1 66 FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 



in a frugal municipal family in Norway, The men were not hired, but had 

 half the weight or a half share of the profits, which were calculated after the 

 expenses of salting, packing, barrels, &c., were deducted. The cook, who 

 besides the usual work in catching had to prepare the meals, got besides 

 for his part $27.30 per month. The trip just ended had been made in three 

 Aveeks, and had yielded a profit of a little over $81.90 net per man, which 

 is considered a very good trip. The crew in herring fishing, on the con- 

 trary, is generally hired. They ship at $10.92 to $13.65 per month for 

 boys ; $32.76 to $40.95 for able-bodied fishermen. 



After being under sail a couple of days we saw a whole fleet of mackerel 

 schooners. There were between eighty and ninety sail, some of which had 

 made a light catch. We passed some steamers which carried on menhaden 

 fishing, and which went into port every evening to unload. These vessels 

 were quite recognizable by this, that they had two men on the lookout in 

 the cross-trees, on the foremast, and the rest in boats prepared for fishing. 

 Among other sail we passed also an old-fashioned French-rigged vessel, 

 which carried on mackerel fishing with trolling lines ; the vessel was belayed 

 and went before the wind. A crew of ten men stood to leeward, and each 

 man with at least two hand-lines, which he incessantly cast out and hauled 

 in while two men ground bait (in a hand-mill) and threw out "chum." The 

 catch was poor, and the mode of catching, itself, most fishermen had given up 

 for capture with purse-seines, which have superseded all other implements. 



While crossing back and forth we often saw mackerel schools playing in 

 the water, but they vanished suddenly. The folks told me that one could 

 smell mackerel as well as menhaden when the large schools of fish were in 

 the water. I entertained doubt of the truth of the information, but in the 

 following week I became perfectly convinced of its authenticity. Early one 

 morning one of the crew said that he smelt menhaden, and went immediate- 

 ly aloft on the foremast to discover the school. A half hour later we saw a 

 school playing on the surface of the water ; it was large mackerel. In haste 

 everything was made ready ; the purse-seine, which lay on the after hatch 

 coiled up in a bundle and wet with brine (to prevent rotting), was quickly 

 flung down in the seine-boat, which was kept constantly in tow ; next, two 

 small boats set out, so-called "dories," flat-bottomed, light-rowing boats, 

 half '■'• sjcBgte" and half lighter. These are said to be the best fishing-boats 

 known. When all was ready I leaped down into the boat, and away it 

 went. After a half-hour's rowing the seine-boss found that the time had 

 come to row in on a large school, which played quite delightfully. In three 

 minutes the seine, of about 250 fathoms, was rowed out and cast in a circle 

 around the school. After ten minutes more the seine was pursed, and in it 

 thev estimated that they had caught 300 barrels of mackerel. A dory was 

 sent with a message on board the schooner, which was managed by the cap- 



