Fishing Life in Labrador, 301 



casks to receive the livers. The hold of the vessel is 

 quite clear, except a corner, where is a large heap of salt. 

 And now the men, having dined precisely at twelve, are 

 ready with their large knives. One begins with breaking 

 off the head of the fish, a slight pull of the hand and a 

 gash with the knife effecting this in a moment. He slits 

 up the belly, with one hand pushes it aside to his neigh- 

 bor, then throws overboard the head and begins to doctor 

 another ; the next man tears out the entrails, separates 

 the liver, which he throws into a cask, and casts the rest 

 overboard. A third person dexterously passes his knife 

 beneath the vertebrae of the fish, separates them from the 

 flesh, heaves the latter through the hatchway, and the 

 former into the water. Now, if you will peep into the 

 hold, you will see the last stage of the process, the salting 

 and packing. Six experienced men generally manage to 

 head, gut, bone, salt, and pack all the fish caught in the 

 morning, by the return of the boats with fresh cargoes, 

 when all hands set to work and clear the deck of the 

 fish. Thus their labors continue until twelve o'clock, 

 when they wash their faces and hands, put on clean 

 clothes, hang their fishing apparel on the shrouds, and, 

 betaking themselves to the forecastle, are soon in a sound 

 sleep. 



" At three next morning comes the captain from his 

 bertli, rubbing his eyes, and in a loud voice calling, * All 

 hands, ho !' Stiffened in limb, and but half awake, the 

 crew quickly appear on deck. Their fingers and hands 

 are so cramped and swollen by pulling the lines that it is 

 difficult for them even to straighten a thumb ; but this 

 matters little at present, for the cook, who had a good 

 nap yesterday, has risen an hour before them, and pre- 

 pared their coffee and eatables. Breakfast despatched, 

 they exchange their clean clothes for the fishing apparel, 

 and leap into their boats, which had been washed the 



