FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 235 



if to strike them dead ; the waters half a mile away were lashed with fury 

 into spray each time it moved its tail, and all the way between rose hump 

 on hump of olive green, like huge waves in a gale. Glad hearts were theirs 

 who watched that day — to apprehension dire a prey — to see the monster 

 turn aside and from the harbor quickly glide. Horse mackerel and porpoise 

 schools will do to talk about to fools ; but we who lived in 'seventeen know 

 that the sea serpent was seen. 



Veteran Craft. — Pinkey Senator, 32.67 tons, built at Essex in 183 1, is 

 still owned at this port. Sch. Afin Parker^ built at Wells, Me., in 1850, is 

 owned at Pigeon Cove. Pinkey Albatross, of Castine, Me., built in 1829, 

 was at this port with a load of barrels in the Summer of 1881. The whaler 

 Mt. Wallaston, whose wreck was discovered in the ice of the Arctic ocean in 

 188 1, formerly hailed from Gloucester at a time when it was proposed to 

 establish the whaling business from this port. She sailed on her first vo}^- 

 age Jan. 9, 1834. Four months out she was spoken with 250 bbls. of oil ; 

 Oct. 20, 1834, with 750 bbls.; Dec. 14, with 1,200 bbls. She arrived home 

 May 17, 1835, with 1,600 bbls., 150 sperm, and 13,000 lbs. bone. The 

 voyage did not prove so successful as had been anticipated, but she was 

 again fitted out, and sailed on her second voyage in July, 1835. In August 

 she was spoken, having taken four whales. Jan. 13, 1836, she was again 

 spoken, and reported 2,200 bbls. March 29 she arrived home with 1,600 

 bbls. whale, 550 sperm, and 16,000 lbs. bone. This would now be consid- 

 ered a successful voyage, but on account of the low price of oil it was not 

 then regarded as satisfactory, and the ship was sold at auction for $4,510 

 to J. B. Osgood of Salem, from which port she made several voyages. 



Something about Lobsters. — It has often been stated 

 that "in general lobsters change their shell once a year, 

 and it is a painful operation." A friend of ours in this 

 city, who has an aquarium, states that he has a lobster 

 which changed his shell three times within a year. He is also of opinion 

 that when in the sea where they get a full supply of such food as they re- 

 quire, that they change their shells even oftener than this, as it is necessary 

 for them to do so, in order to grow. Can any one give us any more light 

 on this subject ? 



There is no doubt that the blasting of Hell Gate destroyed immense 

 quantities of lobsters ; so great a dread have lobsters of thunder that they 

 will cast off their big claws when a loud clap occurs or when a gun is fired. 

 In olden times captains of vessels often extorted blackmail from lobster 

 fishermen by threatening to fire cannon over the fishing grounds, knowing 



