The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1882-05-24

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are moved 10 the windlasses nearer tn
shelter. When they are moved to til
third or fourth windlass, the staff o
end of the sein, is landed. and the crew
IN the boat begin TO haul it in over tn
rollers Finally the last windla-s ha
done It's duty, the boats are full OF sein
they are now il TWO hundred yards 0
each other, the back Of the sein is only
short distance out the boats continue {.
haul 1t IN the fish finding ,hemselve. il
such close quarters. manifest their an
xlety. We see thousands flirting, swim
ming. moving about, their dark fin.
c~leavlng the water In every CONCEIVABLE,
direction Men with high rubber boot.
nov wade it among the fish, get hold o.
the lead line. bring II ashore. fasten it e
the platform with wooden pegs, leaving
the cork line floating, the fish are now IL
a bag, they wade out again. catch the
cora line, pull 1t in far over the lead
line, thus throwing the fish high up on
the platform. They are now thrown Oh
the benches, and the cutting, washing.
sailing and packing, commences. No
men are generally employed to cut fish
they do the work cheaper and faster,
their favorite instrument is an old shoe
knife, sharp as a razor. In cutting $
hsh they only make Two strokes, and they
make them In the time of one. two.
la regard to the number of fish caught
at one haul, when | remember that a
gentleman, a few days ago, in reply 10 a
question put by me. said that the fishing
on Neuse River was immense, that they
caught q hundred and twenty Eve, |
am afraid that he, and those who think
like him, will attribute exaggeration to
when tell them that eighty thous
and herring and FIVE and si1 thousand
shad constitute an average haul. Some
times the numbers far exceed these. In
1873 at the Etheridge fishery, at Col
eralne, BERTHE county, n. c.. there were
landed at one time, FIVE hundred and SIX
teen thousand. At Willow Branch, III
the same county. the largest haul made
last season was three hundred thousand.
the largest single haul made this season
was two hundred thousand.
Occasionally, in a storm, the sein when
laid out, breaks loose, and is carried
down the river or sound many miles, and
much trouble is experienced in recaptur
ing it. Then again it is cut in two b.
steamers. Steam is now BEN.
utilized at many of the beaches for th.
purpose of propelling the boats ard
hauling the sein.
Life on the beach is quite a hard on.
on account of the exposure and want Of
sleep. There is no stop for night, and
very little for Sunday. Each boat has its
and the beach its boss. the
kinds Of fish caught are the shad, her
ring, rock, sturgeon, white perch, eels.
founders, cat fish. and garish, the first
four mentioned are the only ones to which
any %pecuniary value is attached. the
are given free to all who wish them.
Shad and herring do not run together,
when a large haul Of one is made the
other is generally absent. Another rule
governing the shad portion Of the innyI
is that in what ever water a shad
to swim in life's sea- tho
he may travel many hundred miles, yet
at the end of three years he will surely
to the exact locality from whicl
he started, hence the fishing interest
the East has greatly increased since TIL
establishment Of the excellent hatchery
at Avoca The best time to visit tn.
beach is at night. Listen, and | will try
and give you an idea of the scene pre-
| find the sein two hours out
go and sit down on the white sand anG
Iook around me. On either side Of the
shelter near the edge Of the water, an
between the windlasses, are large Eres,
cast a lurid glare far out on til.
Away out yonder Is the ceutr,
bush. lighted with a large lamp So as t,
guide the b oats. far down tue river arr
whence those many coIored light
flashing on the dark filling pillows. VI
md down the beach. hear he stroke:
II the drivers and the crack of then
ong lasheS as the teams draw the
heavy windlasse.. Just back of me is
hlch dark forest, now tuveloped /
darkness. within its shades can
,e heard the melancilrly hoo, Of the
light owl. and all around feat the mel
notes vi four hundred thousand
each with his instrument pitched
q a different key. Presently all is rush
nd confusion around the shelter, torches
ash here and there, and amid the hoarse
bouts Of the captains, the commands OF
be boss. and the excited cries of the
multitude, the sein is landed. | resume
~ seat, the blue dome above is studded
18th stars, the bright face Of the moo Is
eiled but by a single 1eecy cloudlet; at
~ feet the gentle waves continue a
l%ournful splash against the shore, the
oats are shooting the sein," and there
from ovcr the waters the uniform
lick, clack, of the iron rowlocks, the dip
f many oars, mingled with the beautiful
song of the Eastern fisherman, con
t%ituting in all the sweetest melody to
'hich | have eve listened, such music
s carries one back to the balmy ages of
Apply childhood, when the iron finger
f care had not made its mark upon the
row, and evil passions had found no
place in the heart.
England's greatest poet has embalmed
D immortal verse the sweet music of the
It's swset to hear at midnight,
n the blue and mooulit deep,
no song and oar OF Adris's gondslier, by distance
[ellowed, DER the waters sweep"
Under other circumstances he would
ave sung, but
lis swseter to hear at midnight,
n the clear and moonlit dee
he song xnd oar of Carolina Rshermen,
sllow'd Ly distance Ger IL g waters sweep.
w. K. HENRY.
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