10 SHOALS AND EXPORTS OF MACKEREL. 



and, when they rise to the surface, it's a solid body of 

 fish you sail through. It's a beautiful sight to see them 

 come tumbling into a harbour, head over tail, and tail 

 over head, jumping and thumping, sputtering and flutter- 

 ing, lashing and thrashing, with a gurgling kind of sound, 

 as much as to say, ' Here we are, my hearties ! How are 

 you off for salt ? Is your barrels all ready ? — because we 

 are. So bear a hand and out with your nets, as we are 

 oflf to the next harbour to-morrow, and don't wait for 

 such lazy fellows as you be.' " * 



A ready market for this fish is found in the United 

 States ; and the absolute as well as comparative value of 

 the trade to Nova Scotia, may be judged of from the 

 following return of the quantities of pickled fish of the 

 most plentiful kinds, exported from Halifax in 1S47 : — 



Barrels. 



Alewives, . . . 7000 



Salmon, . . . 6000 



Herrings, . . . 22,000 



Mackerel, . . . 190,000 



From Cape Breton and Newfoundland the largest 

 export consists of cod-fish. 



The day after my arrival at Halifax, I drove round 

 the peninsula on which the city stands, and up the north- 

 west arm — an inlet or creek, by which the peninsula is 

 formed, and which runs inland from the bay a few miles 

 behind Halifax. 



To one who wishes to form a general idea of the 

 agricultural character and capabilities, as well as of the 

 geological structure and botanical relations of the Atlantic 

 border of the province, this drive is very Instructive. 

 On a clear sunny day the views are beautiful, and the 

 ride most exhilarating. The old slate rocks are inter- 

 spersed with masses of granite — probably, in many cases, 



* The Old Judge, by Scam Slick, vol. ii. p. 96. 



