The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-06-07
BOATING ON THE
ENGLISH BROADS." "
On Board Of a Vessel That Has Neither
Fore" Nor AFT"
The Furniture Described-A Salon That Was
Amidships, and Had Good Prospects and
Airy Ones Grandpa Wharton.
Special to THE SUNDAY CALL

me with gypsy friends, from the accident OF
crossing Furness Fells from Ruskin's home
at Brentwood, and stumbling upon their
picturesque camp at the fellside edge of
Dalepark, where, in the late afternoon, /
found only the old men and women, the
sentineling gypsy dogs, and the very young
gypsy chauvies or children in possession OF
the lovely glen which formed their tempo
rary home.
By and by as the shadows heightened the
camp gradually began to awaken with re-
turning life. The fires which had Smold-
cred the day through were renewed by the
now busting old gypsy women, and the pots
and kettles sung merrly of good things TO
come. Gypsy men and women began COM
ing into camp from all directions, and nearly
all came singly or in groups to the tent
had been given TO emphasize my welcome
as the "G0rgiO Char the nOn-gypsY friend
TO the gypsy, who was already known for
his wanderlngs with their brothers and Sis
terS" in the far-Off wonderland, America.
The outcome of my visit to my gypsy
friends was making the acquaintance of a
curious and interesting corner of England,
Of which | had never before heard, and
which must also be to most Americans quite
an unknown region. 1t is variausly known
in Great Britain as the Norfolk and Suffolk
prOvincially and by fowlers and SpJrtsmen
as The Breads" One of the families of
this gypsy Parkdale community annually
visits the Breads, lives in q punt-bOat as
floating camp-hOme. aud while the women
dicker and QUICKER among the lOwly peasant
families. the men, often with the wOmen's
and children's assistance, make a good deal
Of money by weaving and selling all manner
OF rush and OSer bags, poucheS, crates and
baskets required by feDmen, marShmeu. eel
and muSSel catchers and the numberless
sportSmen and yachting parties that fire.
quent the region.
Our party comprised "ol granpOp"
Wharton, tinker. fiddler and what-nOt; his
son, Uriah Wharton, a splendid type of the
shaggy, huge, manly, kind-hearted English
gypsy; huge hulk of a son with his
fathers sunny nature and frame; the wife,
little, sharp-taced. sharp-eYed and sharp
tOngued; three as pretty gypsy girls AS one
could wish to find for poem, romance or
Idylllc company, Fashion Melinda and Bess;
and a number Of gypsy brats of both sexes
and all sizes and ages so bewllderingly
mixed with the family dogs that assortment
ard description are needless. What with
visiting gypsy friends at keghly, DOncaSter
and Lincoln. we we're three days reaching
our destination, the village Of Hickling,
near
HICKLING BROAD,
In Norfolk; and short tramp from Hick-
Ing, accompanied by a village cart well
laden with gypsy belongings, brought us TO
the waterside. Here, hard by an old daub-
and-wattle cottage, whose peasant owner
T0ared out an alarming welcome, we found
cur punt This was already in fine order
for the season. the cOttager having cared for
1t IN winter, and got it ia readiness against
the gyDSleS coming; and In an hour more
The floating summer home was launched,
the evening meal IN preparation, and snug
quarters for all the motley crew arranged
for the night.
Our house boat possessed quite as many
provisions for necessary comfort as manyOf
the hundreds of aristocratic yachts which
haunt the region, and its crew and paSsen-
gers were quite as care-free and merry.
The boat itself was about a feet in length
and perhaps in breadth. Properly speak
Ing, there was neither fore" nor " aft,
but the terms were InterchanGed at will.
AT one end was little compartment, hav-
ing at Its own extreme end a comfortable
bed for the gypsy and his wife, with n capa-
ciOuS door-clOsed locker beneath. 10 this
All the provisions and valuableS were
stored. Extending toward 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 compartment of all.
In It's center, on the bottom of the punt
bed of baked clay, shaped like
gigantic saucer, was the gypsy fire
that is never allowed TO 90 out, and above
IL the real gy Sy crooked iron kettle-stick,
firmly embedded in the clay. Here is where
our kettles sung, and where the sweet perch
and luscious pike were broIled; while the
smoke escaped sometimes through a round
hole in the roof, but generally and princi-
pallY where il listed. This was kitchen and
paTlOr in our bOat-hnuSe. Necessary uten-
sis hung against the walls, but could not
quite hide many efforts at decorative art,
from the illustrated papers, pasted Solidly
IN their places, aud given antique and gen
erOus cOlOring from the Smoke Of the burn
ing movers OF peat.
Amidships was our salon. 1t was not
large, but, as ''gran'p0p Wharton" re-
marked, Hit 'ad good prOspecs, an airy
one,w This was covered with an old sail
that had once done duty with the Yarm0uth
herring fleet. Here our hearty meals were
taken; and this place was also the work
room 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 opposite that occupied at
night by father, mother and daughters, was
little shed-like coop, where
THE GYPSY GRANDFATHER,
The huge lad, myself and a few of the chill
dren had comfortable hunks for the night;
and on the top of this, something after the
fashion of the upper deck" of our Amer-
can willOw-ware hawkers' wagons. was a
sail covered place where the stores of bas-
kets and pouches were kept until sale-the
showroom as it were for the fishers ana
hunters of the lag0Ons.
Then came the nights and days of this
strange, quaint life with my gypsy friends
among the Breads" We seldom remained
long at one mOorng. There were
countless cottages of farmers, fenmen and
marshmen TO be visited. The gypses were
welcome everywhere. Old anglers and
fowlers paused in their wherries gave
CHEEKY greetings, often made purchases,
and never passed without tlinging white
money into our outlandiSh punt. Many
OF the passengers Of yachts visited, patron
lied and tipped US handsomely for our
eveT-Teady secrets Of where the perch and
pike were hiding. All day long it WAS
greeting and parting; now wherry with
a single occupant fierce AMI restless in quest
for game; now a boat-load of roysterers,
careless of all but caTeleSSneSs and enjoy
ment; now market-boat being pulled"
or rOwed, or both, to the market village.
with the entire family on board, as in HOl-
land; and now perhaps some lone natural
lst IN hungry, harmless quest Of rare but
teTfiles and bugs.
Then came evenings when the sun went
down in forests of waving reeds flaming the
matches OF some lOw-lying cottage on oppo-
site shore, welrdly lighting the arms OF the
huge wind-millS Of the region. bringing to a
looming nearness the grim Norman
towers OF some far Olden church, or
gliding the top of some medieval ruin as
of gold. Then as it sank from sight, the
waters for moment were purple, the reeds
puce, and then in another moment
everything was pitchy black, until the
stars. shining in the depths above and
from the waters beneath, seemed to envelop
all. Then the songs and chirps of myriad
insects; the whirr and splash of late-h0ming
water-IowI; and the witchlng whispered
soughing Of the breeze In the rushes and the
reeds. And then "Gran'pop Wharton"
hugging his thin old fiddle to his thin old
breast, played many a gypsy lullaby tune
that seemed TO merrly or plaintvely an
swer back the witch-tOngnes of the reeds
until, as the "peat-hovers flickered fainter
and fainter in our cabin, all nature in the
Breads F" seemed TO have gone with us into
the land Of silenees and dreams.