74 COD FISHERY. 



When they take a cod, they do not immediate- 

 ly take out the tongue ; nor do they open it to 

 take out the flomach. They throw it behind 

 them on the deck, and men, whofe bufmefs it is to 

 prepare it, take off the head, and hang up the fifh, 

 with its tail downwards, by a hook, to a flake fix- 

 ed for that purpofe in the back part of the vefTel. 

 The tongue is the only part of the head, that they 

 referve for fale. Having taken off the head, and 

 let the blood flow out, they open the fifh as far as 

 the anus, or navel, and take out the entrails for 

 bait. They alfo open the flomach, to get whate- 

 ver may be in it fit forbait. The crew fometimes 

 drefs what they call cod's tripes, which are no- 

 thing elfe but the flomach, which they wafh and 

 beat, as if wafhing linen. They hang it up for a 

 couple of days, and then wafh it again, and boil 

 it ; it is but indifferent food. 



The livers are carefully referved, for the fake 

 of the oil ; and as to the fwims, or zounds, they 

 take out only thofe of the large fifh. 



They fplit the fifh in its whole length, and take 

 out all the large bone, except a fmall part of it to- 

 wards the tail, and clip the ends of the fins. A 

 boy then wafhes it in a tub full of fea- water, until 

 all the blood is got out : when warned, 'tis left to 

 drip in a balket. 



Before the fifh have quite done dripping, they 

 are packed in barrels, and a little fait is thrown 

 upon them. Care is taken to put more fait in 



their 



