DRAGGING THE SEINE. 139 



an old mill. Here some of his negroes were gathered about 

 the net, which lay stretched along the sand, and they sprang 

 to our horses, as we dismounted rapidly. 



" JSTow," called out the jolly Planter, " off with your dandy 

 coats, boys. Strip off your fine feathers! quick! every 

 mother's son of you. Peel for your work you've had play 

 enough !" 



Now there was a hurried scene of preparation, and now it 

 became apparent that there were a good many saddle-bags 

 thrown across the saddles of the young men, and from their 

 depths were hauled forth rude suits of cast-off clothing, which 

 were to supply the place of our " dandy suits." 



The transfer was made with becoming rapidity. Our fine 

 clothes were passed over to the safe keeping of the elderly 

 gents of the party, whose duty it was to carry them for us 

 along the banks, as well as to take charge of the fish, when 

 any had been caught. Old shoes had followed the old clothes 

 from their receptacles, and now we stood equipped in full 

 a pocket-handkerchief tied around the head, a pair of old 

 shoes to protect our feet from the sharp stones of the river 

 bottom, a pair of pants tied about the waist, and a shirt to 

 shield our shoulders from the scorching sun. With shud- 

 dering steps we slowly waded in, bearing the net. It was 

 two miles, by the river, up to the spring and through holes 

 and shallows, rapids or eddies, we were expected to drag 

 this seine, which was full forty feet in length by four in 

 depth. A heavy chain sinker was attached along the whole 

 length to the bottom, while at the two ends were the stout 

 upright poles, by which the ends were to be held on to the 

 bottom and to be dragged. 



The two strongest and most experienced of the party took 

 hold of these poles, with which they stretched the seine be- 

 tween them across the river, while the rest of us took our 

 stations at short intervals in the rear to " mind the floats" 

 that is, when the sinking of one of the large cork floats 

 strung along the top of the seine showed that the chain 



