The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1896-02-01
poRpoIsINc orr HAT1ERAs.
The Big Fish Are Driven Ashore and
Then Killed with Knives.


The Big Fish Are Driven Ashore and
Then Killed with Knives.
The principal industry of the hardy
residents of Hatteras islands, off the
North Carolina coast, is porpoise fish
ing. Isolated from the outside world.
Drawing the furious storms that sweep
over the island, the inhabitants become
accustomed I'd the energetic winds and
maddening pillows which occasionally
sweep away the fences, gates and, in
unusually severe weather, sometimes
the lighter articles OF household furni-
ture fall prey to scething, relentless
waves and are strewn along the beach
or carried far out to sea. Still, they
murmur not, but the industry goes on
with undated energy.
Somewhere in the neighbbrhood OF
60 rough, hardy fishermen are engaged
in catching porpoises. This force of
men is divided into crews, or relays, of
~ linen each, stationed oh the Atlantic
side of Hatteras. their field of operation
comprising a stretch of ocean front of
about five miles in length.
Each of these stations is designated
as camp, and the boats, nets and other
paraphernalia used in capturing the
p0fpoise are kept in constant readiness,
and can be run out" with as much ease
and facility at a moments notice as can
the apparatus of the life-saving crews.
A man is selected from each one of these
crews who is known as a spy or
watcher" whose duty it is to be ever on
the alert for the appearance of the por-
peise. TIP and down the beach with
measured tread, like the soldier sentinel,
at stated intervals, he patrols beat"
his vigilaht eye constantly turned sea-
ward.
A high pole is placed in each camp,
but instead of a flag, however. bundle
of dealt brush is utilized, and when this
''waif," as it is termed, is run up to the
top of the pole, it is the signal to the
crew at the extreme end of the camp
limit that school of porpoises are
gyrating and frolicing in the surf. and
to keep sharp lookout for them. The
| watcher keeps this school in sight. and
follows them, walking along tile SHIRE,
noting every movement. Should the
pilot carry the school seward the
watcher returns to camp, the signal is
| hauled down, for they know that the
school has Disappeared in deep water.
In case, however, the school (number-
| ing all the way from $50 to 200 fish, con-
| tinues to advance Gu a line with
the shore off goes the distant crew, with
their boat, silently but swiftly into the
surf, and soon an immense wall of net is
| spread to cut off their further advance.
In the meantime the first crew, discover
ing the school, are following close in It's
wake, widening the net es they advance,
while the middle crew has gone beyond
the surf and is now pt'iling energctical-
| ly for the shore. Finding their advance
disputed, the school suddenly turns
| only to find itself confronted by SINH
| lar obstruction of net. Now ensues a
scene CT INDISPENSABLE confusion. High
out of the water they leap, lashing the
| water into foam with their tails, and
making frantic efforts to escape. ST.
lently the crews close in upon them;
they Are surrounded by great, strung
wall of netting. and only the most agile
succeed in overlapping the boundary
and making good their escape.
Closer and closer the crews approach
| the beach, and once in shallow water
! the most skillful maneuvering is re-
quired to prevent the escape of the
school. The average catch at one haul
is eighty fish. Each fisherman Is armed
with long, keen-bladed knife. and as
soon as the catch STRIKES sand" (the
beach, a certain number of men de-
tailed for the purpose draw their knives
and proceed to stab the fioundering
fish in the neck. This operation is at
tended with extreme hazard, for the tail
of the porpoise yields great power,
and 'whack" sometimes breaks an
arm or leg.
The catch over, the boats ard appara'
tus are made ready for another haul. II
the haul has not been made too late in
the day, Ia the presence of a great crowd
of women and children the skinning
process begins. The fat on the skins
runs from two to two and one-halt
inches in thickness. The skins are TAX.
en- to the factory, where they are soaked
in large reservoirs, from which, after q
sufficient length of time, they are trans.
ferred to the splitting machine. Here
the blubber or fat is shaved evenly and
smoothly to certain thickness, usually
requiring two cummings to accomplish
the desired result. The skins are next
spread upon the floor and subjected tc
thorough sailing. After few days
when the salt has penetrated every
pore, the skins are carefully packed il
large boxes and shipped north to under
go the final process of tanning.
For days at time a hog, the proverb
ial North CaroliQ razor back, is mo-
visible about Hatteras, but he know.
from instinct when catch of porpoise.
is made, and like hungry wolves in {
Russian forest, these razor backs emerg'
in great droves from the dense woods
and feast upon the carcasses, that is
if they have not been hastily gathered
up and carted off to the boiling house
Here they are subjected to long ant
thorough steaming. until the bones
leave the flesh. The flesh is tried out
into oil, while the bones, mixed will
other ingredients, are ground up in the
| rolling mill and SO the pOrpois,