[63] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. 



as rapidly as possible, and the second dory is rowed back to the seine 

 for the purpose of holding up the bunt, since a school of 500 barrels may 

 sink both seine and seine-boat if left without assistance. This, however, 

 rarely occurs, and it generally happens that the school either is small 

 enough to be dipped into the dory and to be taken to the vessel, or that 

 the seine-boat without any assistance is capable of managing them until 

 the vessel is brought alongside. 



While the fish are being caught the cook has charge of the vessel; if 

 it happens to be about meal time he attends to the cooking as best he 

 can, but whether the cakes burn or not the vessel must be cared for, 

 and he generally divides his time between the forecastle and the wheel. 

 If he is preparing dinner, and is able to, he continues his cooking, taking 

 charge of the vessel at the same time. 



The vessel usually lays to, with the jib to windward, not far from the 

 seine boat; and, perhaps, as the cook sits at the wheel he has a basin 

 of potatoes before him, which he peels while he is eagerly watching 

 every movement of the seine-boat, trying to ascertain whether his mates 

 are successful, and, if so, to what degree. 



When the dory has been rowed aboard, the men at once take meas- 

 ures to bring the vessel alongside of the seine-boat. The evolution of 

 shooting alongside of a seine-boat calls into play all the skill of the 

 steersman. The vessel must approach so near that a rope may be 

 thrown to the men in the seine-boat, and in such a manner that she will 

 move slowly enough not to tear the seine as it is pulled along, before 

 the schooner is "bowsed to the windward" and her motion ceases. 



The cork-line is then taken over the side of the vessel and made fast 

 by " stoppers" along the rail. This having been done the process of dry- 

 ing up is resumed and the fish are gathered together in a compact body 

 so that they can be dipped out upon the deck. When the fish are to 

 be taken on deck the men are distributed as follows : three or four are 

 employed in hoisting the fish by means of a large dip-net attached to the 

 main and fore staysail halliards, the captain directs the movements of 

 the net, holding its long handle, and, shouting "hoist" when it is about 

 half full of fish, two men standing by the rail empty the dip-net on the 

 deck. 



When all the fish have been bailed out the seine is overhauled and 

 salted. In the mean time most of the crew are making preparations to 

 dress the fish. If the school is large, the crew, cook and all, unless it is 

 just at meal time, begiu the work as soon as the fish are ready; if the 

 catch of fish is small, and there is a prospect of getting another set that 

 day, a part of the crew take the seine out of the seine-boat to mend it, if 

 necessary, and lay it back in an orderly form so that it may be thrown 

 out without difficulty. 



The operation of setting a seine around the school and pursing it up 

 usually occupies from ten to twelve minutes, though it is claimed by 

 some expert fishermen that they have done it in seven minutes. Under 



