FEESH-HALIBUT FISHERY. 67 



rather unusual ; I think this discoloration so far from shallow water must somehow have been 

 caused by the late gale. 



Sunday, February 24, 1878. There was a light southeast breeze in the morning. We hove in 

 " slack cable," but did not set any gear, as I do not feel disposed to begin a trip on Sunday. I got 

 an observation in the forenoon and one at noon. Our latitude is 43 32' N., longitude 51 57' W. I 

 saw a vessel at anchor to the SE. At noon I saw a schooner working up from to leeward, which 

 proved to be the Ada K. Damon, which vessel sails from the same firm that we do. The skipper came 

 aboard, and we exchanged our budgets of news. He reports halibut very scarce on the Bank. It 

 is ten days since he anchored on the Bank and he has taken only 2,000 pounds of fish. He went 

 adrift in the last breeze,* and has not anchored since. He says it blew nearly a hurricane where 

 he was. After he returned to his vessel he kept off and ran to the NW. We set four trawls this 

 afternoon, chiefly to catch some fish for bait. At 5.30 p. m. the Andrew Leighton spoke us. She 

 was working to the SE., and kept on in that direction. The wind blew up strong from the south 

 east in the evening, and we had to stick out some more cable. 



Monday, February 25, 1878. It was moderate, and very thick fog this morning and forenoon, 

 with indications of a sudden change of wind. We hove in our cable to a short scope. After dinner 

 the weather cleared up and our men went to haul the gear. They got only two of the trawls; the 

 other two I expect the tide, which runs very strong, has carried adrift. We spent all the afternoon 

 looking after them. The wind breezed up NW., and I concluded to wait till morning and have 

 a hunt for the missing gear in the vessel. 



Tuesday, February 26, 1878. The morning was dark and gloomy-looking, and there was a light 

 northerly breeze. The barometer was low aud falling slowly. We began to heave up the anchor 

 before daylight. After the vessel was under way we made short tacks to windward in the direc- 

 tion I thought the trawls had drifted, and, fortunately, we soon found them. There were only a few 

 codfish on them, and no halibut, so we kept off and ran to the SE., spoke the Andrew Leighton, 

 and still continued our course for about 18 miles farther, when we anchored in 70 fathoms and set 12 

 skates of trawl. Last year at this time halibut were very plenty in this vicinity. Although the ba- 

 rometer is down to 29, the weather still continues fine, with a light WNW. breeze in the afternoon. 



Wednesday, February 27, 1878. This morning the clouds had a wild, unsettled look, and as the 

 barometer was on 29.10, 1 expected it would blow before night. We hauled our gear, and as we 

 got no halibut on the trawls we hove up the anchor, set all sail, and stood to the KNE. The wind 

 was about NW. by N., a smart staysail breeze, t The Leighton, which was anchored about 5 miles 

 from us, got under way at the same time, and was on our weather bow, standing the same course. 

 Latitude at noon, 43 31'. N. We tacked in the afternoon and stood to the westward a while, and 

 at 5 p. m. we anchored in 47 fathoms and set 12 skates of trawl. The Andrew Leighton anchored 

 at the same time about 5 miles WSW. of us. Weather still fine and barometer rising now on 29.30. 



Thursday, February 28, 1878. In the morning there was a fresh northwest breeze and cloudy 

 sky. We got nothing on our gear, hove up the anchor, set all sail, and began to beat to 

 windward. The Leighton hove up at the same time. We beat to windward all day until 3 p. m., 

 when we fell in with the Alice M. Williams and I went on board. Captain Murphy reports having 

 found halibut very scarce. He has been on the Banks about five weeks, and has about 30,000 



* Gloucester fishermen generally speak of a gale as a " breeze." The average fisherman seldom dignifies the most 

 fnrions tempest or storm hy any other name than a breeze. "Were yon ont in the breeze?" is equivalent to asking 

 if yon were exposed to some unusually heavy gale. 



tThis means all the wind a fishing schooner could carry a staysail with, close hauled. This method of ganging 

 the force of the wind is very much in use. For instance, a "double-reefed breeze" signifies that a vessel can carry 

 only double-reefed sails, while a " whole sail breeze " is one in which the three lower sails can be carried, and no mere. 



