k are farmers also, tilling and cultivating the
heath-lands which lie beyond the village. The fisher cottages are quite
pretty, with thatched or red-tiled roofs, white or buff rough-cast
walls, green painted doors and windows, with black painted foundations
which protect them from the sand. Bright flowering plants in the windows
and the neat and clean appearance of the whole betoken the joy and
comfort that reigns in the fisherman's home. Many household duties are
performed at the cottage door in the sandy enclosure surrounding the
little homestead. Here the old men mend the nets, keeping a watchful eye
on the babies, while the women clean and salt the fish, hanging them up
in rows to dry in the sun. In these garden enclosures, also, many
quaintly pretty miniature houses may be seen erected on tall poles.
These are to encourage the starlings and other songsters to settle in
them, as there are no trees. Hen-roosts and outhouses are adorned with
the name-boards of wrecked boats washed up on the shore, while discarded
boats turned over and tarred make the roofs of these curious shelters
worthy of royal hens!

The older fishermen have a safe and effective way of trawling from the
strand. Putting out in a small boat, taking their net with them, to
which a long rope is attached--the end of this being left in charge of
the fishermen on the shore--they row gaily over the water, paying out
the rope as they go. When the limit of this rope is reached, the men
drop their weighted net overboard and pull for the shore, bringing with
them another attached rope which is paid out till they reach the strand.
When they have landed and the boat is beached, half a dozen men or more
take hold of each rope--these are fastened to each side of the
submerged net--and begin hauling it to the shore. The straining muscles
of the men as they march up the beach with a strong, steady, overhand
pull on the rope denotes that this is heavy work. It is a grand sight!
As the net nears the shore the gleaming, glittering mass of fish can be
seen leaping and jumping in vain endeavour to escape from their prison,
only the smaller fry succeeding. At last the net with its silver load
reaches the shore with the noise as of a great wave breaking upon the
beach, which is caused by the efforts of the fish to gain their freedom.
The best fish are picked out and the others returned to the sea, while
the gulls swoop down with querulous cry and gobble all that float on t