CHAP. xvin. BAIT FOR THE COD. 301 



often in their power to make the voyage in four or five 

 weeks, returning with a full cargo. 



The settlers on the coast of Labrador all have boats, of 

 about sixteen feet keel, which they buy from the American 

 fishermen. The fishermen always set out for the fishing 

 grounds about two or three o'clock in the morning. On 

 arriving at the place where they expect to find fish they 

 cast anchor, take down the masts and sails, and place them 

 with the oars across the boat ; then they bait their hooks 

 with fresh fish and drop the lines into the water, each 

 with a leaden sinker attached to it weighing from one 

 pound to four pounds, according to the supposed depth of 

 the water and the force of the current. The hooks are 

 allowed to sink to about a fathom from the bottom. 



In maniy places on the coast of Labrador, where the 

 fishing is in ten fathoms or less, they use four hues each ; 

 and sometimes the master of the boat, who is always in 

 the stern, has six to manage ; but the sinkers to these 

 hues must be very light, and the depth of water not more 

 than five fathoms. If there are plenty of fish, the fisherman 

 has not a moment's rest when once he has begun, for while 

 he is hauling up one line the other is going down, and 

 before he has unhooked the fish from the former another 

 fish is fast to the latter. The lines are always furnished 

 with two hooks, and sometimes they come up with a fish 

 on each hook. When fish are plentiful the boats take 

 from three to five drafts of cod each (a draft being 252 Ibs. 

 weight). On the north shore of the gulf boats manned 

 by two men only have been known to take from 1,500 to 

 2,000 cod fish in a single day during the time they most 

 abound near the beach. 



