The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1878-11-16
On THE EASTERN SHORE.
From LippineoR's Mag1-ine.
CONTINUED.


is the omnivorous and omniprcscnt crab.
From early Summer tn frosty Autumn,
wherever the eye falls upon bay water,
from the quarter deck of the steamer in
mid-channel to the foot bridge which spans
the head Of each shallow creek, it falls also
upon the ubiquitous crab-Nature's model
of a torpedo boat, waiting for a practical
application by the slowly adaptive inven-
ton of man, presenting the least possible
resistance as he scuttlcs through the water
at any depth and in any direction, with the
greatest possible motive power; double
bowed and armor. plated, provided with
ramming spikes aud graphing claws at
either end; and wthal moved by a viciously
pugnacious spirit, always ready To assail
the first object against which he may chance
to run. The most striking peculiarly of
the Chesapeake crab is the fact that he is
never found in the shell of the oyster.
Those luscious little delicacies which scram.
BILE out Of the bivave whenever upon the
coast it is opened for lunch ION the
half SHE'LL" and to which General Wash
luSton was 50 partial, are, Tor some untS-
planned reason, unknown III the upper bay.
Arrived maturity, however, they furnish
very important item in the pIofi,s of the
Eastern Shore ACKNOWLEDGMENT so, in.
deed. TO have induced petition to the last
Assembly for protective law. Tie hard
crabs are taken chiefly IS .'trot lines -
long lines stretched between stak-s, with
sometimes as many as one hundred shorter
lines attached to them. The crab fisher
passes along the set line in his boat, draw
ing up his .trots - and securing the greedy
aud tenacious crustaceans with dip net.
repeating the operation as long as the tide
lasts. They sell rapidly at paying rates,
/ no one who has ever eaten crab salad
being disposed to try lobster again. The
fisherman finds them useful. too. in other
ways. When cruising for drumiiSh, there
[ is no better sign of their proximity than
the crabs swimming wildly near the sur
face with open and extended claws. >triv
| ing in impotent rage and terror to escape
I from their hungry foes. Should line be-
come hooked in a suukcn snag. the surest
way TO release il is To take au old CHAN
meier the male crab-and clasp him over
it by fastening the fore feet into the Joints
! of the opposite claws. In his frantic ef-
/ forts at escape he is almost sure to loosen
the hook, generally, however, at the ex-
pense of his life. The soft crab is regarded
as the greatest delicacy produced by the
rich waters of the bay. This is not, As
many inlanders suspose, a distinct species.
but only the common decapod caught in
the act of changing his clothes. There
seems to be but one species common in
these waters, the heavg stone crab - he
ing unknown, and the little pea crab
that which makes itself at home in the oys-
ter shell-beng confined to the mouth of
the bay The young crab grows very rap
idly. and hence the necessity for frequent
moultings. lie is. i'll fact, mailed war
rior from his youth, and whenever his armor
becomes too small Cor his grow ing body. lie
seeks a retired place on tho grassy bottom
and throws it off The membrane which
unites the carapace or shell with the thoracic
plates gives way, and the animal wirhdraws
from It's case, slipping claws, feet, oars,
eyes, antenna;r, everything from the outer
covering. 1t is row perfectly helpless un-
til fresh calcareous deposit has become
liked. This is the epicure's time. Boys
aud men wade in the shallow water with
scoop nets or drag the bottom with iron
framed dredges, and secure the soft aud
sickly crustaceans in large numbers. Some
are used for batting fish lines. but the larg-
est number go TO the table at seventy five
cents or more per dozen. The price is no;
extrayagant in view of the exposure under
gone IN catching them. i regular crab
catcher once said To me: IL wear wet
breeches from Monday morning till Satur-
day night" AS soon as the crab attains
his growth, he ceases shedding and wears
his artnor prominently, old "chaunelers -
being often covered with barnacles like 4
ships bottom. This is why soft crabs are
rarely found of the largest size-a common
complaint o: purchasers, though the smaller
are far more delicate.
AS the crabs goes out of the season the
terrapin comes in. and supplies its place in
the Winter menu. His home is in tn. soft
mud at the bottom of the many quiet little
coves which make in from the creeks that
fringe the bay and the mouths of its larger
rivers. The diamond back" as he is
/ famIiiariy called, is .he choicest joHns
6ouehe of the Maryland epicure, and one
of the most profitable products of the wat.
ers, these chelonian tidbits selling readily
at from nine to twenty four dollars dozen,
and being somewhat costly 1t that since
any good trencherman can dispose of at
least one of the largest. They are regarded
As - in season y only after assuming their
Winter torpor, when they are dressed with
cut cleaning, everything going To the stew
P..n except the head and she'll They are
taken by drag nets, wh'ch scrape the bot
tom as the boat passes over the fishing
ground, propelled by sail or oars; but the
method adopted by the oystermen is more
interesting and generally more successful,
though 1t requires i practiced eye and a
steady hand with long experience in the
work. calm morning is selected after a
hard frost, the colder the better, provided
ice has not formed on the water One man
paddles, while another stands at the bow
armed with pair Of "terrapin paws"
This implement is a pair of long handled
tongs. the rode made light and slender and
the claspers formed of iron like a pair of
hands with the fingers bent, four On one
side and three on the other. As the boat
moves slowly along the tongman peers into
the water, which in such weather is clear
enough for the bottom TO be distinctly visi
bic at depth of seven or eight feet \
little swell in the soft mud catches his eye,
and the paws are plunged down and closed
upon terrapin. Should the frost have
been very severe. the animal is often seen
lying on the surface of the mud upon its
back, or perhaps turned edgcwise and partly
buried. In this way seventy or eighty are