Thâ âll, wi one accord,
At tha little zâtenfare's word,
Agreed, that, not one varden,
By Rate,
Should be collected vor tha late Repairâtion
Of tha church by tha young Churchwarden.
THE FISHERMAN AND THE PLAYERS.
Now who is ther that han't a hir'd
O' one young TOM CAME?
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 an 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 zâlmon vor ta catch;—
Tha pitchin an tha dippin net,—
Tha Slime an tha Mud-Batch.
[Footnote: Two islands well known in the River Parret, near its
mouth. Several words will be found in this Poem which I have not
placed 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, 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 rarely, if ever, known to overturn.
Dippen-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 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 boats. Their uses are to keep the boat steady across the current in order that the net may be in a proper position.]