The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1877-04-11
GOLDFISH.


How They Are Prepared for Market.
A correspondent of the Montreal Gazette
gives the history of a Goldfish from the mo-
ment when, on the hook of the fisherman, It
is dragged from it's native element till it
disappears down the human throat on the
banks of the Amazon. the Parana, the Tagus
or the Pc. After few expiring wriggles
land it is a comfort to be in
formed by naturalists that fish are
almost insensible to paiD) the cod is
hung from the fisherman's boat upon the
rough stage, where it is received by the "cut-
throat" who, with a sharp knife laws open
the fish across the throat and down the belly,
and passes it TO the header. This operator
proceeds to extract the liver, which is
dropped into a vessel by his side, to be con-
verified into cod liver oil. He then extracts
the entrals and wrenches off the head,
and throws these into another receptacle,
to be preserved for the farmer
to mix with bog and earth, thus
forming most fertilizing compost for his
fields. The tongues. however, are taken out,
and also the sounds, and these, fresh or
picked, are an excellent article of food.
The fish is then passed to the splitter, who
by dexterous movement cuts out the
backbone nearly to the tail, and thus lays
the fish entirely open, and capable of being
laid fiat on its back. Ibis is the incest part
of the operation, and the splitter always
commands higher wages than the
rest of the operators. The salter
next takes the fish and washes it
well from all particles of blood, salts it. and
places it in piles to drain. After laying the
proper length of time it is washed and spread
to dry or the flake" which is formed of
spruce bOughs, supported by a framework
resting on upright poles Here the cod are
spread out individually to bleach by exposure
to sun and air, and during this process require
constant attention. At night, or on the ap-
proach of rain, they are made up into little
round heaps, with the skin outward, in which
state they look very much like small
haycocks. When the ''bloom," or whitish
appearance, which for time they assume,
comes out on the dried fish, the process is
finished, and they are quite ready for stor-
ing. On being conveyed to the premises of
the exporting merchant, they are first
''culled," or assorted, into four different
kinds, known as Understandable" made
ira - ''West India" and Dan" or broken
fish. The first is the best quality, the second
a grade lower, the third is intended for the
stomacbs of negroes, and the fourth, which
is incapable of keeping, is used at home.
The cod sent TO hot countries are packed by
screw power into small casks called
''drums;" those which go to the Mediterra-
mean are usually exported in bulk. Large
quantities Of dried Goldfish are shipped to
Brazil, and there is harily an inhabited
corner of that vast empire where the New
fOundland cod is not TO be found being car
ried on the backs of mules from
the seacoast into the most distant
provinces of the interior. The negroes
of the West Indies welcome it as a
grateful addition to their vegetable diet To
all parts of tn Mediterranean it finds its
way, Italians, Greeks and Sicillians equally
relishing the produce of the sea harvest. The
Spaniards and Portuguese are our best Gus
toners. and all over the southern peninsula
the "bacalao' is a standing dish. In the
warmer regions of the earth the people seem
to have a special liking for the dried and
salted cod, and To them il is an almost in
dispensable article of food.