JUST HOW THE FISH ARE CAUGHT 73 



pace with the vessel ; nay, even that, after being cut 

 in half, the "bow end" will still wriggle after the 

 bait, when the ship is becalmed in the doldrums. 

 But Jack is prejudiced against sharks. 



Bait is necessary, however, in deep water, a fact 

 that led the Newfoundland Government to pass the 

 famous " Bait Act," rendering it illegal to supply the 

 French with bait in the hope of destroying their 

 banking industry. Alas! laws are easier to make 

 than enforce, and the worst sufferers were those who 

 formerly made out of this supply an honest liveli- 

 hood. 



Octopus and Squid is facile princeps among baits 

 for cod. Yet the cod must be circumspect in indulg- 

 ing this weakness, and confine his attention to those 

 of tender years, for these cephalopods attain to enor- 

 mous size at times in these waters. Thus the Rev. 

 Dr. Harvey (F.R.S., Canada), of St. Johns, narrates 

 how, while recently two Newfoundlanders were out 

 fishing in their little rowing boat, two enormous arms 

 rose out of the water, seized the boat, and endea- 

 voured to drag it below the surface. Fortunately 

 a chopper lay at hand in the boat, and the great 

 beast, after losing two of his arms, sank amidst 

 volumes of black ink. The parts of arms cut off 

 were nineteen feet long, and are now preserved in 

 St. Johns Museum. Shortly after another was 

 secured by Dr. Harvey, which had been found float- 

 ing, dead. Its grasp embraced forty feet. Again, 

 in 1772 Cartwright caught one seven feet long with- 



