The shoal is also known by the _stoiting_, or jumping, of the fish.
When fish are observed stoiting a signal is given, whereupon the
sean-boat and vollier get on the spot, and the crew of the foremost
boat pass a warp, that is, throw a rope, which is fixed to the end of
the sean on board the vollier, and then shoot the net overboard, which,
having leaden weights at bottom, sinks, and the top is buoyed up with
corks. The sean-boat is rowed in a circular course round where the fish
are stoiting, and when they have reached the vollier the fish are
enclosed. They then hem the two ends of the sean together with a cord
to prevent the fish from breaking out, and whilst this is being done a
man is engaged in frightening the fish away from the still open end by
means of a stone fastened to a rope. This is termed throwing the
minnies (_maen_ stone, pl. _meini_). When the two ends of the net are
laced together, grapes, _i.e._ grapnels, are let down to keep the net
expanded and steady till the fish have been taken up. This latter
process is called tucking the sean. The boat with the tuck-sean on
board passes the warp of that sean to one of the other boats and then
shoots this tuck-sean within the stop-sean, and next draws up the same
to the edge of the water, when it is seen to be one quivering mass of
silver. The fish are now taken or dipped out with baskets into the
boats. When the boats are filled, if more fish remain in the large
sean, it is left in the water, till by successive tuckings all the fish
have been removed.
The fish that have been caught and brought on shore are taken to the
cellars. Fish cellars are usually dug out of the rock, and in them the
pilchards are deposited in heaps, to be cured by the women, who work at
this night and day. The cellar floor is covered with a layer of salt
for the distance of five or six feet from the walls, and on this is
laid a row of fish with their tails touching the wall; then next to
these is laid another row, and so on in concentric rings, till a
sufficient space is paved with fish. On this foundation is laid more
salt, and then more fish, and this process is continued till the pile
is complete and the cellar is stacked with fish. They are now said to
be "in bulk," and so are suffered to remain for some weeks, during
which time boards are placed on them with stones, so as to squeeze out
of them all superfluous water and oil. The process of salting
completed, the fish are packed in barrels, and are sent away to market.
After July or August the pilchards leave the coast, and do not reappear
until the end of October or the beginning of November. They now appear
in the Bristol Channel, and come down towards Land's End, which they
turn and follow the south coast of Cornwall, and then disappear.
Formerly pilchards were smoked, and went by the name of _fumadoes_. The
name clung to them after the smoking was abandoned, and _fumadoes_ is
now corrupted into "fair maids."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account