The Survey of Cornwall Part 5

Of Hawkes, there are Marlions, Sparhawkes, Hobbies, and somewhere Lannards. As for the Sparhawk, though shee serue to flie little aboue sixe weekes in the yeere, and that onely at the Partridge, where the Faulkner and Spanels must also now and then spare her extraordinarie a.s.sistance; yet both Cornish and Deuonshire men employ so much trauaile in seeking, watching, taking, manning, nusling, dieting, curing, bathing, carrying, and mewing them, as it must needes proceede from a greater folly, that they cannot discerne their folly herein. To which you may adde, their busie, dangerous, discourteous, yea, and sometimes despiteful stealing one from another of the Egges and young ones, who, if they were allowed to aire naturally, and quietly, there would bee store sufficient, to kill not onely the Partridges, but euen all the good-huswiues Chickens in a Countrie.

Of singing Birds, they haue Lynnets, Goldfinches, Ruddockes, Canarie birds, Blacke-birds, Thrushes, and diuers other; but of Nightingals, few, or none at all, whether through some naturall antipathie, betweene them and the soyle (as Plinie writeth, that Crete fostereth not any Owles, nor Rhodes Eagles, nor Larius lacus in Italy Storkes) or rather for that the Country is generally [26] bare of couert and woods, which they affect, I leaue to be discussed by others.

Not long sithence, there came a flocke of Birds into Cornwall, about Haruest season, in bignesse not much exceeding a Sparrow, which made a foule spoyle of the Apples. Their bils were thwarted crosse-wise at the end, and with these they would cut an Apple in two, at one snap, eating onely the kernels. It was taken at first, for a forboden token, and much admired, but, soone after, notice grew, that Glocester Shire, and other Apple Countries, haue them an ouer-familiar harme.

In the West parts of Cornwall, during the Winter season, Swallowes are found sitting in old deepe Tynne-workes, and holes of the sea Cliffes: but touching their lurking places, Olaus Magnus maketh a farre stranger report. For he saith, that in the North parts of the world, as Summer weareth out, they clap mouth to mouth, wing to wing, and legge in legge, and so after a sweete singing, fall downe into certaine great lakes or pooles amongst the Canes, from whence at the next Spring, they receiue a new resurrection; and hee addeth for proofe hereof, that the Fishermen, who make holes in the Ice, to dip vp such fish with their nets, as resort thither for breathing, doe sometimes light on these Swallowes, congealed in clods, of a slymie substance, and that carrying them home to their Stoues, the warmth restoreth them to life and flight: this I haue seene confirmed also, by the relation of a Venetian Amba.s.sadour, employed in Poland, and heard auowed by trauaylers in those parts: Wherethrough I am induced to giue it a place of probabilitie in my mind, and of report in this treatise.

After hauing thus laid open euerie particular of the land, naturall order leadeth my next labour, to bee imployed about the water, and the things incident thereunto: the water I seuer into fresh and salt.

Touching fresh Water, euerie hill wel-neere sendeth forth plentifull, fresh, cleare and pleasant springs, profitable for moystning the ground, and wholesome for mans vse, & diuers by running through veines of Mettals, supposed also medicinable for sundrie diseases; of which more in their particular places. These springs, (as seuerall persons a.s.sembling, make a mult.i.tude) take aduantage of the falling grounds, to vnite in a greater strength, and beget Ryuers, which yet are more in number, and swifter in course, then deepe in bottome, or extended in largenesse. For they worke out their bed through an earth, full of Rockes and stones, suting therethrough, the nature onely of some speciall fishes, of which kind are, Minowes, Shoats, Eeles, and Lampreys. The rest are common to other Shires, but the Shote in a maner peculiar to Deuon and Cornwall: in shape and colour he resembleth the Trowt: howbeit in bignesse and goodnesse, commeth farre behind him. His baites are flies and Tag-wormes, which the Cornish English terme Angle-touches. Of the Ryuers and Hauens which they make, occasion will be ministred vs to speake particularly in the next booke; and therefore it shall suffice to name the chiefest here in generall, which are on the South coast: Tamer, Tauy, Liner, Seaton, Loo, Foy, Fala, Lo. On the North, Camel, Halae.

Of fresh water Ponds, either cast out by nature, or wrought out by Art, Cornwall is stored with verie few, though the site of so many narrow vallies offereth [27] many, with the onely charge of raysing an head. But the Oceans plentifull beames darken the affecting of this pettie starlight: touching whose nature and properties, for his saltnesse in taste, strength in bearing, course in ebbing and flowing, the effects are so well knowne to the vulgar, as they need not any particular relation; and the causes so controuersed amongst the learned, as it pa.s.seth mine abilitie to moderate the question: onely this I will note, that somewhat before a tempest, if the sea-water bee slashed with a sticke or Oare, the same casteth a bright shining colour, and the drops thereof resemble sparckles of fire, as if the waues were turned into flames, which the Saylers terme Briny.

Amongst other commodities affoorded by the sea, the Inhabitants make vse of diuers his creekes, for griste-milles, by thwarting a bancke from side to side, in which a floud-gate is placed with two leaues: these the flowing tyde openeth, and after full sea, the waight of the ebbe closeth fast, which no other force can doe: and so the imprisoned water payeth the ransome of dryuing an under-shoote wheele for his enlargement.

Ilands, S. Nicholas in the mouth of Plymmouth, S. George before Loo, S. Michaels Mount, and the Ilies of Scilley.

Hauens on the South coast there are, Plymmouth, Loo, Foy, Falmouth, Helford, and the Rode of Mounts bay. On the North, S. Ies, and Padstowe, of which more hereafter.

Diuers of these are dayly much endammaged by the earth which the Tynners cast up in their working, and the rayne floods wash downe into the riuers, from whence it is discharged in the hauens, and shouldreth the sea out of his ancient possession, or at least, encrocheth vpon his depth. To remedy this, an Act of Parliament was made 23. H. 8. that none should labour in Tynneworks, neere the Deuon and Cornish hauens: but whether it aymed not at the right cause, or hath not taken his due execution, little amendement appeareth thereby for the present, and lesse hope may be conceyued for the future.

Yet this earth being through such meanes conuerted into sand, enricheth the husbandman equally with that of Pactolus: for after the sea hath seasoned it with his salt and fructifying moysture, his waves worke vp to the sh.o.r.e a great part thereof (together with more of his owne store, grated from the cliffes) and the Tillers, some by Barges and Boats, others by horses and waines, doe fetch it, & therewith dresse their grounds. This sand is of diuers kindes, colours, and goodnesse: the kinds, some bigger, some lesser; some hard, some easie. The colours are answerable to the next Cliffes.

The goodnesse increaseth as it is taken farther out of the Sea.

Some haue also vsed to carry vp into their grounds the Ose or salt water mudde, and found good profit thereby, though not equalling the sand.

To this purpose also serueth Orewood, which is a weed either growing vpon the rockes vnder high water marke, or broken from the bottome of the sea by rough weather, and cast vpon the next sh.o.r.e by the wind and flood. The first sort is reaped yeerely, and thereby bettereth in quant.i.ty and qualitie: the other must be taken when the first tyde bringeth it, or else the next [28] change of wind will carry it away.

His vse serueth for barly land. Some accustomed to burne it on heapes in pits at the cliffe side, and so conuerted the same to a kind of wood, but the noysome sauour hath cursed it out of the countrey. This Floteore is now and then found naturally formed like rufs, combs, and such like: as if the sea would equall vs in apparel, as it resembleth the land for all sorts of liuing creatures.

The sea strond is also strowed with sundry fashioned & coloured shels, of so diuersified and pretty workmanship, as if nature were for her pastime disposed to shew her skil in trifles. With these are found, moreouer, certaine Nuts, somewhat resembling a sheepes kidney, saue that they are flatter: the outside consisteth of a hard darke coloured rinde: the inner part, of a kernell voyd of any taste, but not so of vertue, especially for women trauayling in childbirth, if at least, old wiues tales may deserue any credit. If I become blame-worthy in speaking of such toyes, Scipio and Lelius shall serue for my patrons, who helde it no shame to spend time in their gathering.

But to carie you from these trifles, you shall vnderstand, that Cornewall is stored with many sorts of shipping, (for that terme is the genus to them all) namely, they haue c.o.c.k-boats for pa.s.sengers, Sayn-boats for taking of Pilcherd, Fisher-boates for the coast, Barges for sand, Lighters for burthen, and Barkes and Ships for trafficke: of all which seuerally to particularize, were consectari minutias, and therefore I will omit to discourse of them, or of the wrackes proceeding from them, to their great dammage, and the finders petty benefit, to whom, he that inioyeth the Admirals right, by the common custome alloweth a moytie for his labour.

But though I shunne tediousnesse herein, I feare lest I shal breede you Nauseam, while I play the fishmonger: and yet, so large a commoditie may not pa.s.se away in silence. I will therefore, with what briefnes I can, shew you, what they are, when they come, where they haunt, with what baite they may be trayned, with what engine taken, and with what dressing saued.

Herein we will first begin with the Peall, Trowt, and Sammon, because they partake of both salt and fresh water, breeding in the one, and liuing in the other.

The Trowte and Peall come from the Sea, betweene March and Midsummer, and pa.s.se vp into the fresh ryuers, to shed their sp.a.w.ne. They are mostly taken with a hooke-net, made like the Easterne Weelyes, which is placed in the stickellest part of the streame (for there the fish chiefely seeketh pa.s.sage) and kept abroad with certaine hoopes, hauing his smaller end fastened against the course of the water, and his mouth open to receiue the fish, while he fareth vp by night.

The Sammons princ.i.p.al accesse, is betweene Michaelmas and Christmas: for then, and not before, the ryuers can afford them competent depth.

A time forbidden to take them in, by the Statute thirteene of Richard the second: but if they should bee allowed this priuiledge in Cornwall, the Inhabitants might vtterly quit all hope of good by them, for the rest of the yeere. They are refettest (that is fattest) at their first comming from the Sea, and pa.s.se vp as high as any water can carrie them, to sp.a.w.ne the more safely, and, to that end, take aduantage of the great raynie flouds. After Christmas, [29] they returne to the Sea, altogether spent & out of season, whome, as the spring time commeth on, their fry doe follow: and it hath beene obserued, that they (as also the Trowt and Peall) haunt the same ryuers where they first were bred. Vpon the North coast, and to the Westwards of Foy, few or none are taken, either through those ryuers shallownesse, or their secret dislike. To catch them, sundrie deuices are put in practise: one is, with the hooke and line, where they vse Flies for their baite: another, with the Sammons speare, a weapon like Neptunes Mace, bearded at the points. With this, one standeth watching in the darke night, by the deepe pooles, where the Sammons worke their bed for sp.a.w.ning, while another maketh light with a waze of reed. The Sammon naturally resorteth to the flame, playing in and out, and therethrough is discerned, strooken and drawne on land by a cord fastened to the speare. The third and more profitable meanes of their taking, is by hutches. A head of f.a.gots, or stones, is made acrosse the ryuer, and his greatest part let out, through a square roome therein, whose vpper side giueth pa.s.sage to the water by a grate, but denieth it to the fish, and the lower admitteth his entrie, thorow certaine thicke laths, couched slope-wise one against another, but so narrowly, as he can find no way of returne, while the streame tosseth him hither and thither, and the laths ends gall him, if he stumble on the place.

They vse also to take Sammons and Trowts, by groping, tickling them vnder the bellies, in the Pooles where they houer, vntill they lay hold on them with their hands, & so throw them on land. Touching these, one scribling of the ryuer Lyner, rymed as ensueth:

THE store-house of Sunnes cheuisance, The clocke whose measures time doth dance, The Moones va.s.sall, the Lord of chance, Ocea.n.u.s

Ere yeeres compa.s.se his circle end, From hugie bosome, where they wend, His scaly broode to greete doth send, His wife Tellus.

Some haile but with the coasting sh.o.r.e, Some multiplie the Harbours store, Some farre into the ryuers bore, Amongst the rest.

A threefold rowt, of Argus hew, Kind to encrease, foes to eschew, With Lyners supple mantle blew, Themselves reuest.

What time, enricht by Phoebus rayes, The Alder his new wealth displayes (*) Of budded groates, and welcome payes Vnto the Spring.

The Trowts, of middle growth begin, And eygall peizd, twixt either finne, At wonted hoste Dan Lyners Inne, Take their lodging.

Next, as the dayes vp early rise, In com's the Peall, whose smaller sise, In his more store, and oft supplies, A praise doth find.

Laftly, the Sammon, king of fish, Fils with good cheare the Christmas dish, Teaching that season must relish Each in his kind.

(*) It is said that the fish cometh, when the Alder leafe is growne to the breadth of a groate.

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And of the Sammon in particular.

NOW to the Sammon, king of fish, a trice, Against whose slate, both skill and will conspire, Paine brings the fewell, and gaine blowes the fire, That hand may execute the heads deuice.

Some build his house, but his thence issue barre, Some make his meashie bed, but reaue his rest: Some giue him meate, but leaue it not disgest, Some tickle him, but are from pleasing farre.

Another troope com's in with fire and sword, Yet cowardly, close counterwaite his way, And where he doth in streame, mistrustlesse play, Vail'd with nights robe, they stalke the sh.o.r.e aboord.

One offers him the daylight in a waze, As if darknesse alone contriued wiles: But new Neptune, his mate, at land, the whiles, With forked Mace, deere school's his foolish gaze.

Poore Fish, not praying, that are made a pray, And at thy natiue home find'st greatest harme, Though dread warne, swiftnesse guide, and strength thee arme, Thy neerenesse, greatnesse, goodnesse, thee betray.

In the Hauens, great store, and diuers sorts of fish, some at one time of the yeere, and some at another, doe haunt the depthes and shallowes, while the lesser flie the greater, and they also are pursued by a bigger, each preying one vpon another, and all of them accustoming, once in the yeere, to take their kind of the fresh water. They may be diuided into three kinds, sh.e.l.l, flat, and round fish. Of sh.e.l.l fish, there are Wrinkles, Limpets, c.o.c.kles, Muscles, Shrimps, Crabs, Lobsters, and Oysters.

Of flat fish, Rayes, Thorn-backes, Soles, Flowkes, Dabs, Playces.

Of round fish, Brit, Sprat, Barne, Smelts, Whiting, Scad, Chad, Sharkes, Cudles, Eeles, Conger, Ba.s.se, Millet, Whirlepole, and Porpose. The generall way of killing these (that is the Fishermans bloudie terme, for this cold-blouded creature) is by Weares, Hakings, Saynes, Tuckes, and Tramels.

The Weare is a frith, reaching slope-wise through the Ose, from the land to low water marke, and hauing in it, a bunt or cod with an eye-hooke, where the fish entering, vpon their coming backe with the ebbe, are stopped from issuing out againe, forsaken by the water, and left drie on the Ose.

For the Haking, certaine Stakes are pitched in the Ose at low water, athwart from Creeke, from sh.o.r.e to sh.o.r.e, to whose feete they fasten a Net, and at ful-sea draw the vpper part thereof to their stops, that the fish may not retire with the ebb, but be taken, as in the Weares.

The Sayne is a net, of about fortie fathome in length, with which they encompa.s.se a part of the Sea, and drawe the same on land by two ropes, fastned at his ends, together with such fish, as lighteth within his precinct.

The Tucke carrieth a like fashion, saue that it is narrower meashed, and (therefore scarce lawfull) with a long bunt in the midst: the Tramell differeth not much from the shape of this bunt, and serueth to such vse as the Weare and Haking.

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The particular taking of sundrie kinds of fishes, is almost as diuers as themselues. Wrinckles, Limpets, c.o.c.kles, and Muscles, are gathered by hand, vpon the rockes and sands. Many of the Crabs breede in the shels of c.o.c.kles, and of the Lobsters in those of Wrinckles, as my selfe haue seene: being growne, they come forth, and liue in holes of Rockes, from whence, at low water, they are dragged out, by a long crooke of yron.

The Shrimps are dipped vp in shallow water by the sh.o.r.e side, with little round nets, fastned to a staffe, not much unlike that which is used for daring of Larkes.

The Ostyers (besides gathering by hand, at a great ebb) haue a peculiar dredge, which is a thick strong net, fastned to three spils of yron, and drawne at the boates sterne, gathering whatsoeuer it meeteth, lying in the bottome of the water, out of which, when it is taken vp, they cull the Oysters, and cast away the residue, which they terme gard, and serueth as a bed for the Oysters to breed in.

It is held, that there are of them male, and female. The female, about May, and Iune, haue in them a certaine kind of milke, which they then shead, and whereof the Oyster is engendered. The little ones, at first, cleaue in great numbers, to their mothers sh.e.l.l, from whence, waxing bigger, they weane themselues, and towards Michaelmas, fall away. The Countrie people long retained a conceit, that in Summer time they weare out of kind (as indeed the milkie are) but some Gentlemen making experiment of the contrarie, began to eate them at all seasons, wherethrough, by spending them oftner and in greater quant.i.tie, by spoyling the little ones, and by casting away the vnseasonable, there ensued a scarcitie, which scarcitie brought a dearth, the dearth bred a sparing, and the sparing restored a plenty againe. They haue a propertie, though taken out of the water, to open against the flood time, and to close vpon the ebbe, or before, if they bee touched, the which, not long sithence occasioned a ridiculous chaunce, while one of them through his sodaine Shutting, caught in his owne defence, three yong Mice by the heads, that of malice prepensed, had conspired to deuoure him, and so trebled the valour of the cleft block, which griped Milo by the hands.

Nature hath strowed the sh.o.r.e with such plenty of these shel-fishes, as thereby shee warranteth the poore from dread of staruing: for euery day they may gather sufficient to preserue their life, though not to please their appet.i.te, which, ordinarie with vs, was miraculous to the Roch.e.l.lers in their siedge 1572.