128 ALONGSHORE "i 



uncanny as the interference of spirits in the 

 familiar life of mankind; something beautiful with 

 the fascination that always accompanies destruction. 



People who' could not stand the work and 

 exposure for one night, let alone for a week on 

 end, come down to the beach and ask questions, 

 and attempt to give instruction : it is really 

 wonderful how kindly and Instructive they some- 

 times are. 'Why don't you do this? You 

 ought to do that. Tell me now. . . .' they say; 

 for fishermen are expected to drop the work they 

 have in hand If gentlefolk want to talk to them, 

 and because they have not much school educa- 

 tion they are often thought to be ignorant of their 

 own work too. 'It's simple enough,' the wiseacre 

 continues. 'You go out to sea in fairly calm 

 weather. You shoot your nets. The fish go into 

 them while you're asleep. . . . You do sleep out 

 there, don't you?' 



'Sometimes us closes an eye when there's nort 

 about to look out for, but 'tisn't the same thing 

 as sleeping in your bed, not out there on the bare 

 bottom-boards in our little open boats; an' very 

 often we'm too cold, or 'tis too shuffly, like, wl' 

 a breeze springing up, or you can't catch off, or 

 summut.' 



