SHRIMPING, MUSSELLING 



fish. If these are scarce, the sorting will be finished 

 quickly, and the men all the sooner free for another 

 haul ; if there is little wind the net must stay down 

 longer, for in such a case it is often being dragged over 

 the same spot again and again instead of going on to 

 fresh ground. Four hauls per day would be a fair average. 



Now let us watch the man who is responsible for the 

 boiling. There he is, down in the hold, giving the fish 

 a stir round from time to time, or throwing them up by 

 the dipper-full into the strainer. His water has nearly 

 boiled away, and one of the crew dips him another couple 

 of bucketfuls from over the side; and, as this comes to 

 the boil, we have an opportunity of watching the cook- 

 ing process right through. Into the copper goes a piled 

 pailful of the grey-green, semi-transparent fish, and as 

 the water closes over them, we hear a faint cheep-cheep 

 sound ; this is not the wailing of the shrimps ; it is 

 merely the water running into the air-passages, and you 

 would hear the same noise were the fish given a cold bath 

 instead of a hot. 



In a minute or two the shrimps have changed their 

 colour ; they are " done," and the boiler dips them out 

 and throws them on the top of the others that are 

 draining in the sieve. Now try them ; if you have once 

 tasted newly caught shrimps hot, you will not give a Jico 

 for them eaten cold. You can eat as many as you like, 

 for they are plentiful enough generally ; many are 

 destined never to come to the shop or the market at all, 

 but to be thrown on the land as manure. Perhaps, when 

 these poor fishermen get ashore, a telegram will be await- 



48 



