New-York tribune., 1867-08-22


One of the pleasantest features of watering
place life on this coast and which seldom treated
by newspaper correspondents, is the fishery. There
large number Of men who pursue the vocation of fisher
men all along the coast and their mode OF living and
manner Of business Is quite interesting All the way
norhward from this point around the crooked elbow Of
Sandy Hook to its hske point Of beaten sand, end far
southwark TO below Atlantic City and still further on,
the cottages and huts OF these hardy Of the coast
dot the brown beach at intervals of them small
and significant to look at distance more like rag-
mcns Of some wreck cast up by the than the hab
itations Of shrewd and often intelligent men.
Bluefish pOrgies seabass and Spanish mackerel are
the principal varieties OF prey and at some seasons OF
the year these found all along the coast in great pro
sion They caught by both net and line and in add-
ton to supplying all of these immense Summer hotels
with important item Of food they furnish the Metro
pOlitan market with large amount Of stock In trade
Indeed understand that these fisheries produce one va
riety dhe Spanish macllereD almost exclusively
Every morning at ABOUT dayDt&eak & o Io gaa orS boas
down the beach preparatory TO launchlhg tnrn An
medEr teip nets and arranging their other tackle and
thus early do they take advantage OF te seaIOp nr
like birds early rsers and many OF the bughtnDed
delicious gaspers are be captured by the skilled surf
bOatmon It only yesterday morning that had the
satisfaction of witnessing the start ana the return
The night had been cloudy, with rain and storm But
brilliant shafts pierced the yet oyerclouded heaY-
ems. and shot along the sea. where
Tie wild waves donned their rberty-caps
In the crimson glow Of the sun,
Which summoned item one BY one.
The surf was strong and heavy that II seemed no
easy task launch those frai boats through the boiling
surge. But with the trained fishermen, 1t proved easy
enough The boat is slid down. bow-fOremO5 10 the edge
OF the foam and then with the outgoing breaker the
OF three the vessel out at the top OF Their speed
They spring in with the agility OF monkeys, just In time
about TO topple and whclm them but 1t met Dy
broad extended oars. and few strong nervous pulls
light shell darting out into the long, green unDOken
swells and it fades INTO the distance and appears
nothing more than elongated spot on the surface;
The fishing grounds appear to DC between two and three
s bca Fcney 1G S work Wof W two @ or three 5Seer think
frequent for the fishermen To work In partnership IN con-
siderable numbers but there are also many or them VINO
work individually, or on their own nook IN aDous
luck has been reasonably good much deeper IN the wafer
than upon their start Launching the empty boats only
appeared be pcrlOus bleaching them is in reality
especially the swells are hgh ana strong I've seen
the fishermen here hover on the verge for upward OF Is
minutes bOfore venturng 10 make the strand The OBJ
Ject II To cach te rouhung tQp Oh pig Wae M soV.
ground the keel and hen leapngout drag te BOAT gh
low can pull it back into the The chance is mscal
cuatod at times and then the result Is oapsIzed craft
OF fish returned 20 seir element, and number OF
badly ducked dripping fishermen toillng dsastrousy up
the beach But long practice makes perfect ana the
boats usually landed In safety through the heaviest
Then you see them shoulderng their heavy baskets,
and slowly COursng the strand 10 the little fshsed
the bluff where the fish are assorted sent to the hO
tells which have left their orders during the night or
boxed in ice for the markets OF neighbOIlng cites.
How fresh ard bright and luscious they look as they
lie in the dripping baskets half covered with rank SHINY
scawccd. most OF them s alive and gasping from their
ocean home You can If fancifu be almost with them
In their recent roamings IN 1.-THE blue desert Of the u-
ranmeled deep" That wide mouthed, ,transparentpped
fellow, who now Ops his tail eXprngy 20 your fee but
recently dartd with his happy comrades In and out OF
the sunken rocks, with perhaps creyce under some
deephured anchor, other relic OF shpwreck for nest
moss and farbranchng forests of gray coral may not
have felt the 1.-THE movements OF that slnewy mackerel
who with the coors of the rainbow changing his
He'd -ll e. leS
| Here is the dark Aatsled porgy common but beau
tfu and desirable fish. lie has the same stupid express
sion Of the head and gs which gives to the huge tor
t0sc half OF his emneutly epcurean appearance and
the dark bright scales threaded with many seam of
scntatiug purple and gold In addition 10 being cheap
/ the flesh Il, sweet and comparatively bOneles, which
makes 1t always respectable gIacet Oh tine IeslNe
Ncy but not least is the bluesh-not 50 broad slded
but rouudcr and more clumsy OF build. He must move
through the uudcrsurflcc with slower and more com
posed movement than the porgy but then as many col
change upon the ground OF his scay coat and
| tho flesh is equally desirable.
a bllcl-fsh or two also crops ont from the family
breathing mass and, though dark OF scale and dul Oi
eye, the freshness OF the appears to lnger more
closely 70 his sndowy coat and with many he Is eonsid
/ err as one OF the finest table FISH.
Tie seabass very frequent the heap. and this beau
tfI and delicious fish needs no pen TO exto ms excellent
! qualities.
And then. carefully excluded from the rest, IS that
prince OF the edible denilcns OF the dcepthe Spanish
muckercl. lie resembles the common mackere only III
shape though much roundcT more slender, and more
gracctul and In the changing dew! hues OF his smooth
sluny almost scaclcss coat he is infinitely superior
With what silent arrowke speed he must have cleft the
blue gassiness OF that under element which only
In its superficial heayiugs and tumnt! have heard
many epcurcs In this sphere declare ee Spanish mack
crl the sweetest and best table nsh in the wOrd-not
excepting the salmon. The flavor Is certainly most
exquisite, and cannot be too highly commended.
The furnishing of the great hotels OF these watering
places with fs IS IN itself u, , iisn % Te
u absorbed by the markets Of the neghbOrng cles ana
towns have cndcayorcd 10 make some calculation OF
the amount Of fish brought To shore IN this neghbOrhood
for the NewIOr market alone; but the coast j. so eN
ensye and the fishermen SO wide apart and so dhen OF
access, that have found 1t impossible To make anything
like decent estimate. But the amount OF the business
must Dc very large -,
day long, the dark little boats OF the fishermen may be
away from the shore hcaving slowly and reg
larry upon the long, gradual swoS oi the sea lhey III
tcr,perse The white sails OF the passing coasngcraIt
like small black spots upOn the dark somber brine. In
gazing TRANQUILITY upon the former the pretty pet may
come 10 mind dreamIly:
What those white sails ike, Baisle,
Pale ghosts that glide along the tide.
or lilies OF the leaf
Or snow.fakes melting In the deep
Or wings Of birds 9aispIead
The maiden raised her head
And answered her calm, blue eyes
swept 0cs the cruel sea:
They .yise .ss% 1'i iid S,sfS slloul, to to @sr"
But I'm the contemplation lonely fishermen, there is
food for ms much Contemplation aud fancy We be
with them In their wearsome tumDlngs among the
unsteady tug from beneath the surface, or the gradual
settling and heavy weight within the net which Det0kens
heavy haul of the uny tribe. Or we may In fancy, go
down with the nets themselves, and angle for ideas as
they for subsistence.
As fishers east their nets, east
Our thoughts abroad, and drew them IN,
Till all the cleaning strand was mOssed
With silver side and golden 40.
And so they plod, from early morn till late at night,
the pursuit Of their monotonous but attractive vocation
And few who watch them but momehtary appreciate
the poetry of their hOmey lives.
Tie domestic lives of these workers OF the sea" is sim
pie, and unmarked, as general thing, by anything
dramatic. In many cases the exterior Of their rude huts
il OF the roughest description have OF them
between this point and sandy Hook which were most
unique and interesting In their way. Many are rudey
fashioned Of the tmbers and fragments OF wrecks which
have been washed ashore In the stormy Winter months
when the fishing and the somewhat dsre