FRESH-HALIBUT FISHERY. 81 



vessels at anchor to windward, which were just iu sight. At 8 o'clock there was a smart whole 

 sail breeze, with suow and hail squalls, sun-dogs, and rainbows. 



At 10 a. m., having worked up to the vessels we sighted iu the morning, I went aboard of the N. 

 H. Phillips, Capt. Jerome McDonald. He was lying in 140 fathoms and was getting good fishing; 

 had 8,000 pounds of halibut, or thereabouts, on deck, and one third of his gear yet to haul. I 

 made only a brief stay. The Alice M. Williams lay a berth to the northward of the Phillips. We 

 worked up and passed across the bow of the Williams and anchored a berth W. by S. from her in 

 130 fathoms. We were then about a mile and a half from the Phillips. We set our gear at 1.30 

 p. m. The tide ran to windward, so we put three men in a dory and set the trawls in four strings, 

 three skates in each, in that direction. By "doubling up" in this manner we had in each dory 

 two men to pull that number being required and one to throw the trawl. I went out in one of 

 the dories. By the time the trawl was all out it blew a strong breeze, and there were some very 

 sharp combing seas, which were bad for a dory. We all got aboard safe, but our dory came 

 near swamping, or upsetting, while we were pulling before the wind for the vessel. A combing 

 sea caught heron its crest and broke over and around her. For a moment she seemed like an egg- 

 shell amidst the great mass of snowy foam which seethed and whirled around us. Fortunately 

 she shipped but little water, and, thanks to steady, cool hands at the oars, she came out of it all 

 right. Two of the Alice M. Williams's crew were aboard of our vessel while we were out setting 

 the trawls. They had set their trawl about the time we put ours out, and, as their outer buoy 

 was very near our vessel, they came aboard of us and staid a few minutes. They said that they 

 got about 4,000 pounds of halibut to day, but I think they are in too shallow water to catch 

 many fish. 



Our position by dead reckoning is 44 31' north latitude and 53 41' west longitude. At 8 p. 

 m., no change in wind or weather; barometer, 29.55. 



Thursday, February 6, 1879. This morning was dark and gloomy looking, with a fresh west- 

 northwest breeze and rough sea; barometer, 29.60. 



As soon as it was light we put the dories out. Five of them went to haul the trawls, while the 

 sixth one set three skates of trawl, which we baited yesterday afternoon after we had set the others. 

 Our sick man had so far recovered this morning that he was able to take his place in his dory 

 again. The wind died away soon after the men went out, and iu the afternoon it was almost calm, 

 though the sea still kept up. The Williams got under way at noon, and anchored a berth NW. 

 from us at 5 p. m. We lost two skates of trawl, and another, which is afoul of the cable, I do not 

 expect is any better than lost. On the remaining twelve skates we got about 12,000 pounds of 

 very fine halibut, both as regards size and color. I think about half of them are white. Their 

 weight varies from about 30 to 80 pounds each ; very few go over 100 pounds. We set eighteen 

 skates of trawl this p. m. After the men returned from setting, we hove in 100 fathoms of cable, 

 and then dressed and iced the fish. 



At 5 p. m. the wind breezed up NE., and later it hauled to ENE. We had light showers of 

 hail in the evening. At 8 p. m., wind light ; barometer, 29.55. We got through work at 9.20 p. m. 



Friday, February 7, 1879. This morning broke dark and cloudy, but, as there was only a mod- 

 erate northerly breeze and a fair prospect of getting our gear without any danger, I did not feel 

 like complaining (a rarity for a fisherman). Barometer at 6 a. m., 29.05. We got only 0,000 pounds 

 of fish to-day. Nearly all of those were on the western ends of the trawls, which leads me to think 

 that the halibut are working that way. We therefore began to heave up the anchor as soon as we 

 had eaten dinner (11.30 a. m.), and had it on the bow at 2.15 p. m. There were frequent snow showers 

 while we were doing this. The wind backed to NW., but still continued moderate. Under bank- 

 SF.C v G 



