FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 95 



sels being at anchor and others under sail — but no fish were caught by any 

 of the fieet, and before dark all of the schooners which had been at anchor 

 got underway. The wind was north-northeast, blowing a fresh breeze, and, 

 knowing the ice was not far off in a northerly direction, no one would have 

 cared to remain anchored, even had there been greater inducement to do 

 so. We were then on nearly the extreme northwest peak of the Grand 

 Bank, and the question was where to go next, for I do not think it occurred 

 to any one then to try in deeper water than we had previously set in. Sch. 

 Edwin C. Dolliver went back to the eastward again, but others of the fleet 

 hung around, speaking with each other, the skippers evidently uncertain in 

 what direction to steer. 



Having spoken the sch. Carrie P. Morton, which came driving along from 

 the eastward, just at dark, and learned that no fish had been caught by the 

 vessels farther east, I decided to "hold our ground" till morning. We 

 accordingly hove to alongside of the Alfred IValen, which was also lying to. 

 As day broke on the following morning (All Fools' Day) we saw a schooner 

 at anchor and ran down to her in company with the IValen. Finding the 

 anchored vessel was the Restless, we hove to, and Captain Thompson and I, 

 each of us accompanied by three or four men of our respective crews, went 

 aboard of her for a "gam"* with the skipper and crew. She was anchored 

 in eighty-three fathoms of water, and her crew were just setting their trawls 

 when we ran down to her. The skipper of the Restless said he broke out 

 his anchor the evening before and let her drift until the latter part of the 

 night, when, finding deep water, he let it go again. We stayed on board of 

 the Restless until some of her dories returned from hauling, about 10 A. M., 

 when, seeing that they were getting fair fishing on the gear that was in the 

 deepest water, we both returned to our own vessels, and set under sail out- 

 side of the Restless. 



We were in one hundred and fifteen fathoms, which was then thought to 

 be a great depth to fish in, but the JValen went still farther out, in one hun- 

 dred and thirty-five fathoms. We caught about 4,000 pounds of halibut on 

 a short set, and anchored ; and the IValen, as I afterwards learned, got 

 8, GOO pounds or more, and also came to ^.nchor. In the meantime schs. Jb/m 

 S. Presson, William T. Merchant, Lizzie K. Clark of Gloucester, and the 

 George Peabody of Salem, made their appearance on the scene of action,t 

 and anchored at no great distance to the northwest and southeast of us. 

 The Lizzie K. Clark had a fair berth (about two miles) to the north-north- 



*A terra in use among whalemen (and by ex-whaleman on fishing vessels), signifying a 

 chat between the masters and crews of different vessels. Sometimes a tete-a-tete between 

 chums on the same vessel is called "gamming." 



fOur position was 44 deg. 45 miu. N. latitude, and 53 d 'g. 53 min. W. longitude. 



