill this didance appears hut jud below. The 
motion of the boats, the adiivity of the fifhermen, the 
joy of the adventurers coliefling together to behold 
their increafing good fortune, contribute greatly to en¬ 
liven the lcene and exhilarate the fpirits. Upon thefe 
occalions parties of pleafure are formed, and the mod 
timid are induced to venture out alongfide of the feans. 
Parties alfo go out to fee the tucking or taking up the 
fifh, which is ufually commenced juft as it grows dark, 
the fifh being then not fo apt to be frightened. Com¬ 
monly about this feafon of the year the fea produces the 
luminous appearance which in Cornwall goes by the name 
of brining, and is fuppofed to be produced by animalcules, 
or phofphoric particles of fome animal or vegetable 
matter floating in the water: the lead motion of the 
water produces this appearance. Conceive then to your- 
felf the effeft the fplafhing of tens of thoufands of fifh mult 
produce; the fea appears full of glow-worms of the mod 
fplendid Iudre, the ropes hauling up from below appear 
like chains of fire ; in fhort, the fcene is beyond expref- 
fion beautiful. A univerfal calm o’erfpreads the fea, its 
waters are huflied, no noife is heard but from the fifher¬ 
men and fidi ; the land appearing with fombre hue, con- 
traded to the light of a fummer-evening fky, charmingly 
defines the vifible horizon of the high hills around; and 
the fpangled canopy of Heaven, and fhooting meteors of 
the atmofphere, contribute to produce the utmod tran¬ 
quillity of the mind, and the purefl and fined of pleafures.” 
PIL'CHOWITZ, a town of Silefia, in the principality 
of Oppeln : thirty-fix miles fouth-ead of Oppein, and 
fixteen north-ead of Ratibor. Lat. 50. 10. N. Ion. 18. 
30. E. 
PIL'CO MA'YO, a town of Peru : twenty-five miles 
north-ead of Potofi. 
PIL'CO MA'YO, a river of South America, which, 
after a fouth-ead courfe of about 600 miles, runs into 
the Parana, by two mouths, between lat. 25.40. and 26. 
20. S. 
PIL'CORN, or Pil'lis, f. in botany. See Avena 
nudis. 
PILE, f. [pil, Sax. pile, Fr. pyle, Dutch.] A flrong 
piece of wood driven into the ground to make a firm 
foundation.—The foundation of the church of Harlem 
is fupported by wooden piles , as the houfes in Amfterdam 
are. Locke. — A heap; an accumulation.— By the water 
paffing through the done to its perpendicular intervals, 
was brought thither all the metallic matter now lodged 
therein, as well as that which lies only in an undigelted 
and confufed pile. Woodward. 
What piles of wealth hath he accumulated 
To his own portion ! What expence by the hour 
Seems to flow from him ! How i’the name of thrift, 
Does he rake this together ? Shakefpeare . 
Any thing heaped together to be burned.—Woe to the 
bloody city, I will even make the pile for fire great. 
Ezek. xxiv. 9.—In Alexander’s time, the Indian philo- 
fophers. 
