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Page 27
[Illustration: TEMPLE OF THESEUS, ATHENS.]
[Illustration: TOMBSTONE IN THE CERAMICUS, ATHENS.]
* * * * *
SPANISH FISHERIES.
The Spanish Court at the late Fisheries Exhibition was large and well
furnished, there being several characteristic models of vessels. No
certain figures can be obtained of the results of the whole fishing
industry of Spain. It is, however, estimated that 14,202 boats, with a
tonnage of 51,397 tons, were employed during the year 1882. They gave
occupation to 59,974 men, and took about 78,000 tons of fish. The
Government interfere in the fishing industry only to the extent of
collecting and distributing information to the fishermen on subjects
that are most likely to be of use to them in their calling. In
consequence, principally no doubt of this wise policy, we find in
Spain a vigorous and self-reliant class of men engaged in the
fisheries. Some of the most interesting features in the Spanish Court
were the contributions sent by the different fishermen's associations,
and although the Naval Museum of Madrid supplied a collection of
articles that would have formed a good basis in itself for an
exhibition, yet in no other foreign court was the fishing industry of
the nation better illustrated by private enterprise than in that of
Spain. The fishing associations referred to are half benefit societies
and half trading communities. That of Lequeito has issued a small
pamphlet, from which we learn that this body consists of 600 members
divided into three classes, viz., owners of vessels, patrons or men in
charge, and ordinary fishermen. A board of directors, consisting of 22
owners, and 24 masters of boats or ordinary fishermen, has the sole
control of the affairs of the society. The meetings are presided over
by a majordomo elected triennially, and who must be the owner of a
boat over 40 ft. long. This functionary receives a stipend of 8,000
reales a year, a sum which sounds more modest when expressed as 80_l_.
He has two clerks, who are on the permanent staff, to help him. His
duties are to keep the books with the assistance of the two clerks, to
take charge of the sales of all fish, recover moneys, and make
necessary payments. In stormy weather he gets up in a watch tower and
guides boats entering the harbor. The _atalayero_ is an official of
the society, whose duty it is to station himself on the heights and
signal by means of smoke, to the boats at sea, the movements of
schools of sardines and anchovies or probable changes of weather. It
is also the duty of this officer to weigh all the bream caught from
the 1st November to the 31st of March, for which he receives a
"gratuity" of 100 pesetas, or say 4_l._, sterling. Two other se�eros,
or signalmen, are told off to keep all boats in port during bad
weather, and to call together the crews when circumstances appear
favorable for sailing. Should there be a difference of opinion between
these experts as to the meteorological probabilities, the patrons, or
skippers of the fishing-boats, are summoned in council and their
opinion taken by "secret vote with black and white balls." The
decision so arrived at is irrevocable, and all are bound to sail
should it be so decided; those who do not do so paying a fine to the
funds of the association. The boats carrying the se�eros fly a color
by means of which they signal orders for sailing to the other vessels.
These se�eros appear to be the Spanish equivalent to the English
admiral of a trawling fleet.
The boats used by these fishermen are fine craft; one or two models of
them were shown in the Exhibition. A first-class boat will be of about
the following dimensions: Length over all, 45 ft. to 50 ft.; breadth
(extreme), 9 ft. to 10 ft. 3 in.; depth (inside), 3 ft. 10 in. to 4
ft. The keel is of oak 6 in. by 3� in. The stem and stern posts are
also of oak. The planking is generally of oak or walnut--the latter
preferred--and is 3 in. thick, the width of the planks being 4� in.
Many boats are now constructed of hard wood to the water line and
Norway pine above.
The fastenings are galvanized nails 4� in. long. The mast-partners and
all the thwarts are of oak 1� in. thick and 8 in. wide; the latter are
fastened in with iron knees. Lee-board and rudder are of oak, walnut,
or chestnut; the rudder extends 3� ft. to 4 ft. below the keel, and,
in giving lateral resistance, balances the lee-board, which is thrust
down forward under the lee-bow. The rig consists of two lags, the
smaller one forward right in the eyes of the boat; the mainmast being
amidships. The lug sails are set on long yards, the fair-weather rig
consisting of a fore lug with 120 square yards, and a main lug of 200
square yards. There are six shifts of sail, the main being substituted
for the fore lug in turn as the weather increases, in a manner similar
to that in which our own Mounts Bay boats reduce canvas. The fair
weather rig requires two masts 42 ft. and 36 ft. long, and yards 28
ft. and 30 ft. long, respectively. The oars are 16 ft. long, and are
pulled double-banked. Such a boat will cost 90_l._ to 100_l._ fitted for
sea, of which sum the hull will represent rather more than half. These
vessels generally remain at sea for twelve hours, from about three to
four in the morning until the same time in the evening. Tunny, merluza
(a species of cod), and bream are the principal fish taken. The
first-named are caught by hook and line operated by means of poles
rigged out from the boat much in the same way, apparently, as we drail
for mackerel on the southwest coast. A filament of maize straw is used
for bait. The boat sails to a distance of about 90 miles off the land
and run back before the prevailing wind, until they are about nine
miles from the shore or until they lose the fish. When the fisherman
gets a bite the wind is spilled out of the sail so as to deaden the
boat's way. The fish is then got alongside, promptly gaffed, and got
on board. Tunny sells for about three halfpence a pound in Lequeito.
The season extends from June to November. Bream are taken in the
winter and spring, 9 to 12 miles off the coast. They are caught by
hook and line in two ways. The first is worth describing. A line 50
fathoms long has bent to it snoods with hooks attached, 16 in. apart.
Each man handles three lines. On reaching the fishing ground the line,
to the end of which a stone is attached, is gradually paid out until
soundings are taken; then another stone is attached and the operation
repeated. If a bite is felt the line is slacked away freely, and this
goes on until about 500 fathoms are overboard. When, by the lively and
continuous jerking of the line, the fisherman concludes that he has a
good number of fish on the hooks, he will haul aboard and then prepare
to shoot again.
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