28 By Stream and Sea. 



picklers, packers, and curers do not wear some such neat 

 costumes as those in fashion amongst the French fish- 

 women ! 



By turning into the yard to the left, we may watch the 

 process of herring pickling. The fish brought here, it should 

 be explained, are the herring which have been salted at sea; 

 that, at least, is the technical expression. In reality, the fish 

 are simply sprinkled with salt as they are thrown into the 

 hold. By this process the fishermen are enabled to remain 

 afloat for days together, and this a run of ill luck renders 

 a disagreeable necessity. The fortunate ones are those 

 who, sailing out of harbour to-day, are able to return to- 

 morrow morning with a cargo of fresh herrings, which are 

 despatched as such with all speed. The fish which the 

 women occupying our shed are manipulating are first 

 washed by men, then passed on to the female hands who 

 pack them into barrels with Lisbon salt between the layers, 

 and finally nailed in by a cooper who is ready with the 

 caskhead. Fish thus treated are shipped to various parts of 

 the United Kingdom, especially to Scotland and to the 

 Continent, and are intended for almost immediate consump- 

 tion. Some of these lasses, I have said, are dreadfully 

 rough : it is an expression I cannot recall, nor dare I say 

 that their converse, their jests, or their songs are in any 

 sort of fashion womanly; but they are thoroughly good- 

 tempered and overflowing with animal spirits, and there is 

 room for hope that they are not so bad as they seem. 



The classic bloater is, or is supposed to be, a fresh fish 

 faintly cured. It is a popular error to suppose that it is a 

 distinct species, a kind of upper class fish, born, bred, and 

 educated in exclusive shoals. It is only a herring of the best 

 quality, and it may be selected from the mass. Nothing 

 is more foreign to a generous man's nature than to play the 



