The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1892-04-09

aspect irrosistibly suggests a primitive
Greek on tho classic loneliness OF his
own loved shore. ~. ~. "
Tho women arc finer, frcer, simpler.
They know nothing OF bonding over
sun.baked fields to ,illthc ground with
the rude implements oil a thousand
years ngo. Their labor' though inces-
sant-for when not caring for tho ,liar.
vests Of the seu, they arc mendlng nets,
gathering and drying scaweed, or coax
Ing some neagcr vegetable from tiny
rcckboupd garden patches--is in tho
salt spray and never stillel brcezcs OF
the sea.
Both women and men nrc often seen
IN the streets Of tho larger villages oil
market days; but always hnddlcdi III.
groups by themselves, viewing askance
tho treasures OF shop and stall and
taking no part In tho gay and busy life
about them. Ono would MS soon expect
to SEQ q marble Aphrolito step from
her pedestal and join in n fiesta dance
or procession us ono OF these SHY, far
coast fisher women. $3.50
Tho chief feature OF tho dress OF the
women OF the Italian coast fishers is q
double skirt, tho lower portlonof which
hangs rather scantily obotltthcir ankles.
The upper skirt IL often hooked uptdt
tho front and sides, forming d sort OF,
bug. In this they curry scaweUd; fuel,
fish or shell-fish from tho sands; and
when not in such use it is drawn up
ovcr tho shoulders and backtof tho head
as q sort Of wrap. Mothers also wrap
this SKIRT about their babes when need.
ing TO carry them for any distance. The
material is usually the coarsest white
cotton, but II the women car possess
any.sort Of holiday attire, tho upper
skirt may be OF scarlet, yellow or green,
Topped most gracefully above tho lower
skirt and surmounted by Il black cloth,
or in rare instances n coarse velvet bod.
ice. They rarely wear any foot cover
ing and only such head covering as is
supplied by the folds OF the upper
skirt.
Although the coustwisc italian fisher
men differ from tho Venetian lagoon
fishers, who arc n hcreditarIly distinct
class, making their living by shoal. fish
ing and wading in tho mud for crabs
and other shell fish, III being invariably
deep sea fishers, still they are never
fond OF long voyages and rarely pass
moro than three or four nights on tho
| water at one trip. They arc fond like
the Chioggiuu fishers OF forming small
fleets Of five or six craft for fishing in
one locality, and keeping one OF their
"bragoz2i" with its crew, plying back
and forth with the Catches" either
directly TO market towns with fresh fish,
or 10 their W home ports with fish
for curing.
Their craft arc wholly different from
the lagoon fishers, being especially
broad and flat, and large and important
OF rudder, upon which indeed depends
almost the entire management of the
little vessels. This beingwithin the con-
troll OF II man, or two at most, tho
| crew, whethei large or small. are lett
irec-hnded for tho nets, the method OF
"stowing," '''puying out" and setting
and hauling, OF which; closely resemble
those OF both British and American
coast fishers.
THE WOMEN.
The women do not shrink from even
the toughest labor on the sea; and it is
no uncommon sight to SEQ wife and
daughters handling ropes, nets and
sails, cleaning or sorting iish'on deck
or vigorously engaged in any necessary
labor OF the boat. Indeed, so far rs my
observation goes these iishermcn's wives
are the propelling, active, indomitable
force Of their lives and livelihood.
Their movements are Vigorous aud even
virile, while sthsnmEIr are .pGleginatic
and slow. At the tifler, in'unfurling or
reoiiug the sails, paying out or hauling
i'll the nets, slowing awny the fish,
transferring them from their craft to
the market bragozzo, in hauling tine
boats upon the beach, insspreading and
drying the netsiiSinsfact Fin every posi-
bic manner in which they labor beside
or in advance Of their husbands,
they lay hold OF their toll with a
vieor and muscular vim exhibiting tire.
mendous energy and force. Their
reach OF arm and stride OF leg are re-
m~arknble, and the muscles Of! their
shoulders and breasts show extraordin-
ary development. Studying them as I
have often done when they were un
conscious OF observation, their strange,
! gruf voices, thei: brawny frames, their
immense brute strength, and above all.
their savage energy OF action, has
prompted the thought that ii any flu
ture Masanicllo were to. leap from
among the fisher folk with the dread
shout OF "Morte al NAL governed" tho
resistless liberator would prove an
Italian fisher woman rather than an
Italian fisher man.
The superstitions OF these. Italian
fishermen arc singularly lever than
those OF almost any others OF his class,
and most OF those which they possess
are of 4 painfully pious sort. They arc
q deeply deyout people. They arc. also
dcnsely ignorant. They positively
know nothing else in their dull lives
but their rude fishing and how to cat
and'slcep. They are animal as much rs
| have ever found men, although their
animal dullncss and soddenness is OF
the gentle rather than the vicious sort.
They therefore do not possess the'quick
and creative fancy OF their brethren of
the Scotch and Irish coasts, who, rs one
OF the latter once said TO me, "catch
more bugaboos than fish"
PHENOMENAL APPETITE.
This lcthargic quality is illustrated by
their inordinato capacity for food and
sleep and especially tho latter. The
moment the fisher arrives on shore his
labors-which, ii his quests have not
been Jar and dangerous have already
been performed largely by women
aboard his b~ragozzo-are ut an end.
Ills, banchctto or shore-coming feast is
always ready, and; Ne. betakes himself