Basse-a-Loin 
dustri- 
ous lot, these 
t i s h e r f o 1 k, 
and will talk to 
you—when they get 
ready—and it pays to 
wait. 
Vicious and sudden 
squalls are not infrequent 
along this shore and the loss ol 
life is all too com¬ 
mon. One who was once ^ 
a robust muscular lellow, 
will tell you how he and a party 
of three others were caught 
several miles out at nightfall 
and, being unable to make 
port, took their chances of rid¬ 
ing it out; the chances were 
small as was soon proven; the 
sails were blown away without 
warning, the boat turned tur¬ 
tle, two were drowned out¬ 
right and a third, injured in 
some way by the capsizing of 
the craft, died sometime dur- 
ingthe night; the 
strong one held fast 
to the bottom of the 
boat all night and 
kept the body of his 
THE VILLAGE ORACLE ' d oad coiiipanion from 
rywocdi 
iN THE FLEET COMES IN use clams for bait; but 
were you to exhibit in¬ 
telligence to the extent of knowing that there is a 
difference between starboard and port, and that a 
gaff hook is not an anchor, you will be a welcome 
passenger; particularly so if you can be of some use 
without being in the way. Perhaps the most inter¬ 
esting time in the day is about noon when the fleet 
comes in; the nets are set several days, even a week 
before further attention is given them; the start for 
the fishing grounds which are from six to twenty 
miles away, is made at a rationally early hour and 
two or three men, except in the case of a very large 
boat, usually constitute the crew; the last few years 
have seen a number of the boats supplied with gaso¬ 
line engines which take away some of the romantic 
and picturesque feeling of the old-time sailing craft, 
hut the owner saves much valuable time thereby, and 
in case of a squall has better chances of reaching port 
than his neighbor with the sail. If you are new to 
the lake fishing industry it will be a long time before 
few can relate interesting tales of the prosperous years 
and the old sailors can spin yarns of many strands 
for Erie has gifts of treachery as well as a smooth 
countenance. 
To-day traffic has sought other points and Basse- 
a-Loin is now only a fishing village with, perhaps, a 
hundred and fifty souls; “If they would only speak 
French,” said my friend to me, “it would be very like 
Brittany.” The people speak very little of any language, 
however; they mend and cast their nets from beginning 
to end of season with little or nothing to vary the monotony 
save the moods of nature and the coming, nowand then, 
of the few visitors 
a passing interest 
in the place. 
They are a 
quiet in¬ 
sinking until both were picked up the next day. The 
short high waves make a storm here very dangerous 
and so it is that many lives and much property are 
lost each year. Old sailors say that a storm at sea 
is a pleasure trip compared to a squall on Lake Erie. 
If you wish to know how the fishermen ply their 
trade, they will gladly take 
you aboard when they go to 
set the nets or bring in the 
who may find 
catch; if you should accept 
an invitation to go out, 
it will not be necessary 
to wear a dress 
suit, neither 
should you be 
a clam- - 
they 
5‘ 
