FKKSII HALIBUT FISHERY. 89 



spread, we were running toward it at least or 10 knots an hour. We lost sight of it several times, 

 and when passing by it I do not think we could see objects more than a half-mile distant. We 

 anchored off Harbor Cove at 3 a. in., furled the sails and went ashore. At 9 o'clock this morning 

 there were seven vessels, besides ours, in with fares of halibut, which, with the Polar Wave in 

 Boston, makes nine cargoes ou the market to-day. The Alice G. Wonson, Andrew Leighton, 

 George W. Stetson, and Gatherer all left the Bank the 12th instant (three days before we did) and 

 got in this morning. The Alice M. Williams arrived the same time we did, and the N. II. Phillips 

 at 9 a. m. The Nathaniel Webster also got in from the "Gully" last night. So many arrivals at 

 once causes a depression in the market, and as a natural consequence prices rule low. The Stetson 

 went to Boston in the forenoon; all the rest, with the exception of the skipper of the Webster and 

 myself, sold in the forenoon for 3 cents per pound right through for white and gray alike, to take 

 out here. I was offered three cents, but would not sell. The dealers finally offered me 3^ cents 

 per pound right through, and thinking no better terms could be obtained I sold the trip at that 

 price. We had previously let go our second anchor, and at this time (1 p. m.) it was blowing smart. 



Friday, February 21, 1879. It blew a heavy gale from the NE. last night; this morning there 

 was still a smart breeze and some undertow heaving in the harbor, which is usually the case after 

 an easterly gale. The "hawkers" wanted the halibut to send away, so we took a tug, which 

 towed the vessel into the Atlantic Company's wharf. The undertow made it very difficult to lie 

 at this wharf, the vessel surging back and forth considerably. She parted several lines, and we 

 had much trouble to hold her. Toward noon it was smoother. We finished taking the halibut 

 out in the afternoon, and towed down to our own wharf. We weighed off, heads and all, 36,855 

 pounds of halibut, all in splendid condition. Fourteen per cent, was deducted fcr the heads, for 

 which we receive nothing. This deduction leaves the net weight 31,691 pounds. Net stock, 

 $970.26 ; share of each man, $33.48. 



Monday, February 24, 1879. The William H. Oakes arrived to-day. She was from Green Bank, 

 and had a good fare of halibut. She had a rough time of it in the late gale; she came very near 

 sinking, and her crew had a thrilling experience. She was loaded so deep in the water that the 

 sea made a clean breach over her; and to save her from going down, which they say there was 

 imminent danger of, the crew broke through the cabin bulkhead, and in this way got into the hold 

 and hauled out halibut and threw them overboard. They threw away several thousand pounds 

 (variously estimated from ten to twenty thousand), until she lay better and shipped less water. 

 The Bessie W. Somes also got into Massachusetts Bay during the gale. She ran to make the 

 land, but the snow shut down so thick and the gale blew so heavy that it would have been madness 

 to run longer. She hauled off, but as it blew too hard to carry sail enough to gain to windward, 

 she finally anchored on Middle Bank.* It was blowing very heavy at this time, and there was a 

 wild sea going. After riding awhile she pulled her anchor in two, breaking the shank, a result 

 which proves what a fearful strain there must have been on the cable and anchor. Fortunately, 

 the gale lulled shortly after this, and gave her crew a chance to set sail enough to hold off until 

 the weather cleared. All late arrivals report the gale very heavy, and one must feel thankful 

 to have got in clear of it. 



* This is named Stellwagen's Bank on the charts, but is always called "Middle Bank" by the Cape Ann fisher- 

 men, the latter name having reference to the position of the Bank between Cape Ann and Cape Cod. 



