Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1892-05-15
ITALIAN FlSHERWOMEN.
They Toll Unremittingly That Their Hus-
bands May Live In Idleness
rohioggia Letter to Pittsburg Despatch.l

fChioggia Letter TO Pttsburg Despatch.1
The chief feature of the dress of the
women of the Italian coast Fishers IS a
double skirt, the lower portion OF which
hangs rather scantily about their ankles.
The upper skirt ia often hooked up at the
front and sides. forming sort OF
bao In this they carry seaweeI. fuel,
fish. or shellfsh from the sands,
aud when not in such use 1t Is drawn
mn over the shoulders and back OF the
mead as a sort OF wrap. Mothers also wrap
th,s skirt about their babes when needing
| 70 carry them for any distance. The ma
terial is usually the coarsest white cotton,
hut if the women possess any sort OF hoh-
day attire, the upper skirt may be OF soar
| let. yellow, or green. looped most grace,
| fnllv above the lower skirt and surmounted
hv black cloth. or in rare instances a
coarse velvet bodice. They rarely wear
onv foot-coyering, and only such head
covering as is supplied by the folds OF the
"rilthoueh the coastwise Italian fishermen
| liner from the Venetian lagoon fshers.
who are a hereditary distinct class. making
their living by shoal fishing and wading III
,be mud for crabs and other shell-fish, IN be-
mo invariably deep sea fishers. still they are
never fond OF long voyages and rarely pass
more than three or four nights on the wa
tar az one trip. They are fond. ike the
| Ch,"ggian fishers, of forming small fleets
| 81 1--WE or six crafts for fishing IN one local.
| ity and keeping one OF their pragozn
with its crew. plying pack ana iorth WIN
| the " catches" either Directly 10 niarhe,
| with fresh fish or 10 their own nonio PoitS
with fish for curing. A..
he women do not shrink from even the
| ro,,chest labor on the sea, anu II Is no I'M
comInon sight TO see wife and daughters
berdlinc ropes. nets. and sails, cleaning
~ sortlne iish on deck, or vigorously en-
| oaoed in any necessary labor OF the boat.
| Indeed. so far as my observation goes
| these fishermen's wives are the propeiiinb.
| end livelihood. Their movements are
r;sorous and even virile, while the men
ars nbleomatjc and slow. At the tnler, IN
1nfnrling or reefng the sails, paying out
or hauling in the nets, slowing away tne
&se transferring them from their craft TO
| the market bragozzo. IN haulihe tne DoatS
mon tho beach, IN spreading ana orylng
| the nets in TACT, IN every possioie nianne ea
IN which they labor beside or IN ADVANCE
&c the;r husbands, they lay hold OF their
roll with a vigor and muscular vim eAhip-
,t;ng tremendous energy and force,
Ihsir reach Of arm and stride OF leg are
| o,nartahle. and the muscles or their
a1o,,lders and breasts show extraordinary
Jsyslopment. Studying them as ! nave
often done when they were UNCONSCIOUS Oh
ohseryation, their strange, grun voices,
tba;r brgwpy frames, their immense brute
strenoth and, above all, their savage
energv OF action, has prompted the tnougnt
,hst n any future Masanielio were 10 leap
from among the fisher folk with the dread
shnnt Of .'Norte al NAL 9orerno !" the re-
s,a,tnss liberator would prove TO be an
Italian Italian fisherwoman rather than an Italian
nS The Ietbargic quality Of the men is Illus
| 80 hv their inordinate capacity Tor
snn and sleep. and especially the latter.
IT, ,,,oment the fisher arrives on shore ms
isdsors~which. if his quests have not been
and dangerous. have already
been performed largely by women
aboard his bragozzo-are ~ an
end His banchetto or shore-comins
tas.t is always ready and he Detakes
h;.nseJf 70 this-whils his wife cares Tor
hoo, GEAR and fish--with the rapacity OF
hall. famished dog. i have often seen =
STOLE fsherman thus eat at one sitting
,anrs than a quart of stuta or hodgepodge
stew az shreded fish aud vegetables. 2
s'nmnd Of bread, aud that dearest OF All
5si;csc,ss IN the Italian fisherman. q po-
Isnta or chestnut -four pudding bigger
than his shaggy head, with goa'S UNA
cheese - large e. his nst -, ,h,,,
ms done. he hings himself on nis peiiy
upon the door of his hut Or DsSlde nis nap y
station in the warm sand OF the snoiesaus
street and instantly becomes OBLIVION
10 ali worldly concerus IN stseps eno
Is viii aleep from twe!ye y tveny.koa
hours without changing ~ posss'on'