THE SEA FISHERIES OF EASTERN NORTH AMERICA. 99 



Cod and halibut are the onty fish taken as au object of pursuit. Owing 

 to the bank being situated so far to the north and east nothing is known 

 about the abundance of fish in the winter season. Indeed, all that is 

 known of them is in the period between the last of April and the first 

 of August. In the spring and early summer cod and halibut have been 

 found in great abundance. During the spring, however, the weather is 

 often so rough that fishing can be carried on but a small part of the 

 time, and after June the ground is so much infested with ground-sharks 

 that the trawls are soon destroyed. Besides this there is more or less 

 danger from drifting icebergs, which are often seen in great numbers. 

 All these causes combined have hindered most of the fishermen from 

 making any attempt to fish there. The only vessels known to have 

 visited this bank for cod and halibut are a few from Gloucester, Mass., 

 and this has never been done until within a few years. 



COD FISHING-GROUNDS IN THE BAY SAINT LAWRENCE. 



The cod fishing-grounds in the Bay Saint Lawrence are comparatively 

 of little importance except to the fishermen of the British Provinces. 

 But few American fishermen go there, as the ocean banks are generally 

 preferred by them. There is little difference between the depth of water 

 and character of the bottom of the banks and elsewhere, and therefore 

 the whole bay may be considered as a cod fishing-ground, wfth from 10 

 to 60 fathoms of water, and bottom generally rocky but somewhat di- 

 versified with areas of greater or less extent of sand, gravel, or mud. 

 The only places of which special mention need be made are Bradelle 

 Bank, Orphan Bank, " Pigeon Hill Ground," and " Miscou Flat." 



Bradelle Bank is in a northeasterly direction from the North Cape of 

 Prince Edward Island, and in a direct line between that and the north- 

 ern Magdalen Islands, the SW. edge being 22 miles from the former 

 headland. It is 3C miles long and 21 miles wide. 



Orphan Bank is north of Bradelle. The center bears ESE. from 

 Point Miscou, from which it is 47 miles distant. It is 30 miles long 

 NE. and SW., and 15 miles wide, with a depth of from 10 to 30 fathoms, 

 and bottom of rocks, coral, and sand. 



Pigeon Hill Ground is the shore soundings that lie southeasterly from 

 Shippegan Island at a distance of 10 to 20 miles, and extends in the di- 

 rection of the coast about 18 to 20 miles. 



Miscou Flat is a stretch of rocky shoal ground that makes out from 

 Point Miscou about ESE. nearly twenty miles. There is from 10 to 22 

 fathoms of water, the ground gradually sloping toward the outer part. 



On all these grounds cod-fishing is pursued only during the warmer 

 season, from May to October. The abundance of cod, especially of the 

 large fish, varies somewhat with different seasons, their presence in 

 greater or less numbers being governed to a great extent by the amount 

 of bait-herring, mackerel, &c, on the ground. The fishing is largely car- 



