The weekly intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1891-1901, 1901-02-09
sIcILY,s FUNNY FISHERY.
Hov, the BiE Fish r Caught asa
kept Captive TN the oAH
ners Are Ready.

AAEN
sers Are Ready.
The Faylsnana tunncries are formed
Of two long arms OF net moored on
shore: the one to the vest consisting
~ n coda or tail, is formed OF q
net which, starting from the shore
In A portherly direction for about
a.soo meters, joins the so-called "tun'
nv island where the actual capture
Of the 6sh takes place. From the Is
land onward Il is called the coda
alta" or upper tail, and stretches
parallel 10 and almost as a prolonga'
ton Of the former, being slightly 70
the east for about 1000 meters al
ways in a northerly direction, and ter
minating in three sides OF a square
called a "campile," The second wall
or arm. called a "costa," Is also a
net which starts from the shore eu,
further to the east than the coda,
md stretches in a ~northeasteriy d.
rection; this arm Is about 2,7OO meters
IN length and ends, like tho coda
alta" in the "csmpile," its object be-
inc TO prolong the natural coast line.
These two arms eircumscribe the sx-
panse Of water in which the tnnny
are moving before entering the tun-
merry, and serve TO indicate the direc-
tion they are to follow, says the Lon
don Standard.
The nets are from 80 10 40 meters
high, according TO the depth OF the
water. and they are held in position
by a special system OF mooring lines,
A large hawser, called a "sommo,'
kept afoat by bundles Of cork, Is
maintained in position by anchors
placed at stated intervals; TO this
hawser the net is attached by means
Of vertical lines, called 'modellari,"
and the whole kept in q vertical posi-
tion by another hawser at the bot
tom, called the "plombo," which 10
weighted with large pieces OF stone
Thus the wall Of the net a be
trained in any required position, offer
ing an obstruction to the passage Of
the fish, which do not seek to pierce
1t, but follow the lines traced out by
the obstacle.
The 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
and west sides, each having a special
name; these chambers are closed or
opened by raising or lowering net Gov
erings to apertures in their sides
Boats are constantly on the watch to
give prompt notice Of the entrance Of
any funny, and when these are pass
ing the watchmen open the apertures
Of the various chambers n by one
and thus inclose the fish In the inner
chambers, and In like manner finally
oblige them to enter the last. the
chamber Of death. or "coppo," a. 1t is
called at Favignans. This latter, un.
like 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 toward the east
and closer and stronger toward the
west, the bottom also being part Of
the same net which Is held in position
by strong hswsers and large bundles
OF cork, known as ~'cagnazzi,"
The fish often enter the preliminary
chambers at night unknown to the
watchers by simply going through the
meshes Of the netting, as they are at
tarOted by the others already inside
and once together they rarely cont
out again, as May and June Is theii
breeding season, and they Willingly
remain inclosed within narrow limits
Once the fish are gathered in IN,
Penuifnnate chamber, everythinsf
got ready for the "mattanza," or haul
a pontoon or barge the length of tn,
western side Of the 'coppo' is brought
over and closes that side Of the deatf
chamber by drawing the top Of tn,
net over the gunwale, and the sidei
are also similarly closed by a mum
Der Of smaller boats, thus forming I
rectangle; when this is done the fsi
are allowed TO pass into the Ana
chamber, and another pontoon takei
up a position on the eastern side
parallel to and opposite the former
one; in this latter p%ontoon are all thu
men who haul up the net, thus oblie
ing the fish to go toward the western
or thicker and stronger part of tn,
net, which is allowed to pass over tn,
pontoon as II is hauled along. anC
finally falls back to Its original posi-
tion astern Of the eastern barge.
As the rectangle Of boats gradual,
becomes more and more restricted tn,
fish are brought to the surface by tn,
rising net, and their portentous leap
and struggles over and hide the spec
tator with spray and foam, whicl
changes quickly from white to Grim
son as the iron hooks on the end O
short poles are thrust into the Asl
when they come within reach Of tn
men stationed on the western barge
Generally six men, armed with Ion,
and short poles, r employed In hauI
ing each funny aboard. Occasional,
when the fish is Of exceptional diner
sions, say, weighing $50 kilos, Il is n
easy matter TO haul the creature o
board. When the catch Is complet
the boats loaded with the Ash ar
towsd TO the factory, where the tur
ny are drawn up on inclined plane I
the sheds by being hooked throue
the eye and are then ranged alongsid
one another. their heads severed fro,
their bodies and the intestines. re
and milt removed and immediatel
placed In brine. Each headless as
is then hung up by the tail for abo,
eight hours, when they are cut ND an
boiled in copper watts, after which N
cooked pieces are timed and coyerc
with olive oil, when the whole operi
tion is complete. The production A.,
preserved funny in Sicily is no longt
the remunerative business It used
be previous to the keen eompetitio
which II now has TO sustain wit
Spain and Portugal.