The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1896-11-13
SARDINE FISHING.
A Great Industry on tho Piotur-
oaque Shores Of Brittany,
Old and Young Employed Catch
ing and Canning the Fish.

Times. Nantes "a the most important
centre for the preparation Of canned
sardines, though La Rochelle aud SOW
oral maritime towns arc able 10 rival |
the Brittany metropolis today.
The sardino manufacturers Of
Nantes own over 100 important fac
tories, scattered along the coast be-
tween Les Stables FOloune, 81. GILES
aud Belle isle. II is from the begin
ming OF June that aardines begin 10
flock along the Brittany coast Like
cod they aro season hsh, and their IA
vorito abiding place is at great depths,
among marine grasses, two or three
miles from the shore, where they as
semble in large numbers The sar-
dine is fished In the same manner as
the cod excepting that the net Is
made with smaller openings These
nets are termed "manets" in Brit
tany.
Every year thousands Of fishing
smacks start ont sardine fishing. The
vessels are Of light construction, and
only ft for a calm sea. II oyertaken
by a squall they often have barely
time to seek refuge in some friendly
harbor The average length Of these
crafts is from % to 80 feet. They are
fitted out with a number of large oars,
the use OF which is indispensable to
manage tho boats on their return to
port As a rule, the captains Of those
fishing boats are the owners as WE'LL
but in the past ten years many fac
tory owners have started fishing fleets
Of their own. The crew OF an aver
age sardine boat consists OF between
seven and ten men, only three oil
whom are professional sailors-the
captain, bis mate, and one sailor boy.
The remainder are peasants, who
make use Of the fishing time to fill up
the farmers dull season.
The start for the days fishing take
place every morning; the boats lew
port at low tide aud sail to tho spo
where the sardines have been signaled
AS soon as the fish have been seen tn
nets, many OF which are over 300
feet long, are thrown overheard
These nets have all been blackene
. beforehand with smoke, so as not
frighten the fish. At the sape tim
= the fisherman scatter bait aroun
them; the favorite bait is Gale
"rogue," and is made Of fish 70
Once the net is filled, it is drawn in
the boat, emptied, and thrown o.
again. The sardine spoils very easil
o and the fishermen are in consequen
=, obliged to return early in the evenil
at high tide. AS soon as the boa
reach the docks, the "remandeuses
as the ,'sardine women" are terme
>, seized the nets, stretch them along t
beach, and mend them if necessary
Meantime the captains sell their Fl
either to fish merchants or to sardi
'o' factories direct. Once the sales {
made. the "sardine women" in
service of the factories flock to
harbor and clean the fish; the see
then is most typical, and has Of
been made subject for the pnintt
brush. Conversation at once beg
- between these sturdy iishwiyes, and
= fishermen, and the relative merits
the days catch are discussed and &C
III mented upon.
nd, once Tue OoA'' az
fish cleaned, the fishermen go to
neighboring "cabaret" to settle
~; days pay the first proceeding is
deduct from the days gross incc
the several expenses, such as cost
bait, the days food, etc. What
a.. mains is divided into q certain n
loes Dor Of portions, of which the cap
has generally two, the mate one
or one-quarter, and the rest OF
crew what remains When the fist
4" has been good the days profits
,it4s. considerable, but on bad day
men are often is distress, as they
no regular pay.
The preparation of snrdines In