Page 151 - Bulletin 11 2007

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“Well-built young fishermen are shown skilfully opening up the fish nets, on the Kalk
Bay quayside, to dry out; and beautiful episodes of the fishermen far out in the deep sea

busy lifting the shiny bodies out of the depths of their ‘harvest land’, the blue rolling
waters near Cape Point.

“There are shots of fishing boats entering Kalk Bay harbour loaded with fish and
accompanied by wheeling, screeching seagulls begging for pieces of fish offal; of

hundreds of people crowding together on the quayside to buy fish and of fish carts and
lorries leaving with loads of fish to be off-loaded elsewhere in the Peninsula.

“You see how the fishermen receive their shiny money from the fish hawkers and how

they pay the boat owners their ‘bakspat’, payment for the use of the boat. You see them

cleaning their lines and hooks and preparing their sea chests with their gear for
tomorrow’s catch, and how they make their way homeward to their grey-roofed flats

against the green mountain slopes of Kalk Bay, each with his bundle of choice fish for

eating.

“You see a fisherman, in his free time, busy working in his beautiful garden of dahlias;
and a little boy blowing on a sea-bamboo like a fish-vendor; and the rugby players at

practice on the strip of beach; and youngsters entertaining themselves with all sorts of
games; and the champion swimmers cutting through the water and the girls playing net-

ball.

“You can recognise, by their features, the direct descendants of the Manilas and

Filipinos and their pioneer forefathers. And you see the beautiful green-roofed home of
Mrs Violet Clarence, who had the bitter experience of losing her husband, by drowning

at sea, leaving her with nine young children to rear.

“There is an impressive scene of a fisher family at prayers, (Boek vat), and of the

beautiful and historic thatch-roofed church. Another scene shows Dirk Poggenpoel, the
oldest fisherman of Kalk Bay, who for fifty-five years has stood at his fishing lines,