BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 231 



and buoys which are already in the dories, and also place in them the 

 otlier necessary fishing-gear. The dory-tackles are then hooked on, and 

 the boats are swung- over the side of the vessel. The middle dories are 

 then equipped in a similar manner by" their respective crews, and as 

 soon as these are ready the top dories are dropped into the water and 

 paid astern and the middle ones are swung over the side, the bottom 

 dories being then prepared for action in their turn. The middle dories 

 are now dropped down and paid astern with the others^ and tlie bottom 

 dories are swung upon the sides and are ready to be lowered at the 

 proper moment. Eight men take their jjlaces in the dories towing 

 astern ; perhaps, in fact, the four men belonging to the top dories are 

 already there and ready to set. 



The skipper now gives the order to one of the dories that was first 

 put out, "Throw out your buoy."' This being done the dory tows astern 

 of the vessel until the buoy-line runs entirely out; the men in the dory 

 then sing out, " Let go the painter." The dory is cast off and they begin 

 to S(^t their trawl in the ordinary manner, their course usually being to 

 leeward, and nearly at right angles with the direction of the vessel. 

 This operation is repeated in succession with each boat: the last dories 

 dropping astern after the others have been let go. Sometimes when 

 the wind is moderate and it is practicable, all six dories are dropped 

 down before the first begin to set. The boats' having been let go in the 

 manner described, are thus left scattered along in the wake of the 

 schooner at intervals of 100 to 200 fathoms, the first and the last dory 

 being from three-quarters of a mile to a mile and a half apart. As soon 

 as the dory has been dropped, the vessel keeps off and runs to leeward 

 and is ready to pick up the first one as soon as her trawl has been set, 

 and the others in regular succession. Tlie time occupied in setting the 

 trawls under sail varies from half an hour to an hour. 



When the dories are picked up, a part or all of them are taken on 

 deck and the vessel immediately begins to worlc back towards the 

 weather buoys; as soon as the weather buoys are reached, the boats 

 are usually dropped again in the manner already described and the men 

 begin hauling. This second evolution occupies from one hour to an 

 hour and a half, according to the strength of the wind and other cir- 

 cumstances. As the dories are dropped a second time they find them- 

 selves at the very place where they threw overboard the first anchor 

 and a mile or two to the windward of the place where they dropped 

 their last anchor. They are now able to haul to the leeward, which is 

 easier than hauling to the windward and is more advantageous to the 

 fishing, since the tender-mouthed haddock are less liable to drop from 

 the hooks of a trawl when it is slack than when it is taut. 



For the dories to haul their trawls occupies from one to four hours, 

 according to the length of the trawl, the number of fish on the hooks, 

 and the state of the weather. While the dories are hauling, the vessel 

 is lying-to ^vith the jib to windward and drifting back and forth along 



