MOTIONS OF THE FLEET. 363 



and every one of the nine or ten hundred vessels 

 composing the fleet, are tacked to the Northward. 

 It was curious to watch their motions. They 

 have no head, no organization of any kind ; yet do 

 they move as much in concert as would the best 

 organized naval fleet, working by the signals of 

 their commodore. 



See, the headmost vessel of the fleet is in stays. 

 There the next one tacks. Little squads of half 

 a dozen follow suit; and in fifteen minutes the 

 whole fleet is on the other tack, standing to the 

 westward. And so we go all day, working to the 

 windward as fast as the light breeze will bear us 

 along. Every once in a while some one heaves to 

 and tries for mackerel. But mackerel won't bite 

 well, in general, on such a day as this ; and this 

 day we don't see a live one at all 



Mackerel go in large schools, one of which con- 

 tains fish enough, if all caught, to fill up every 

 vessel in a fleet. But, vast as such a body is, it 

 occupies but a very small space in the ocean which 

 supports it. A school of fish, therefore, is to be 

 searched out much as one would look for. a needle 

 in a haystack unwearying patience and deter- 

 mination being qualifications as necessary to con- 

 stitute a successful fisherman as to make one a 

 fortunate searcher for needles. 



The fishery is pursued in small vessels, of from 

 thirty to one hundred and twenty tons, and inva- 

 riably of the " schooner " rig, that is, having two 

 and "fore ani aft" sails. The business 



