A Bend (fig. 54).-The method of connecting two ropes or lines, and additional security is obtained by passing the end round the bow and underneath its own part a second time.

FIG. 54.

For facilitating the joining and casting-off of seine-net ropes, &c., an eye or loop is often spliced in one of the ends.

The Bowline Knot (fig. 55).—One of the most important knots to fishermen and sailors, and particularly useful to amateurs whenever it is requisite to make fast a boat to a ring likely to be submerged on a rising tide, as the lower part of the knot in the engraving may be made sufficiently long to reach the level of high water if desired, when the knot being cast off

the end of the rope may be hauled through the ring, and the boat set at liberty.

The Timber Hitch (fig. 56).—A speedy method of securing a piece of timber, spar, &c., whilst afloat, and very useful also

in attaching a stone to a bulter, or for the purpose of mooring a boat in place of an anchor on very foul rocky ground, with an additional hitch at its side.

The Killick, or Sling-stone (fig. 57), does the duty of an anchor on rocky or rough ground, the loss of which it often obviates.

stone.

FIG. 57.-Stone Killick.

The Yoke Anchor. — This is also known by the appellation of the 'killick' in many places, and consists of a triangular frame of wood, enclosing a heavy The piece of wood at the bottom, forming the base of the triangle, projects beyond the legs about 5 inches, and the ends act much in the same way as the flukes of an anchor. The legs pass through two holes bored through this piece of wood, which forms the base of the triangle, and a pin through each prevents their slipping out again. This holds better than a stone on a mixed bottom, although it is not equal to an anchor on smooth ground. It is generally used on a rough bottom, and a short piece of half-worn rope should be spliced into the fork of the triangle, and the cable be bent on to this. If this yoke anchor gets fast in the bottom, a heavy strain will break the weak piece of rope, and thus the cable will be saved. The cost of making one of these yoke anchors is very trifling, and the risking of a real anchor is avoided. The stone here shown should also always be slung with a weak piece of rope, and the cable be bent on to it, to avoid risk. Varieties of the wooden anchor combined with a stone appear to have been in use by maritime nations from remote periods. In Norway a wooden cross is used, from the arms of which four legs rise, and are secured together, at a height of about 2 feet 6 inches, enclosing a stone of a sugar-loaf shape to give sufficient weight. This will hold .well upon soft ground, and acts like a mushroom anchor, which are used for mooring the lightships. These contrivances may be looked on as the parents of the iron anchor, and doubtless

originated at a very remote period, far beyond the reach of history.

An Eye-Splice.-A loop or eye on the end of a rope is made by untwisting three or four inches of the line or rope, and having opened the twist or lay with a marline-spike, pricker, or stiletto (best adapted to fishing-line), inserting the middle strand first and then the others successively in the openings to be made between the strands. This being repeated, the ends are to be drawn tight, the splice to be beaten or rolled on the floor, and the ends cut off not quite close until the splice has taken some strain in use, after which it will never draw.

An eye-splice with a line or two strands is even more simple than the above, and is formed by merely crossing the ends through the openings in the strands.

The commencement of an eye-splice with the ends once through is shown (fig. 58 a).

A Short Splice with a Two-strand Line (fig. 58 b).-Very useful in joining the two-strand snooding Mackerel-lines, and formed by untwisting a couple of inches of each end and interlocking them with each other, after which the strands are to be opened, and the ends of each to be crossed three times in the apertures.

Crowning or Scowing the Anchor (fig. 58 c).-An excellent plan where the bottom is doubtful or known to consist of sand

or gravel with rocks interspersed. It is performed by making fast the cable where the shank joins the arm, and stopping it down to the ring with a single rope yarn, or piece of twine, for if the anchor gets fast in a rock you will probably clear it, as the yarn or twine will break and the anchor be lifted by the whole strain coming suddenly on the crown.

Slipping the Cable.-As it sometimes happens that the particular fishing-ground you desire to visit is directly in the track of passing shipping, it is requisite on the approach of any vessel to be ready to remove out of the track more quickly than raising the anchor will admit of. I therefore recommend some kind of a buoy, such as a stump end of a mast, or broken oar, or a small bag of cork, always to be kept bent on to the inner end of the cable, which being thrown overboard, the boat is at once set at liberty, and all risk of collision may be avoided by backing astern by a few strokes of the oars. The vessel having passed, the buoy may be picked up, and the position at once resumed. In connection with this, I may as well draw the attention of my readers to the

Belaying Thwart.—The Belaying Thwart is a short piece of rough inch-and-one-eighth plank, fixed a foot from the stem of the boat, and provided with two strong belaying pins and a mast-clamp. One of these pins is useful for belaying the cable, which can be instantly cast off and slipped if required on any sudden emergency; the other serves for the halliards when the mast is stepped forward for sailing short distances. A ring for the bowsprit is also fixed thereto. Many accidents,

FIG. 59.

some fatal, have happened for want of this simple arrangement. The Anchor Bend.-The method of joining anchor and cable by passing the cable end twice through the ring and then

securing it, as shown in fig 59, which appears sufficiently to explain itself.

If the anchor is kept continually bent, the end is usually attached to the cable by a seizing.

Hooks.

No part of the fisherman's outfit is of more importance, and no part has so little attention paid to it, as the Hook. I am not going into a minute description of the method of making them; I will merely state that the best are made of cast steel drawn into wire, which is cut into lengths, the barbs raised with a lever knife, and the points filed to shape; they are then bent into proper form round a mould, the top of the shank flattened if for sea-fishing, or filed taper for fly-fishing, hardened, tempered, and finished by tinning, black varnishing, or blueing. Good hooks are somewhat difficult to obtain; the makers will readily supply them, but dealers want a cheap article, and consequently every device is resorted to to save a penny or twopence in the hundred. Many hooks are only

made of iron case-hardened, which are useless with heavy fish. There are hooks now sold which to appearance are excellent, of Limerick shape and good finish, but the metal is worthless, and they break with a very small strain.

While on the subject, I may mention that hooks for special purposes are sometimes left soft.

The fishermen at Dover, Folkestone, &c., lay long trots for Silver-Whiting: the ground is very foul, and the hooks used by them are made of soft iron wire tinned; if they catch the rocky ground, or are taken by rough fish such as Rays, they bend, but are afterwards easily put in shape again; at the same time they are quite strong enough to catch the Whiting, which seldom run there over a pound or pound and a half. These hooks are of French manufacture.

Whipping and Bending on Hooks.-There are several methods of fastening hooks on to the lengths of the different materials used for snoods. For freshwater fishing, the usual plan is to whip hook and gut together with fine silk well