Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1907-11-08
HOW NEWPORT FOLK
FISH ON HORSEBACK

- IlOAStDG-CA III ~
Round about The little town (Nieuport)
extends a cherries desert OF rolling dunes.
cutting it of from the big, busting woria
outside. The cottages are hidden away
among the sand hills, and no doubt III
olden times the chief occupation OF their
owners was wrcckiug and smuggling
Mere huts they are. consisting often OF
one room. The snow-white ais are ntteu
with a~lcoves. screened with stlfny
starched curtains concealing various oeus
There is little furniture and that OF the
simplest; but the pavement or red thes
fairly shines from scrubhing, and inside
the huge chimney are hung the polished
copper pans and quaint old specimens OF
Delft pottery, given up by the sea from
oidtime wrecks.
Every morning at dawn the ~strangest
company you ever saw musterS in TINS
odd little street. A company, one would
think, of medieval cavalry. The SLOUGH
hats of the riders recall the helmets or
CromwelI's Ironsides. The bulky baskets
might be shields and bucklers, while the
bristling ~netpoles suggest pixies, lances
and halberds-
And lastly, tarpaulln Jackets and thigh
boots glisten like armor- Watch one or
these remarkable fishers careering along
a remote and solitary beach, with great
wing-like nets stretching out on either
side of the crupper, and you Will at once
recall Don QuiXote returning from a tilt
at the windmills. And surely no such
fishermen were ever elsewhere seen. ASK
them whore are their boats and they burst
into laughter. pointing to their sturdy,
placid beasts beneath them.
And how carefully these are prepared
for their battle with the sea-! First comes
a pack padded out with strak, and on
either side Of this the large panniers are
adjusted 10 receive the catch. The traces
for dragging the net are now attached TO
the collar in the ordinary way, and the
big net itself poised behind the pack. An
extra basket is hung upon the side, and
then at last Don QuiXote may mount-no
easy matter, by the way, since there IL
little room amid the elaborate gear.
Twelve or twenty of these strange ploW-
men OF the sands meet together and make
their way down to the beach when the TIDE
Is at it's lowest. Here they are joined by
Other companies Of the curious army, with
irregular helpers in the shape OF women
and children. All are soon busiiy spread
ing out and arranging the nets, while the
biz. patient horses stand motionless, vail
ing to do their share. Poles keep the
mouths of the nets wide open, and the mo-
ment the fisherman mounts, the horses
step fearlessly into the toamlng water,
gong OUT ever deeper anu uN'pSA, til a.
length little more than the animals heads
are above the gentle rollers. Regular man
euvers are gone through. Lining up in a
-ow, the horses begin their journey along
the waves, dragging the heavy nets chino
them, needless of the heavy breakers and
strong currents. They never stop to rest,
never change their pace; and the riders
pull vigorously at cheering pipes, having
little more 10 do than sit still and hold
tL1 -,Do ,bat rno-,latns the NOT while, the
harvest of the sea is being gathered.
Now and then the men on the extreme
outside Of the marshing squadron-thai
is to say, those in deeper w~ater-sudden'
V change their course, and wheel round
shoreward, While the others slow up anc
change places. The object Of this is &c
give each man an equal chance and gei
the catch fairly divided. Naturally those
fishing in the deeper water have an ad,
vantage over the others. Gradually one
notices the ropes by which the nets are
attached growing tighter sure sign that
the weight of the tax is increasing
But not until a full hour and a half of
marching In the sea and blowing its sandy
floor has been accomplished Is any move
mad. toward the land. The catch is al
most always a good one; and as the nets
emerge from the last nipples it looks as
though some of them might break With
ilE NCASI VI Nlbt-A 49, AHS C@N
Objectionable jelly fish and worthless
shells and seaweed are cast aside, anc
the rest Of the catch put into baskets BY
the men, assisted by the womenfolk anG
children. Once more the fishing cavalry
face their ancient enemy, sometimes draw
ing lots for the best positions in the line
A new furrow Is plowed this time, and.
now and then a specially big wave VII
come along and completely subnerge both
Arra. nnI rf1nrS for a Snnnn1 or fun
The animals. by the way, seem to be
born to it. L gathered from old prints
and bits Of pottery that this form of fish
has been practiced for ages along the
coast of Flanders, although it now sur
wives only at Newport, Coxyde. and a few
samller villages. The horses are amazing
Iy hardy; their coats are allowed to grow
very thick, and their sagacity is so great
that the old villagers declare they could
go out and do a days work by them
selves! After four hours, however, enough
fish are taken. The catch Is roughly
sorted and washed, the nets are rolled up
and the homeward march Is begun IN a
grateful cloud of tobacco smoke among
the men and lively gossip among the won-
en- and children.
A very charming sight is this return or
he fishers on horseback to little Newport
Sometimes the setting sun is casting its
hdJ3 oH1A AhI 1Hs~s
and It's vast expanse of golden sands; and
the city visitor is soothed by the marvel
gus silence. No sound disturbs the ear
the crunch of the horses hoofs on
The wet sand. the ceaseless beat of gentle
surf, or the sharp cries of ravenou gulls
as they swoop down TO seize the scattered
left where the fishermen sorted
their catch. On arrival at the cottages,
each fisherman spreads out his nets to
Try on tho long 0liVpTfnG grass OF the
sand dunes. and both horse and rider pre-
pare for a well-earned rest and a good
meal.
Meanwhile the housewife is getting ready
her great copper pots for the wriggling
shr.mps, small cells, soles, fiounder and
other fish that have found Their way into
the nets. Nothing but the shrimps are
sold, however. For | should explain that
all along the coasts of the North sea,
shrimp.ng IS one of the chief industries;
and the whole of northern France, .nclud-
ing Paris, and the greater part of Belgium
are supplied by these villagers.