The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1907-11-07
HOW NEWPORT FOLK
FISH on HORSEBACK

Horseback III oClDUef 81 <>lClOIdS-
Round about the little town (NieuporD
extends a cherries desert of rolling dunes,
| cutting 1t off from the big. busting world
outside. The cottages are hidden away
among the sand hills. and no doubt In
olden times the chief occupation of their
owners was wreching and smuggling.
Mere huts they are. consisting often OF
one room. The snow-white walls are fitted
with alcoves, screened with stlfhy
! starched curtains concealing various beds.
There is little furniture and that of the
simplest; but the pavement OF red ties
fairly shines from scrubPing, and inside
the huge chimney are hung the polished
copper pans and quaint old specimens or
Delft pottery, given up by the sea from
oldtime wrecks.
Every morning at dawn the strangest
company you ever saw musters in this
odd little street. A company, one would
think, of medieval cavalry. The SLOUGH
hats of the riders recall the helmets OF
Cromwells Ironsides. The bulky baskets
might be shields and bucklers, while the
bristling nctpoles suggest pixies, lanceS
and halberds.
And lastly. ~tarpaulin jackets and thigh
boots glisten like armor. Watch one OF
these remarkable fishers careering along
a remote and solitary beach. with great
wlng-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 where are their boats and they burst
into laughter. pointing to their sturdy,
placid beasts beneath them.
And how carefully these arc prepared
for their battle With the seal First comes
a pack padded out with strak, and on
| either side of this the large panniers are
adjusted to receive the catch. The traces
fp,. ,jra gpi,,U 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 thefe' IS
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 tlaa
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 busily spread
ing out and arranging the nets, While the
big, patient horses stand motlonless, WALL
ing to do their share. Poles keep the
mouths of the nets wide open, and the mo-
ment the fisherman mounts, the hofses'
step fearlessly into the foanlng water,
going out ever deeper and deeper, till at
length little more than the animals heads
are above the gentle rollers. Regular man
euvers are gone through. Lining up IN a.
cow. the horses begin their journey along
| the waves, dragging the heavy nets behlnd
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 TO do than sit still and hold
the rope that regulates the net. while the
harvest of the sea Is being gathered.
Now and then the men ON the extreme
outside Of the marshing squadron-that
is to say, those in deeper water-sudden.
" change their course, and wheel round
s~horeward, while the others slow up and
change places. The object OF this is &c
| give each mar an equal chance and gel
the catch fairly divided Naturally those
fishing In the deeper water have an. adj
vantage over the others. Gradually ons
notices the ropes by which the nets arc
attached growing tighter-a sure sign that
the weight of the take is increasing.
But not until 8. full hour and q. half Off
marching In the sea and blowing it's sandy,
floor has been accomplished is any move
made 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
the weight OF their qufvering load.
Objectionable jelly fish and, worthless
shells and seaweed are cast aside, and
the rest Of the catch put into, baskets By
the men, assisted by the womenfolk and
children. Once more the fishing cavalry
tace 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 will
come along and completely submerge both
horses and riders for a second or two.
The animals, by the way, seem to be
bonn to 1t. I gathered from. old prints.
and bits of pottery that this form of fish
| Ing has been practiced for ages along the
coast OF Flanders. although it now sur
wives only at Newport, CoNyde. and a few
samller villages. The horses are amazing
ty hardy; their coats are allowed to- guoM
very thick, and their saganity 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
6sh are taken. The catch is roughly
sorted and washed, the nets are rolled up,
and the homeward march is begun In q.
grateful cloud Of tobacco, smoke among,
the men and lively gossip, among the wom-
en- and children.
A very charming sight is this RETURN OF
the fishers on horseback TO little Newport.
Sometimes the setting sun is casting it's
gays over the bright blue, ripping sea.
and it's vast expanse of golden sands: and
the city visitor is sOothed by the marvel
aus silence. No sound disturbs the ear
save the crunch Of the horses ho0fs on
the wet sand, the ceaseless beat OF gentle
surf, or the sharp cries of ravenous gulls
as they swoop down to seize the scattered
eemnants left where the fishermen sorted
their catch. On arrival at the cottages,
each fisherman spreads out his nets to
dry on the long. Quivering grass of the
sand dunes, and both horse and rider pre-
pare for a well-earned rest and a good
meal.
the housewife is getting ready
her great copper pots for the w%rigglinE
shr.mps, small cells, soles. founder an6
other fish that nave found their way into
the nets. Nothing but the shrimps are
sold, however. For / should explain tina
all along the coasts CT the North sea
shrimping IS one of the chief industries
and the whole of northern France, includ
ing Paris, and the greater part of Belgium
: are supplied by these villagers.
3 Sharp.