I love being aware of the ignorance of innocence or the willful ignorance presented in historical texts.
Like, yeah, maybe the fish women are just besties keeping each other warm in a drafty old house while their husbands are out to sea, but come on man, you know they sought each other’s comfort in more than just their warmth.
Well given the written date of 1831, they likely only did sponge baths that focused on visible areas and full baths were a luxury of the wealthy that wasn’t a daily affair, they definitely had a certain aroma common to their work.