enricheth the husbandman equally with that of Pactolus: for after
the sea hath seasoned it with his salt and fructifying moysture, his
waves worke vp to the shore a great part thereof (together with more
of his owne store, grated from the cliffes) and the Tillers, some by
Barges and Boats, others by horses and waines, doe fetch it, &
therewith dresse their grounds. This sand is of diuers kindes,
colours, and goodnesse: the kinds, some bigger, some lesser; some
hard, some easie. The colours are answerable to the next Cliffes.
The goodnesse increaseth as it is taken farther out of the Sea.
Some haue also vsed to carry vp into their grounds the Ose or salt
water mudde, and found good profit thereby, though not equalling the
sand.
To this purpose also serueth Orewood, which is a weed either growing
vpon the rockes vnder high water marke, or broken from the bottome of
the sea by rough weather, and cast vpon the next shore by the wind
and flood. The first sort is reaped yeerely, and thereby bettereth
in quantity and qualitie: the other must be taken when the first tyde
bringeth it, or else the next [28] change of wind will carry it away.
His vse serueth for barly land. Some accustomed to burne it on heapes
in pits at the cliffe side, and so conuerted the same to a kind of
wood, but the noysome sauour hath cursed it out of the countrey. This
Floteore is now and then found naturally formed like rufs, combs, and
such like: as if the sea would equall vs in apparel, as it resembleth
the land for all sorts of liuing creatures.
The sea strond is also strowed with sundry fashioned & coloured shels,
of so diuersified and pretty workmanship, as if nature were for her
pastime disposed to shew her skil in trifles. With these are found,
moreouer, certaine Nuts, somewhat resembling a sheepes kidney, saue
that they are flatter: the outside consisteth of a hard darke
coloured rinde: the inner part, of a kernell voyd of any taste, but
not so of vertue, especially for women trauayling in childbirth, if
at least, old wiues tales may deserue any credit. If I become
blame-worthy in speaking of such toyes, Scipio and Lelius shall serue
for my patrons, who helde it no shame to spend time in their
gathering.
But to carie you from these trifles, you shall vnderstand, that
Cornewall is stored with many sorts of shipping, (for that terme is
the genus to them all) namely, they haue Cock-boats for passengers,
Sayn-boats for taking of Pilcherd, Fisher-boates for the coast,
Barges for sand, Lighters for burthen, and Barkes and Ships for
trafficke: of all which seuerally to particularize, were consectari
minutias, and therefore I will omit to discourse of them, or of the
wrackes proceeding from them, to their great dammage, and the finders
petty benefit, to whom, he that inioyeth the Admirals right, by the
common custome alloweth a moytie for his labour.
But though I shunne tediousnesse herein, I feare lest I shal breede
you Nauseam, while I play the fishmonger: and yet, so large a
commoditie may not passe away in silence. I will therefore, with what
briefnes I can, shew you, what they are, when they come, where they
haunt, with what baite they may be trayned, with what engine taken,
and with what dressing saued.
Herein we will first begin with the Peall, Trowt, and Sammon, because
they partake of both salt and fresh water, breeding in the one, and
liuing in the other.
The Trowte and Peall come from the Sea, betweene March and Midsummer,
and passe vp into the fresh ryuers, to shed their spawne. They are
mostly taken with a hooke-net, made like the Easterne Weelyes, which
is placed in the stickellest part of the streame (for there the fish
chiefely seeketh passage) and kept abroad with certaine hoopes, hauing
his smaller end fastened against the course of the water, and his
mouth open to receiue the fish, while he fareth vp by night.
The Sammons principal accesse, is betweene Michaelmas and Christmas:
for then, and not before, the ryuers can afford them competent depth.
A time forbidden to take them in, by the Statute thirteene of Richard
the second: but if they should bee allowed this priuiledge in
Cornwall, the Inhabitants might vtterly quit all hope of good by them,
for the rest of the yeere. They are refettest (that is fattest) at
their first comming from the Sea, and passe vp as high as any water
can carrie them, to spawne the more safely, and, to that end, take
aduantage of the great raynie flouds. After Christmas, [29] they
returne to the Sea, altogether spent & out of season, whome, as the
spring time commeth on, their fry doe follow: and it hath beene
obserued, that they (as also the Trowt and Peall) haunt the same
ryuers where they first were bred. Vpon the North coast, and to the
Westwards of Foy, few or none are taken, either through those ryuers
shallownesse, or their secret dislike. To catch them, sundrie deuices
are put in practise: one is, with the hooke and line, where they vse
Flies for their baite: another, with the Sammons speare, a weapon like
Neptunes Mace, bearded at the points. With this, one standeth
watching in the darke night, by the deepe pooles, where the Sammons
worke their bed for spawning, while another maketh light with a waze
of reed. The Sammon naturally resorteth to the flame, playing in and
out, and therethrough is discerned, strooken and drawne on land by a
cord fastened to the speare. The third and more profitable meanes of
their taking, is by hutches. A head of Fagots, or stones, is made
acrosse the ryuer, and his greatest part let out, through a square
roome therein, whose vpper side giueth passage to the water by a
grate, but denieth it to the fish, and the lower admitteth his entrie,
thorow certaine thicke laths, couched slope-wise one against another,
but so narrowly, as he can find no way of returne, while the streame
tosseth him hither and thither, and the laths ends gall him, if he
stumble on the place.
They vse also to take Sammons and Trowts, by groping, tickling them
vnder the bellies, in the Pooles where they houer, vntill they lay
hold on them with their hands, & so throw them on land. Touching
these, one scribling of the ryuer Lyner, rymed as ensueth:
THE store-house of Sunnes cheuisance,
The clocke whose measures time doth dance,
The Moones vassall, the Lord of chance,
Oceanus
Ere yeeres compasse his circle end,
From hugie bosome, where they wend,
His scaly broode to greete doth send,
His wife Tellus.
Some haile but with the coasting shore,
Some multiplie the Harbours store,
Some farre into the ryuers bore,
Amongst the rest.
A threefold rowt, of Argus hew,
Kind to encrease, foes to eschew,
With Lyners supple mantle blew,
Themselves reuest.
What time, enricht by Phoebus rayes,
The Alder his new wealth displayes (*)
Of budded groates, and welcome payes
Vnto the Spring.
The Trowts, of middle growth begin,
And eygall peizd, twixt either finne,
At wonted hoste Dan Lyners Inne,
Take their lodging.
Next, as the dayes vp early rise,
In com's the Peall, whose smaller sise,
In his more store, and oft supplies,
A praise doth find.
Laftly, the Sammon, king of fish,
Fils with good cheare the Christmas dish,
Teaching that season must relish
Each in his kind.
(*) It is said that the fish cometh, when the Alder
leafe is growne to the breadth of a groate.
[30]
And of the Sammon in particular.
NOW to the Sammon, king of fish, a trice,
Against whose slate, both skill and will conspire,
Paine brings the fewell, and gaine blowes the fire,
That hand may execute the heads deuice.
Some build his house, but his thence issue barre,
Some make his meashie bed, but reaue his rest:
Some giue him meate, but leaue it not disgest,
Some tickle him, but are from pleasing farre.
Another troope com's in with fire and sword,
Yet cowardly, close counterwaite his way,
And where he doth in streame, mistrustlesse play,
Vail'd with nights robe, they stalke the shore aboord.
One offers him the daylight in a waze,
As if darknesse alone contriued wiles:
But new Neptune, his mate, at land, the whiles,
With forked Mace, deere school's his foolish gaze.
Poore Fish, not praying, that are made a pray,
And at thy natiue home find'st greatest harme,
Though dread warne, swiftnesse guide, and strength thee arme,
Thy neerenesse, greatnesse, goodnesse, thee betray.
In the Hauens, great store, and diuers sorts of fish, some at one
time of the yeere, and some at another, doe haunt the depthes and
shallowes, while the lesser flie the greater, and they also are
pursued by a bigger, each preying one vpon another, and all of them
accustoming, once in the yeere, to take their kind of the fresh
water. They may be diuided into three kinds, shell, flat, and round
fish. Of shell fish, there are Wrinkles, Limpets, Cockles, Muscles,
Shrimps, Crabs, Lobsters, and Oysters.
Of flat fish, Rayes, Thorn-backes, Soles, Flowkes, Dabs, Playces.
Of round fish, Brit, Sprat, Barne, Smelts, Whiting, Scad, Chad,
Sharkes, Cudles, Eeles, Conger, Basse, Millet, Whirlepole, and
Porpose. The generall way of killing these (that is the Fishermans
bloudie terme, for this cold-blouded creature) is by Weares, Hakings,
Saynes, Tuckes, and Tramels.
The Weare is a frith, reaching slope-wise through the Ose, from the
land to low water marke, and hauing in it, a bunt or cod with an
eye-hooke, where the fish entering, vpon their coming backe with the
ebbe, are stopped from issuing out againe, forsaken by the water,
and left drie on the Ose.
For the Haking, certaine Stakes are pitched in the Ose at low water,
athwart from Creeke, from shore to shore, to whose feete they fasten
a Net, and at ful-sea draw the vpper part thereof to their stops,
that the fish may not retire with the ebb, but be taken, as in the
Weares.
The Sayne is a net, of about fortie fathome in length, with which
they encompasse a part of the Sea, and drawe the same on land by two
ropes, fastned at his ends, together with such fish, as lighteth
within his precinct.
The Tucke carrieth a like fashion, saue that it is narrower meashed,
and (therefore scarce lawfull) with a long bunt in the midst: the
Tramell differeth not much from the shape of this bunt, and serueth
to such vse as the Weare and Haking.
[31]
The particular taking of sundrie kinds of fishes, is almost as diuers
as themselues. Wrinckles, Limpets, Cockles, and Muscles, are
gathered by hand, vpon the rockes and sands. Many of the Crabs
breede in the shels of Cockles, and of the Lobsters in those of
Wrinckles, as my selfe haue seene: being growne, they come forth, and
liue in holes of Rockes, from whence, at low water, they are dragged
out, by a long crooke of yron.
The Shrimps are dipped vp in shallow water by the shore side, with
little round nets, fastned to a staffe, not much unlike that which is
used for daring of Larkes.
The Ostyers (besides gathering by hand, at a great ebb) haue a
peculiar dredge, which is a thick strong net, fastned to three spils
of yron, and drawne at the boates sterne, gathering whatsoeuer it
meeteth, lying in the bottome of the water, out of which, when it is
taken vp, they cull the Oysters, and cast away the residue, which
they terme gard, and serueth as a bed for the Oysters to breed in.
It is held, that there are of them male, and female. The female,
about May, and Iune, haue in them a certaine kind of milke, which
they then shead, and whereof the Oyster is engendered. The little
ones, at first, cleaue in great numbers, to their mothers shell,
from whence, waxing bigger, they weane themselues, and towards
Michaelmas, fall away. The Countrie people long retained a conceit,
that in Summer time they weare out of kind (as indeed the milkie are)
but some Gentlemen making experiment of the contrarie, began to eate
them at all seasons, wherethrough, by spending them oftner and in
greater quantitie, by spoyling the little ones, and by casting away
the vnseasonable, there ensued a scarcitie, which scarcitie brought a
dearth, the dearth bred a sparing, and the sparing restored a plenty
againe. They haue a propertie, though taken out of the water, to
open against the flood time, and to close vpon the ebbe, or before,
if they bee touched, the which, not long sithence occasioned a
ridiculous chaunce, while one of them through his sodaine Shutting,
caught in his owne defence, three yong Mice by the heads, that of
malice prepensed, had conspired to deuoure him, and so trebled the
valour of the cleft block, which griped Milo by the hands.
Nature hath strowed the shore with such plenty of these shel-fishes,
as thereby shee warranteth the poore from dread of staruing: for
euery day they may gather sufficient to preserue their life, though
not to please their appetite, which, ordinarie with vs, was
miraculous to the Rochellers in their siedge 1572.
After Shel-fish succeedeth the free-fish, so termed, because he
wanteth this shelly 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 Basse, 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 assistants 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 God 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 shell, fashioned as a loafe of bread, handsomely wrought and
pincked, and guarded by an vtter skinne full of prickles, 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 passing, 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 shore: 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 fashion, 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
quantitie 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, washing, and packing them, whereby a lusty
huswife may earne three shillings 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 passe 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
assured benefit, by dispatching the buying, sauing and selling to the
transporters, within little more then three moneths space. Howbeit,
diuers of them, snatching 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 fashion, 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 Lestercock, they tie one
end of their Boulter, so as the wind comming from the shore, 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.