212 Our North Land, 



indeed, the women may often be seen out in the boats "jigging" 

 with the men. 



" Jigging " is good sport, but one will soon tire of it. A " jigger " 

 is simply two or more codfish hooks springing out of the mouth of 

 a leaden caplin, from the tail of which a cod line extends to the desired 

 length. This is let down from the side of a boat until it touches 

 bottom, then pulled up about six feet. The line is now in position, 

 and the "jigging" consists of jerking the line quickly about two 

 feet, as fast as it will sink to position by the weight of the leaden 

 caplin. The latter is of a light colour, and appears just like a live 

 caplin sporting in the water. The cod make a rush to devour it, and 

 are captured. 



Sometimes, in attempting to swallow the caplin, they will get one 

 of the hooks in their great mouths, and will come to the surface 

 caught in that way ; but much oftener they are hooked in the side 

 or belly by the sudden movement of the hooks in the water. When 

 vou feel a cod on the hook the sensation is delightful. Sometimes 

 it requires considerable strength to hold them and land them safely 

 in the boat ; and if you are lucky or unlucky enough to hook a 

 shark, which frequently occurs, then look out. Unless you are well 

 up to the business you will lose both shark and jigger, but by good 

 management you may bring him close enough to use the spear. 



Frequently, in jigging cod, you will land two, and sometimes even 

 three, at one time. One afternoon while at Cape Chidley, at the 

 entrance to Ungava Bay, I went out in one of the Neptune's boats 

 along with Mr. Bridge, the second engineer, and enjoyed nearly two 

 hours' most delightful sport. We anchored and commenced to jigg. 

 The water was very clear, and I could see down some ten or twelve 

 feet. At a depth of ten feet the cod were so thick that the only 

 way I can describe their numbers would be to say that there were 

 millions and millions of them to the acre. We captured nearly four 

 hundred in an hour and twenty minutes ; and as our dory would 

 hold no more, we were obliged to stop and return to the ship. The 

 skin was worn from my fingers in many places by the process of 

 jigging ; but so exciting was the sport that I did not observe this 

 until it was all over. 



