3-077-975 - The Print Collector/Heritage Images

Sketches in a Cornish fishing village, 1890. 'Returning home; washing and packing fish; inner harbour; weighing fish; off to the fishing ground...On the south coast of Cornwall, between East Looe and Fowey, is the quaintly picturesque village of Polperro...The little harbour will accommodate vessels of a hundred and fifty tons, and is furnished with a pier; but the community depends more on fishing than on any other trade. Pilchard-fishing, especially, in the summer months, is their favourite occupation. This fish, which somewhat resembles a small herring, but has larger scales and a more prominent dorsal fin, is almost confined to the Cornish shores. It has much the flavour of the sardine, and is, when cured, an article of large export to Spain and Portugal, and to Italy: its oil is also used in the manufacture of paint. The ordinary mode of fishing is by drift-nets, cast in the tideway at sunset, and left to drift with the tide during the night: these nets are half a mile long and 30 ft. deep, often catching an immense quantity. Our Artist's Sketches of the villagers at a busy time, landing fish from the boats, weighing them, putting them into baskets, selling and packing them, give an example of the importance of this local industry'. From "Illustrated London News", 1890.