OSSEOUS FISHES. 557 



whole process of curing the cod-fish in the " Tour du Monde for 1863." 

 " The French houses which pursue this branch of trade," he says, 

 " belong principally to the Ports of Granville and St. Breuc ; and the 

 crews of their ships consist of two, very distinct elements ; the smaller 

 portion, being specially raised among the fishermen properly so called, 

 they form the aristocracy on. board ; to these are added a larger number 

 of mere labourers, who are landed on the arrival of the vessel at her 

 port. Their functions are limited to receiving the fish from the boats, 

 opening it, washing off the glutinous matter in the eJiauffant, putting 

 the liver apart, and laying out the split fish between the layers of 

 salt; finally, subjecting it to the different phases of .the drying 

 process on the strand. 



" The chauffant is a shed raised upon piles, standing one half in the 

 water and one half on shore ; it is constructed of planks and posts, 

 through which the air is suffered to circulate freely, but covered in with 

 some of the ship's sails. Here the process of separating the intestines 

 from, the. body of the fish, and the salting process are carried on, in the 

 midst of an atmosphere charged with all manner of disgusting smells, 

 for the labourer is by no means delicate, and never thinks of removing 

 the disgusting impurities which he is creating. There he stands, knife 

 in hand, tearing and cutting out intestines, and separating vertebrae, 

 his only care being to avoid cutting himself, which, is the chief danger 

 he runs, in the midst of odours sufficient to produce suffocation. 



'* Connected with the platformon which this rough operation is per- 

 formed is a cauldron, sunk in the earth, to, receive the oil pressed out 

 of the liver. This cauldron is surmounted by a roof some nine feet in 

 height, in the form of an inverted cone. Here the oil which flows 

 from the open way above* is suffered to remain, after which it. is drawn 

 off into casks. 



" The drying sheds, formerly of wood, are now constructed of stone, 

 and in places well exposed to the sun, and especially to the wind, 

 artificial or otherwise. The sun, it is said, does not. dry, but scorches ; 

 the wind, on the other hand, marvellously fulfils the purpose, and in 

 order to avoid the one and court the other, an apparatus has been in- 

 vented, consisting of long movable branches, which can be inclined 

 so as to bring the wind directly upon the row of cod, in connection 

 with the sun's rays, which are, indeed, not very formidable in this 

 foggy region." 



