[19] GILL-NETS IN THE COD FISHERY. 283 



iilliided to, set her nets for the first time on the Sunday preceding 

 November 18, iiiid at the hist-mentioned date she liad landed Jo,00(> 

 pounds of cod and pollocli:, stocking- $l,00(J.75. Tliere were 7 men in 

 the crew, who shared $124 for their week's work, and this, too, when 

 two days of the time were lost on account of high winds. On one day 

 (Wednesday) they made $50 to a man. At the same time bait was so 

 scarce and difficult to obtain that the hook-and line fishermen could do 

 almost nothing. Spirling, when obtainable at all, brought the high 

 price of fifty cents a bucketful, which was a very heavy tax on the cod 

 fishermen. Ou the six days ending November 25th, 487,000 pounds of 

 cod and pollock were taken in gill-nets set in Massachusetts Bay, and 

 during the same time four small gill-netting vessels caught 55,000 

 pounds of fish iu Ipswich Bay. Writing under the last-meutioned date 

 Captain Martin says that " about all the fish caught inshore are taken by 

 nets;" and he remarks that " if they could be knit fast enough the whole 

 fleet would have nets." So urgent was the demand for cod nets at that 

 time that many of the women at Gloucester were employed in making 

 them. Captain Martin tells us that "everybody is at work," and he con- 

 tinues, "A great winter's work is anticipated." By the latter part of 

 November the fleet of netters had increased to 35 vessels, and it is 

 probable that a larger number might have been engaged in this fishery 

 at that date if they could have obtained gear. The fishermen were often 

 bothered to get nets, and on one occasion several boats had to wait four 

 days to get a supply of glass floats, which are so essential in this fishery. 

 By the last of January the fleet numbered 52 vessels, which appears to 

 be the maximum, for about the middle of March only 42 schooners 

 were engaged in netting, a few of the boats having probably worn out 

 their nets, and not caring to refit so late in the season, left shore-fishing 

 to go to the outer banks, or else, perhaps, to fit out for the spring- 

 mackerel fishery. In addition to the vessels, a few open boats engaged 

 in the gill-net cod fishery last winter 5 and as early as December, ac- 

 cording to Captain Martin, five dories were thus employed from Salis- 

 bury, each having three nets. 



The gill-net fishery has not been exempt from loss of gear, though 

 perhaps this loss is much less than it would be if trawls only were used. 

 In a gale that occurred on January 4, 1884, considerable property was 

 destroyed or injured. Captain Martin reports that thirty-five nets were 

 lost and many others badly damaged. " No fish," he says, " were caught 

 for four days after the storm." Curiously enough, the fishermen say that 

 they never get many fish just previous to a heavy storm, and the net- 

 ters have learned by experience that a sudden falling ott" in the catch 

 is generally an indication of the near approach of bad weather. An- 

 other feature of the net fishing is that, in addition to the various species 

 of the Gadidce which have been taken, porpoises (locally called "puff- 

 ers"), monk-fish or fishing-frogs, and dogfish (Sqnaliis) have been 

 caught, though fortunately the latter, which are considered es])ecially 



