370 MISCELLANEOUS 



as the 1st December was an unusual occurrence. After that, frost, 

 snow, and gales of wind were of constant recurrence, and the weather 

 became intensely inclement and rough, which made the hauling of 

 nets a very arduous and bitterly cold process. 



13. In the early part of the season, when the herring are caught 

 they are measured in tubs (two to a barrel) and stowed in bulk in 

 salt, on board the schooners, and reckoned in barrels (about 400 

 herring to a barrel) ; some few being actually barrelled when they 

 are to be carried as upper-deck cargo. Later on in the season they 

 are frozen on stages ashore or on board and stowed in bulk. Frozen 

 herring are considered a great delicacy in the States, and about $2.50 

 per barrel is paid to the men for them, whilst as much as $6 is obtained 

 for them in the Gloucester market. 



As soon as a schooner is loaded she trips her anchor and makes 

 sail for Gloucester. It has to be very bad weather to stop her. They 

 usually do the distance from port to port (800 miles) in about 5 or 6 

 days. The record passage is 52 hours, they say. 



The first schooner to sail this year was the B. G. Anderson (a 

 Lunenburg schooner chartered locally). She sailed on 1st Novem- 

 ber and was ready to take in a cargo of frozen herring by 7th De- 

 cember. On the passage across her upper-deck cargo was washed 

 overboard. 



The larger schooners, especially the Lunenburgers, are beautiful 

 craft of about 100 tons, carrying a working crew of six men. It is 

 magnificent to see how their skippers handle them, and how extraor- 

 dinarily well suited their rig is for the work they have to do. One 

 would have thought that with such a large mainsail and so few hands 

 they would be very awkward to handle before the wind in dirty 

 weather, but it does not seem so. 



14. The number of American schooners fitted out for the fishery 

 this year was 61 (names appended) of which 4 were fitted with auxil- 

 iary gasolene engines, a short description of which is attached. 

 These engines are undoubtedly very useful, and a comparison in the 

 matter of expense and suitability between them and the auxiliary 

 twin turbines fitted in some of the Scotch luggers would be of inter- 

 est. Several American schooners are supplied with gasolene launches, 

 which are a great boon to them in carrying provisions, mails, &c., 

 when nets are set 20 miles or more from Birchy Cove (the headquar- 

 ters). 



15. The number of Newfoundland and Canadian schooners was 

 about 50; at least one was fitted with auxiliary screw and motor 

 engine, but it is hard to say how many there really are, as there is 

 nothing to betray their presence unless one happens to see them under 

 way in a calm. I do not know that any of them carried gasolene 

 launches, but they would, of course, be as useful to them as to the 

 Americans if they could afford them. 



16. The season up to llth December may be said to have been well 

 up to the average. By that date 26 schooners had sailed with full 

 fares, varying from 1,400 to 2,200 barrels, and there were very good 

 prospects for the remaining part of the season, provided the weather 

 were favourable. 



17. Two American schooners were wrecked during the early part 

 of the season. One was burnt in the early part of December. One 

 Lunenburg schooner was wrecked about the same time. 



