142 THE FISTIKIHES. 



t)tal numliei' nf vt'>rels eiiiiilciVL'il din'ctly in tlic fi^lierios iii; 

 1891 M-as l,24i' ; tlicir tonnage, ."■)0,04l ton.^. Tlie nmnVii.'r of 

 vessels engageil in the Labiador tislieiy that yeav was 859, with 

 a tonnage *of 33,634. In the lobster factories the number of men 

 employed thatjyear \\as 3,427 ami 1,380 women. Twenty-two 

 stenn vessels took part in the seal tishery of 1893 ; their creAVs 

 nuniliered 4,962 men. Tliose wlio engage in tlie seal hsliery,- 

 which commences Mairli lOtli, afterwaids are employed in the 

 otlier fislieries during the remainder of the year. 



COD FISHEEV. 



The cod fislieries of Newfoundland greatly exceed those of any 

 otlier country in the world. The annual average expoit of cod 

 is about 1,350,000 (piintals of 112 lbs. weight. The Dominion 

 of Canada exjjorts an average of 450,000 quintals, and Norway 

 about 751,000 quintals. The whole Norwegian catch averages 

 50,000,000 codfish. The aggregate annual catch of cdd in North 

 American waters, (including the fisheries on flie 1 tanks), by 

 French, American, Canadian and Newfoundland fishermen, is 

 estimated at 3,700,000 ([uintals. The nundter ol' coilfish cap- 

 tured to make up this weight of dried fish, allo-wing fifty to a 

 ({Uintal, would be 18."),000,00U. This enormous anniial draft on- 

 these extensive fisliing grounds has lieeu going on iVir centuries- 

 without exhausting the supply, so prolific ai'e the codfish in 

 these waters. 



EVOLUTION OF THIO COI> FIS^HKKY. 



For nearly four hirndred yeai's this fishery has lieen i)rosecntcd.- 

 It ])egan a few years after Cabot's discoveries in 1497. The 

 Bas(|ue, Normandy and Brittany fishermen led the way, and for 

 a considerable time had these newly-discovered coil-kingdoms to 

 tlieniselve.-. In the name Port-aux-Basque, the westei-n tei'minus 

 of the new line of railway, and Harbour Bieton, these fishermen 

 have left relics of themselves in Newfoundland ; while the island 

 of Ca^ie Bieton obtaint'd its name lidui these anciiMit mariners. 

 The English Avere at this time maiidy occupied with a lucrative 

 fishery on the coasts of Iceland ; and though Newfoundland waS' 



