The record-union., 1891-06-06

panied by village cart well laden with
Gypsy belongings, brought us to the
waterside. Here, hard by an old daub
and-wattle cottage. whose peasant owner
roared out an alarming welcome, we
found our punt. This was already in fine
order for the season, the cottager having
cared for it in winter, and got it in readi
ness against the Gypsies' coming; and in
all hour more the floating summer-home
was launched, the evening meal in prepa-
ration, and snug quarters for all the mot
ley crew arranged for the night.
Consulting the map Of England, it will
be noticed that the shires of Norfolk and
Suffolk push out boldly from the nearly
north and south English coast-line into
the German Ocean. The shore is here a
mass of sand-hills and dunes. Nearly
the entire surface of the two shires be-
hind it is but few feet above the level of
the sea, and in many respects is similar
to Holland, which is but 100 miles dis
tant to the east. The whole eastern por-
ton of the shires is dotted with extensive
reedy and marshy sheets of water, of but
from three to six feet in depth, with
hard, smooth bottom of mari. These
lake-like marshes or lagoons are feeders
to the Bure, Yare and Waveney Rivers,
all of which form confluence, and flow
lazily into the sea, at the ancient city of
Yarmouth. These Iagoons are provin-
knows how or when the term originated.
Their borders are chiefly fiat and marshy.
But many are richly wooded to the wa
ter's edge, giving them a peculiarly pict
uresque beauty, particularly in contrast
with wide flat or slightly undulating fens
by which they are surrounded.
Altogether there are nearly fifty of
these broads, all communicating with
each other by lazy currents called
dykes" or with the rivers, which they
feed; and their total water surface is
about 5000 acres. They TEEN with fish
the roach, Dream, perch and pike-and
are the resort of countless water-fowls.
Eels and mussels are taken from them by
the ton. In their quiet, their unusual
diversity, the characterful folk who live
beside them, the almost countless miles
Of river and dyke waterway for small
boating and yachting, the quaint and
sunny old inns-of-call dotting here and
there the silent shores, and the genuine
possibilities for securing fish and game
among them, they no doubt possess
sweeter and subtler charms than any
other known resort i'll England to the
naturalist and sportsman.
My tawny friends belonged to neither
class, but our house boat possessed quite
as many provisions for necessary COM
fort as many Of the hundreds of aristo-
cratic yachts which haunt the region. and
its crew and passengers were quite as
care free and merry. The boat itself was
about twenty-four feet in length and per-
-haps eight in breadth. Properly speak
ing, there was neither ''fore" nor ''aft, -
but the terms were interchangeable at
will. At one end was little compart-
ment, having at its own extreme end a
comfortable bed for the Gypsy and his
wife, with q capacious door-closed
locker beneath; In this all the pro-
visions and valuables were stored. Ex-
tending towards the middle Of the boat
were four hunks, two on either side,
with sliding windows above. In these
slept Fashion, Miranda, Bess, and a
couple OF the lesser progeny. Still in
front of this was the most curious com
partment of all. In its center, on the
bottom of the punt where there had been
made solid bed of baked clay, shaped
like a gigantic saucer, was the Gypsy fire
that is never allowed to go out; and above
it the real Gypsy crooked-iron kettle
stick, firmly imbedded in the clay. Here
is where our kettles sung, and where the
sweet perch and luscious pike were
broiled, while the smoke escaped some
times through round hole in the roof,
but generally and principally where it
listed. This was kitchen and parlor in
our boat-house. Necessary utensils hung
against the walls, but could not quite hide
many efforts at decorative art, from the
illustrated papers, pasted solidly in their
places, and given antique and generous
coloring from the smoke of the burning
'hovers" of peat.
Amidships was our salon. 1t was not
large but, as "Gran'pop'' Wharton re-
marked, ''Hlt 'ad good prospecs, an airy
ones" This was covered by an old sail
having once done duty with the Yarmouth
herring fleet. Here our hearty meals
were taken; and this place was also the
workroem where the nimble fingers OF
the Gypsies wrought the pouches and
baskets of flag and osier. Beyond this,
and extending to the end of the boat op-
posite that occupied at night by father,
mother and daughters, was a little she'd
like coop, where the Gypsy grandfather,
the huge lad, myself and a few of the
children had comfortable hunks for the
night; and on top of this, something after
the fashion of the upper deck" Of our
American willow-ware hawkers' wagons,
was sail-covered place where the stores
of baskets and pouches were kept until
Sale-the showroom, as it We're, for the
fishers and hunters of the lagoons.
Then came the nights and days of this
strange, quaint life with my Gypsy
friends among the "Broads." We sell
dom remained long at one mooring,
There were countless cottages of farmers,
fenmen and marshmen to be visited. The
Gypsies were welcome everywhere. Old
anglers and fowlers paused in their wher-
ries, gave CHEEKY greetings, often made
purchases, and never passed without
fiinging white money" into our out
landish punt. Many of the passengers OF
yachts visited, patroniZed and tipped us
handsomely for our eyer-ready secrets OF
where the perch and pike were hiding.
All day long it was greeting and parting
now a wherry with a single OCCUPANT
HprPg and TpSflpGE n nf CON
boat-load of roySterers, careless of all
but carelessness and enjoyment; now q
market-boat being ''polled" or rowed, OF
both. TO the market village, with the en-
tire family on board, as in Holland, and
now perhaps some lone naturalist in
hungry, harmless quest of rare butter
flies and bugs.
Then came evenings when the sun
went down in forests of waving reeds
flaming the thatches of some low lying
cottage on the opposite shore, wierdly
lighting the arms of the huge windmills
ofthe region, bringing to a looming near
ness the grim Norman towers of some fal
olden church, or gliding the top of some
medieval ruin as with gold. Then as il
sank from sight, the waters for moment
were purple, the reeds puce, and then, in
another moment, everything was ipitchy
black, until the stars, shining in the
depths above and from the waters be-
meath, seemed to envelop all. Then the
songs and chirps of myriad insects; The
whirr and splash of the late homins
waterfowl; and the witching, whispered
! soughing of the breeze in the rushes anC
reeds. And then ''gran'pop Wharton ;
! hugging his thin old fiddle to his thin ole
| breast, played many a GYPSY lullaby
tune that seemed to merrily or plaintivel1
answer the witch tongues of the reeds
until, as the ''peat hovers" flickereC
/ fainter and fainter in our cabin, all ma
| ture in the ''Broads" seemed to hav,
/ gone with us into the land of silences an(
dreams. EDGAR j.. WAKEMAN.