The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1909-01-22

Round about the little town (Nieu
porD extends a cherries desert O
rolling runes, cutting it off from tn
big, bustling world outside. The cot
tages are hidden away among tn,
sand hills, and no doubt in Older
times the chief occupation of thei
owners was wrecking and smuggling
Mere huts they are, consisting Otter
of one room. The snow-white walls
are fitted with alcoyes, screened with
stifiy starched curtains concealing
various beds. There is little furni-
ture and that of the simplest; but the
pavement Of red tiles fairly shines
from scrubbing, and inside the huge
chimney are hung the polished copper
pens and quaint old specimens of
Delft pottery, given up by the sea
from old-time wrecks.
Every morning at dawn the strang-
est company you ever saw musters
in this odd little street A company,
one would think, of medieval cavalry.
The slouch hats of the riders recall
the helmets Of Cromwelrs Ironsides.
The bulky baskets might be shields
and bucklers, while the bristling net
poles suggest pixies, lances and he'll
herds.
And lastly, tarpaulin Jackets and
thigh boots glisten like armor. Watch
one of these remarkable fishers ca
reering 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 where are their boats, and
they burst into laughter, pointing TO
their sturdy, placid beasts beneath
them
And how carefully these are pre-
pared for their battle with the sea!
First comes a pack padded out with
straw, and on either side of this the
large panniers are adjusted TO receive
the catch. The traces for dragging
the net are now attached to the col
lar 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 is little room amid the
elaborate gear. Twelve or twenty of
these strange plowmen 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
buslly spreading out and arranging
the nets, while the big, patient horses
stand motionless, waiting to do their
snare. Poles keep the mouths of the
nets wide open. and the moment the
fisherman mounts, the horses step
fearlessly into the foaming water. |
going out ever deeper and deeper, till |
st length little more than the ami |
mails heads are above the gentle |
rollers. Regular maneuvres are gone |
through. Lining up In row. the |
horses begin their journey along the |
waves, dragging the heavy nets be- |
mind them, Needless of the heavy |
breakers and strong currents. They |
never stop 10 rest, never change their |
pace; and the riders pull vigorously |
at cheering pipes, having little more
TO do than to 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 ex-
treme outside of the marching squad
ron-that is TO say, those in deeper
water-suddenly change their course.
and wheel round shoreward, while
the others slow up and change
places. The object OF this is to give
each man an equal chance and get the
catch fairly divided. Naturally those
fishing in the deeper water have an
advantage over the others. Grad
ually one notices the ropes by which !
the nets are attached growing tighter
"a sure sign that the weight of the
take is increasing. But not unit.
full hour and a half of marching i'm
the sea and plowing its sandy floor
has been accomplished is any move
made toward the land. The catch is
almost always a good one: and as the
nets emerge from the last ripples it
looks as though some of them might
break with the weight of their quiv-
ering load.
Objectionable jelly fish and worth
less 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 face their ancient |
enemy. sometimes drawing 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 born TO 1t. | gathered from old !
prints and bits Of pottery that this
form of fishing has been practiced |
Tor ages along the coast of E'londare |