THE SEA FISHERIES OF EASTERN NORTH AMERICA. 97 



Saint Pierre Banks, which is near the southern part of Green Bank. 

 This locality appears to be a feeding-ground in winter, and during the 

 spring is in the direct line of the route followed by the halibut that are 

 migrating from the Grand Bank to other places farther north, and at 

 this season it is not uncommon for immense schools to make their ap- 

 pearance, moving leisurely along the edge, perhaps m some cases only 

 a very little for several days at a time, and again more rapidly. The 

 only vessels fishing for halibut at this place are from Gloucester, Mass, 



GRAND BANK. 



Considered either as to area or with regard to the extent of its fish 

 cries, the Grand Bank is by far the most important fishing-ground in 

 the Western Atlantic, if not in the world. It lies south and east from 

 Newfoundland, is triangular in form, with sides nearly equal, one of 

 them facing the east, one the south and Avest, and the other to the north 

 and west. The north and east sides are each about 204 miles in length, 

 and the other is 225 miles from the southern to the northwestern limit. 

 It extends over more than four degrees of latitude, from 42° 57' to 47 c 

 02' N., and nearly six degrees of longitude, from 48° 22' to 54° 1G' W. 



The most remarkable shoals are the Virgin Bocks and the Eastern 

 Shoal Water. The former are a number of rocky hummocks, severally 

 known as the Main Shoal, Portuguese Shoal, the Haycocks, and the 

 Eastern Shoals. On these the depth is from 4 to 25 fathoms, while 

 between them it is from 40 to 50 fathoms. One or two of them break 

 in rough weather, and though not very large, are at such times dan- 

 gerous to passing vessels. They lie between 40° 25' and 4G° 30' N. 

 latitude and 50° 31' to 50° 58' W. longitude. The Eastern Shoal 

 Water extends from about the fiftieth meridian nearly to the eastern 

 edge of the bauk and from 43° 50' to 44° 50' N. latitude. The depth 

 of water is from 22 to 30 fathoms and the bottom is chiefly sand, but 

 with some patches of rocks or gravel. With the exception of the shoals 

 already mentioned, the bottom is generally level, the depth being from 

 30 to 50 fathoms, excepting in the whales deep, near the western part 

 of the bank, where there is from 52 to 67 fathoms on a muddy bottom. 

 The Grand Bank may be considered as a vast sandy plain in mid ocean, 

 but notwithstanding this is the general character of the bottom, there 

 are extensive tracts where it is either composed chiefly of rocks and 

 gravel or where these occur in patches of more or less extent. 



There is perhaps less current here than on any other of the banks, and 

 oftentimes for days and weeks together it may be scarcely perceptible. 

 This is generally the case during moderate weather, but a continuance 

 of strong winds usually makes some tid e. 



The principal food-fish taken here are the cod and halibut. Haddock, 



cask, and hake are rare. There are a few cod ("ground keepers") in 



winter, but the best season is between the first of April and the first of 



November. The Grand Bank is essentially a feeding- ground for the 



S. Mis. 90 7 



