Morning journal and courier., 1888-08-11

this particular locality by the herring. There is similarity in the habit of the her ring and shad in ascending ocean arns and ocean emptying streams for spavning in par tially or wholly fresh water; and here great variety of such haunts are furnished. The tremendous arm of land formed by Nova Scotia provides protecting barrier between the herring grounds of these waters and the cod of the Banks. The great sweep of the Gulf stream, debouched by the solid wall of our eastern shores, increasing in power and velocity as it is hurled to the east of these shores (also largely accounting for the wonderful tide height of the Bay of Fundy, which receives a portion of this immeasura- ble volume like huge pocket) washes here mighty floods of herring food. The latter consists of minute crustacea, some similar to the shrimp and the prawn, but most are the same division as the fresh water cyclops. Fishermen do not higgIe-haggle over these. prodigious quantities; and leagues of water upon the herring grounds actually discolored with them can be seen.
 ANCIENT MARINERS.
 In our dreamful cruisings about these coasts and the noble Psssamagueddy bay my good skipper, chubby faced Captain Ballast, took especial delight in introducing me to the temporary acquaintance and eternal friendship of scores upon scores ot old fel- If known coast, and had at last come back to their early homes, in. this region, for quiet, snug harbor for the waiting days before the final cruise upon the dark waters. And what loVable braggarts are they, every onel These introductions were delightful studies in themselves.
 "Capting This or That'-for none Is less than master bold with whom any other cap tain will hold converse-s'this ere one's my friend. Cast your grapplin's n make fast. This ere one's not sea-fairin', neither 'n' up- per 'zackly; nor yet disdainin'. N that's better m 8 out t-'n'-out fom-eod lubberI" r
 Never was this form changed. But its, to me, dubious compliment to my sea wisdom and experience never failed of proving an open sesame to their inner hearts and lives. No pen can itly describe, give the true flavor of, their hide-bound seorn of the genuine land-lubber. But the implication of com paTative worthiness in the fact that was not ssdisdainin'," or in other words, never made the error of failing to repose apparent im- plicit faith in every yarn spun or bit of sea- lore vouchsafed, made it, in their minds, at least possible for me in some dim future time to partially comprehend their illimita- ble wisdom. And that is the sole and only rugged, royal road to their complete good will. Apprentice yourself to humility and you may sit in their shining councils. To the ordinary on-looker or chance social or business acquaintance they are as silent and sodden as jungle-wsllowing paehyderms. But if they will permit you to know them their garrulousness and sunny ways are i'm measurable They live at Campobel16, Grand Manan, Machiasport, few at East port, at sleepy old Pembroke, at Whiting, many at Lubec, and by the dozen at every little shoreside settlement and fishing village. The most have saved bit, and have their own great square-rigged homes where they ~aI1z away masts from their own decks in storm. Some are Quoddy herring fishers for the very love of the sea and tides. Others own and rent boats and weirs to the workadaY fishers of the region, content with an infrequent cruise alongshore, during which momentous occasions everything and everybody for leagues about are metaphorically blown sky ward with rich and unctuous objurgations. At these times all the old Adam of the aver- age retired sea-captain boils and foams with in him. The land, the sea, the fowl of the air and all mankind are going to the dogs as swiftly as plummets. He roars invective, if lurid in epithet, and all the powers cannot prevent him from breaking loose and going to sea for aye and ever again. So, like the redoubtabls Simon Danz, he swears
 * he shall take to the sea again
 For one more cruise with his buccaneers.
 To sing the beard of the King of Spain,
 And capture another Dean or Jaen.
 And sell him in Algiers!- and winds up by crawling back to his snug home harbor, to go into dock for repairs, g dolorous victim of bile, rheumatism, lumba go or gour. A surprising number of these old sea wrecks are about the Passamaquoddy and outlying eoves; while the citizens ot Eastport and Lubec and the region rounda- bout seem to be wholly unconscious of theiI presence, or indifferent to their rich and mellow traits.
 Every one of these delicious old sea-dogs is ptous to an astounding degree; and yet every one on occasion is profane enough to blast and blight every granite headland of the entire Maine coast with his awful, yet member, holding fast to the certainty of sal- vation as made and provided by the church of their individual choice; and yet there is not one who would not split an "Ameni" in the middle to leave the most spirit stirring prayer-meeting at church, school-house o1 cabin, and help an equally pious brother Quoddy skipper over the line with boat load of Liverpool salt guiltless of customs duty. Everyone is believer in the divine inspiration of the Maine liquor law, worships Neal Dow as tutelar saint, would helE string to a masthead any unluck rum-sellsl the law had already caught; and yet there if not q ''cuddy," cabin or any manner of old salts home where "a drop of sunth'n com fortin'" may not be found, and where it if not as free as the glorious sea-air about him to properly certified stranger or good fellow ship friend.
 But what glorious companions they are, ol perhaps better said, what mellow studies they are in crowded cabin, steaming scuddy' or among the smoke fogs of the little brown timbered inn-rooms, where they often gather to sail their old courses over on the vasty seas John Barleycorn's tides flow into their bright, beady eyes. Their songs are not of to-day, for what is there in sea life that brings song to the lips of American seamen of nowi They are of a time when the roys tering ballads of seaport town made our sail ors and their craft remembered across the see and to some purpose. Listen as the rafters ring with
 Ye parliaments of England, ye lords and esquires. Consider well what you're about and what you You're now at war with Yankees. and you will rus
 the day
 Ameri- cal
 or again hear them roar
 I've often heard it told that British seamen bold
 Could fioS the tars of France so neat and handy But they never fouud their match till the Yankees
 gave them "catch."
 For the Yankee boys for fighting are the dandies and we forgive them, one and all, for thei bacchanals in their reminders to us of @ da, and time when, beneath our flag, there was real valor and prowess upon the sea. A CHANGE FOR A NOVELIST. Hew one longs for the American romance and novelist who, like Dickens, can pain human thought, mood and character in fade l less dyes, and who, ignoring the narrow ho 1 rizon confines of petty, brick walled expert ences, can dare to reach into the deeps 0 | American actual everyday life in near an remote localities, and bring to the eyes o men the rare and quaint, tender and homel l folk our infinite variety of place and oondi ton provide. How gloriously could thes | old fellows rave and tear through pathos ant humor in enduring fiction. I sometime swear If the men whom literary fashion hay
 pronounced ttnove1ists" do not set abou such true work, so supremely the lovinl handmaid of history, which every hundre'
 square miles of our loved land push pre- l emptorily before them-I shall myself d. | this thing, so well as my pen, impelled by 1 burning hunger for having it done will le | me, and then fight the critics and these soei ety ssnovelists' valorously for their resent ment that it has been done at all. For thes ! ripe, unctuous, delicious types are passin away. It is literary crime that they shout, be irrevocably lost. An, who cannot bu | love them alll--these shippers bold wh I have cruised in all known and unknown wa 1 tars: who. as their 6resfde fiction relaces