Part 6 (1/2)
After Shel-fish succeedeth the free-fish, so termed, because he wanteth this sh.e.l.ly bulwarke.
Amongst these, the Flowk, Sole and Playce follows the tyde up into the fresh riuers, where, at low water, the Countri people find them by treading, as they wade to seeke them, and so take them vp with their hands. They vse also to poche them with an instrument somewhat like the Sammon-speare.
Of Eeles there are two sorts: the one Valsen, of best taste, coming from the fresh riuers, when the great raine floods after September doe breake their beds, and carry them into the sea: the other, bred in the salt water, & called a Conger Eele, which afterwards, as his bignes increaseth, ventreth out into the maine Ocean, & is enfranchised a Burgesse of that vast common wealth: but in harbor they are taken mostly by Spillers made of a cord, [32] many fathoms in length, to which diuers lesser and shorter are tyed at a little distance, and to each of these a hooke is fastened with bayt: this Spiller they sincke in the sea where those Fishes haue their accustomed haunt, and the next morning take it vp againe with the beguiled fish.
For catching of Whiting and Ba.s.se, they vse a thred, so named, because it consisteth of a long smal lyne with a hooke at the end, which the Fisherman letteth slip out of his hand by the Boat side to the bottom of the water, and feeling the fish caught by the sturring of the lyne, draweth it vp againe with his purchase. The Porposes are shaped very bigge and blacke. These chase the smaller schoels of fish from the mayne sea into the hauens, leaping vp and downe in the water, tayle after top, and one after another, puffing like a fat lubber out of breath, and following the fish with the flood, so long as any depth will serue to bear them; by which means they are sometimes intercepted: for the Borderers watching vntill they be past farre vp into some narrow creeke, get belowe them with their Boats, and cast a strong corded net athwart the streame, with which, and their lowd and continuall showting and noyse making, they fray and stop them from retyring, vntill the ebbe haue abandoned them to the hunters mercy, who make short worke with them, and (by an olde custome) share them amongst all the a.s.sistants with such indifferencie, as if a woman with child bee present, the babe in her wombe is gratified with a portion: a poynt also obserued by the Speare-hunters in taking of Sammons.
Now from within harbour, we will launch out into the deepe, and see what luck of fish G.o.d there shall send vs, which (so you talke not of Hares or such vncouth things, for that proues as ominous to the fisherman, as the beginning a voyage on the day when Childermas day fell, doth to the Mariner) may succeed very profitable: for the coast is plentifully stored, both with those foreremembred, enlarged to a bigger size, & diuers other, as namely of shel-fish, Sea-hedge-hogs, Scallops & Sheath-fish. Of fat, Brets, Turbets, Dories, Holybut.
Round, Pilcherd, Herring, Pollock, Mackrell, Gurnard, Illeck, Tub, Breame, Oldwife, Hake, Dogfish, Lounp, Cunner, Rockling, Cod, Wrothe, Becket, Haddock, Guilt-head, Rough-hound, Squary Scad, Seale, Tunny, and many others, quos nunc, &c.
The Sheath, or Rasor-fish, resembleth in length and bignesse a mans finger, and in taste, the Lobster, but reputed of greater restoratiue.
The Sea-hedge-hogge, of like or more goodnesse, is enclosed in a round sh.e.l.l, fas.h.i.+oned as a loafe of bread, handsomely wrought and pincked, and guarded by an vtter skinne full of p.r.i.c.kles, as the land Vrchin. But the least fish in bignes, greatest for gaine, and most in number, is the Pilcherd: they come to take their kind of the fresh (as the rest) betweene haruest and Alhallon-tyde, and were wont to pursue the Brit, vpon which they feede, into the hauens, but are now forestalled on the coast by the Drouers and Sayners. The Drouers hang certaine square nets athwart the tyde, thorow which the schoell of Pilchard pa.s.sing, leaue many behind intangled in the meashes.
When the nets are so filled, the Drouers take them up, clense them, and let them fall againe.
The Sayners complayne with open mouth, that [33] these drouers worke much preiudice to the Commonwealth of fishermen, and reape thereby small gaine to themselues; for (say they) the taking of some few, breaketh and scattereth the whole schoels, and frayeth them from approaching the sh.o.r.e: neither are those thus taken, marchantable, by reason of their brusing in the meash. Let the crafts-masters decide the controuersie.
The Sayne, is in fas.h.i.+on, like that within harbour, but of a farre larger proportion. To each of these, there commonly belong three or foure boates, carrying about sixe men apeece: with which, when the season of the yeere and weather serueth, they lie houering upon the coast, and are directed in their worke, by a Balker, or Huer, who standeth on the Cliffe side, and from thence, best discerneth the quant.i.tie and course of the Pilcherd: according whereunto, hee cundeth (as they call it) the Master of each boate (who hath his eye still fixed upon him) by crying with a lowd voice, whistling through his fingers, and wheazing certing diuersified and significant signes, with a bush, which hee holdeth in his hand. At his appointment they cast out their Net, draw it to either hand, as the Schoell lyeth, or fareth, beate with their Oares to keepe in the Fish, and at last, either close and tucke it vp in the Sea, or draw the same on land, with more certaine profit, if the ground bee not rough of rockes.
After one companie haue thus shot their Net, another beginneth behind them, and so a third, as opportunitie serueth. Being so taken, some, the Countrie people, who attend with their horses and paniers at the Cliffes side, in great numbers, doe buy and carrie home, the larger remainder, is by the Marchant, greedily and speedily seized vpon.
They are saued three maner of wayes: by fuming, pressing, or pickelling. For euery of which, they are first salted and piled vp row by row in square heapes on the ground in some celler, which they terme, Bulking, where they so remaine for fome ten daies, vntil the superfluous moysture of the bloud and salt be soked from them: which accomplished, they rip the bulk, and saue the residue of the salt for another like seruice. Then those which are to be ventred for Fraunce, they pack in staunch hogsheads, so to keepe them in their pickle. Those that serue for the hotter Countries of Spaine and Italie, they vsed at first to fume, by hanging them vp on long sticks one by one, in a house built for the nonce, & there drying them with the smoake of a soft and continuall fire, from whence they purchased the name of Fumados: but now, though the terme still remaine, that trade is giuen ouer: and after they haue bene ripped out of the bulk, reffed vpon sticks, & washed, they pack them orderly in hogsheads made purposely leake, which afterward they presse with great waights, to the end the traine may soke from them into a vessell placed in the ground to receyue it.
In packing, they keepe a iust tale of the number that euery hogshead contayneth, which otherwise may turne to the Marchants preiudice: for I haue heard, that when they are brought to the place of sale, the buyer openeth one hogs-head at aduentures; and if hee finde the same not to answere the number figured on the outside, hee abateth a like proportion in euery other, as there wanted in that. The trayne is well solde, as imployed to diuers vses, and welneere acquiteth the cost in sauing, and the sauing setteth almost an infinite [34] number of women and children on worke, to their great aduantage: for they are allowed a peny for euery lasts carriage (a last is ten thousand) and as much for bulking, was.h.i.+ng, and packing them, whereby a l.u.s.ty huswife may earne three s.h.i.+llings in a night; for towards the euening they are mostly killed.
This commoditie at first carried a very lowe price, and serued for the inhabitants cheapest prouision: but of late times, the deare sale beyond the seas hath so encreased the number of takers, and the takers iarring and brawling one with another, and foreclosing the fishes taking their kind within harbour, so decreased the number of the taken, as the price daily extendeth to an higher rate, equalling the proportion of other fish: a matter which yet I reckon not preiudiciall to the Commonwealth, seeing there is store sufficient of other victuals, and that of these a twentieth part will serue the Countries need, and the other nineteene pa.s.se into forraine Realmes with a gainefull vtterance.
The Sayners profit in this trade is vncertayne, as depending upon the seas fortune, which hee long attendeth, and often with a bootlesse trauaile: but the Pilcherd Marchant may reape a speedy, large, and a.s.sured benefit, by dispatching the buying, sauing and selling to the transporters, within little more then three moneths s.p.a.ce. Howbeit, diuers of them, s.n.a.t.c.hing at wealth ouer-hastily, take mony beforehand, and bind themselues for the same, to deliuer Pilcherd ready saued to the transporter, at an vnder-rate, and so cut their fingers. This venting of Pilcherd enhaunced greatly the price of cask, whereon all other sorts of wood were conuerted to that vse: and yet this scantly supplying a remedie, there was a statute made 35. Eliz. that from the last of Iune 1594. no stranger should transport beyond the seas any Pilcherd or other fish in cask, vnlesse hee did bring into the Realme, for euery sixe tunnes, two hundred of clapboord fit to make cask, and so rateably, vpon payne of forfeyting the sayd Pilcherd or fish. This Act to continue before the next Parliament, which hath reuiued the same, vntill his (yet not knowne) succeeder.
The Pilcherd are pursued and deuoured by a bigger kinde of fish, called a Plusher, being somewhat like the Dog-fish, who leapeth now and then aboue water, and therethrough bewrayeth them to the Balker: so are they likewise persecuted by the Tonny, and he (though not verie often) taken with them damage faisant. And that they may no lesse in fortune, then in fas.h.i.+on, resemble the Flying fish, certaine birds called Gannets, soare ouer, and stoup to prey vpon them.
Lastly, they are persecuted by the Hakes, who (not long sithence) haunted the coast in great abundance; but now being depriued of their wonted baite, are much diminished, verifying the prouerb, What we lose in Hake, we shall haue in Herring. These Hakes and diuers of the other forerecited, are taken with threds, & some of them with the boulter, which is a Spiller of a bigger size. Vpon the North coast, where want of good harbours denieth safe road to the fisherboats, they haue a deuice of two sticks filled with corks, and crossed flatlong, out of whose midst there riseth a thred, and at the same hangeth a saile; to this engine, termed a Lesterc.o.c.k, they tie one end of their Boulter, so as the wind comming from the sh.o.r.e, filleth the sayle, and the saile carrieth out the Boulter into the sea, which after the respite of some houres, is drawne in againe [35] by a cord fastned at the neerer end. They lay also certaine Weelyes in the Sea, for taking of Cunners, which therethrough are termed Cunner-pots.
Another net they haue long and narrow meashed, thwarted with little cords of wide distance, in which the fish intangleth it selfe, and is so drawne vp.
For Bait they vse Barne, Pilcherd, and Lugges. The Lugge is a worme resembling the Tagworme or Angle-touch, and lying in the Ose somewhat deepe, from whence the women digge them vp, and sell them to the Fishermen: They are descried by their working ouer head, as the Tagworme. And, for lacke of other prouision, the Fishermen sometimes cut out a peece of the new taken Hake, neere his tayle, and therewith baite their hookes, to surprise more of his Canniballian fellowes.
The Seale, or Soyle, is in making and growth, not vnlike a Pigge, vgly faced, and footed like a Moldwarp; he delighteth in musike, or any lowd noise, and thereby is trained to approach neere the sh.o.r.e, and to shew himselfe almost wholly aboue water. They also come on land, and lie sleeping in holes of the Cliffe, but are now and then waked with the deadly greeting of a bullet in their sides.
The Fishermens hookes doe not alwayes returne them good prise: for often there cleaueth to the baite, a certaine fish like a Starre, so farre from good meate, as it is held contagious.
There swimmeth also in the Sea, a round slymie substance, called a Blobber, reputed noysome to the fish.
But you are tired, the day is spent, and it is high time that I draw to harbour: which good counsell I will follow, when I haue onely told you, In what maner the Fishermen saue the most part of their fish.
Some are polled (that is, beheaded) gutted, splitted, powdred and dried in the Sunne, as the lesser sort of Hakes. Some headed, gutted, iagged, and dried, as Rayes, and Thornbackes. Some gutted, splitted, powdred, and dried, as Buckhorne made of Whitings, (in the East parts named Scalpions) and the smaller sort of Conger, and Hake.
Some gutted, splitted, and kept in pickle, as Whiting, Mackrell, Millet, Ba.s.se, Peall, Trowt, Sammon, and Conger. Some, gutted, and kept in pickle, as the lesser Whitings, Pollocks, Eeles, and squarie Scads. Some cut in peeces, and powdred, as Seale and Porpose.
And lastly, some boyled, and preserued fresh in Vinegar, as Tonny and Turbet.
Besides these flooting burgesses of the Ocean, there are also certaine flying Citizens of the ayre, which prescribe for a corrodie therein; of whom some serue for food to vs, and some but to feed themselues. Amongst the first sort, we reckon the Dip-chicke, (so named of his diuiug, and littlenesse) Coots, Sanderlings, Sea-larkes, Oxen and Kine, Seapies, Puffins, Pewets, Meawes, Murres, Creysers, Curlewes, Teale, Wigeon, Burranets, s.h.a.gs, Ducke and Mallard, Gull, Wild-goose, Heron, Crane, and Barnacle.
These content not the stomacke, all with a like sauorinesse, but some carrie a rancke taste, and require a former mortification: and some are good to bee eaten while they are young, but nothing tooth-some, as they grow elder. The Guls, Pewets, and most of the residue, breed in little desert Ilands, bordering on both coastes, laying their Egges on the gra.s.se, without making any [36] nests, from whence the owner of the land causeth the young ones to be fetched about Whitsontide, for the first broode, and some weekes after for the second. Some one, but not euerie such Rocke, may yeeld yeerely towards thirtie dozen of Guls. They are kept tame, and fed fat, but none of the Sea kind will breede out of their naturall place: Yet at Caryhayes, master Treuanions house, which bordereth on the Cliffe, an old Gull did (with an extraordinarie charitie) accustome, for diuers yeeres together, to come and feede the young ones (though perhaps none of his alliance) in the court where they were kept. It is held, that the Barnacle breedeth vnder water on such s.h.i.+ps sides, as haue beene verie long at Sea, hanging there by the Bill, vntill his full growth dismisse him to be a perfect fowle: and for proofe hereof, many little things like birds, are ordinarily found in such places, but I cannot heare any man speake of hauing seene them ripe. The Puffyn hatcheth in holes of the Cliffe, whose young ones are thence ferretted out, being exceeding fat, kept salted, and reputed for fish, as comming neerest thereto in their taste.
The Burranet hath like breeding, and, after her young ones are hatched, shee leadeth them sometimes ouer-land, the s.p.a.ce of a mile or better, into the hauen, where such as haue leasure to take their pastime, chace them one by one with a boate, and stones, to often diuing, vntill, through wearinesse, they are taken vp at the boates side by hand, carried home, and kept tame with the Ducks: the Egges of diuers of these Fowles are good to bee eaten.