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 seneros, 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 seneros fly a color by means of which they signal orders for sailing to the other vessels.  These seneros 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 31/2 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 41/2 in.  Many boats are now constructed of hard wood to the water line and Norway pine above.

The fastenings are galvanized nails 41/2 in. long.  The mast-partners and all the thwarts are of oak 11/2 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 31/2 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