The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-02-29
A QUAINT OLD TOWN.
MULLET AND OTHER INDICATIONS
OF THE FISHING INTEREST.

Crew OF Schooner on a SEEMING Expe-
dition-A School OF Nullet-A Good
Catch-Dividing the Fish into Shares
Luck.
Beaufort is quaint old town, or sort OF
southern Nantucket, containing many relics
OF colonial times. odorous Of mullet and other
5i;sctory indications Of the fishing interest.
I. las been somewhat left behind in the
march OF modern progress and cut of from
the rest OF tie world, the terminus Of tho rail-
road being at norehead City, two miles of
across the sound. Morehead is place, CON-
parativsly speaking, Of yesterday, IS mora
pretentious, having a modern hotel-tho At
lsutic--caplble OF accommodating 400 or 800
q, SIS, and Of slowing away as many MS sou
Fishing upon which the greater part Of
the community live, is very interesting
matter quite worth examination In the in
ter-st Of which we obtain permission to Join
nc crew Of a schooner on u seining expedi-
ton We turn out at 4:90 a. N. and by t,o
light " the paling stars and Frightening
dawn, get into "yavl boat" and pull out to
The schooner, which is just getting under
way She tows two "seine boats the roomy
proportions and strong build Of which aie in
striaing contrast to the fine lines OF the
sharpie5 The schooner is manned by
skipper, three bands aud a cook. The FISHING
crcw consists OF six men. They arc all
heroes but ouc-a white man who commands
the entire Expedition.
A fresh southerly breeze is blowing: the
anchor Is weighed and we are soon Beating
OFT Of the sound toward the open sea b
this timo IL is broad daylight; the cook, who
has been busy IN tho galley, arranges plates,
cups, knives and forks on the cabin hatch,
witch forms an excellent table Accepting
an Invitation TO join the banquet, we con-
tribute thereto the contents Of our lunch
basket. Tho meal consists Of good hot bis
cuts. fried pork, and what we at first sup
poscd TO Go coffee, but which turns out 20 be-
a mixture Of hot water and molasses II this
liquid were served at the hotel table we should
probably reject il, but somehow, under the
present circumstances, its flavor, though
novel u not unpalatabie
\ SCHOOL OF AULLET.
Breakfast over, pipes are lighted and one
OK tho hands goes aloft 10 look out for school
OF mulet Just as the sun is rising over the
ban.s TO the eastward, he sings out, School
on tue weather bowr The effect is galvanic.
The helm IS damned hard a-lea the little
craft flies round the fishing crew tumble
over tho stern into the boats, and stand by,
ready To cast CP when tho word Is given. In
a little while We are 40 with tue fish; the
painter Is let go; the boats propelled by long
oars and strong arms, separate; tho long
seine rapidly paid out, and they cautiously
approach tie school Ia few minutes they
are on its edge, and then begins the delicate
business O.. iuclOsing 1t Toe mulet dart
a50rt and leap out Of the water, but they
Ioat know exactly which way 10 go, and
aClile together--a fatal instinct for them
Slowly, but surely, each boat describes a
.m.ciIclo, having the luckless fish securely
surrounded.
The next process il that Of pursuing, Or
drawing the lower part Of the net together 80
tha, they can be ladled out with the hand
Ee.s, Cited with rings about twenty inches ia
diameter, ut tbs end Of long poles. TIL,
operation accomplished, the schooner is hailed
and ranges up alongside. Now comes the
hard work. Tho pole nets are distributed,
and tue ash are dipped out Of the purse
and transferred to the hold Of tue schooner,
which IS fitted especially Tor the purpose. IL
it is a good catch, from 20 600 70 $1,000 null
let are safely slowed, the seine IS replaced in
the beats and we bear up Tor home. On ar
rival the fish arc ladled out Oh the wharf and
divided into shares, according 70 the number
Of tue crew and the amount Of investment
zach may havo The days work entities to
one share, or "sher in the vernacular. II
capital Is Invested the "sheis" are arranged
pro rata
MAKING THE DIVISION
The division Is made with much care, each
pile Of FISH representing "sher" When it IS
completed the crew form line, with their
bacLs to the heaps, to avoid all possibility Of
unfaigness, aud the captain takes Il pole, and,
touching ono Of the heaps, asks. Who'll have
td.s sherT 81 will,r sings out somebody
"Jeml sLcr Come and take II, Jem.r The
process IS repeated until Tom, Jack Bob and
al have their ~slers The portion belonging
% tbs owners ofthe schooner, boats and seine
IS taken 10 them; and this completes the day
The men get their rations while out, but 10
pay, and arc well content 70 take their
chances OF a catch A day Of good luck
and they are in the majority-will make the
minimum earning-one share-worth about
Eve dollars But while the hauls are gener-
ally good, there are exceptions. Sometimes
the eaten Is light and sometimes they viii
cruise all day without sighting fish.
These occasions bring out the native good
temper OF the negro. An English crew, at
tho end OF such days fruitless labor, would
be In frame Of mind certainly not Chris
tan; but which would, nevertbeesi, find
most probable expression in what the late
Mr. Charles Reade calls "scriptural terms
The darby takes his disappointment differ
emily, turning IL into JOKE and being almost
as light hearted md full Of fun over al empty
! hold a. with boat full Of ,shers.' Nearly
every desc. ption Of salt water flsh is caught
IN these waters-shad, bluelsh, mackerel and
great variety with local names. This is tie
season for muilet. They aresetned by tens Of
thousands. brought % the wharves, cleaned
colued, packed into barrels and shipp,d
away. usually within few hours. The keys
contain hundred pounds OF fish, net; tie
gross weigh. OF each being about li5 pounds
The principal market /, Raleign ana other iu-
land towns Of the state Beaufort a. c.
Cor Boston transcript.