James Greenwood

“ Great burly fellows the majority, with bluff faces, deep chests, and still deeper voices, with a smack of the waterman about them, a lingering suspicion of the costermonger, and a faculty for mental arithmetic which is perfectly surprising. These, good reader, are Bummarees and Bummarees' men. They fill an important niche in the economy of the fish market. ”

“ It is not unlikely that after having been jostled, trodden on, plentifully besprinkled with fishy water, sworn at, chaffed, and utterly deafened, you will be sorely tempted to spurn the mud of Billingsgate from off your feet and rush impetuously from the scene of your tribulation up one of the many narrow lanes which lead out of it. ”

“ Nor is he, even there, visible to the naked eye at any hour of the day we may choose to go in search of him In fact, he has left the scene of his labours before many of us have finished our matutinal tea and toast, and long before noon he has vanished for the day and left not a trace behind. If we want to see him in all his glory, a task of no ordinary magnitude is before us-a task only to be accomplished by a stern resolve. ”

“ The market price for salmon is fixed early in the morning by a sort of committee of the leading salesmen, and this the Bummaree pays to the auctioneer for his wholesale purchase. He puts a price on his assorted goods sufficient to recoup him and leave a fair profit besides. The profit in the case of salmon is a penny to three-halfpence per pound, or as high as twopence if the customer make but a small investment. ”

“ He doesn't do badly with them, although they have not so much money as the West-End fishmongers; but they are ready, eager buyers, and the class of fish they deal in is always in demand.
There is a casual Bummaree lower still in the scale. He is a "coster" who has made a little money, or perhaps he is a broken-down fishmonger who is turning his experience to account. Knowing the sort of fish likely to be most in demand, he "throws in" for a single lot (all he can afford) at the auctioneer's rostrum, and then removes his purchase to some pitch he has previously fixed on-perhaps had to fight for ”

“ But if you lose courage at this stage, and suffer yourself to be disheartened thus on the threshold, you will lose your golden opportunity of making acquaintance with and studying the idiosyncracies of the very men you are in search of - the Bummarees. Wherefore, buffeted one, take heart and keep your eyes open, and see what manner of men they are who are thronging round the auctioneers' stands. ”

“ Four o'clock in the morning must see us out of bed, and on the way to study this variety of the human species. One word of caution is necessary before leaving home. It will be prudent in more than one sense that we put on the very worst garments our wardrobe can furnish. ”

“ This increase in the cost the fishmongers find it their interest to submit to, and in preference deal with the Bummaree rather than with the auctioneer, because the latter sells in the pile and with all faults, so that the purchaser from him, in addition to having to make a large investment, has to take his purchase as it comes, good, bad, and indifferent all together, when perhaps he has a market for only one quality. The Bummaree, with one or another customer, has the means of disposing of all kinds ”

“ They deposit their burdens on and around the various stands of the fish auctioneers, who have not yet commenced business, but whose men are in attendance seeing to the correct disposal of the various consignments. Strange, amphibious-looking individuals are, without much apparent aim, dodging about in the open unoccupied space of the market ”

“ These casual Bummarees are principally found about the pillars supporting the water-front of the market, and are objects of the special vigilance of the market constable, who often finds it a matter of some difficulty to extract from them the market fee of sixpence, to which every one makes himself liable who takes up a pitch within the market boundaries. ”

“ A pair of long thigh boots, if we have them, will stand us in excellent stead, in default whereof our thickest pair of ankle boots, surmounted by a pair of leather knickerbockers, will tend materially to comfort and cleanliness. ”