As soon as I asked Posh the meaning of the signature “Flagstone FitzGerald” he burst out laughing. “What!” said he. “Hain’t yew niver heard about ole Flagstone? He was a retail and wholesale grocer and gin’ral store dealer at Yarmouth name ---” (well, we will say Smith for purposes of reference. As the man’s sons still carry on his old business here in Lowestoft it is as well not to give the true name. By the
way, I do not mean that the sons carry on the “flagstone” business), “and he owned tew or t’ree boots and stored ’em hisself. Well, when they come to make up (and o’ coorse he’d chudged the men for the stores, ah! and chudged ’em high!) they went t’rew the stores an’ found as he’d weighted up the sugar and such like wi’ flagstone! Well, they made it sa hot for him at Yarmouth that he had ta mewve ta Lowestoft, and he was allust called Flagstone Smith arter that. I reckon as the Guv’nor heerd the yarn and liked it. Ha! Ha! Ha!”
And it isn’t a bad yarn for one which is actually true in every respect.
About the same time, or a little later (for it is impossible to fix the date of these letters definitely), Fitzgerald wrote:—
“Woodbridge, Saturday.
“My dear Lad,
“I suppose the Lugger had returned, and that you had gone out in her again before my last Note, with Newson’s Paper, reached you. I have a fancy that you will go home this evening. But whether you are not [sic] do not stay at home to answer me. I have felt, as I said, pretty sure that the Boat was back from Harwich: and we have had no such weather as to make me anxious about you. One night it blew; but not a gale: only a strong Wind.
“I shall be expecting Newson up next week.
“I have thought of you while I have been walking out these fine moonlight nights. But I doubt your fish must have gone off before this.
“You see I have nothing to say to you; only I thought you might to [sic] hear from me whenever you should come back.
“E. FG.”
CHAPTER VIII
HOW FISHERS FISHED
The poor mackerel season ended in the second week of July. Why, when mackerel were so scarce, the Meum and Tuum did not give up the fishing and try for “midsummer herring” it is difficult to understand, and Posh does not remember the reason, if there was one. Possibly the change of nets, etc., etc., was too much trouble. Anyhow, the season was unprofitable for the mackerel boats. On Monday, July 13th, FitzGerald was still on the Scandal at Lowestoft, and wrote from there to Mr. Spalding (Two Suffolk Friends, p. 113): “Posh made up and paid off on Saturday. I have not yet asked him, but I suppose he has just paid his way, I mean so far as Grub goes. . . . Last night it
lightened to the South, as we sat in the Suffolk Gardens—I, and Posh, and Mrs. Posh. . . .”
The “making up” may require some little explanation. The “drift” fishing—i.e. the herring and mackerel fishing (for though sprats and pilchards are caught by drift nets, it is unnecessary to consider them when dealing with the great North Sea drift fishing)—is carried on on a system of sharing profits between owners and fishermen. Trawlers, i.e. craft that fish with a “trawl” net for flat fish, haddocks, etc., etc., are managed differently.