THE SEA FISHERIES OF EASTERN NORTH AMERICA. 89 



• 

 mostly a tough red clay, bat with spots of mud, sand, gravel, aud pebbles 

 on some parts. The tide sets out and in the Bay of Fundy about SW. 

 aud XE., but is not so strong as might be expected. Cod, hake, cusk, 

 and haddock are the fish which are chiefly taken, but a few halibut and 

 pollock are occasionally caught. The fishing season is from April to 

 October, although fish are usually the most abundant in the spring. This 

 bank is resorted to chiefly by vessels from the coast of lVIaiue, but is 

 sometimes visited by the Massachusetts fishermen. 



MARBLEHEAD BANK. 



This fishing-ground, which .is quite an important one for the shore 

 cod-fishermen, is not laid down on the charts. Therefore the fishermen 

 who visit it are probably the only persons familiar with its location, or 

 who are able to estimate its extent. The ground which they call Mar- 

 blehead Bank is situated between Grand Mauan and German Banks, 

 the shoal water bearing SSE. from Mooseabec light, a distance of 32 

 miles. It is about 12 to 15 miles long and 7 or 8 miles wide, and lies be- 

 tween 44° 00' and 44° 10' K latitude and GG° oS' to 07° 13' W. longi- 

 tude. There is from 3.5 to 70 fathoms of water, aud the bottom is mostly 

 clay and gravel. The fish that occur in the greatest numbers are cod, 

 pollock,, and haddock, but with these are more or less hake aud cusk. 

 The best fishing is generally in the spring and early summer. The same 

 class of vessels — shore fishermen — as frequent Grand Manan and German 

 Banks also resort to this, but occasionally those of a larger size make 

 one or more trips during the summer season. 



GRAND MANAN BANK. 



Grand Manan Bank lies at the entrance of the Bay of Fundy, and 

 bears SW. J S. from the southwest head of Graud Manan Island, from 

 which the northern part of the bank is 15 miles distant. It is 10 miles 

 long and 5 miles wide, and lies in a SW. and NE. direction. The bot- 

 tom is mostly stones and gravel, and the depth of water varies from 24 

 to 45 fathoms. The tides are quite strong, but not enough so to 

 prevent trawling. Cod and pollock are the principal fish, cusk, hake, 

 haddock, and halibut being less plenty. The fishing season is from 

 April to October, when the fish come on the bank to feed. In the spring 

 the fish are usually the most plentiful on the southwest part, but later 

 in the season the best fishing is generally obtained on the other end of 

 the ground. It is a favorite fishing-ground for the class of small vessels 

 commonly known as shore-fishermen. 



SEAL ISLAND GROUND. 



Off the western part of Nova Scotia there is an important fishing lo- 

 cality known to the fishermen as the "Seal Island Ground," although 

 no name is given on the charts. This may not, perhaps, be called a 



