Sea Fishing at St. Ives 207 



the whole fishing population of St. Ives 

 men, women, and children are in a state of 

 frenzy and all talking at once, so that unless 

 one has taken an Irish University M.A. 

 degree in the deaf and dumb language 

 (thunder and turf! that sounds rather like 

 a bull), and can talk on his fingers, it is no 

 use whatever for " friends in council " to 

 walk abroad, for it would be an utter im- 

 possibility to hear one another unless with 

 the assistance of a speaking trumpet. 



At the time of which I am writing, 

 however, there was no " Heva," so we 

 were able to approach these " sons of the 

 briny " sedately and without trepidation, 

 and at length one hairy old " shell-back " 

 thawed sufficiently to inform us he owned, 

 and with a son and nephew worked, a herring 

 boat, and that as a particular favour, and for 

 a consideration, he would take us out next 

 day if the breeze, which was then blowing 



