FISHING AT HALF LINE. 355 



is to say, inspected and sorted), he receives either 

 his net share of the fish, or their equivalent in 

 money at the highest market price. 



Sometimes, young men make a different arrange- 

 ment, which is called " fishing for halves." They 

 agree with some one ashore, generally a packer 

 or inspector, to give him all their catch, he payirtg 

 them in return one half its value,' in cash, and 

 taking the risk of making a clear profit from the 

 balance. If the season is favorable and the fisher- 

 man has good fortune, the shoresman makes 

 money by this, while if the catch is small, he loses 

 the provisions and other incidental expenses 

 averaging as high in one case as in the other. 



Through the kindness of a friend, I was intro- 

 duced to a gentleman who, in consideration that 

 I was to go in the Mary Hawes, agreed to let me 

 fish for him at "half-line." This arrangement 

 gave me great satisfaction, as it reduced my 

 chances more to a certainty ; and I felt just 

 then a strong desire to make them as certain as 

 possible. 



Fancy me then on board. Oiled clothes, a 

 baivel (an oiled cloth apron), hooks and b'nes, a 

 bait knife, fishing mittens, and divers other mat- 

 ters needed to make up a perfect fishii g outfit^ 

 are procured ; two suits of clothes, and an indefi- 

 nite quantity of rags (for sores, my landlady says,) 

 are snugly stowed away in a white clothes-bag. 

 A stock of "Vineyard" stockings, and a fe-tf 

 interesting books are duly placed under the mat- 



