OCTOBER IN BROADLAND. 103 



It is blowing stiffly as we reach the open marshland; we have a flowing tide 

 and a famous south-easter, which strengthens into half a gale ere we have been 

 many miles on our voyage. How the trim thing spins along, with every stitch of 

 canvas crowded on mainsail, topsail, and jib ! 



Several wherries are speedily overhauled, fast as they are sailing, although 

 with shortened sail and with their lee plank ways under water our vessel is well 

 ballasted, and our worthy skipper knows her capabilities, and we fancy is amused 

 at our slight uneasiness, for now and again she heels over somewhat unpleasantly. 

 The marsh-houses, the pump-mills, and the remnant of the cattle on the marshes 

 flit quickly by, and a bubbling eddy of white foam surges behind us. The wherry- 

 men salute us in their rough pleasant way as we pass them, and throw out not un- 

 pleasant eulogies on the white-bearded skipper and his dashing ' Polly.' But the 

 wind shows signs of strengthening, and it is thought best to strike the topsail. 

 Yet we tear along with undiminished speed. 



' You was axin', sir,' Bessey resumes, with his hand upon the tiller, ' about 

 them eel-sets. See yinder's one, hangin' on stakes tudry; it's old Billy Nicholls'. 

 Theer's old Billy hisself in the stern-sheets of his houseboat, a-washin' hisself. It's 

 time he had a scrub, I reckon; but law, 'bor, you can't tell mud from sun-tan on 

 them old fellars, they get so coloured up by strong air an' sunshine that mud an 

 clothes an' men seem all of a piece.' 



< Mornin', Billy ! ' 



6 Mornin', Bessey ! ' returns the old man of the muds, ' give us a call on yer 

 way back.' 



* All right ! ' replies our skipper, and keeps on. 



' We was talkin' of eel-sets, sir, you know as well as I do that in the fall of the 

 year myriads of eels return to the sea, from whence they came in springtime as 

 tiny elvers no bigger 'an darnin' needles. Some big naturalists tell us as how 

 these older ones don't return. I beg to differ, for what's them as we catch in 

 springtime a-working up the rivers ? Anyway, in September an' October they 

 take a fit for a sea-trip, and your Broadman knows it, and 'tis to his advantage to 

 stop 'ern. So he just does his best to do it. What with babbin' and pickin', much 

 is done; but for whackin' hauls there's nothing to beat the ' sets.' In the day our 

 eel-man does his snoozin', at night he keeps his wits about him. His eel-set, stretched 

 across the river, must be watched, or passin' craft would spoil his little game. As 

 you saw by that eel-set as was dryin', it ain't much unlike a trawl-net. Like a 



