326 



KIDD'S OWN JOURNAL. 



tion on the sea-coast. The sooner it is 

 cooked after being taken, the better. 

 Those who live at some distance from the sea, 

 and only know the mackerel as supplied by 

 the itinerant fish merchants, or who in large 

 towns get it from the fishmongers' shops, 

 cannot form any idea of its delicious flavor ; 

 for though in these days of railways persons j 

 in the most remote parts of the country get 

 their dish of fish ; yet, at best, it is what on 

 the sea-coast many of the poorest would 

 hardly touch except in times of scarcity. 

 "Mais revenons a nos moutonsf or, more 

 properly, " Lobsters." 



On descending to the cabin, our breakfast 

 table presented a very respectable appearance. 

 At the head was a large dish of mackerel, 

 nicely fried, — not as we see them at modern 

 " fashionable" dinners (of a light brown color), 

 but just sufficiently done to come off the bone, 

 by which means the delicate flavor of the 

 fish is preserved in all its perfection ; for, 

 though few may believe it, when fish are 

 fried brown, you do not taste the^s^ but the 

 "jacket of brown," in which the skill of the 

 cook has enveloped him. By many (espe- 

 cially those whose digestive organs are 

 weak), this fish is preferred boiled, though 

 I think that much of the flavor is lost in the 

 water. With the various other " refined" 

 methods of cooking mackerel, I do not 

 pretend to be acquainted ; but some of them 

 which I have tried have evinced a most 

 wonderful share of skill on the part of the 

 cook. I have actually partaken of them, 

 without being aware of what fish I was eat- 

 ing ! So much for " fashion and refinement." 



At the foot of the table was a large piece 

 of boiled salt beef, flanked by a tray con- 

 taining biscuit, and another with bread. 

 In the middle was a large dish, in which 

 were placed the parts of several fine Lobsters ; 

 and to these (as may be supposed) ample 

 justice was done. The only drawback was 

 the pitching and rolling of the vessel, which 

 obliged all hands to keep a sharp look-out on 

 the coffee-cups, plates, &c, lest they should 

 pitch to lea ward. This would effectually 

 have put a stop to the enjoyment of these 

 dainties by any landsmen ; for the table 

 seemed as if moving half-a-dozen ways at 

 once. Breakfast over, I again betook myself 

 to my line ; but as the wind had freshened, 

 and the speed of the vessel increased, I was 

 obliged to give it up. 1 then occupied my- 

 self with a telescope in observing the various 

 craft that were near us in different directions, 

 the land which was gradually fading from 

 our sight, and the shoals of porpoises 

 gambolling about amongst the rolling waves. 

 This amused me until dinner time. 



Towards evening it fell calm, and we 

 remained kicking about until early next 

 morning, when the breeze freshened, and we 



made good progress. About nine o'clock 

 I turned in, and enjoyed a comfortable nap 

 until four o'clock, when I was called on 

 deck to see the Ushant Light, which was 

 then just m sight, and formed a very inte- 

 resting object seen through the haze. Soon 

 after breakfast, we passed the Island, and 

 entered the " Passage du Tour," as it is 

 called by the French. This is a narrow 

 channel between the main-land, a string of 

 islands, rocks, and shoals ; which form an 

 irregular line to seaward, and extend nearly 

 to "Point St. Matthew" (a distance of 

 about twelve miles, in a southerly direction), 

 and may be considered to begin at the Isle 

 of Ushant on the north. 



About half way down this line of rocks, 

 &c, are the Islands of " Saintes," on one of 

 which a lighthouse is built. The navigation 

 of this channel is very intricate ; but as it is 

 protected in some measure from the heavy 

 sea (which is always to be found in the Bay 

 of Biscay), it is much frequented by coasting 

 craft, in spite of a strong tide often running 

 at six miles an hour. Having passed " Point 

 St. Matthew" (on which are a lighthouse 

 and the ruins of an ecclesiastical building) 

 we entered the Bay of Camaret, containing a 

 small seaport of the same name. This place 

 is eight miles from Brest, and is situated at 

 what may be termed the entrance of Brest 

 Harbour. It was selected by the British, in 

 1694, as a landing-place in one of their 

 expeditions against Brest. This expedition 

 failed, and the English lost a great number of 

 men. All this was minutely detailed to me 

 by a little grey-headed French naval officer, 

 dressed in full uniform and hard at work at 

 (what is called in Devonshire) " helping the 

 cooper." He told me he had been taken priso- 

 ner during the late war, and had (so it seemed) 

 been made too well acquainted with the 

 interior of an English prison, to have gained 

 much love for the " Sacres Anglaises" (as 

 he lost no opportunity of calling us). 



Camaret is a small town, with a tolerably 

 convenient harbour, an excellent quay, and 

 several windmills ; but like most seaports, 

 rather dirty. Here the Captain had a depot 

 of Lobsters, which were kept in wooden 

 tanks, in the shape of an ironing box pierced 

 with holes, about an inch in diameter. These 

 tanks are called " carves," though many call 

 them ironing boxes. In these, the Lobsters 

 caught during the absence of the vessels, are 

 stored, and the men are thus enabled to 

 pursue their avocation without waiting to 

 use the vessel as a storehouse. These 

 " carves" were taken care of by a very 

 intelligent little French boy, under whose 

 inspection the fish were both deposited and 

 removed. After the former process they 

 were secured by lock and key, of which he 

 was the custodian. 



