The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-01-01

of the fish takes place. FROM the island
onward 1t is called the coda aka or up
per tail, and stretches parallel to and al
most as a prolongation OF the former. be-
ing slightly to the east for about 1900
metres, always in a northerly direction,
and terminating in three sides of a square
called a 'campie The second wall or
arm, called a costa, is also a net which
starts from the shore. but further to the
east than the coda, and stretches in
northeasterly direction this arm is about
200 metres in length and ends like the
coda alta in the 'campile' It's obje t be-
ing to prolong the natural coast line.
These two arms circumscribe the expanse
Of water in which the funny are moving
before entering the tunnery, and serve 10
indicate the direction they are to follow.
THE nets are from 30 to 20 metres high
according 10 the depth of water. and they
are held in position by q special system
of mooring lines. A large hawser called
a sommo,' kept anoat by bundles Of cork,
is maintained IN position by anchors placed
al state intervals; to this hawser the net
Is attached by means Of vertical lines
called modellari. and the whole kept in a
vertical position by another hawser at
the bottom. called the 'piombo,' which is
weighted with large pieces of stone. Thus
the wall or net can be trained IN any re-
CURED 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.
''rhe funny coming from the West meet
the so-called 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
divided into several chambers. both on
the east ana west sides each having a
oh haf o1a
or opened by raising or lowering net COW
eiings TO 9oertures in their sides Boats
are constantly on the watch to give
prompt notice Of the entrance OF any tun-
ny, and when these are passing the
watchmen open the apertures OF the va
rious chambers one by one, and thus en-,
close the fish in the inner chambers, and
in like manner finally obsge them 60 en-
ter the last. the chamber Of death. or
ccppo, as it is called at Favignana. This
latter, unlike the other Commandments,
which are formed Of wide ana relatively
fragile netting, and cniy extend round he
sides, Is made Of close and heavy hemp
netting, lighter toward the west. the bot
tom also being part of the same net
which is bed in position by strong haw-
sers ana large bundles Of cork known as
'caguazzi
'"rhe 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 b.
the others already inside, ana once to-
Eether they rarely come out again, as
May and June is their breeding season,
and they willingly remain enclosed within
narrow limits. once the fish are gathered
In the penultimate chamber, everything
Is got ready for the 'mattanZa,' or haul,
pontoon on 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 gunwae ana The sides are also
similarly closed 10y number OF smaller
boats, thus forming a rectangle' when
this is done the hsh are allowed TO pass
into the final chamber, ana another pom
toou takes up "a position on the eastern
SIDE. parallel TO aud OPP site the former
one; IN this latter uoutoln are an mo
men who haul up the net, 4hus obliging
the fish to 20 toward she western or
thicker and stronger part Of the net,