306 THE LABRADOR PENINSULA. CHAP. xvni. 



or even sometimes entirely spoiled, according as the 

 process is well or ill managed. 



The hurdles on which cod are stretched to dry are 

 called flakes ; they are placed parallel to each other, with 

 spaces of four feet between to enable the men in charge 

 of the fish to move round them. 



At night the fish are gathered into piles of fifteen or 

 twenty each, with the flesh side down, the largest on top 

 by way of cover to the rest. In the morning they are 

 spread out with the flesh up. If the sun gets too hot 

 about the middle of the day, they are turned with the 

 flesh down to prevent their being burned, but as soon as 

 the great heat is over the flesh is again exposed to the 

 drying influence of the sun. For the faster cod is dried 

 the whiter and more transparent it is, and the dearer it 

 sells in foreign markets. 



The master-voyager, or whoever in the establishment 

 is specially charged with the superintendence of the final 

 operations of curing the fish, is incessantly on the look- 

 out when he has a large quantity of fish on the flakes. 

 He ought to be always watching the sky and looking to 

 every part of the horizon to see if clouds that threaten 

 rain are gathering. But above alj. he should consult his 

 barometer, and if he finds it indicates rainy or moist 

 weather, he must give orders immediately to gather up the 

 fish as quickly as possible. 



Then, if the rain seems very near and there is much 

 fish out, all go to work, from the chief to the smallest 

 cabin-boy. When they have done, each goes back to his 

 own business, for the cod, once placed with its skin up, 

 cannot suffer from rain, unless the wet weather lasts very 



