432 HIS TOR y OF COHA SSE T. 



aster many entries of Cohasseters have been made ; and 

 when the sea gives up her dead, who will count those that 

 were drowned from among the dwellers in this humble 

 village?* But what more of the business for which so 

 many sacrifices were made ? 



The hard fare of the early fishermen became outgrown 

 in time, so that each crew went furnished with a cook 

 and with provisions of a much more palatable sort. 



In fact, it was complained by some of the sterner skip- 

 pers that the fishermen were not satisfied with less than 

 a hotel bill of fare. 



The expense of the business was yet further increased 

 by the improved models of sailing craft that were used. 

 It became very important to be the first vessel to return 

 to market with a load of mackerel, so that fast sailers with 

 extra topsails and flying jibs had to be used. 



More than this, the manner of taking the fish required 

 a larger investment. Sweep nets came into use, which 

 cost several hundred dollars each ; and when a shark or a 

 school of bluefish would come ripping through one of 

 them after the mackerel, both the fish and the net were lost. 



* Another tragedy of the sea which occurred in the year 1862 is told as follows : — 



The schooner Georgiana, Levi Creed, master, was on a fishing cruise along the 

 coast between Cape Cod and Montauk Point, Long Island. While she was lying 

 to under jib and foresail at about one o'clock in the night of May 14, the bark 

 William Lord, bound for Boston from Baltimore, struck her amidships, staving in 

 her bulwarks. The crew of sixteen, roused from sleep, rushed upon deck, and, 

 thinking their own craft about to sink, they climbed upon the bark. 



The vessels soon freed themselves, and it was discovered that a boy of twelve 

 years, Andrew H. Prouty, was left on board the schooner. 



The captain of the bark supposed the schooner must be sunk, for she had dis- 

 appeared, and he took the unfortunate crew to Holmes' Hole near New Bedford. 



But the schooner was not sunk. She was manned and mastered by one fright- 

 ened boy of twelve years of age alone upon the black ocean. For two days and 

 two nights he was alone, steering his craft towards what he thought must be the 

 shore. 



A whaleship returning to New Bedford overtook the strange-looking craft and 

 boarded her to see what was the matter. When they found what had happened, 

 the captain offered the boy one hundred dollars to abandon the schooner. But 

 the plucky boy would not thus let the captain get possession of a good schooner. 

 He said, " No, sir! this vessel belongs to John Bates, and I 'm going to take her 

 ashore." He did so, and found at New Bedford the rest of the crew. 



