Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-12-29

weighted with large pieces Of stone. Thus
the wall of net can be trained in any re-
quired position, Offering an obstruction to
the passage Of the fish, which do not seek
to pierce it. but follow the lines traced out
by the obstacle.
The funny coming from the west meet
the so-caled coda alta" or COSTA" and
are guided by these nets until they strike
against the coda skirting which they
enter into the tunnery proper, which is di-
vided into several chambers, both on the
east and west sides, each having a special
name: these chambers closed or opened
by raising or lowering net coverings to
apertures in their sides Boats are con-
stantly on the watch to give prompt no
tice Of the entrance OF any funny. and
when these are passing the watchmen
open the apertures of the various cham
bers. one by one. and thus tnclose the fish
| in the inner chambers and in like manner
finally oblige them to enter the last, the
chamber of death, or "coppo, as 1t Is
called at Favignana. This latter. unlike
the other compartments, which are formed
of wide and relatively fragile netting, and
only extend round the sides, is made Of
close and heavy hemp netting, lighter to-
ward the east and closer and stronger to-
ward the west, the bottom also being part
of the same net which is held in position
by strong hawsers and large bundles of
cork, known as 'cagnazz
The fish often enter the preliminary
chambers at night unknown to the watch
ers by simply going through the meshes of
the netting, as they are attracted by the
others already inside, and once together
they rarely come out again. as May and
June is their breeding season, and they
willingly remain inclosed within narrow
limits Once the fish are gathered in the
penultimate chamber. everything is got
ready for the "mattanZa." or haul, pom
roon or barge the length of the western
side of the "coppo' is brought over and
closes that side Of the death chamber by
drawing the top of the net over the gun
vale, and the sides are also similarly
sod hN-C har nf l1nr hn1 fh,1s
forming a rectangle; when this is done the
fish allowed to pass into the final cham
Der, and another pontoon takes up posi-
ton the eastern side. parallel to and
opposite the former one: in this latter pom
toon are all the men who haul up the net.
thus obliging the fish to go toward the
western or thicker and stronger part of
the net, which is allowed to pass over the
pontoon as 1t is hauled along, and finally
falls back to Its original position astern
Of the eastern barge.
AS the rectangle of boats gradually be-
comes more and more restricted, the fish
are brought to the surface by the rising
net, and their portentous leaps and strug
giles cover and hide the spectator with
spray and foam. which changes quickly
from white to crimson as the iron hooks
thrust into the fish when they come
within reach of the men stationed the
western barge. Generally six men, armed
with long and short poles. are employed in
hauling each funny on board. Occasional
ly when the fish is of exceptional dimen-
sions, say weighing $50 kilos it is no easy
matter to haul the creature on board
When the catch is complete the boats load
ed with the fish are towed to the factory
where the funny are drawn up an inclined
plane to the sheds by being hooked
through the eye, and are then ranged
alongside one another. their heads severed
from their bodies and the intestines. roe
and milt removed and Immediately placed
in brine. Each headless fish is then hung
by the tall for about eight hours. when
they are cut UP and boiled in copper watts.
and covered with olive oil. when the whole |
operation is complete The production of
preserved funny in Sicily is no longer The
remunerative business it used to be pre-
vfous to the keen competition which ii now |
has to sustain with Spain and Portugal