THE COD AND COD-FISHERY 311 



he can either ship for wages, or engage on shares paid 

 out of the " voyage." The pay of the shipped man has risen 

 to $100, and even to $130, with food for the season. For 

 that sum he must do everything the master tells him that 

 will benefit the voyage, and may be called on to work all 

 hours of the night and day from the first of May to the first 

 of November. It increases the " gamble" considerably to 

 have all shipped men. If you "miss the fish" and earn 

 nothing, you are still liable for all wages, but if you strike 

 the fish, you will make very large profits. For a man is 

 well worth $300 in a good year. Little as their wage seems, 

 most of the men prefer employment under this system. 

 They at least will have flour and molasses for their families, 

 whatever happens, these wages, less advances for oil- 

 skins, boots, etc., being always paid in cash. 



The shareman in this country usually agrees for "half 

 his hand." That is, the catch is divided by the number of 

 men, including the owner or planter, and each shareman 

 gets half a share. He has no expenses except clothing. 

 Often the planter cannot, however, obtain men on these 

 terms, and is obliged to take a full-share man. These 

 men feed and clothe themselves and provide their own salt, 

 but take a full share of fish. The more men a planter 

 engages, the more fish he can handle and expect to catch, 

 but the more numerous are the shares into which the catch 

 must be divided. On an average, the shareman gets every 

 eighth fish out of the trap for himself. It has often puzzled 

 me how the hired man with $100, less expenses, could live, 

 much less feed his family ; at best he can scarcely do more 

 than merely exist. 



The following statements taken at random will illustrate 



