COD-FISHERIES OF CAPE ANN. 703 



sale, even at these prices, for use as bait in the sardine fisheries of 

 France. At that time all the fishermen made a practice of saving them 

 when they could be obtained. Of late, owing to a number of different 

 causes, the price has declined, and during the winter of 1878-'79 the 

 fishermen have received only $1.25 for them in a fresh state, and the 

 price when cured for exportation averaged only $3 per barrel. For this 

 reason most of the offshore fishermen refused to save them, and the 

 quantity landed in Gloucester was a trifle under 1,800 barrels, these 

 being mostly brought in by the shore fishermen. A fair average yield 

 during the winter, or from September to April, is about one barrel to 

 every 4,000 pounds of fish ; at other seasons they cannot be obtained. 



The sounds or air-bladders of the fish have recently become quite val- 

 uable, and are now frequently saved. They are prepared for the market 

 in different ways, depending upon the use for which they are intended. 

 By far the greater part are dried, and sold to factories in the locaUty, 

 together with soimds of the hake, where they are made into marketable 

 gelatine and used principally in clarifying beer. Some are also put upon 

 the market as cooking gelatine, while others are made into glue. Sounds 

 are also extensively eaten, and are by some considered a great luxury. 

 When put up for this purpose they are i>ickled and mixed with the 

 tongues of the fish, and in this condition bring from $8 to $12 per 

 barrel. 



In the offshore fisheries the sounds usually become the i^roperty of 

 the vessel's cook, who cuts them from the bone and prepares them for 

 market during his leisure hours. On shore this work is usually done 

 by men and boys, who cut and scrape them for a certain part — usually 

 one-third to one-half of their value. 



From Capt. J. W. Collins, of Gloucester, we have the following facts 



relating to sounds and the sound trade : One thousand pounds of round 



cod yield from nine to ten pounds of sounds ; these, when scraped, weigh 



about 6J, and after salting, 5| pounds. It requires four pounds of 



green sounds to make one j)ound of dried. The price paid during the 



year 1879 for dried sounds was from 22 to 35 cents, the prices received 



by the fishermen being as follows: 



Cents. 



Grand Bank sounds, pickled, per pound , . . . . 3| 



George's Bank sounds, pickled, per pound 4^ 



Shore sounds, green, per x^ound 5 



Cod tongues are also saved, and find a ready sale in the retail markets, 

 at from 8 to 15 cents per pound. On the offshore vessels these are often 

 cut from the fish iis soon as they are taken from the water, the fisher- 

 men keeping account of the number of fish caught in this way, and at 

 night each brings his dish of tongues to the captain, who, after counting 

 and crediting them to the fisherman, emiities them into the common pile, 

 when they become a part of the general stock and are sold at from 2 

 to 5 cents per pound. On shore they are cut out by boys and men, each 



