148 SAND-EEL FISHING. 



musings were, however, speedily interrupted ; voices came to- 

 wards me from opposite directions, and loud t and frequent 

 laugh replied to rustic badinage and youthful romping. My 

 cousin joined me, and from him I ascertained that the jolly 

 parties who seemed every were scattered over the sands 

 beyond the river, where the village girls assembled to collect 

 sand-eels, an employment they would pursue till the return- 

 ing tide filled the estuary again. A little flat punt, which 

 the servants use for bringing spring water from the bent 

 banks, \vas speedily placed upon the river, and we pushed 

 over to the opposite strand, and found ourselves surrounded 

 by several hundreds of the young villagers of both sexes, 

 who were busily engaged in this curious species of night - 

 fishing. 



The sand-eels are generally from four to nine inches in 

 length, and lie beneath the surface seldom deeper than a 

 foot. The method of taking them is very simple ; it is 

 effected by passing a case-knife or sickle with a blunted edge, 

 quickly through the sands ; and by this means the fish is 

 brought to the surface, and its phosphoric brilliancy betrays it 

 instantly. At the particular times during the summer .months 

 when these eels run in upon the estuary, quantities sufficient 

 to fill several barrels have been collected during a night. When 

 dressed the fish is reckoned by the peasantry a great delicacy, 

 but to my taste it is much too strong. But they are sought after 

 for other purposes : from the particular brilliancy of the skin they 

 make an admirable bait for flat-fish ; and hence a spillet-sttee 

 prefers them to every other kind, as they are much more durable 

 than the lug,* and infinitely preferable to eels of a coarser 

 size. 



In speaking of this nocturnal fishery, if a search in the 

 sands may be so termed, my cousin said that it was a source 

 of considerable trouble to himself and the priest in their res- 

 pective vocations : for accidents of a delicate description were 

 occasionally to be lamented, and many an unhappy calamity 

 was traced to " the returning from the sand-eels/' Whether 

 the danger of this curious pursuit enhanced its enjoyment is 

 questionable ; but, regardless of the frequent mishaps, which 

 prudent mothers would of course duly enumerate, the fair por- 



* The sand-worm used by fishermen. 



