In hard frosts holes must be broken in the ice that forms upon fish
ponds, or the fish will die. It is pleasing to watch the finny tenants
rising half torpid beneath a new-formed hole for the benefit of the air.
Ice holes should be kept open during the frost: one hole to a pond is
sufficient.
* * * * *
At Logan or Port Nessock in Wigtownshire, North Britain, a large
_saltwater_ pond was formed for Cod in 1800. It is a basin of 30 feet in
depth, and 160 feet in circumference, hewn out from the solid rock, and
communicating with the sea by one of those fissures which are common to
bold and precipitous coasts. Attached to it is a neat Gothic cottage for
the accommodation of the fisherman, and the rock is surmounted all round
by a substantial stone wall at least 300 feet in circumference. In every
state of the wind or tide, winter and summer, when not a single boat
dare venture to sea, Colonel M‘Dowal can command a supply of the finest
fish, and study at his leisure the instincts and habits of the “finny
nations,” with at least all the accuracy of those sage naturalists, who
rarely travel farther than Exeter ’Change. From the inner or back door
of the lodge, a winding stair-way conducts to the usual halting place--a
large flat stone projecting into the water, and commanding a view of
every part of the aquatic prison. When the tide is out, this stone is
left completely dry, and here a stranger perceives with surprise, a
hundred mouths simultaneously opened to greet his arrival.
The moment the fisherman crosses his threshold, the pond is agitated by
the action of some hundred fins, and otherwise thrown into a state of
anarchy and confusion. Darting from this, that, and the other corner,
the whole population move as it were to a common centre, elevate their
snouts, lash their tails, and jostle one another with such violence,
that on a first view they actually seem to be menacing an attack on the
poor fisherman, in place of the creel full of limpets he carries. Many
of the fish are so tame, that they will feed greedily from the hand, and
bite your fingers into the bargain, if you are foolish enough to allow
them; while others again are so shy, that the fisherman discourses of
their _different tempers_, as a thing quite as palpable as the gills
they breathe, or the fins they move by. One gigantic cod, which seems to
answer to the name of “Tom,” and may well be described as the patriarch
of the pond, forcibly arrests attention. This unfortunate, who passed
his youth in the open sea, was taken prisoner at the age of five, and
has since sojourned at Port Nessock, for the long period of twelve
years, during all which time he has gradually increased in bulk and
weight. He is now wholly blind from age or disease, and he has no chance
whatever in the general scramble. The fisherman, however, is very kind
to him, and it is affecting as well as curious, to see the huge animal
raise himself in the water; and then resting his head on the flat stone,
allow it to be gently patted or stroked, gaping all the while to implore
that food which he has no other means of obtaining. In this pond, cod
appears to be the prevailing species; there are also blochin or glassin,
haddocks, flounders, and various other kinds. Salmon, which at spawning
time visit the highest rivers, could not of course obey their instincts
here, and accordingly there is only one specimen of this favourite fish
in the pond at present. As the fisherman remarked, “he is far _soupler_
than any o’ the rest,” and by virtue of this one quality, chases, bites,
and otherwise annoys a whole battalion of gigantic cod, that have only,
one would think, to open their mouths and swallow him. To supply them
with food is an important part of the fisherman’s duty; and with this
view, he must ply the net, and heave the line, during two or three days
of every week. He has also to renew the stock, when the pond appears to
be getting thin, from the contributions levied on it by the cook.
* * * * *
A letter from Cairo, in a journal of January 1824, contains a whimsical
exemplification of Turkish manners in the provinces, and the absurdity
of attempting to honour distant authorities, by the distinctions of
civil society. A diploma of honorary member of the Society of Frankfort
was presented to the Pacha, at the divan (or council.) The Pacha, who
can neither read nor write, thought it was a _firman_ (despatch) from
the Porte. He was much surprised and alarmed; but the interpreter
explained to him that it was written in the _Nemptchee_ (German)
language, contained the thanks of the _ulemas_ (scholars) of a German
city named Frankfort, for his kindness to two _Nemptchee_ travelling in
Egypt.
But the most difficult part was yet to come; it was to explain to him
that he had been appointed a _member_ of their society; and the Turkish
language having no word for this purely European idea, the interpreter,
after many hesitations and circumlocutions, at last succeeded in
explaining, “that as a mark of respect and gratitude, the society had
made him one of their _partners_.” At these words the eyes of the Pacha
flashed with anger, and with a voice of thunder he roared that he would
never again be the _partner_ of any firm; that his _partnership_ with
Messrs. Briggs and Co. in the Indian trade, cost him nearly 500,000 hard
piasters; that the association for the manufactory of sugar and rum paid
him nothing at all; and, in short, that he was completely tired of his
connections with Frank merchants, who were indebted to him 23,000,000 of
piasters, which he considered as completely lost. In his rage, he even
threatened to have the interpreter drowned in the Nile, for having
presumed to make offer of a mercantile connection, against his positive
orders.
The poor interpreter was confounded, and unable to utter a word in his
defence. At this critical moment, however, Messrs. Fernandez, Pambonc,
and others who have access to the Pacha, interposed; and it was some
time before they could reduce his Highness to reason; his passion had
thrown him into an hysterical hiccup. When his Highness was a little
recovered, Mr. Fernandez endeavoured to explain to him that there was no
question about business: that the _ulemas_ of Frankfort were possessed
of no stock but _books_, and had no capital. “So much the worse,”
replied the Pacha; “then they are _sahhaftehi_, (booksellers,) who carry
on their business without money, like the Franks at Cairo and
Alexandria.” “Oh, no, they are no _sahhaftehi_, but _ulemas_, _kiatibs_,
(authors,) physicians, _philoussoufs_, &c., who are only engaged in
science.” “Well,” said he, “and what am I then to do in their society;
I, a Pacha of three horse tails?” “Nothing at all, your Highness, like
perhaps most of the members of their society, but by receiving you into
their society, these gentlemen intended to show you their respect and
gratitude.” “That is a strange custom, indeed,” cried the Pacha, “to
show respect to a person by telling or writing to him in funny
letters--_you are worthy of being one of us_.” “But this _is_ the
custom,” added Divan Effendi (his Secretary.) “Your _Happiness_ knows
that the _friends_ (Franks) have many customs different from ours, and
often such as are very ridiculous. For instance, if they wish to salute
a person, they bare their heads, and scrape with their right foot
backwards; instead of sitting down comfortably on a sofa to rest
themselves, they sit on little wooden chairs, as if they were about to
be shaved: they eat the _pillao_ with spoons, and the meat with
_pincers_; but what seems most laughable is, that they humbly kiss the
hands of their women, who, instead of the _yashmak_, (veil,) carry straw
baskets on their heads; and that they mix sugar and milk with their
coffee.” This last sally set the whole assembly (his Highness excepted)
in a roar of laughter. Among those who stood near the fountain in the
middle of the hall, several exclaimed with respect to the coffee with
sugar and milk, _Kiafirler_! (Ah, ye infidels!)
In the end the Pacha was pacified, and “All’s well that ends well;” but
it had been better, it seems, if, according to the customs of the east,
the society of Frankfort had sent the Pacha the unquestionable civility
of a present, that he could have applied to some use.