﻿[37] 
  THE 
  GULF 
  FISHING 
  GROUNDS 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  253 
  

  

  amidships, 
  being 
  11 
  feet 
  long 
  by 
  7 
  feet 
  wide; 
  it 
  is 
  used 
  for 
  the 
  double 
  

   purpose 
  of 
  sleeping- 
  and 
  stowing 
  sponges 
  and 
  apparatus. 
  The 
  mast 
  

   stands 
  well 
  forward, 
  being 
  only 
  a 
  little 
  over 
  4 
  feet 
  aft 
  of 
  the 
  stem, 
  and 
  

   the 
  boat 
  may 
  be 
  easily 
  handled 
  under 
  her 
  mainsail 
  alone. 
  A 
  large 
  boom- 
  

   and-gaff 
  mainsail 
  and 
  a 
  jib 
  are 
  carried, 
  but 
  no 
  light 
  sails. 
  The 
  wood 
  

   used 
  in 
  the 
  construction 
  of 
  the 
  Terror 
  is 
  the 
  same 
  as 
  that 
  of 
  which 
  the 
  

   larger 
  vessels 
  are 
  built. 
  Copper 
  is 
  used 
  for 
  fastening 
  the 
  outside 
  plank, 
  

   and 
  galvanized 
  and 
  black 
  iron 
  for 
  the 
  frame 
  and 
  deck. 
  

  

  The 
  following 
  are 
  the 
  principal 
  dimensions 
  of 
  the 
  Terror: 
  Tonnage, 
  

   tons 
  ; 
  length, 
  over 
  all, 
  24 
  feet; 
  keel, 
  21 
  feet; 
  beam, 
  10 
  feet; 
  width 
  of 
  

   stern, 
  G 
  feet 
  8 
  inches; 
  depth 
  (molded, 
  gunwale 
  to 
  garboard), 
  3 
  feet; 
  

   depth 
  of 
  keel, 
  4 
  inches. 
  Spars 
  : 
  Mast, 
  30 
  feet 
  ; 
  topmast, 
  12 
  feet 
  ; 
  bowsprit, 
  

   outside, 
  S 
  feet 
  ; 
  boom, 
  2G 
  feet 
  ; 
  gaff, 
  9 
  feet. 
  

  

  A 
  boat 
  of 
  this 
  description 
  carries 
  from 
  2 
  to 
  5 
  men, 
  while 
  the 
  larger 
  

   vessels, 
  like 
  the 
  Lillie, 
  have 
  1.3 
  men 
  on 
  board. 
  

  

  Mr. 
  Bathbun 
  says 
  that 
  "the 
  crews 
  number 
  from 
  5 
  to 
  15 
  men 
  each," 
  

   but 
  1 
  was 
  assured 
  by 
  several 
  parties 
  that 
  at 
  present 
  the 
  number 
  of 
  men 
  

   on 
  a 
  vessel 
  rarely, 
  if 
  ever, 
  "exceeds 
  13, 
  and 
  it 
  is 
  also 
  stated 
  that 
  many 
  of 
  

   the 
  boats 
  are 
  manned 
  by 
  only 
  2 
  or 
  3 
  persons. 
  

  

  For 
  gathering 
  the 
  spouges 
  small 
  open 
  boats 
  of 
  the 
  Whitehall 
  type 
  

   are 
  used, 
  these 
  being 
  locally 
  called 
  dinghies. 
  Many 
  of 
  these 
  boats 
  are 
  

   built 
  by 
  the 
  fishermen 
  themselves, 
  and 
  are 
  light, 
  strong, 
  and 
  durable. 
  

   We 
  were 
  told, 
  however, 
  that 
  a 
  considerable 
  number 
  of 
  the 
  boats 
  used 
  in 
  

   the 
  business 
  are 
  second 
  hand 
  craft, 
  brought 
  from 
  northern 
  ports. 
  They 
  

   can 
  be 
  bought 
  cheap, 
  and, 
  with 
  such 
  repairs 
  as 
  the 
  fishermen 
  can 
  

   make, 
  they 
  serve 
  a 
  very 
  good 
  purpose 
  for 
  a 
  comparatively 
  limited 
  time. 
  

  

  The 
  typical 
  dinghy 
  is 
  a 
  carvel 
  built, 
  keel 
  boat, 
  with 
  a 
  sharp 
  bow 
  

   — 
  the 
  greatest 
  beam 
  being 
  about 
  amidships 
  — 
  straight 
  stem- 
  above 
  water, 
  

   curved 
  below; 
  a 
  round 
  easy 
  bilge; 
  good 
  run 
  (with 
  skag); 
  and 
  heart- 
  

   shaped, 
  vertical, 
  square 
  stern. 
  It 
  varies 
  from 
  12 
  to 
  15 
  feet 
  in 
  length, 
  

   and 
  is 
  generally 
  about 
  one-third 
  as 
  wide 
  as 
  long, 
  while 
  the 
  depth 
  

   ranges 
  from 
  10 
  to 
  18 
  inches. 
  It 
  has 
  considerable 
  sheer, 
  and 
  compara- 
  

   tively 
  low 
  free 
  board, 
  the 
  object 
  being 
  to 
  have 
  a 
  boat 
  sit 
  rather 
  low 
  in 
  

   the 
  water 
  amidships 
  in 
  order 
  that 
  the 
  "hooker" 
  — 
  the 
  man 
  who 
  watches 
  

   for 
  and 
  hooks 
  the 
  sponges 
  from 
  the 
  bottom 
  — 
  may 
  the 
  more 
  easily 
  use 
  

   his 
  water-glass 
  without 
  bending 
  too 
  much 
  over 
  the 
  boat's 
  side. 
  Each 
  

   boat 
  is 
  provided 
  with 
  a 
  stern 
  and 
  bow 
  seat, 
  and 
  three 
  thwarts, 
  the 
  

   middle 
  one, 
  on 
  which 
  the 
  sponge 
  fisher 
  always 
  sits, 
  being 
  adjustable. 
  

   Two 
  men 
  go 
  in 
  a 
  boat, 
  as 
  a 
  rule, 
  and 
  while 
  one 
  watches 
  for 
  and 
  hooks 
  

   the 
  sponges 
  from 
  the 
  bottom 
  the 
  other 
  slowly 
  sculls 
  the 
  dinghy 
  over 
  

   the 
  ground. 
  A 
  few 
  of 
  the 
  boats 
  have 
  scull-holes 
  cut 
  in 
  their 
  sterns, 
  

   but 
  the 
  majority 
  have 
  a 
  piece 
  of 
  hard 
  wood 
  board 
  about 
  a 
  foot 
  long 
  

   and 
  half 
  as 
  wide, 
  with 
  a 
  notch 
  for 
  the 
  oar 
  at 
  the 
  upper 
  end, 
  inserted 
  

   between 
  two 
  guiding 
  strips, 
  which 
  are 
  firmly 
  secured 
  in 
  a 
  vertical 
  posi- 
  

   tion 
  to 
  the 
  inside 
  of 
  the 
  stern. 
  This 
  contrivance 
  greatly 
  facilitates 
  the 
  

   operation 
  of 
  sculling, 
  ami 
  enables 
  the 
  man 
  at 
  the 
  oar 
  to 
  stand 
  more 
  

  

  