Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-10-23
oSTEND AGAIN.
a CITY OF EATERS. DRINKERS, FISHERS
AND KEITTERs
Some Very Interesting Facts about the
Harbor of ostend, its Defenses
and it's Fisheries.
osrEND, September 26, 1880.

North Sea. In q maritime point of view
it owes it privileged situation to the natu-
raj shelter which the stroom-bank gives to
its roadstead. It is at present proposed to
entirely shelter its roadstead by a break
water reconstructed on the stroom- bank. This
piece of work, similar TO those OF Cherbourg
and Plymouth. would transform the road
stead of 0stend into a safety roadstead in
which ships would find an excellent shelter
during the heavy weather of the main sea.
Since the house Of Ran, Van den Abeele &
Co. is grantee of the sale of guanos from
the Peruvian Government, the tonnage of
vessels entered at ostend has considerably
increased. There are constantly seen in
this port vessels coming directly from the
Peruvian islands which discharge from a
thousand to twelve hundred tons of this
precious article. and 0stend has become a
place of importation Of the first order
for the cuano OF Peru. The port Of 0s-
tend carries on an important trade IN
the wood of The north, and the i'm
portation of English coal is regularly made
through several steamers coming IRON
Newcastle and Sunderland As may be
Supposed, this importation of English coal
by 0steud creates a strong competition in
the neighborhood of Gand and Courtrai.
whence the important Goals of Belgium are
extracted and dispersed throughout Ger
many and France.
THE BEST COAL
To be pre- cured in France is the Charleroi,
coal from the mines of Belgium, which is
hard and produces a bright fire with no
smoke and little fame ills, in fact dearer
than any other The harbor of Ostend
receives, besides, vessels filed with grain I
for the brewery and distillery. for the beer
of Ostend Is quite famous. and IS consumed |
IN fearful quantities, considering il Is sold |
for three and four sous per great beer |
glass; and the town is nearly half filed |
with sailors who are as dry as fish.
In fact all of the inhabitants seem to spend |
their entire time IN eating and drinking.
They cat a hearty breakfast in the morn
ing. two dinners during the day and sup
per IL the evening, and at meals and be-
tween meals drink their Ostend beer
There is another beer much appreciated
by the inhabitants OF 0stend, called
Bavaria beer, which has a pecu-
liar taste OF its own, but it is
dearer and far less popular than the other.
After learning the meaning of estaminet
the promenader at 0stend comes to the
conclusion that the entire city Is collec-
ton OF drinking saloons Along the basins
which extend from the Estacade along the
bank and make gentle turn as far up as
the depot, are situated houses, mostly hotels
I -,
all bearing the inscription g Estaminet
The quay is very long, and yet there exists
not one single house without this word in
scribed many times on the walls. There
are many foreign vessels in the port, and
many different languages are heard and
although these dwellings may indicate their
wares in some foreigner native tongue, the
estaminet is an acknowledged general term.
Not only or the quay, but in the heart of
the city IS this magical word found marked
on the walls of hotels, cafes and restaur-
ants, and although the sides may be flied
with the names OF all known beverages,
estaminet y CLEANS forth IN larger letters
in the most conspicuous place. In the
language of the country, estaminet means
something to drink, but / think that |
its definition may be divided into two
words beer and generiece. These houses
ALONG THE QUAY
Look as much alike as one pea like another
they are all two stories high, are painted
yellow, contain on their door steps women
knitting stockings, with children clinging
around their knees, while larger ones play
on the sidewalk, and the interior is filed
with sailors smoking their pipes over their
beer-glasses. On Sundays the sounds of
hand-organs are heard through the open
windows, and on looking through the
yawning door you will perceive men and
women with their hats and bonnets on,
just as they came from church. all dancing
with measured treads, and with serious
ness they would naturally employ in the
execution OF the gravest acts of their lives.
The Flemish seem to be taciturn race,
talk very little, and the beer they consume
in such great quantities renders them too
heavy and stupid to dispute or quarrel.
Like the German women, woman at 0s-
tend is never seen without stocking IN her
hand, and should her hands be otherwise
burdened yon may be sure the stock
ing is near, and that the fingers
ache to clutch at it. They are seen knit
ting while nursing their babies while
walking along the wharf talking to their
husbands or scOlding their children. | one
morning saw namber Of women, in com
pany with fishermen, stand around great
high baskets filled with fish which the men
had just hauled up from the boat, and
while their tongues were in constant move
ment their fingers never stopped knitting
Some discussion was raised, their voices
grew louder and their cheeks became
flushed, bat their fingers did not
stop. After 4 time they separated and
each woman went off with her good man,
and while walking close TO the waters edge
she continued give him, doubtless, mostex-
cellent advice, at the same time his stocking
kept increasing in length. These knitters
are Ike lace-mskers, and must knit from
instinct, for whatever their occupation
with their brains, their fingers faithfully
perform their work unaided. The women
IN Normandy, who make lace, laugh and
converse constantly while moving numer-
GUS bobbins back and forth over
EXQUISITE PATTERNS
OF vines and flowers. "Do you never
make mistakes" I asked one of them.
"Oh, never have been at it from the
time was four years old, and If my head
were cut oil ! am sure my fingers would go
on with the work. Little girls of seven
years old may be seen on the door steps
of their dwelling at 0stend lthe women
and children seem to live on the door
steps,, who, with stockings on needles al
most as large as themselves, are busy KNIT
ting away with strict attention 20 their
work and thoughtful looks, as though Jack
Frost were TO be forever cut off from pinch {
ing their fathers toes. The stockings
worn by the poorer people Of 0stend are
invariably composed OF two colors, one of
which ends at the ankle, and whose utility
or beauty / have not had explained to me,
but as they all wear low shoes this pecu- .
liarity could not fail to attract my atten-
ton. The Flemish language is said to be- !
come more and more restricted, and Will .
eventually disappear to make place for the
French, which constantly gains ground /.
Il Il IA