356 WHALING AND FISHIVO. 



tress in my narrow berth ; and so with a good 

 breeze we get under way. 



"The fleet," as the collection of mackerel fish- 

 ermen is called, is known to be off Portland, 

 Thither then we wend our way slowly enough 

 with light winds and calms. The first two or 

 three days out, all hands are busied in preparing 

 fish gear, " Jigs," as the peculiar hooks used to 

 catch mackerel are called, are ca^t and burnished 

 up; lines are stretched, measured and coiled away; 

 beckets and cleats are placed opposite each man's 

 place at the rail ; and these places are fairly por- 

 tioned off and marked, in order that no confusion 

 may arise when fish are "along side." All these 

 matters duly attended to, and there is room to 

 look about us, and occasion to express impatience 

 at our slow progress toward the fleet. 



I presume I ought to describe as nearly as may 

 be, the appearance of the craft in which I now 

 found myself. She was schooner rigged that is, 

 had two masts, and fore and aft sails. She was 

 a neatly built, sharp little craft of about one 

 hundred and fifty tons burthen. Our crew num- 

 bered twelve men besides the cook; The galley, 

 or cooking stov.e and kitchen generally, was in the 

 forecastle, a narrow and dark little hole, about six 

 by eight feet, exclusive of the berths which 

 berths,.! may add, were all occupied. 



One half the crew slept in the forecastle. The 

 other and older half found their sleeping accom- 

 uxodat/ans in the cabin. This was another con- 



