224 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [36] 
from the line and refastened. ‘This last operation is called “ganging 
the hooks.” 
The gangings finished, the ground-line next occupies the fisherman’s 
attention. This being composed, as already stated, of fifty-fathom 
pieces requires, that each of these pieces should have a loop spliced in 
one end, while the other is fastened by what the sailors call a “wall,” so 
that it will not untwist. The loops and walls finished and six of the 
fifty-fathom pieces tied together, the ground-line is ready for the attach- 
ment of the gangings, which are then fastened to it at every two fathoms. 
Besides the ground-lines and gangings, the buoys, buoy-lines, and an- 
chors had to be made ready, but as these have already been mentioned, 
they will need no further notice here. In doing these things, the men 
would sometimes be in the cabin, forecastle, or on deck, just as conven- 
ience and faney inclined them. 
June 19.—I have the following short note: ‘‘The men are very kind 
and obliging, and although they may be very rough in their language 
toward each other, they are ready to help one another out of trouble.” 
I, at no time during the trip, felt in the least like altering the above. 
Saturday, June 14.—** I would like to put down some of the conversa- 
tion of the crew, but there is too much profanity and vileness mixed with 
it to allow of its appearing on paper.” ‘This, I am sorry to say, was true 
to the end of the trip, but it did not appear that they meant all that they 
said, but spoke from habit. Such expressions as “A d n nice thing” 
were common, where the objectional word increased the emphasis of the 
word nice. A few words upon the peculiarities of their oaths would be 
interesting but not proper. Leaving out the profanity, the conversa- 
tion consisted principally of stories of past experiences on land and 
water. Some of the men had been regular sailors, and, having visited 
many parts of the earth, their opinions were interesting if not always 
correct. For instance, one of them, among other sage remarks, asserted 
that guano is not composed largely of bird excrement, but is nothing 
but foul air. 
The only difference between Sunday and any other day in the week 
was that no nail must be driven on that day, for they said that would 
‘‘nailthe trip.” Their superstitions area little curious. The old notion 
that any enterprise commenced on Friday would be unlucky has, in a 
great measure, disappeared, on account of the fishermen having read in 
the papers a long lst of great events that had happened on Friday. 
The objection to hammering on Sunday was so strong that the captain 
delayed fixing a part of the rigging from Sunday until Monday on this 
account. 
There is one superstition about which they are exceedingly particu- 
lar, They will never leave a hatch upside down. I was in the cabin 
fixing the fire, and had taken up the hatch in the floor to get at the 
coal, which was kept in the bottom of the vessel, beneath the cabin 
floor. The hatch I had placed in sucha manner against the side of the 
