COD FISHERY. 63 



there is a fat foil. Red bottoms ufually abound in 

 ihell-fiih. As cod-fiih finds nourifhment in fuch 

 places, great quantities aifemble there, as alfo upon 

 grey bottoms, where there is plenty of horn-fiih. 



It is fuppofed, that certain marine productions, 

 eaten by cod, make them flabby ; it is faid, that 

 floating weeds and muddy fubflances are of this 

 kind. Bottoms of fine fand, and of hard un- 

 broken rocks, are looked upon as bad, becaufe the 

 cod is poor there, and it is faid, that in fuch places 

 there are zoophytes, which communicate a bad 

 quality to the fifh. 



The moil favourable weather for this fifhery, 

 and for every fort of fiihing with hooks, is, when 

 the iky is covered, and the fea fmooth. High 

 winds and a troubled fea are bad, on account -of 

 the toiling of the veifel ; the leads are dragged 

 from the bottom, and the lines are entangled. 



Baits for Cod-fijh. 



The choice of baits is a matter of very great 

 importance. Cod-fifh is exceedingly voracious, 

 efpecially that of the great Bank, owing, perhaps, 

 to the enormous quantity of them, that come there. 

 When hungry, they fwallow up every thing, that 

 falls into the fea. There have been found in their 

 ilomachs knives, ilones, &c. and, although gorged 

 with fiih, they fometimes dart at hooks, which are 

 not baited. On the firil arrival of the ihips, it is 



often 



