356
Martinique
Sketches.
since the markets have been properly inspected : in the time of Dr. Rufz, they would seem to have been very common,—so common that he tells us he would not eat fresh fish without being perfectly certain where it was caught and how long it had been out of the water. The poor buy the brightly colored fish only when the finer qualities are not obtainable at low rates ; but often and often the catch is so enormous that half of it has to be thrown back into the sea. In the hot moist air, fish decomposes very rapidly ; it is impossible to transport it to any distance into the interior ; and only the inhabitants of the coast can indulge in fresh fish,—at least sea-fish. Naturally, among the laboring class the question of quality is less important than that of quantity and substance, unless the fish - market be extraordinarily well stocked. Of all fresh fish, the most popular is the tonne, a great blue-gray creature whose flesh is solid as beef ; next come in order of preferment the flying-fish (volants), which often sell as low as four for a cent ;— then the Iambi, or sea-snail, which has a very dense and nutritious flesh ;—then the small whitish fish classed as sàdines ;—then the blue-colored fishes according to price, couliou, balaou, etc. ;—lastly, the shark, which sells commonly at two cents a pound. Large sharks are not edible ; the flesh is too hard ; but a young shark is very good eating indeed. Cyrillia cooked me a slice one morning : it was quite delicate, tasted almost like veal. T h e quantity of very small fish sold is surprising. With ten sous the family of a laborer can have a good fish-dinner : a pound of sàdines is never dearer than two sous ;—a pint of manioc flour can be had for the same price; and a big avocado sells for a sou. This is more than enough food for any one person ; and by doubling the expense one obtains a proportionately