181 



or nets," and ordered the forfeiture of these implement?, and the ves- 

 sels and boats, of persons who violated the decree. 



The mode of catching by "bobbing," or with " (l3r-Hnes," is said to 

 have been introduced about the year 1803, by the fishermen of Glou- 

 cester: these lines are still in use at sea. The course of our fishermen 

 in pursuit of the mackerel is commonly and substantially as fallows : 

 The master of the vessel, after reaching some well known resort of the 

 fish, fijrls all his sails except the mainsail, brings his vessel's bow to 

 the wind, ranges his crew at proper intervals along one of her sides, 

 and, without a mackerel in sight, attempts to raise a school, scool, or shoal, 

 by throwing over bait. If he succeeds to his wishes, a scene ensues 

 which can hardly be described, but which it were W'orth a trip to the 

 fishing ground to witness. I have heard more than one fisherman say 

 that he had caught sixty mackerel in a minute; and when he was told 

 that at that rate he had taken thirty-six hundred in an hour, and that, 

 with another person as expert, he would catch a whole fare in a single 

 day, he would reject the figures, as proving nothing beyond a wish to un- 

 dervalue his skill. Certain it is, that some active young men will haul 

 in and jerk off" a fish, and thiow out the line for another, with a single 

 motion ; and repeat the act in so rapid succession, that their arms seem 

 continually on the swing. To be " high-fine,"* is an object of earnest 

 desire among the ambitious ; and the muscular ease, the precision, 

 and adroitness of movement which such men exhibit in the strife, are 

 admirable. While the scool remains alongside and wall take the hook, 

 the excitement of the men and the rushing noise of the fish, in theit 

 beautiful and manifold evolutions in the water, arrest the attention ol 

 the most careless observer. 



Oftentimes the fishing ceases in a moment, and as if put an end to 

 by magic : the fish, according to the fishermen's conceit, panic-stricken 

 by the dreadful havoc among them, suddenly disappear from sight. 



Eight, ten, and even twelve thousand have been caught, and must 

 now b(; "dressed down." This process covers the persons of the crew, 

 the deck, the tubs, and everything near, with blood and garbage; and 

 as it is often performed in darkness and weariness, and under the reac- 

 tion oi' overtasked nerves, the novice and the g(^nlleman or ama.teur 

 fisher, who had seen and participated in nothing l)ut keen sport, become 

 <lisgusted. They ought to remember that in the recreations of man- 

 hood, as in those of youth, the toil of hauling the hand-sled up hill is 

 g<-nerally in j>roportion to the steepness and slipperiness which gave 

 th(; pleasurable velocity down. 



The approach of night or \\ir. disappearance of the mackerel closing 

 all labor with the hook and line, tlic fish, as thcv are dressed, are 

 thrown into casks of water to lid them (»f blood. Tiic deck is then 

 cleared and washed; the mainsail is hauled (h)\vn, and the foresail is 

 hoisted in its stead; a lantern is jjlaced in the rigging; a watch is S(U to 

 salt the fish and keep a, lookout fi»r the night; and the master and the 

 remainder of the crew at a late hour seek repose. The earliest gh^ams 

 of fight find the anxious master awake, hurrying forward |)reparati()ns 

 for the morning's meal, and making other arrangements fiir a renewal 



•To cjitcli the grr-atcBf. uuinbor of finh. 



