226 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [38] 
two. All were more or less troubled with running sores on hands and 
wrists, which soon healed after the fishing was over. These were prob- 
ably caused by the fish slime, as several of the men showed me scars 
of similar sores they had had on former trips. I had two such sores, 
caused by fish slime getting into slight cuts, and lasting over two 
months, but which healed rapidly while coming home. 
The course taken coming home was the reverse of that going. Those 
who have been to Greenland after halibut several years, say that after 
August 20 the weather will permit of but little fishing. Our captain, 
however, having some salt left, decided to remain a little longer, so we 
did not start for home until the 28th of August. Then followed the active 
preparations for going home. The first thing was the bringing on board 
the barrels of fins, arfd the careful heading up of these. Next came the 
repacking of the flitches. After flitches have been packed ten or twelve 
days, for the first time, they are usually repacked in a more compact 
form and a little more salt added. During the fishing the packing had 
been mostly forward of midships, so that the bow of the vessel was low 
down in the water, and to trim the vessel better the flitches were re- 
packed farther back. The trawls were also unrigged and packed away 
in the hold, but the cleaning of the vessel was left until we were south 
of the Strait of Belle Isle. 
The decks being cleared, and the dories lashed in their places amid- 
ships, we started for home August 28. For the first few days the wind 
favored us, but before reachimg Belle Isle died out, and most of the 
time after that was unfavorable in direction or a dead ealn. 
Getting south of the Strait of Belle Isle we found the climate much 
different from that in Davis’ Strait. The captain had brought a bushel 
or so of very fine black sand from Holsteinborg, and this was now used 
to scrub the vessel clean of fish slime, that had been collecting ever since 
the fishing commenced. The crew likewise took a general wash, many 
of them having their hair eut by one of the crew, who was quite proficient 
in that way. Vessel and crew both seemed transformed. 
The passage home was uneventful, the crew being unemployed the 
greater part of the time. Some read, others walked the deck smoked if 
they could get tobacco, and lay in their bunks. Most of the food gave 
out, until toward the last nothing but salt meat and bread were left. 
We reached Gloucester the 17th of September. 
4 
