NATIONALITY AND GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS. 21 



variable, and more nervous employment of mackerel catching, or the more remunerative and excit- 

 ing experiences of the fresh halibut fishery. 



The Iiish fishermen are often clannish, and an Irish skipper soon gathers around him a crew 

 of his own nationality. Vessels thus manned are not noted for their trininess and neatness. 



At Boston theie is a considerable fleet of market boats owned and manned entirely by fisher- 

 men from the west coast of Ireland. Their boats are built precisely like those of Galway and they 

 employ their own home methods. This fishery is described at length elsewhere. A number of 

 these Irish boats may be seen at any time in the docks at Commercial or "T" Wharves, Boston, 

 and it is doubtful if anywhere else in this country can be seen so unadulterated a representation of 

 Irish peasantry as in the old fishermen who sit about the docks counting their fish and chatting in 

 Gaelic. 



8. THE SCANDINAVIAN FISHERMEN OF NEW ENGLAND. 



Scandinavians in the Gloucester fleet. — There may be found among the Gloucester 

 fishermen a large percentage of Scandinavians, mostly Norwegian, a considerable number of 

 Swedes, and a few Danes. 



They are intelligent, enterprising men, a large proportion of whom rise to the command of 

 vessels. In many of their traits they resemble the fishermen of New England birth. Strong, 

 accustomed to hardship, skilled in the management of small boats from long experience inherited 

 and personal at home, they are best suited for trawling and hand-lining from dories. The schools 

 of Norway and Sweden have taught them navigation thoroughly and most of them are excellent 

 sailors, having served frequently in the merchant marine. Many of these men have families, having 

 brought their wives with them from home, or married their countrywomen who have come over 

 alone. They soon learn to speak English. 



9. THE PORTUGUESE FISHERMEN OF NEW ENGLAND. 



Portuguese from the Azore Islands. — The so called Portuguese fishermen of New Eng- 

 land are, with few exceptions, natives of the Azores or Western Islands. Their attention was 

 doubtless directed to this country by the visits of the Cape Cod vessels to their islands. A favorite 

 cruising ground of the rrovincetown sperm whalers was the "Western Ground," which is situated 

 off the Azores. These vessels, as well as those of New Bedford and Nantucket, have for nearly 

 three-quarters of a century been accustomed to touch at Fayal to recruit, to land sick men, and to 

 ship home oil. Extra hands were often shipped at the islands to fill up the complement of the 

 crew or to fill the places of deserters. Many were brought home in the whale ships, and, as a 

 consequence, some of the more enterprising began to bring over their families. A great impnlse 

 was given to their emigration in 1853, when the growth of a fungus devastated the vineyards and 

 the wine crop of the Azores began rapidly to fail. 



Portuguese colonies in New England. — The largest colonies are at Provincetown, 

 where there are numerous families established, and lour hundred of the fishermen from this port 

 are Western Islanders. At Gloucester, also, there is a considerable colony at " Toi'tugee Hill," 

 and about two hundred and fifty Portuguese fishermen in the fleet. There are many Portuguese 

 families living at New Bedford and about eight hundred of the whalemen sailing from here are of 

 this nationality. 



Characteristics op Portuguese fishermen. — The Portuguese at sea are industrious 

 and daring, having been accustomed for generations to lives of hardship and adventure in the boat 

 fisheries at home, and by instinct sturdy laborers and frugal economists. They make good cooks 



