New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-09-20
WHAT FISHERNEN EAT.
FISH THAT CAN BE sALTED-TBE AMrABLE
CRAB.

h.
Yes" said the professor as he took last sip st
his Benedictine and settled back in his chair after
telling about his fishing trip in Newfoundland.
you're perfectly right in saying that fishermen
don't know how TO use the good things they have
in their hands. It's surprising how few things they
eat. One two staple ishes-cod and mackerel-
salt pork and tea. That's all they want. and they
look at you with horror when you suggest eating
the things they're all the time catching and all the
time throwing away. But it's just the same with
the Canadian and Adirondack guides-pork and tea
and potatoes make up their diet You can have all
the frogs legs you can find. The Indians are
little better though They had to grub for food
and take what they could get for 30 long that
they'll eat anything.
why. down the coast-would you believe III
It's all you do 10 get fisherman 10 or1ns
you soft shell lobster. The Holsters get into pots
and shed their shells there but you can't convince
an old fisherman that lobster that has lost his
shell Is good to eat used TO offer TO pay for
them extra and then I had the greatest difficulty
in getting them The lobster is more fortunate
than the crab in shedding his she'll He lives In
the rocks Except when he changes his clothes In
the pot he does 1t in cave where he does NOT
need much protection. But the poor crab gets II
on every side The man who wants to eat him 10
only one of his enemies. The cells and the nshes
quite appreciate delicate morsel ana no crap
would be able to get a new and larger snei az All
IL II wasn't for the other crabs. TAX ABOUT PM
lanthrOpy-a crab Is phllantnropc 10 the eAIie''o'
and he doesn't get anything for IT, TWO oid craps
that would fight as soon eat when they had
their shells on think Of fighting wnen one OF
them is disarmed. IL one hardshen crap comes
along and finds another crab shedding his shell; a.,
the amenities OF crab life require that ne snat h
stay and protect the unarmed one anu no Saho
ever fails do it, He comes up ana sees neis "a
nor shedding his armOr and he stops ms own ear
me and stays right by until the other fellow SKIN
has hardened up sufficiently to protect h ban, anW
reward except the hope that some other ordo win
be equally good to a him TO whe ee h family with
them: III not the old crab looking altsr youns
,n6 ~ rho other protection regardless of his ever
having seen him before That's what cai phii'
"WRe am off on excursions always a s Sisn
the by the things eat so nrospect Of no
dinner But there were plenty OF rock shdhs 70 "a
found gathered them up and P bat than they're
as good as French essargoa The Tn guides 6s ss sna
a. w sue not going to miss my dinner with penty OF
FoOd OQd my door M f ply Tf gam into
but is sad fac; tha; P %Ss b sno once
e5ean ana Agreeable variation Of Diet the last
people that you induce to eat them .,.. ~.
s he ana si| Sus TaE M men ea S They're not
their regular line. and they'll tell you mat uney
ho on! gG sSoI to edbes TRey tell You that the
posons fish, which. OF course. Is nonsense fet mere
The 'V Gsroinas and you viii ind lot OF fish, par
cuary in the mackerei family that become pOs1 On.
water The fishermen will draw them out az night.
open them and spread them on their cabin roofs.
There they see the shine on them. and after.
ward see them giving out phosphorescent light ana
n they eat them the next day they ind them
noisonous So they declare that the fish have alb
sorbed the moonlight and poisonous The fact -
hat down South there IL bacter.um which likes 10
attack the mackere, and It's a bacterium which
ems light or phosphorescence and rs toxin Is ex-
stition IS built up Il is face that many Southern
fishes are poisonous II they're not eaten very soon
after being caught"
Cant they be salted?"
oh no: very few fishes can be sailed ard don't
al the moment think OF any Southern ones which will
lake H. You thought that you could salt down any,
thing? Not at all: only fishes that have the quality
az absorbln- salt can be cured that way. It's a
peculiar quality OF the animal membrane that IN
some cases when one side o. there is the flesh
containing water and the other salt, will lead
10 the absorption OF the salt into the body Of the
FISH and cure It. In many other cases the salt will
that doesn't lead 10 It's preservation"