THE FISHERMAN AND THE PLAYERS. Now who is ther that han't a hir'd A Fisherman of Huntspill, An a well-knawn name. A knaw'd much moor o' fishin Than many vawk bezides; An a knaw'd much moor than mooäst about Tha zea and âll tha tides. A knaw'd well how ta make buts, An hullies too an jitch, An up an down tha river whaur Tha best place vor ta pitch. A knaw'd âll about tha stake-hangs Tha pitchin an tha dippin net, Tha Slime an tha Mud-Batch.* * Two islands well known in the River Parret, near its mouth. Several words will be found in this Poem which require explanation; I have not placed them in the Glossary, because they seem too local and technical to deserve a place there: they shall be here explained. To Pitch. v. n. To fish with a boat and a pitchin-net in a proper position across the current so that the fish may be caught. Pitchin-net. s. A large triangular net attached to two poles, and used with a boat for the purpose, chiefly, of catching salmon.-The fishing boats in the Parret, it ought, perhaps, to be here remarked, are flat-bottomed, in length about seventeen feet, about four feet and a half wide, and pointed at both ends: they are easily managed by one person, and are rarely, if ever, known to overturn. Dippin-net. s. A small net somewhat semicircular, and attached to two round sticks for sides, and a long pole for a handle. It is used for the purpose of dipping salmon and some other fish, as the shad, out of the water. Gad. s. A long pole, having an iron point to it, so that it may be easily thrust into the ground. Two gads are used for each boat. Their uses are to keep the boat steady across the current, in order that the net may be in a proper position. A handled too iz gads well His paddle and iz oor ;* O' heerins, sprats, an porpuses Who bit he amangst tha Fishermen Tommy Came ad hired o' Plâyers, Bit niver zeed 'em plâ; Thâ war actin at Bejwater; There a went wi' Sally Dâ. When tha curtain first drâw'd up, than Sapriz'd war Tommy Came; A'd hâf a mine ta hirn awâ, Bit stapp'd vor very shame. * Oar. The Gore, dangerous sands so called, situated at the mouth of the River Parret, in the Bristol Channel. Tha vust act bein auver Tha zecond jist begun, Tommy Came still wonder'd grately, Ta him it war naw fun. Zaw àter lookin on zumtime, Ta understond did strive; There now, zed he, I'll gee my woth* That thâ be áll alive! * Oath. |