i 4 FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 



has hit me from time to time, which on two or three occasions have well- 

 nigh sent me into "the sweet bye-and-bye." 



Darkness has come upon us while we have been musing, and as we may, 

 before many hours, perhaps, be in the midst of a storm, we had better take 

 time by the forelock and secure a nap while we may. The "night-watch" 

 has already been set, the signal light is burning brightly, and even our 

 neighbor, the giant, is breathing less perceptibly, as if inviting us, too, to 

 repose. 



Friday morning. Decided change this morning. The wind has sprung 

 up from the N. E. during the night, and the clouds betoken a heavy snow- 

 storm at hand. Our sanguine friends of last night look as if brick walls had 

 sprung up between them and their airy hopes. On the principle of " making 

 hay while the sun shines," every man is doing his utmost to swell his total 

 of fish to a respectable figure while there is still a chance to fish. The cod, 

 too, are biting pretty freely, and the vessel begins to surge and creak to her 

 cable uneasily, like an impatient horse champing the bit and pawing the 

 ground. 



The skipper, who was up betimes, is uneasy, also, and now goes forward 

 to inspect the cable, and then below to consult the barometer, which this 

 morning stood almost on 30.80, but has since commenced to fall, bringing 

 along occasional spits of snow. He is particularly anxious about the bear- 

 ings of the three or four vessels in our immediate vicinity, — one right astern 

 and another on the "starboard quarter" giving him much concern. 



The light scattered snowflakes now fall thicker and faster. The neigh- 

 boring vessels become more and more indistinct, till they fade out of sight 

 altogether, and leave us alone with the increasing wind, the blinding snow 

 and the rising sea ! Our giants are evidently about to commence one of 

 their wildest bouts. 



There is the skipper's voice. What does he say ? "Haul in your lines ! 

 Heave in 'strads' and give her cable." The " strads " are strands of rope 

 plaited together, and are bound tightly around the cable to prevent it from 

 chafing in the hawse-pipe. Having taken them off we " pay out " 60 or 70 

 fathoms, and " strad her up " again as before. We also loose the foresail, 

 put three reefs in it, and roll it up again, so as to have it ready in case the 

 vessel goes adrift from her anchor. (It is usually customary in anchoring 

 on Georges to double-reef the foresail before furling it.) What fish there 

 are on deck we " dress " and heave below, as well as everything else that is 

 loose. 



All being made snug some of the crew " stow away " their lines, while 

 the more eager ones heave over again and continue fishing. But one drops 

 off, and another drops off, till the last man fishing calls to those below to 

 " set the watch," and when relieved goes below himself. It is customary 



