J20 SI'OItT IX NOKTir AMKIUCA. 



before, a sigusil had been reeeived fro)n Newfouud- 

 land, announcing the arrival of immense shoals of 

 capelin in all the bays, followed by cod, which are 

 very fond of this easy prey. TJicy literally lined the 

 shores in compact masses. 



It requires six men to draw a seine, one end of 

 ■which is fastened to the shore by a rope, and the 

 other is tal^en out in sucli a manner as to sweep 

 the largest i)Ossible space. When the rnanoiuvre of 

 enclosing a half-circle has been completed, two fisher- 

 men draw tiie net to land by tiie aid of a capstan, 

 whilst the four others rtnnain in tlic l)oat and keep 

 up the net, beating tlie water with their oars, so as 

 to frighten the fish from jumping over tlie edge. I 

 dare say some will suppose that I am romancing, but 

 at the risk of that (only entreating my readers to 

 verify my statements by competent authority), I 

 declare that I saw a single haul consisting of three 

 thousand eight hundred and seventeen fish, without 

 counting small fry. 



In the evening, 1 returned on board the Montcalm 

 wonderstruck, for it seenuul to me as if I had 

 really witnessed " the miraculous ch^aught of fishes.'' 



Next day was Sunday, and Captain Wilson took 

 me to (jlrande Aliquelon, where tliere were several 

 fellow-countrym(;n to be visited, and the day after 

 we dined with tlie Govei-nor of Newfoundland at 

 St. John's. On leaving the lionse of that worthy 

 functionary, an inhabitant of the country who had 



