Of The Mud-Lark

There is another class who may be termed river-
finders, although their occupation is connected
only with the shore; they are commonly known
by the name of "mud-larks," from being compelled,
in order to obtain the articles they seek, to wade
sometimes up to their middle through the mud left
on the shore by the retiring tide. These poor
creatures are certainly about the most deplorable
in their appearance of any I have met with in the
course of my inquiries. They may be seen of all
ages, from mere childhood to positive decripitude,
crawling among the barges at the various wharfs
along the river; it cannot be said that they are clad 
in rags, for they are scarcely half covered by the
tattered indescribable things that serve them for 
clothing; their bodies are grimed with the foul
soil of the river, and their torn garments stiffened
up like boards with dirt of every possible de-
scription.

     Among the mud-larks may be seen many old
women, and it is indeed pitiable to behold them, espe-
cially during the winter, bent nearly doubled with age
and infirmity, paddling and groping among the 
wet mud for small pieces of coal, chips of wood,
or any sort of refuse washed up by the tide. These
women always have with them an old basket or 
an old tin kettle, in which they put whatever they
chance to find. It usually takes them a whole 
tide to fill this receptacle, but when filled, it is as
much as the feeble old creatures are able to carry
home.

     The mud-larks generally live in some court
or alley in the neighborhood of the river,
and, as the tide recedes, crowds of boys and
little girls, some old men, and many old women,
may be observed loitering about the various
stairs, watching eagerly for the opportunity to
commence their labours. When the tide is suffi-
ciently low they scatter themselves along the 
shore, separating from each other, and soon dis-
appear among the craft lying about in every direc-
tion. This is the case on both sides of the river,
as high up as there is anything to be found, ex-
tending as far as Vauxhall-bridge, and as low down
as Woolwich. The mud-larks themselves, how-
ever, know only those who reside near them, and 
whom they are accustomed to meet in their daily
pursuits; indeed, with but few exceptions, thse
people are dull, and apparently stupid; this is ob-
servable particularly among the boys and girls, who,
when engaged in searching the mud, hold but 
little converse one with another. The men and
women may be passed and repassed, but they
notice no one; they never speak, but with a stolid
look of wretchedness they plsh their way through
the mire, their bodies bent down while they peer
anxiously about, and occassionally stoop to pick up 
some paltry treasure that falls in their way.

     The mud-larks collect whatever they happen to
find, such as coals, bits of old-iron, rope, bones,
and copper nails that drop from ships while lying
or repairing along shore. Copper nails are the
most valuable of all the articles they find, but
these they seldom obtain, as they are always 
driven from the neighbourhood of a ship while
being new-sheathed. Sometimes the younger
and bolder mud-larks venture on sweeping some 
empty coal-barge, and one little fellow with whom
I spoke, having been lately caught in the act of
so doing, had to undergo for the offence seven
day's imprisonment in the House of Correction :
this, he says, he liked much better than mud-larking,
for while he staid that he wore a coat and shoes
and stockings, and though he had not over much
to eat, he certainly was never afraid of going to
bed without anything at all - as he often had to 
do when at liberty. He thought he would try 
it on again in the winter, he told me, saying, it
would be so comfortable to have clothes and shoes 
and stockings then, and not be obliged to go into the
cold wet mud of a morning.

     The coals that the mud-larks find, they sell to 
the poor people of the neighbourhood at 1d. per
pot, holding about 14 lbs. The iron and bones 
and rope and copper nails which they collect, they
sell at the rag-shops. They dispose of the iron  
at 5 lbs. for 1d., the bones at 3 lbs. a 1d., rope
a 1/2 d. per lb. wet, and 3/4 d. per lb. dry, and cop-
per nails at the rate of 4d. pr lb. They oc-
casionally pick up tools, such as saws and ham-
mers; these they dispose of to the seamen for 
biscuit and meat, and sometimes sell them at
the rag-shops for a few halfpence. In this man-   
ner they earn from 2 1/2 d. to 8d. per day, but
rarely the latter sum, their average gains may
be estimated at about 3d. per day. 

Do you want to continue mud-larking or would you like to switch to
pure-finding?