The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-09-28


dock-hooks are baited with mussels, which
are gathered along the shores of the
firth. ''mussel-gathering," done by the
women and children, : and 'haddock-
batting" add largely to the earnings OF the
tshprmen's wives. BY an interchangeable law
the wives and daughters of each ''haddock-
IN crew bait that crews lines, receiving
three shillingS siXpence per line, or twenty
Jour shlllings sNpence per fleet aud if
the crew have in 1t unmarried men,
these cannot favor their sweethearts
with the labor, but must give it to
the women folk OF their married COM
panions. The ''haddock fleet" of lines is
shot" just as the day is breaking. AS
they snap and f. like whip-cords into the
sea. many a hook is embedded in Usher
mans hand. But this does not put them
sair about as they cheerily answer you,
while drawing the savage barbS from their
flesh with their teeth. The haddock lines
are not permitted to remain under water
but half an hour, and are scarcely ever
drawn" without an exec lent yield of fish.
All the herring taken by Newhaven fish
ermen are sold for fresh consumption in
Edinburgh and its suburbs, tine greater por
ton hawked as Caller (fresb) herriBgW by
the Newhayen tiShwives themselves. Quest
for these delicious fish is made in ever
varying portions of the Forth from opposite
Newhaven it>elf to the open sea beyond the
famous Bass Rock, the "Season " continu-
ing from July 18th to September 9Th. If
the boats are going long distance
they depart at daybreak; II but nifty
or sixty miles they leave at noon:
In either case they make beautiful
picture against the dark emerald back
ground of the bold FlieShire hills to the
north. Each boat carries fleet OF from
80 to 90 nets, each net about 90 yards long
and Is yards in width, and the crew of each
boat as 1t passes out to sea are en-
gagged in fishing down." which means
slowing away the nets in the hold ready for
paying out on arrival at the tishng-groundS.
Here they drift with the tide until the i'll
slant the 'Sun talks tn hill" that is, the
moment 1t begins to disappear
BEHIND THE HORIZON.
The joined nets, which are provided with
buoys every forty yards, are then shot In
a half hours time; white lights are ho;Sted
that the little craft which continues TO drift
with the tide MAY not be run down by pass
ing channel steamers; supper Is had; and
all, save one lookout, turn into their hunks
for sleep until O'Clock i'll the morning.
All of the Newhaven folk live well. 1t
is their boast that not even the gentry eX-
Gel them. The women bring from the city
a good many dainties to give variety 10 The
coarser food; they are noted for cooking
fish and always secure the choicest for their
own homes; and the fishermen, either on
short or long cruises, provide buuntiful
locker, as | know from personal experience
and enjoyment. At every breakfast we
were furnished boiled or mashed potatoes,
ham and eggs, or FISH, salt or fresh,
white bread from the Edinburgh bakeries,
and oceans of tea with condensed milk. At
dinner appeared that universal comfort of
the Scotch Lowry kail-broSe or cabbage
broth, great platters of duff and syrup,
mountains of boiled beef and potatoes and
more floods of tea. At supper there were
fresh or salt herring, oat-cakes, cheese and
bread and syrup. At all times there was
bOuntlful supply of good butter; and if one
became hungry between meals there was
always toollsUme "snack " of cold fish or
cold boiled beef with mammoth hunks
OF bread, and a hearty welcome to boot.
Newhaven people are best seen during
the daily market hours, between 7 and 9
in the morning. The harbOr surrounded by
a sea-wall, with sides 500 feet long, forever
covered with drying nets and gear, has
only one little entrance; hut into this have
come perhaps half hundred boat-lOads of
fish. AS many more boats aie floating idly
alongside. Perhaps no more than 100 fish
ermen will be seen about the boats and
piers, aud these are resting content
edy from their nights labor at sea-
The remainder have gone home and turned
in for a good sleep The women relieve
them of all responsibility the moment the
boats are docked. They even 20 so far as
to carry the purse and dole out what Jack or
Sandy shall spend while ashore. The fish
have been gotten out of the boats and are
ranged in boxes, which hold about 100
pounds EACH. in the open space Of cur
ious old Main street, fronting the harbOr
In this will be seen more than Il thou
sand people, GOO or 700 Of whom are fish
wives, the remainder comprising huckSters,
children, cuI iOus tourists, rifraff from Edin-
burgh and a hali-doZen blatant auctioneers.
These get siXpence per pound sterling value
on sales. All fish are sold outright to the
highest bidder Tor cash, and Ii the wives OF
an entire boats crew should be sellers of
fish they must purchase their fish in the
open market precisely the same as any other
huckster who may come to buy. The best
prices are secured at the earliest hour; get
ling to
THE GUIDwIvEs OF EDINBURGH
before breakfast time, being counted an ad-
vantlge. There are innumerable odd char
acters buying here besides the fiShwIveS-
weakened old men with hand-baskets,
women and men with donkeys and carts
smaller than themselves, saucy lads and
saucier lasses, bareheaded, barelegged and
brave in their strength and ways. But for
800 wears. just as it will be with those who
come after them as long as Newhaven.
Edinburgh and the Firth of Forth are here,
the fishwives have been those who undis-
turbed and unruffled by time and change
trundie daily away from Newhaven Pier
with nine-tentns OF all the fish brought to IT
from the sea.
Their creels contain from 20 to so pounds
Of fish. These, carried on their backs, are
held in place by broad leather straps about
the forehead. Uncountable are the skirts
they wear. These fall just below the knees,
and two or three of the outer ones are gath
cred back over the launches in voumlnOuS
putfs. Stout, wooden stockings. stout,
buckled shoes, and a stout pea-Jacket COM
plete the raiment; save that the married
women wear 4 handkerchief or mulch cap,
upon their heads while the maiden iishwiyeS
90 bareheaded While at their labors fyery
article of their dress, save cap and shoes,
is of dark blue WOODEN goods. Ii shopping
in Edinburgh, or when visiting among them
selves, their attire is OF wide, gorgeous
striped linen, petticoat upon pettcoat. and
their frllls, furbelows and jewelry would
sicken even the 'sh0w-gypsicS" OF Seville
with envy. Those who remain at home,
and others, who during the Afternoon have
returned, gather in most picturesque groups
Main street, which runs parallel
with and next to, the sea-fr0nt
of the village. Here they gossip over local
affairs, cobble the nets, bait the lines, and
do all odd things that women do in these
strange fishing cOmmunitles-Saveq quarrel
They do not quarrel in Newhaven. Per
haps it is because they are truly religious
folk. For so it is, that when L entered their
Free Kirk on Sunday saw more than two
thousand OF these people worShlplDS with
deYoutnesS. Stranger than that, the dark
petticolts and striped pettcoats were gone.
Not one garment marking their waterside
vocation could be seen. Sober grays and rich
blacks, costly as the attire at famout old st.
Giles, had taken their place. And as stole
out again before the doxology was ended,
the myriads of creels hanging at deserted
stair-heads, miles of nets dryiEg in the sun
upon the piers, and the swaying SparS above
a hundred boats rocking IN tue narO0r, were
ali that could at least give Sabbath testi-
mony that here was the largest single fishing
community, and always the most seli-sus-
tanning and characteristic one, that the
world has ever known.
sCopyfi1ht EDGAR J.. WAKEaAN.