Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1867-04-26
was never anything hnt respectful. olcdicn;
and tender 10 them.
[Eliiorid Correspondence Of the Free Press.
From the West Indies.
No XII
Il shore ,r,t'. Laaii.g Of ht fishing heats
~ he surE.
81. Cncrv. March p, ls67.


southwest But from that quarter the Wiz
rarely blows except during the hurricane month
80 called-that is from the latter part Of July &
the latter part of October. During that perio
sometimes strong westerly wind hrinRs in
powerful sea, making !, dangerous Tor yesss' {;
lie of the port Of FreJericlstai 81 othe
times-that Is for most Of the ytaI-the Liel
lands in the rear Of the town break the ioree @
the Trade wind coming from the n. y. E2si
50 that the sea Is very smooth and rster-orsf
Of all sizes lie within an eighth Of a mile frcm
the shore, ss quietly s. If they we're on a mill
pond.
But to-day smart westerly br,sz, is blow
ing-not 50 strong as to disturb much the large
vessels a, anchor in deep water but strong
enough to bring in q lively surf and to mske
the Lighters which are m5orei thirty or forty
rods out-lance on the waves Ike cookie shells
Walking cut to enjoy the fresh breeze from the
ocean. it is interesting TO watch the fishing boats
come in. These fishing boats are strong yaa,s
fourteen to sixteen feet ia length. with
breadth AMI depth enough TO make them good
sea boats, and moved by either cars or sails
Having been out this morning 90 take mp the
fish from the fsh-po,s sunk IL Jeep wafer in
favorable localities. extenj.ng perhaps two or
three miles along shore. III, Hsherneu sre return
ing st tbJut noon ard their task is 10 make
landing without iriurng The lca,s.
stranger who had prev ously noticed the
character ofthe shore would he ready 90 say that
the chance Of Iashing the boat to ricccs was ten
times as great as that Of bringing /, il uuhaIm
ei. F1r tie whole shore is faced with ra-gel
rock, nowhere pres,ating any We ~ high point.
but '.rming an uninterrupted iigyel t,lt ir,m
ten to thirty i,et wide. locking as ii had Teen
deposited there a mass ct hal. cooiei Java. every
where about as rough and harp 81. the ..s-.
thrown out Of a smelling furnace SsaNrI ot
this be,t Of rclk s d bottom Of s-ul, shelving
oi pretty rap,ily INTO deep gatr Ltnlaul
O; it, a sandy beach runs mp f-r many ,,t.
trmiug piles Of sand. broken o5u,h sieI- and
rolled bits of coral stone. m .u.et weather .lc
Wayes, very small ia size li9r tis tide here i-
hsrily worth no,ieinsl 10 not trrsL over ,,.s
ersesy belt ofrc.s. bu, lasi up agsnst 10. aai
send the broken water through its ri1s .1 as 90
iarely vet thc el-e Of the ssnl IN De- inu,1
sle
But today u, ,uri comes ieilas aai .oar.-
M i'll 81 d. O. completely bury the rock out O.
sigL; la.hiag, as 70 breaks. sool ways rp .a .
the outer sanly beach. 4, retreats. not ou'y F.
is the roeL lail bare fra .er moments Iut
quite space on the ssawaIl side also. while the .
waves are gathering force FOR another a.-lrs
Vow the thing 20 De jole by each boat e 20
choose place where the Loat can he. ifrichHy .
managed, left by the wave uniuiurei right ou
the ;op OF the rock, ami then bv the y.,afaa.
efforts Of the fishermen. Iraggei rapidly shar
wari, aut % alrm', way from ihe returning
way,s
While ont 20 q d. usil,Ito.e i.-t.uoe ia. a,.
we're uulei sail lat each ,u,. as &c come, ue,r .
lakes in 10. sail anil lower, n. aa,t The oI.
sre the only things that can ls ,ru.tcl now.
Keeping just at that Instance from the .Lare
which would enable the osrsmen 90 hold their .
boat unler control. either TT q il.L forward {; .
the right time had come. OF ira backward .
movement, the r5vers N.rA their way slowly
along shore to find the j,sni sp5t. ou the .
shore : motley crowd OF black AMI oolor,i .
'ien, women AMI children, scme mothers, wives .
as sisters Of those on board, others waiting fr .
a chance to buy fsh for their dinner, aud .
vihers, Ike myself mere lockers on. Many
sturdy fishermen sre on the alert 10 lend helr- .
ing hand when The moment comes ths, makes .
help possible, snd troop Of lively fisher boys
are running this way AMI that way, ezcitei with .
the love Of sport, and ready to 10 their part in
the work. Is the boat moves to the right or the
left, the multitude sway one way or the other
Occasional shouts 90 forth and arms are
brandished to signal those in the boat, and
eager discussions start up among the most
experienced fishermen as TO the safest spot
te make landing. rs soon as It is
q. dent that landing is to he attempted
q half dozen or more naked fisher boys, seeming
y from twelve to fifteen years Of age, dash into
the surf and make for the boat, the boatmen
meanwhile throwing over board the ballast and
getting all ready for the start. The boys ale
one moment wholly buried in the surf as they
dive under to escape the comb Of the wave, then
emerging on the other side, their black skins
C ntrssting strongly with the tuIbll sea water
and anon nothing is to be seen OF them but their
black heads bobbing along On the surface
When they have reached the boat they take charge
of the spare oars and spsrs which are handed
over to them to tighten the boat; and, like Sand
wch islanders playing in the surf, they some
times ride on the cars and some Zines swim along
sIe Of them to the shore, a; a little distance
from where the boat is to land When the right
wave comes along the boatmen ply their oars
with all the yigOr possible, and the instant the
boat settles on the rock a score Of men and b5Js
are at the sides and dragging it to the shore
Dace fairly up on the beach the scene instantly
changes. Young AMI Old. male and female,
4 'tttAeu anu uAEtuf Sathc hIoulu TIC Lutl 10
!scuss the incidents Of the trip, or iuspee, and
rice the fish. while the fisherman gather them,
= varied in form AMI beautiful 10 their divers
-'lors beyond any description and any eolOred
presentation Of fish on paper which ever saw
-.uto baskets and tubs to be carried away aud
lsiribuitd. Fish most excellent for the table
,h0und in these waters snl iorm the cheapest
irtice Of food available ior eitb,r rich 0 pour
The scenes which have described aIe repeated
,.on the arrival u each boat and
sken with all the surroundings are unsurpassed
N liveliness and interest by soy which ;
have wtnessrl since came upon the island.
C. W. H.
NLw SYtY-Ihc ladies OF Ala ANA have
pied u new style Of waterfall, consisting
cocoanut fastened to the region Of the !
'ebellun, By ribbons. I. is beautiful ar