The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-07-15

Pitcher Fishing and Wiping
tho shoe"--Curious Cornish Suspicion
and Generosity-The Region Round
.bout Penxanec-st. MichaeI's Bay
and Mount
Copyright. 1897 by Edgar L. wakeman.l
PRYzAYcH, Cornwall, June 25.-Before
leaving the ancient Cornish seaport OF st.
Ives my friendship with the fsherfolk of
the town led 10 the gaining of much inter
esting information regarding the famous
pitcher fishery Of the bay.
Brief reference was made In my proceed
fng article TO the coming Of the shoals, the
character of the fish, which is very similar
70 the diminutive Eastport (Me) herrings
packed as ssrdines and given French labels
In that enterprising Yankee port, and the
genuine sardine of Biscayan waters, while
mention was made OF the curious opera
lions of the "huers" or watchers and the
universal excitement in ST. Ives when
shoal is sighted.
Seines from 1000 TO 1900 feet long are
used for impounding the shoals They are
carried IN large boat called the seine
boat. worked by from eight 10 ten men
with oars No sails are used. The seine
boat il attended by two smaller boats
called "towboats," which carry smaller
nets called thwart OF stopnets, while
these towboats are followed by still anoth-
er tender, rowed by strong lads, and used
for carrying men between the larger boats
or 20 and from the shore, as circumstances
may require.
When the watchers upon the heights
signal the order to shoot both the seine
boat and the thwartboat start from the
same point From the former the seine is
cast around the fish on the outside, form
ing large segment Of circle. From the
thwartboat the stopnet is thrown, foHn-
ing sort Of continuation OF the circle, Dut
the follower remains at the point OF de-
parture 10 prevent the fish from passing
through the opening between the ends OF
the two nets
AS soon as the seine Is shot the work OF
the "blowsers" begins Twenty TO forty
OF these take the warp or line mt Its shore
end, attach il TO huge capstan and begin
drawing it inshore. At the same time
another line called the towrope is carried
from the opposite extremity, and with this
the men in the seineboat warp the net in
ward. The nets. with the fish inclosed or
penned in. are now brought near enough
TO land TO be out of tides way and are safe
ly moored.
Gathering in or taking up the fish Is
called "tucking." When the tide is low
the seineboat is utilized within the
moored seine, and has on board what is
called a "tucknet." With this the fish
are scooped from the wriggling shoai and
brought so near the surface that they may
be dipped out of the sea in basket. Boat
load after boatload is thus taken until
enough are secured to be handled in the
curing process between one low tide and
another, and when the shoals are large
week of night and day work is often re-
quired.
"Tucking" at night is always an inter
esting and often a brilliant scene In ST.
Ives bay; the boats Fastening to and fro
the oars sparkling with phosphorescence
at every sturdy stroke; the subdued yet
eager activity of the fishermen as they
plunge their baskets into the water TO
raise at each dip stream of quivering sill
yer; the hustle and excitement along the
pier and the busy streets where the labor
never ceases so long as the shoal holds out;
and then old St. Ives hanging like ragged
mistletoe from the heights above, with
the terrace lights like flashing tiara, are
all worth storing away among the pleasant
pictures Of the memory.
n. d. ILL., l. al,
to the cellars and storehouses In "gurries."
These are square vessels like open boxes
with handles at each end The fish are
sailed in bulk, that is, they are built into
huge piles, in alternate layers of fish and
salt All this work is done by women and
girls who are quite as powerful in all nee
essary handling and carrying as the men,
and far more dexterous.
The fish are allowed to remain in bulk
for thirty or forty days. During this time
a vast amount of pickle" and oil drains
away finding its way into receptacles from
which the oil is SKINNED. Then the fish
are washed perfectly clean in huge troughs,
when they are put with great nicely and In
regular layers into casks, locally called
"hogsheads," Of fifty-two gallons each.
They are then subjected TO strong pres
sure for a week. causing another large
flow of oil. after which they are headed
mp and are ready for expectation to Med
iterranean ports.
These curers of st. Ives are the wives.
daughters and sweethearts of the ST. Ives
fishermen, brawny of arm, stout of frame,
among the cleanest of women at home, not
given TO the unrepeatable billingsgate of
the Thames-side ishwives; and they get
more pleasure out of their neighborly
teas" and their Wesleyan prayer meet
1ngs than is secured out OF any manner OF
diversion by any other lowly women /
kpow But despite the prayer meetings
they enjoy their rough larks and play,
which are usually the source of discom-
future 70 some man OF their own kind who
has been caught at some unforgivable pee
adillo, or some "oopstart" stranger whom
they dearly love to hustle" for awhile
and then treat TO bath in the harbor or
within some convenient vat of pickle"
and OIL Indeed, throughout all Cornwall
all women who work at mans labor in
gangs together, like these St. Ives fisher
wives and the bal girls" or mining pit
brow lasses, seem TO have a penchant for
treating any man who has secured their
dislike in so rough a way that IL often
merges upon brutality.
Among their immemorial customs none
Is more rigidly adhered 10 or more likely
TO make trouble to a supercilious stranger
than the one among the St Ives fshwives
Of ''wiping the shoe" If you by chance
step into one OF these huge fish curing cell