Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1870-09-29
Wi5eeIlaueuus.
ARCAsHOH.
A Loaeiy Land I'm France.
Prom chambers's Journal.

Prom Chambers's Journal
Lost IN the rarely violated solitude of the
lmdcs south OF Bordeaux, The Bay OF Area
ehon was, IN foraler days. only visited by
habitants who settled ON lis shores we're
rude fishermen, deprived of all communi-
cation with the outer world.
The tide, with It's regular ebb aud flow,
covers the immense space; when high. the
green hue of the water can scarcely he dis
tlnguisbed from the sand-hills aud nncer-
tam lIne Of It's marshy shores; when low,
the winding channels, with their innumer-
able notifications, have been compared to
the suckers of a gigantic medusa- The
whole scene depicts to the Geolocist an
image Of primitive chaos marshy lagOons,
still uniubabited - ran, out Of which rise
islands of muf VI Il, she immagination
may realize as l.ix ity reptiles OF those
early days Tire ffm shore ls separated
from this mass, ncrt 5r less liquid. by fields
OF mud, covered with toe red willow. II, e
trenlb. legres. O, trembling meadows. which
mark the live Of former bays; savannahs
dotted With groups of trees. tOrtuous canals
dividing islands and peniusulss; and the
forests and downs which lie on the west
complete the strange 'nd primeyal aspect
offered br water. sand md mud
The Villages are occupied b. two classes
OF men, the resin-mak rs and the fisher
men Formerly the tso races lived IN a
state OF open hostility Civilization has
somewhat softered these rancorous feel
ings, but the contest D tween them is ap-
pIeDt N moment TO the inexperienced
traveller. The resinisr, as he is called In
jae country, is remarkable tor his slender
limbs, hollow and pale cheeks. liked look,
obstinate silence, savage manners aud rig
IL economy. He Is dark, as If the mystery
of the forest always weighed upon him.
and when he laughs his gAty seems like o
ferociOus explosion. In later days he has
laidaside his red vest for the usual dress
of the peasants, and, owing to the in-
creased price of his commodity. he can
buy fields, build cottage, and improve
upon his sortnd life. Becoming tbs in
habitant of town, he ceases TO be 0 saw
age of the woods. The fisherman, On the
contrary, is a merry fellow, his complexion
ruddy, his limbs well formed, his step as
sured, he loves to laugh aud sing. aud
generously spends the earnings of bis diff
cult voyages
THE LEECH TRADE
There are many occupations carried on
beside these shores as well as that OF fish
lug, which, however, IS extremely protita-
Ole, ONlu8 lO VI
which resort to TINS neiGhborbood One
of these trades Is that Of propogatipg
leeches in the meres near the bay. For
merly, the custom was TO use miserable
wcrn-Out horses; but these poor animals
were found by the propagator TO wear out
too soon the veins opened 10y the leeches
did not heal, and so the iife's blood could
not be renewed. Now, the COW has to do
duty as nurse to the young annelides.
frightened, haggard, but resigned, the
animal submits with . stupid kind of as
tonishment TO the attacks OF clusters of
ieeches hanging on its legs; and when the
moment of utter exhaustion comes,
she is sent off to her pastures to
renew life. and furnish fresh repast
Two weeks suffice for, each process. alter
Dately carried on, until death puts an end
to being eaten In detail. The owner of
about eight acres OF marsh supplies yearly
two hundred cows for the nourishment of
eight hundred. thousand lseches; he buys
the animal for about two pounds, aud sells
the carcass for sixteen shilliDgs. The ass
Is sometimes employed, but it proves to be
less resigned than the more patient COW;
II kicks. prances and tries to bite; aud
when at length it tails into the ws.er under
the storm of its numerous enemies, IL be-
OF leeches forms. an important branch of
trade 10 the inhabitants of the Bay OF Ar
cachOn. may be believed when it Is known
that = million and haif OF leeehes, are an
pually exported TO Bordeaux.
OYSTER CULTURE
In giaueiug over the expanse of water,
long poles may be seen here and there,
marking another of the objects of interest
the cnituTe of oysters. From the earliest
OF times this shell-iisb has been remark
ably good IN the bay; at the bottom of the
channels, where the tides are most rapid.
are found the h,,,treS IL grdue; while on the
n-ud-banls the celebrated haitres de ararette
are gathered. and exported all over
Europe. But, by their greedy haste, the
fishers have almost depop.lated the banks
aud only one here and there is now to be
found. A law has been Elade to interdict
the fishing for the greater Part Of the year,
and the spawn is growing -by millions for
future trade. Besides these, private indI-
vIduals have embarked their capital In Iy
ing out beds with oysters brought from
Spain, England aud France, rs well 40
those which arc found i, yIr;.inia, On the
Chesapeake river. and reach tue SIZE Of
twelve or fifteen inches IN Ieugtb- The
mud-banks are paved With shells, where
myrisds nom the shell of the oyster
mother may repOse IN safety: while thick
branches of trees are woven together, that
they may form protection against being
washed away by the tide. IL Is to be fear
ed th~ ,thss ssnterpfising individuals do
not receive a sufficient return for their lab
ors, the watching OF tie young oysters IN
wolves great expense. and they do not
grow very quickly. II is not all the hanks
which suit, some are too muddy, and give
disacreeabie flavor to the hssh; others ara
Of too pure sand. on which the oyster cam
net fttteD, ard If the tide II long III recos-
ering the young spawn, they are much
more slowly developed Besides these
numerous obstacles to the extension OF
this trade. there are the countless enemies
which ere IN the sea; of, the million germs
which escape like pclIfn frcm the mether..
almost all are deVoured "A lew only have
the chance of attaching themselves to
shell or a branch. Then as they grow and
open their valves, the destroyer ,s-ever on
the watch. Mollusks of different kinds
feed on them; and the crab, that terrible
ravager Oft seq. has claw always ready
to advance into the she'll and devour the
contents
WOMAN S ZIG ITS IN FORCE
&c t-4<A DAs-- tstA tAAO ttOnuOO VI ,A4NAt
fishing to the wife; she Is the real head of
the establishment. During the long alb
sence of her husband, it falls to her to di-
rect the business of the community; and
frequently whole villages are solely iRhabi-
ted by women and children for the greater
part of the year When the husband un-
happily perishes, IS is SO often the case ON
this dangerous coast. IL falls TO her lot TO
bring up the son to the same trade which
has cost his father his life. All CONNER
cial transactions are given up 10 her; she
il Is who sells the daily haul of fish. Be
fore the railway was made to Bordeaux, she
went thither on horseback, or In small
cart. in all seasons and weather;cshe CROSS
ed by night the marshes and moefs OF Me-
doc 90 reach ths market early, and return
home as soon as she had disposed OF her
basket. The men. shut up on all sides by
the sert Of the landes, had never even
seen the great city, and knew OF its won-
ders only from the description given bJ
their wives.
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