[13] HISTOKY OF THE TILE-FISH. 249 



Having reached this locality, which was supposed to be a favorite one 

 for hake, a " set under sail " was made.* No favorable results being ob- 

 tained on this and another set of the trawls which was made the same 

 day to the northwest of the first, in shoaler water, and the weather re- 

 maining moderate and clear, the vessel was allowed to head to the east- 

 ward during the night, sailing slowly in that direction. As it was mod- 

 erate, she probably did not go more than 20 or 25 miles. 



On the following morning another set was made in the same manner 

 as before, four trawls, each having 1,000 hooks, being put out. The 

 first ends of the lines were thrown out in about 80 fathoms, from which 

 they were run in a southerlj^ direction. The length of each of the trawls 

 was a little more than a mile, and, having been set where the bottom 

 slopes quite rapidly towards the deep valley of the Gulf Stream, it was 

 found when the gear was hauled that, though the buoy-lines on the 

 outer or deep-water ends were each 120 fathoms long, a portion of the 

 trawls had not reached the bottom. This set was made in lat. 40°, 04' 

 N., long. 70°, 23' W. 



One of his men being too ill to work Captain Kirby went out in a 

 dory himself to assist in hauling the gear, leaving the cook in charge of 

 the schooner. He (Kirby) says that little was caught on the portion of 

 the trawls set in the shoalest water, but on about one-fifth of their 

 length — that part set last, some of which, as previously mentioned, did 

 not reach the bottom, being, as Captain Kirby thinks, in about 150 

 fathoms — a strange and handsomely-colored fish was taken in great 

 abundance, each of the dories securing a catch of thirty or forty indi- 



* The term " set under sail," or " flying set," implies that the vessel, instead of be- 

 ing anchored, as is the most common way on the Banks when tr.awls are to be set, is 

 kept under way, the performance taking place as follows : 



The depth of water having been first ascertained by the skipper, he then orders the 

 dories to be made ready. This puts all hands on the alert, especially the crews of the 

 top dories, who quickly arrange in them the buoys, buoy-lines, etc., that are required. 

 Having made all necessary preparations, the top dories are hoisted over the rail, where 

 they are left to hang until the nest are ready, when they are lowered into the water. 

 The trawls are then put in and the men take their places in the dories, when the boats 

 are dropped astern, the painters being fastened to the stern of the vessel. In the same 

 manner the other dories are prepared and hoisted out. 



When all are ready, and the proper time has arrived, the vessel usually stands along 

 by the wind, dropping first one dory and then another about one or two hundred fath- 

 oms apart, when the men in them proceed to set the trawls in the usual manner, gen- 

 erally rowing the dories to leeward in a direction nearly at right angles to the vessel's 

 course. 



The first dory's crew are usually almost done with their work by the time the vessel 

 has dropped the last boat. The schooner then keeps oft" and runs down to pick up the 

 first and the other boats in succession, as they each finish setting their gear. This 

 done, she lies by until it is time to haul, when the vessel is run along from buoy to 

 buoy, dropping each dory near its own trawl. The men in the boats then proceed to 

 pull in their lines, the vessel in the mean time lying by waiting, or running from 

 boat to boat to ascertain what success they meet with. The holding uj) of an oar is 

 a signal that the men have finished hauling their trawl or want help, seeing which 

 the vessel runs down and receives the cargo or takes the boat in tow. 



