The free press. (Poplarville, Miss.) 1890-19??, 1896-11-05
SARDINE FISHING.
A Great Industry on the Pictur-
esque Shores of Brittany.
Old and Young Employed Catch
ing and Canning the Fish.


inces of Brittany and Vendee employs
a large population of men, women
and children, says the New York
Times. Nantes is the most important
centre for the preparation of canned
sardines, though La Rochelle and sew
eral maritime towns are able to rival
the Brittany metropolis today.
The sardine manufacturers of
Nantes own over 100 important fac
tories, scattered along the coast be-
| tween Les Sables d'Olonne, st. GILES
and Belle isle. 1t is from the begin
ming of June that sardines begin to
flock along the Brittany coast. Like
| cod they are season fish, and their ia
vorite abiding place is at great depths,
among marine grasses, two or three
miles from the shore, where they as
semble in large numbers. The snr-
dine is fshed 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 out sardine fishing. The
vessels are of light construction, and
only fit for calm sea. If overtaken
by sqnall they often have barely
time to seek refuge in some friendly
harbor. The average lcngth of these
crafts is from 25 to 80 feet. They are
fitted out with number of large oars,
the use of which is indispensable to
manage the boats on their return to
port. AS rule, the captains Of these
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 OF
whom are professional sailors-the
captain, his mate, and ono 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 takes
place every morning; the boats leave
port at low tide and sail to the spot
where the sardines have been signaled.
As soon as the fish have been seen the
nets, many OF which arc over 5000
feet long. are thrown overheard.
These nets have oil been blachened
beforehand with smoke, so as not to
7 frighten the fish. At the same time
the fisherman scatter bait around
them; the favorite bait is called
"rogue," and is made of fish roe.
Once the net is filled, it is drawn into
the boat, emptied, and thrown out
again. The sardine spoils very easil y
and the fishermen are in consequence
obliged to return early in the evening
at high tide. As soon as the boats
/ reach the docks, the ''remandeuses, -
as the 'sardine women" are termed,
seized the nets, stretch them along the
beach, and mend them if necessary.
Meantime the captains sell their fish
either to fish merchants or to sardine
factories direct Once the sales are
made, the ''sardine women" in the
service of the factories flock to the
harbor and clean the fish; the scene
then is most typical, and has often
been made subject for the painter s
brush. Conversation at once begins
between these sturdy fishwives, and the
| fishermen, and the relative merits OF
the days catch are discussed and com
mented upon.
Once the boats are emptied and the
fish cleaned, the fishermen go to the
neighboring 'cabaret" to settle the
days pay the frs. proceeding is to
! dedu-t from the days gross income
the several expenses, such as cost OF
bait, the days food, etc. What re-
mains is divided into a certain num-
Dor of portions, of which tho captain
has generally two, the mate one-half
or one-quarter, and the rest of the
crew what remains When the fishing
has been good the days profits are
considerable, but on o bad day the
men are often is distress, as they have
no regular pay.
The preparation Of sardines in oil
is as follows: The fish are first washed
in salt water, beheaded and cleaned.
They are then salted and dried in the
sun, or in aerated rooms, specially
prepared for the purpose. They are