Now from within harbour, we will launch out into the deepe, and see what luck of fish God there shall send vs, which (so you talke not of Hares or such vncouth things, for that proues as ominous to the fisherman, as the beginning a voyage on the day when Childermas day fell, doth to the Mariner) may succeed very profitable: for the coast is plentifully stored, both with those foreremembred, enlarged to a bigger size, & diuers other, as namely of shel-fish, Sea-hedge-hogs, Scallops & Sheath-fish. Of fat, Brets, Turbets, Dories, Holybut. Round, Pilcherd, Herring, Pollock, Mackrell, Gurnard, Illeck, Tub, Breame, Oldwife, Hake, Dogfish, Lounp, Cunner, Rockling, Cod, Wrothe, Becket, Haddock, Guilt-head, Rough-hound, Squary Scad, Seale, Tunny, and many others, quos nunc, &c.
The Sheath, or Rasor-fish, resembleth in length and bignesse a mans finger, and in taste, the Lobster, but reputed of greater restoratiue.
The Sea-hedge-hogge, of like or more goodnesse, is enclosed in a round shell, fashioned as a loafe of bread, handsomely wrought and pincked, and guarded by an vtter skinne full of prickles, as the land Vrchin. But the least fish in bignes, greatest for gaine, and most in number, is the Pilcherd: they come to take their kind of the fresh (as the rest) betweene haruest and Alhallon-tyde, and were wont to pursue the Brit, vpon which they feede, into the hauens, but are now forestalled on the coast by the Drouers and Sayners. The Drouers hang certaine square nets athwart the tyde, thorow which the schoell of Pilchard passing, leaue many behind intangled in the meashes. When the nets are so filled, the Drouers take them up, clense them, and let them fall againe.
The Sayners complayne with open mouth, that [33] these drouers worke much preiudice to the Commonwealth of fishermen, and reape thereby small gaine to themselues; for (say they) the taking of some few, breaketh and scattereth the whole schoels, and frayeth them from approaching the shore: neither are those thus taken, marchantable, by reason of their brusing in the meash. Let the crafts-masters decide the controuersie.
The Sayne, is in fashion, like that within harbour, but of a farre larger proportion. To each of these, there commonly belong three or foure boates, carrying about sixe men apeece: with which, when the season of the yeere and weather serueth, they lie houering upon the coast, and are directed in their worke, by a Balker, or Huer, who standeth on the Cliffe side, and from thence, best discerneth the quantitie and course of the Pilcherd: according whereunto, hee cundeth (as they call it) the Master of each boate (who hath his eye still fixed upon him) by crying with a lowd voice, whistling through his fingers, and wheazing certing diuersified and significant signes, with a bush, which hee holdeth in his hand. At his appointment they cast out their Net, draw it to either hand, as the Schoell lyeth, or fareth, beate with their Oares to keepe in the Fish, and at last, either close and tucke it vp in the Sea, or draw the same on land, with more certaine profit, if the ground bee not rough of rockes. After one companie haue thus shot their Net, another beginneth behind them, and so a third, as opportunitie serueth. Being so taken, some, the Countrie people, who attend with their horses and paniers at the Cliffes side, in great numbers, doe buy and carrie home, the larger remainder, is by the Marchant, greedily and speedily seized vpon.
They are saued three maner of wayes: by fuming, pressing, or pickelling. For euery of which, they are first salted and piled vp row by row in square heapes on the ground in some celler, which they terme, Bulking, where they so remaine for fome ten daies, vntil the superfluous moysture of the bloud and salt be soked from them: which accomplished, they rip the bulk, and saue the residue of the salt for another like seruice. Then those which are to be ventred for Fraunce, they pack in staunch hogsheads, so to keepe them in their pickle. Those that serue for the hotter Countries of Spaine and Italie, they vsed at first to fume, by hanging them vp on long sticks one by one, in a house built for the nonce, & there drying them with the smoake of a soft and continuall fire, from whence they purchased the name of Fumados: but now, though the terme still remaine, that trade is giuen ouer: and after they haue bene ripped out of the bulk, reffed vpon sticks, & washed, they pack them orderly in hogsheads made purposely leake, which afterward they presse with great waights, to the end the traine may soke from them into a vessell placed in the ground to receyue it.