56 HISTORY AND METHODS OF THE FISHERIES. 



day-time. While there we had the heaviest gale that I have ever encountered, and as an account 

 of it may possibly prove interesting, I will insert it here as an incident ef the halibut fishery. We 

 set under sail at noon of December 8, in 150 fathoms, in latitude 44 and longitude 58 30' by dead 

 reckoning. We had eight skates of trawl out, set in four strings, three men going- in a dory. As 

 the weather looked threatening, we left the gear out only about two hours before we began to haul. 

 The wind blew so strong, just as the men finished hauling, that the vessel could not carry her three 

 lower sails, and I had to heave her to under mainsail and foresail. The dories came aboard safely, 

 however, bringing a good catch of fish (about 5,000 pounds), but it blew so hard that I knew it would 

 be of no use to attempt to anchor in deep water. We therefore took in the mainsail and jib, and 

 lay to for the night close by the Andrew Leighton, which was at anchor. The schooners Augusta 

 H. Johnson and Edward Grover, each of which had secured small fares of about 20,000 to 30,000 

 pounds of halibut, started for home that evening. 



The wind, which was westerly in the evening, died out during the night, and on the morning 

 of the 9th began to breeze up from the southeast. We made sail (that is, set mainsail and jib) 

 before daylight, and got all ready to set our trawls, but before it was light it blew up smart from 

 the southeast and began to snow. We lay by for awhile around the Andrew Leighton and her 

 dories, some of which were out. After an hour or two, finding the wind increasing fast, we ran 

 in on the Bank until we reached a depth of 60 fathoms, where we anchored and got all ready for 

 a gale. The southeaster blew heavy, but was of short duration, being about what many winter 

 sontheasters generally are. 



The night of the 9th the wind jumped into WNW., and toward morning of the 10th blew 

 very heavy; so hard, indeed, that, fearing the riding-sail would go to pieces, we hauled it down. 

 The riding-sail, which belonged to another vessel, and which we had taken temporarily, was a new 

 one which had no reef in it, as did our own. The latter had been left ashore, as it was too old for 

 a winter trip. 



The gale increased in fury, and after daylight blew extremely hard, while, to make matters 

 worse, the tide set out to run to the southward, hawsing the vessel up in such a manner that she 

 lay almost in the trough of the waves. There was a heavy sea going, too, I think the worst I ever 

 saw, but we did not ship any heavy water before 8 o'clock a. in. Just before that hour I went up in 

 the companion-way and spoke to the man who had the watch, and who was busy aft by the wheel- 

 box clearing the log-line, or some other small gear which had been fouled by the water washing it 

 about. He was standing with his back to the sea, totally unmindful of his danger. As I went 

 below I said to him, "Keep a good lookout for yourself, George; keep your eye to wind'ard, for 

 there are some nasty seas coming along." "All right, skipper, I'll look out for myself," he replied 

 in a cheerful tone. His watch was just out, and the man who succeeded him was nearly ready to 

 go on deck as I went below. 



I had not been in the cabin mere than a minute, when a tremendous wave broke on board, 

 abaft, or about the main rigging, swept aft with resistless force, knocking the companion-way slide 

 to as though it was struck with a trip-hammer, ripping two boards off of it; also the bait planks 

 off the house; and last, and most appalling of all, sweeping the unsuspecting man, George Miller, 

 into the foaming and seething waters astern, so far away as to be beyond the reach of all human 

 aid. A feeling of horror, like an electric shock, passed through me as I heard the roar of the 

 breaking wave and the peculiar swishing sound of the waters rushing across the deck, and I 

 exclaimed to the man who was standing by the steps ready to go on deck, "My God! Silas, I'm 

 afraid that sea has washed George overboard." Reaching up, he shoved the slide back, and wo 

 both sprang on deck. But what a sight met our eyes ! More than a hundred feet astern and drifting 



