Economical Uses of the Capelin and Cuttle-Fish. 37 



its appearing to have led in the cod from thence towards the 

 shores, but by the fact, that, very early in spring, and some 

 weeks before it appears every where at the shores, the cod on the 

 banks take it very readily as a bait salted, when, at the same 

 time, the cod at the shore will not take it in that state. It is 

 well known, that the cod will take readily as a bait, on the great 

 scale, that only which is its common food at the time ; and, in 

 the present case, as soon as the capelin arrives at the shores, the 

 bank-cod, which we infer to have followed it from the banks, 

 not only continue to take it salted *, but the shore-cod which re- 

 fused it before, now take it fresh and salted promiscuously -f-. 



The Cuttle-Fish, — About the beginning of August, the 

 throngs of capelin which had enlivened the shores, give way to 

 throngs of the cuttle-fish. This animal seems to succeed the 

 other, as if to supply immediately provision to the cod. It is 

 of equal importance in Newfoundland as the capelin, as it is 

 the bait with which the other half of the cod here is caught. 



The cuttle-fish does not appear at Labrador in quantities the 

 same as at Newfoundland ; — from which it might be inferred 

 that it migrates only to and from the adjacent deep waters. 



The common size of this animal is from 6 to 10 inches in 

 length ; but it has been met with of colossal size. During vio- 

 lent gales of wind, hundreds of tons of them are often thrown 

 up together in beds on the flat beaches, the decay of which 

 spreads an intolerable effluvium around. It begins to retire from 

 the coast in September. It is made no use of except for bait ; 

 and as it maintains itself in deeper water than the capelin, in- 

 stead of nets being used to take it, it is jigged ; a jigger being 

 a number of hooks radiating from a fixed centre, made for the 

 purpose. The cod is in best condition after having fed on it. 



When shoals of the cuttle-fish and of the capelin come in 

 contact, the latter always retieat, and from the wounds they 



* The capelin are salted the preceding year purposely, to fish for the cod on 

 the banks earlier in the ensuing spring than the cod nearer the shore can be 

 caught ; that is before the capelin has struck in. 



-|- The capelin is also sometimes taken in the month of April, by th^ seal- 

 ing vessels, among the ice on the banks, more than 200 miles from the land ; and 

 then it is found also in the stomachs of the seals ; — no doubt on its migration at 

 that time from the deeps over the banks towards the coast. 



