178 HISTOEY AND METHODS OF THE FISHERIES. 



buoy-Hue over the roller, a large wooden spool, that allowed the trawl to be rolled over it with very 

 little friction, it is hauled in steadily hand-over-hand and coiled up by the dorytnate. During this 

 and all his other hauling the fishermen protected their hands by nippers, a sort of woolen ring, cov- 

 ering the palm of the hand and creased in the center to allow a firm grip on the line. The anchor 

 finally came up, was unbent, and then the trawl began to come in. This was now coiled away in the 

 tubs as fast as it was hauled and the fish taken off at the same time by the dorymate. As fast as 

 the fish came in they were disengaged from the hooks and taken into the dory. The manner of loosing 

 them from the hooks was very simple and easy enough for the fishermen, though somewhat uncom- 

 fortable for the captives, I should imagine. The fish was dropped into the boat and brought up 

 short with a sudden jerk, which in most cases tore the hook out of the mouth. lu some cases, 

 however, the hook was swallowed and caught so that no amount of pulling loosened it. In this 

 case a "gob-stick" was brought into service. The cut in the end of the stick was placed over the 

 hook and the hook pressed downward and easily withdrawn. In some cases fish were so loosely 

 hooked that they escaped as they were drawn up to the surface. At such times the fishermen 

 seized the gaff in great haste and often succeeded in hooking it into the fish's body and drawing 

 him on board before he had escaped. 



Of useful fish, the catch of the trawls was mainly cod, though haddock and halibut were occa- 

 sionally taken, The haddock were sometimes made into a chowder, but save in this manner no 

 use was made of them. The halibut were usually salted down with the other fish, and of the small 

 ones some were cooked for our meals. I know scarcely any fish more delicious than a chicken - 

 halibut fresh from the water, and when we were fishing I consumed a couple of fine steaks every 

 morning for my breakfast. In addition to useful fish we caught also large numbers of skates and 

 "sand-stars." All these were objects of execration as often as they appeared on the hooks, and 

 were usually unceremoniously loosened from the hook by an angry slat against the dory's gunwale. 



Besides the fish observed, numerous invertebrates were also brought up from the bottom 

 upon the hooks. Of all these I made collections, which have since been studied, and the results 

 will be published in another place. 



In case the fishing was good the dory would not be able to carry in at a single trip all the fish 

 that her trawls had captured. At such times of good fortune an anchor buoy-line and buoy were 

 bent on when the dory was loaded and left to mark the trawl, while the dory returned to the vessel 

 to unload. 



When finally the dory had taken in her last fish and hauled in the inside anchor and buoy she 

 was pulled alongside the vessel. The cry of "Dory!" summoned the cook and skipper on deck, 

 one to hold each painter while the fish were thrown on deck. The men first unloaded their tubs 

 and other trawl gear, handing them aboard to the skipper at the stern, who slides them down the 

 quarter in a row against the rail. The men then pitch the fish on board with a "pew," a sort of 

 one-tined pitchfork. This was stabbed into the body of the fish, which were pitched on board 

 much as a farmer would toss hay, and with fully as much unconcern on the part of the fisherman. 

 After the fish were thrown on deck the dory was fastened astern, or, in rough weather, hauled on 

 board, to prevent its getting adrift. 



It was the rule to haul from the outer buoy inward toward the vessel, and this rule was 

 followed when possible. The reason for this is evident. In some instances, however, the men 

 failed to find their outside buoy in the dense fog. These rowed back to the vessel and then began 

 to haul from their inside buoy. It was not often that this occurred a really surprising thing when 

 one recalls how very small an object the black ball is to row for and how very easily missed in a 

 dense fog. 



