148 FISHERIES OF THE PROVINCE OF QUEBEC 



Immediately on being caught the head of each fish was cut 

 off, which allowed all the blood to escape; they were then 

 gutted, cleaned and salted at once. These fish were very 

 firm, admirably white and delicate, and possessed a fine fla- 

 vour. All the fish which Mr. Mann would thus put up during 

 the season, were engaged at 1 7s. 6d. per barrel, thus afford- 

 ing the most convincing proof that attention to curing alone, 

 was quite sufficient to ensure a market and a high price for 

 these herrings. They were, when caught, precisely the same as 

 the Caraquet herrings, which, from carelessness and mis- 

 management, are without value. 



"Mr. Mann's herring net had a mesh of two and a quar- 

 ter inches, and his mackerel net a mesh of three inches ; with 

 thick twine the mesh requires to be a little longer. These 

 nets were one hundred meshes deep ; but the imported nets, 

 which are one hundred and sixty meshes in depth, are con- 

 sidered the best for fall herrings. 



"While the writer was at Tracadegash a fishing schoon- 

 er arrived from Labrador, having on board three hundred 

 quintals of dry cod, and one hundred barrels of herring. This 

 schooner was intended to return immediately to Labrador 

 to bring back another cargo which had been left there, the 

 fishing having been unusually successful on that coast during 

 the past season, many vessels, as in this case, having made 

 double fares. 



"On the beach at Bonaventure Harbour, Messieurs 

 George and Ferdinand Boissonault, natives of Canada, have 

 a neat store and fishing establishment; and the Jersey 

 houses have buildings for receiving and storing dry fish. 



"The Messieurs Boissonault stated that there were about 

 one hundred and twenty boats, with two men each, engaged 

 in the cod fishery on the coast between Tracadegash and 

 Bonaventure; and that the catch of these boats would aver- 

 age one hundred quintals of dry and pickled fish each during 

 the season. Not many capelin are now seen at this place, 

 owing to their having been formerly used largely as manure. 

 Several thousand barrels of herrings are yet used annually 



