DRESSING. 375 



TO the bulwarks, lash up the various loose objects 

 about decks, and put on the hatches. The fish 

 still bite, but more moderately, and by " spirts," 

 and in the half liquid state in which we all find 

 ourselves, we mechanically hold our lines over the 

 rail and haul in fish with as little motion to oui 

 bodies as possible; for the skin in such weathei 

 gets marvelously tender, and is apt to rub off on 

 very slight provocation. 



At one o'clock "Seat ye, one half/' from the 

 cook, proclaims dinner on the table, and " one 

 half" accordingly go down to "finish their break- 

 fast," as a facetious shipmate remarks. The cabh. 

 of a fisherman be it known is too confined tc 

 accommodate an entire fishing crew with seats 

 around the table, and accordingly it is customary 

 for the oldest hands to eat first, leaving the young 

 men and boys to follow at second table. 



After dinner we make preparations for dressing 

 our fish. Gib-tubs, split-knives, barrels, wash- 

 barrels, buckets, mittens, and sea-boots, are hunted 

 up. and water begins to flow about decks more 

 plentifully than ever. Mackerel are "dressed" 

 by splitting them down the back, taking out their 

 entrails (called in fishermen's parlance " gibs "), 

 clearing them of blood by immersion in salt water, 

 and then salting them down in layers, in the bar 

 rels prepared for that purpose. 



Two persons compose a " gang " for dressiEg. 

 One of them splits the fish and throws them to 

 the other, who by a dexterous twist of his thumbs 



