68 VIKINGS OF TO-DAY 



boat. Soon the boat is full to the gunwale, and still 

 there are more prisoners. Large bags of net are 

 produced and filled with the rest of the fish. These, 

 after being buoyed, are thrown overboard to wait till 

 they are " wanted." 



I have seen fifty to sixty hundredweight of fish 

 taken in the same trap time after time. Sometimes 

 more are caught than the curers can keep pace with. 

 Then the fortunate trap-master allows his neighbours 

 to u haul the trap," receiving in return a small pro- 

 portion of cured fish. Now certain positions are 

 thought better than others for setting these traps, 

 with the result that there is every spring a race from 

 Newfoundland to get them, like our members of par^ 

 liament race for seats. The law does not allow traps 

 to be set till a certain day, and the leading net must 

 be put out to secure the berth a top hat on a bench 

 is not sufficient and unless within four days the 

 whole trap is set, the claim becomes void. Thus, 

 while the ice was still on the shores of Labrador, a 

 steamer was sent ahead with numbers of men, each 

 armed with " a trap leader," to get ahead of the sail- 

 ing schooners which were working their perilous way 

 along inside the floe ice. In one case, after the best 

 berths had thus been taken, the nets to complete the 

 traps did not turn up till after the prescribed four 

 days. Meanwhile another crew had pulled up their 

 nets and pounced on the coveted prizes. Again, 

 some men were landed with " leaders " on one station 

 late at night. " No sail in sight. We'll secure our 



