Part 19
If a market should be found for this description of fish from North America, they could be furnished to an unlimited extent. My friend and correspondent, Mr. Perley, says, ‘In the calm and dark nights during August and September, the largest eels are taken in great numbers by the Micmac Indians and Acadian French, in the estuaries and lagoons, by torch-light, with the Indian spear. This mode of taking eels requires great quickness and dexterity, and a sharp eye. It is pursued with much spirit, as, besides the value of the eel, the mode of fishing is very exciting.
‘In winter, eels bury themselves in the muddy parts of rivers, and their haunts, which are generally well known, are called eel grounds. The mud is thoroughly probed with a five pronged iron spear, affixed to a long handle, and used through a hole in the ice. When the eels are all taken out of that part within reach of the spear, a fresh hole is cut, and the fishing goes on again upon new ground.’
It was by a mistake that the Jews abstained from eating eels. The prohibition is as follows:--‘All that have not fins and scales, &c., ye shall have in abomination.’--Lev. xi., 10, 11. The _Siluridæ_, which have no scales, were held in abomination by the Egyptians. In describing one of them (the Schall) which he had found in the Nile, M. Sonnini, says--‘A fish without scales, with soft flesh, and living at the bottom of a muddy river, could not have been admitted into the dietetic system of the ancient Egyptians, whose priests were so scrupulously rigid in proscribing every aliment of unwholesome quality. Accordingly, all the different species of _Siluri_ found in the Nile were forbidden.’ This then was probably one of the forbidden kinds, and this fact supports the opinion before ventured as to the origin of the custom. The rest of the prohibition was probably levelled against aquatic reptiles, which were generally looked upon as possessing poisonous qualities.
It has been well observed by a recent popular writer, that any Cockney, with two shillings and sixpence in his pocket, may regale himself at Billingsgate, at Blackwall, or Richmond, on delicacies to which the senate and people of Rome were utter strangers. Indeed, it is no inconsiderable set off against the disadvantages of living so far from the sun, that the supplies of northern fish markets are incontestably and greatly superior to those of any Italian or Sicilian pascheria: superior, 1st, because in those kinds which are common to our great ocean, and their ‘great sea,’ our own are better flavoured; because, 2ndly, even the finer sorts, which belong exclusively to the Mediterranean, are for the most part poor; and 3rdly, and above all, because there is an almost total want in its waters of species which we consider, and advisedly, as our best. Were superiority to be determined by mere beauty and variety of colouring, the market of Billingsgate could not enter into competition for a moment with the smallest fishing town in the south, where the fish are for the most part coasters, and derive their gorgeous hues from the same buccina and coquillage whence the Tyrians got their superb dyes. But as the gayest plumage is by no means indicative of the bird best adapted for the table, so brilliancy of scales affords no criterion by which to judge of the culinary excellence of fish, the beauty of whose skin, in this instance, contrasts singularly with the quality of the fish, which is generally poor and insipid, and sometimes unwholesome and even deleterious. The Mediterranean pelagians (or open sea-fish) have neither brilliancy of colour nor delicacy of flesh to atone for the want of it; so that no Englishman will repine to leave tunny beef to the Sicilian ichthyophagist, whilst he has the genuine pasture-fed article at home in place of it. Nor though, to such coarse feeders as the ancient Greeks, sword-fish might be held equal to veal, will his better instructed palate assent to such a libel upon wholesome butcher’s meat. Mullet must indeed be admitted on all hands to be good fish; but one good thing only in a hundred does not satisfy omnivorous man, and _toujours Triglia_ is not better than _toujours Perdrix_, as every one who has passed a winter at Naples knows to his cost. Sardines are only palatable in oil; _au naturel_ they are exceedingly poor and dry: and for that other small clupean, the anchovy (the latent virtues of which are only elicited by the process which metamorphoses the fish into sauce), British whitebait is far more than an equivalent.--But if the Mediterranean has but few _alumni_ to be proud of, the poverty of its waters is certainly more conspicuous in its deficiencies than in its supplies; indeed, the instinct of all first-rate fish seems to be to turn their tails upon this sea. Thus among the Salmonidæ, salmon and smelt are alike unknown; of the Gadian family, all the finest species, as cod, haddock, whiting, ling, and coal fish are wanting; and to quote but one other example--
‘Whilst migrant herrings steer their myriad bands From seas of ice to visit warmer strands,’
as we read in the Apocrypha of Dr. Darwin, not one ever entered the Bay of Naples, unless salted in a barrel from England.[23]
The Finnon, Buckie, and Bervie smoked haddock is largely vended in London and other large towns, being esteemed an excellent relish. They are split, cleaned, and steeped in strong pickle about three hours, and then smoked for fifteen or sixteen hours. After a kiln full is smoked and cooled, the fish are packed in dry barrels the same as pickled mackerel, excepting that every two tiers are packed face to face, so that the back of one fish does not come in contact with the split side of another fish. The increase in the timber trade of late years, and the establishment of saw-mills, have rendered sawdust abundant, and the Scotch fisherwives have made the discovery that haddocks can be smoked with sawdust to look nearly as well as when smoked with peat; while they have not the wisdom to anticipate the loss of custom which must unavoidably ensue as soon as the deficiency of flavour is discovered.
Fresh herrings come in in enormous quantities to our metropolitan markets, and, from the consumption of several millions of them, must be esteemed a dainty by some. Pickled or cured herrings,--of which 580,814 barrels were salted in 1857, at the British Fisheries,--are chiefly consumed abroad; the shipments to the Continent last year having been 219,000 barrels, and 58,534 barrels went to Ireland. In 1855, out of a cure of 766,703 barrels, the Continental export reached 344,029 barrels. Last year (1857), 128,600 barrels went to Stettin.
Scotch herrings go to Russia quite as much as St. Petersburgh tallow comes to London, 60,000 or 70,000 barrels passing the Sound, or going _via_ Konigsberg and Dantzic. One great inducement to the Russian population to purchase the herrings is, it is said, the quantity of undissolved salt the barrels are found to contain.
It is in the form of red-herrings and bloaters that the largest consumption of this fish takes place in the metropolis. The sale of bloaters at Billingsgate is about 265,000 baskets of 160 each annually, and about 50,000,000 of red-herrings.
There was a pleasant tradition current in Yarmouth not many years since, that the ‘red’ herring was the result of accident. According to the story, a fisherman had hung up some salted herrings in his hut and forgotten them. They hung where they were exposed to the smoke from the wood fire of the hut; and, some days afterwards, his attention was attracted to them, when, being struck by their appearance, he determined to see how one of them tasted. The result was so satisfactory that he hastened to King John, who was then lying near Norwich, to make a present of the remainder; when the herrings were esteemed such a delicacy by the monarch that he then and there expressed his determination to grant a charter of incorporation to the town from which they were brought. The only certain portion of this story is, that the first charter of Yarmouth was granted by King John.
There is a curious item in this town charter of Yarmouth, long famous for its herring fair. The burgesses are obliged to send to the sheriffs of Norwich 100 herrings, to be made into 24 pies; and these pies are to be delivered to the Lord of the manor of East Carleton, who is to convey them to the king.
The receipt for making herring pie would be a curious, though perhaps not a valuable, addition to our modern cookery books. It is probably lost, unless Her Majesty continues to receive these once prized patties.[24]
The stromming, or herring of the North seas, is only about the size of a sprat, but a much more delicate fish; when salted and mixed with potatoes it is the staple food of the people, being washed down with a bowl of milk, or a glass of corn-brandy.
The conger is found in the seas of Europe, of Northern Asia, and in those of America, as far as the Antilles. It is very abundant on the coasts of England and France, in the Mediterranean Sea, where it was much sought after by the ancients, and in the Propontis, where it was not long ago in considerable estimation. Those of Sicyon were more especially esteemed. The flesh of this fish is white and well flavoured; but as it is very fat, it does not agree with all stomachs. In many places the conger eels are dried for exportation. For this purpose, they are cut open in their under part, through their entire length, the intestines are removed, deep scarifications are made upon the back, the parts are kept separate by means of small sticks, and they are suspended by the tail to poles, on the branches of trees. When they are perfectly dry, they are collected in packets, each weighing about 200 lbs.
The voracious conger eel (_Conger vulgaris_, of Cuvier; the _Muræna conger_, of Linnæus,) although a coarse fish, forms a considerable article of commerce in Cornwall and Devonshire. I only notice it here from the fact, that it is sometimes dried and shipped to Spain and other Catholic countries, where fish of any kind is acceptable. When dried in a particular manner, the flesh used formerly to be ground or grated to powder, and in this state was employed to thicken soup.
The _Murænæ conger_, were carefully reared in vivaria by the Romans. As early as the time of Cæsar, the multiplication of the domestic _Murænæ_ was so great, that on the occasion of one of his triumphs, that great general presented 6000 of them to his friends; Licinius Crassus reared them so as to be obedient to his voice, and to come and receive their food from his hands; while the celebrated orator, Quintus Hortensius, wept over the loss of those of which death had deprived him.
Such is the testimony to the quality and estimation of the conger eel, which Griffiths has collected in his _Supplement to Malacopterygii apodes in Cuvier’s Animal Kingdom_. Its flesh does not agree with all stomachs; but it is yet a matter of dispute what renders it so frequently deadly. The condition of the liver of the fish in most cases has a great deal to do with danger attending fish-poisons.
The sand eel (_Ammodytes tobianus_) and the sandlaunce (_A. lancea_), though of small size, are very delicate eating, and vast numbers are consumed in summer by the natives of the Hebrides. They are also much sought after by the fishermen for bait.
The smelt or spirling (_Osmerus eperlanus_), found abundantly on the British coasts, is a very delicate fish. It is generally taken in greatest plenty at the mouths of large rivers, or in estuaries, such as the Thames and Medway, from August to May, as well as on sandy shores, in small nets; and always commands a ready sale. It has a peculiar odour, whence its popular name, which has been compared to that of a cucumber or a violet. This is strongest when the fish is first taken, but it may be perceived by raising the gill covers, after the fish has been for some time out of the water.
A whitebait dinner, at Blackwall or Greenwich, is one of the epicurean celebrities of the metropolis; and the fishing for whitebait, which commences about the beginning of April, and becomes abundant during the summer months till September, is productive of considerable benefit to those concerned. It was long supposed that these were the fry of a larger fish, but they are now identified as a particular species (_Clupea alba_), so named from the sides of the fish being uniformly of a white colour. It attains to the length of 6 inches. The whitebait are taken in long bag-nets, from vessels moored in the tide-way; and the fish are taken out by untying the end of the hose, and shaking it into the boat.
But there are small and delicate fish, which are substitutes for whitebait, in other quarters of the world.
Thus Mr. T. Atwood (_History of Dominica_) tells us, ‘that the chief dainty among the fresh-water fish of that island is the young frey, with which the rivers there are filled twice or thrice every year, and which are called by the French ‘Tréz-tréz.’ These consist of various kinds of sea-fish just spawned, and with which that element swarms for some miles distance from the shore, in numbers truly astonishing. These little creatures come into the rivers like a living stream, and in a short time swim two or three miles, to an amazing height up the country. This they perform in a wonderful manner, skimming over such rapid streams as repel their weak endeavours, from rock to rock, the surfaces of which are covered with them; or seeking the smoothly gliding stream at the sides of the banks, by degrees ascend the highest parts of the rivers.
‘The first day of the appearance of these frey in the rivers, they are transparent and clear as crystal, so that every bone in them may be counted, and the movement of their vitals can be plainly discerned. The second day after they lose much of that transparency; and the third or fourth day, it is wholly lost by the nutriment which they feed on. They are caught in baskets, in which is put a tablecloth or sheet, and sinking the basket with stones, vast quantities are taken at a time. They are fried in a batter made of flour and milk, or stewed with herbs and spices, and are excellent food cooked either way.’
At Moutrah, a town situated in a deep bay, not far from Muscat, they dry and export large quantities of a diminutive fish, about two inches long, which are packed in bales. This species of fish literally fills the waters of Oman. Dr. Ruschenberger (_Voyage Round the World_, p. 121) says, ‘They sometimes appeared in dense strata about the ship, so as completely to hide the cable from view, which was distinctly seen when they were not present.’
Don Pernety, in his _Journal of a Voyage to the Falkland Islands_, speaks of a small fish, called by the Spaniards pajes, and by the French _gras dos_, which was almost transparent, and of a most exquisite delicacy. It was found excellent when fried, and not inferior to the eel pout.
There is a small fish resembling a shrimp, not half-an-inch long, which makes its annual appearance in some of the rivers of Peru, in February, or in the beginning of March. It is called _chantisa_, and is really a great delicacy, when prepared by the natives. The numbers which ascend the rivers are so great, that on each side they appear to form a white path in the water, about two feet broad, and several miles in length. The women employ themselves in taking them, for which purpose they have a canoe; two of them hold a piece of flannel, three yards long, by the corners, and place it under the surface of the water, one end being a little elevated, to prevent the chantisa from passing; and when a considerable quantity are collected, the flannel is taken up and emptied into the canoe, after which the operation is repeated. Mr. Stephenson (_Travels in America_) says, he has frequently seen in the course of two hours, from six to eight bushels taken in this manner by these women. They are preserved by using as much salt as is necessary to season them; they are then put into baskets, lined with leaves, and a large stone is placed on the top, to press them into a solid mass, like a cheese. After standing a day or two, the baskets are placed on a frame made of canes, which is elevated about a yard from the ground; they are then covered with plantain leaves, and a small fire of green cedar, sandal, or other aromatic wood, is kindled underneath, for the purpose of smoking them. After remaining 10 or 12 hours, the cakes are taken out of the baskets, and again exposed to the smoke till it has penetrated through them, when they are laid up for use. A small portion of the smoked chantisa is generally added to the fish while cooking, to which it communicates a very delicate flavour.
At the mouth of the river Columbia, a very small fish, about the size of the sardine, is caught in immense numbers by the Chinooks. It is called by them _uhlekun_, and is much prized on account of its delicacy and extraordinary fatness. When dried, this fish will burn from one end to the other with a clear, steady light, like a candle. The uhlekuns are caught with astonishing rapidity by means of an instrument about seven feet long; the handle is about three feet, into which is fixed a curved wooden blade, about four feet, something the shape of a sabre, with the edge at the back. In this edge, at the distance of an inch and a half, are inserted sharp bone teeth, about an inch long. The Indian, standing in the canoe, draws this edgeways with both hands, holding it like a paddle, rapidly through the dense shoals of fish, which are so thick, that almost every tooth will strike a fish. One knock across the thwarts sharply deposits them in the bottom of the canoe. This is done with such rapidity, that they will not use nets for this description of fishing.[25]
The anchovy (_Engraulis encrasicolus_, Cuvier) is a small fish, much resembling the sprat, which is often sold for it, but may be readily distinguished from the sprat by the anal fin being remarkably short. It is common on the southern coasts of France and Spain, on the shores of Italy, Greece, and other parts of the Mediterranean, but those coming from Gorgona (an island in the gulf of Leghorn) are esteemed the best. Anchovies should be chosen small, fresh pickled, silver white on the outside, and red within. They must have a round back, for those which are flat or large, dark outside, with pale coloured flesh, and tapering much towards the tail, are often nothing but sardines. First quality anchovies are used as a condiment, and among epicures are esteemed a luxury. The trade in them with the Italian States is very considerable; about 150,000 lbs. being annually exported. The fishing is chiefly in the night time, when a light being placed on the stern, the anchovies flock around, and are caught in the nets. Mr. Couch, in his _Cornish Fauna_, says, that he has seen it about the Cornish coast, of the length of seven inches and a half, which is nearly double the length it is met with in the Mediterranean. It abounds, he adds, towards the end of summer, and if attention were paid to the fishing, enough might be caught to supply the consumption of the British islands.
Frezier (_Voyage to the South Seas_) speaks of seeing a sort of anchovy on the west coast of America, in such great numbers, that whole baskets full of them were readily taken on the surface of the water.
The anchovy and tunny fisheries of Dalmatia are important, though not so much so as during the last century; at present they furnish employment to about 8,000 men.
Anchovies are imported in small kegs, weighing about 12 lbs. each. The consumption varies here, from 50 to 100 tons a year.
Sheridan used to relate an amusing story of an Irish officer, who once belonged to a regiment in Malta, who returned to England on leave of absence, and, according to the custom of travellers, was fond of relating the wonders he had seen. Among other things, he one day, in a public coffee-room, expatiated on the excellence of living in general among the military at Malta. But, said he, ‘as for anchovies, by the powers, there is nothing to be seen like them in the known world;’ and he added, ‘I have seen the anchovies grow upon the trees with my own eyes many’s the hundred times, and beautiful is the grove of them the governor has in his garden on the esplanade.’ A gentleman present disputed the statement that anchovies grew on trees, which the Irishman with much warmth re-affirmed. The lie passed, a challenge was given, and the upshot of the matter is thus humorously related.
‘The Englishman gave his address, and the next day the parties met, attended by their seconds; they fired, and O’Flanagan’s shot took effect in the fleshy part of his opponent’s thigh, which made the latter jump a foot from the ground, and fall flat upon his back, where he lay a few seconds in agony, kicking his heels. This being observed by the Irishman’s second, he said:--‘You have hit your man, O’Flanagan, that is certain, I think not dangerously, however, for see what capers he cuts.’
‘‘Capers, capers!’ exclaimed the Irishman. ‘Oh! by the powers, what have I done? What have I done? What a dreadful mistake!’ and running up to his wounded antagonist, he took his hand, and pressing it eagerly, thus addressed him:--‘My dear friend, if you’re kilt, I ax your pardon in this world and in the next, for I made a devil of a mistake: and it was capers that I saw growing upon the trees at Malta, and no anchovies at all.’
‘The wounded man, smiling at his ludicrous explanation and apology, said,--‘My good fellow, I wish you had thought of that a little sooner; I don’t think you have quite killed me, but I hope you will remember the difference between anchovies and capers as long as you live.’’
That highly esteemed fish, the sardine (_Clupea sardina_), which is closely allied to the pilchard, though much smaller, is found chiefly in the Mediterranean. It is taken in considerable quantities on our shores, and is exceedingly plentiful on the coast of Algarva, in Portugal, Andalusia and Granada in Spain, and along the shores of Italy. The small sardines, caught on the coast of Provence, in France, are esteemed the best. The French frequently cure them in red brine, and when thus prepared, designate them anchovied sardines. Sardines constitute a considerable portion of the food of the lower orders in Lisbon. 6,269 cases of sardines were imported into San Francisco, in 1853.
In 1852, 576 millions of sardines were taken on the coast of Brittany, which extends about 200 miles. Half of these were sold fresh and the other half preserved in oil. 160 vessels manned by 3,500 sailors and fishermen are engaged in the trade. The preparation, transport, and sale of the fish employ 10,000 persons. 9,000 of these, of whom one half are females, are occupied all the winter in making and mending of nets. On shore, the preparation, conveyance, and sale of the fish give occupation to 4,500 persons, of whom 2,500 are women; and in the interior of the country 4,400 other persons are occupied in the sale.
The fishing lasts about 200 days, and yields a net profit to all concerned of three millions of francs. The sardines disappear in November and return in April. Where they go during these four months, why they go, or what they do while gone, has never yet been discovered. The fishermen say that the same individuals never come twice, that every successive arrival is composed of fish of smaller size than those that left last, and that they appear to be their young. At any rate, they count implicitly on their appearance, and no sardine was ever yet known to break an engagement thus tacitly entered into.