102 COD FISHERY. 



fignifies fplit'fijh ; according to M. Horrebows, it 

 comes from jlack^ which means to lay flat. Hav- 

 ing cut oft the head, and opened the body in its 

 whole length, on the fide of the belly, to take out 

 the entrails, and the large bone, as far as the third 

 vertebra below the anus, they lay them out, if 

 the weather promifes to be fair, two by two, flefli 

 againft flefh, on benches made of dry ftones, or on 

 beds of gravel, &c. a foot and a half high. If 

 the weather is not favourable, they form little 

 heaps of filh, which are called cafes ^ putting 

 always the ikin uppermoft, and leave them in this 

 lituation, until there comes a dry, cold, and con- 

 ftant wind, which fometimes does not blow for 

 three or four weeks. If this wind comes too late, 

 the fiih fuffers fome alteration, which makes the 

 merchants call it cafe. 



As foon as favourable weather appears, the wo- 

 men undo the cafes ^ and lay out the fiili on the 

 beds, taking care to turn them two or three times 

 a day, and placing them fo as that the tail of one 

 correfponds to the neck of the other ; and when 

 it rains, they put the fkin uppermoft to prevent the 

 flefli from being fpptted. Fourteen or fifteen days 

 are fometimes requifite to dry it ; but, if the North 

 wind is tolerably ftrong, and very dry, a much 

 ihorter time will do. They are, however, afraid 

 of a fliarp froft. 



When the fiih is well dried, they make great 

 Jieaps of it on the beds, putting heads againft tails, 



and 



