﻿HISTORY OF THE FISHES OF MASSACHUSETTS. 349 



;^ 15,840; Norfolk, 3,771 quintals, valued at ;^ 9,485; Middlesex, 2,100 quintals, val- 

 ued at $5,040; Bristol, 1,400 quintals, valued at <f 3,500 ; Dukes, 247 quintals, 

 valued at y$ 651. 



The minutifE of a fishing-voyage to the Grank Bank are described in an interestmg 

 manner, in the following communication, by an anonymous writer, in a number of the 

 "Boston Centinel and Gazette," for September 4, 1839. 



" There are about eighty vessels, all schooner-rigged, employed in the Bank fishery, 

 which are biiilt principally of oak, in Massachusetts. They are strong, stanch, and com- 

 fortable sea-boats, averaging in burden from sixty to one hundred and ten tons ; but the 

 principal part of them are from seventy-five to eighty tons' burden, and cost from ^ 3,500 

 to ^4,000 each. They make two fares in a year; the first fare commencing early in April, 

 at which time they sail for the Bank of Newfoundland, commonly called the ' Grand 

 Bank.' The second fare commences early in September. The duration of each fare 

 depends, of course, on the degree of success attending it ; but four months must be 

 passed each season in fishing, in order to secure the bounty ofiiered by the general govern- 

 ment for the encouragement of the fisheries, amounting to four dollars per ton on all 

 vessels of ninety tons and under ; no allowance being made for any excess of burden. 

 Each vessel takes from one hundred and twenty to one hundi-ed and thirty hogsheads 

 of salt for a fare, at from $ 3 to $ 3.25 per hogshead. Cadiz salt is preferred, but oc- 

 casionally other kinds are used. More salt is now expended in curing the fish than 

 formerly ; and one hundred quintals of fish require about thirteen hogsheads of salt. 

 Occasionally, though but seldom, a ' spring fare ' is made ; when the vessel is expected 

 to return by old ' Election-day.' This fare is called ' Spring-fish,' and usually con- 

 sumed in the neighborhood, being of superior quality. The word \fare' applies as well 

 to the cargo or lading of the fish, as to the voyage. 



"The 'shoresman,' as the title implies, and who is generally sole or part owner of the 

 vessel, superintends all operations on shore relative to the fare. In addition to the vessel,. 

 he furnishes the salt and bait ; the latter article being either salted clams or mackerel, in 

 barrels. He also supplies the knives for splitting the fish, mittens for the crew while 

 splitting and salting, and trousers of oil-cloth or canvas for the ' salter.' This part of the 

 outfit is called the ' great general,' three eighths of which is paid for by the shoresman, 

 and five eighths by the crew (consisting generally of a skipper and five men), at the 

 final settlement of the fare. In contradistinction to the ' great general,' the ' small 

 general ' is furnished by the crew, consisting of their sea-stores, the expense of which 

 is entirely defrayed by themselves ; and each man provides his own fishing-apparatus. 



VOL. VI, NEW SERIES. 55 



