FISHERMEN'S OWN BOOK. 115 



The Fisheries in the Olden Time, 



BY W. E. S. * 



Upon visiting old Gloucester, my native place, recently, I was forcibly 

 reminded, by way of contrast, of the ways and means by which the business 

 was carried on in the years long, long ago, the days of our fathers and 

 grandfathers, and even down to the time of my own boyhoofl's remembrance. 

 The Grand Bank cod fishery was considered the "heavy business" in these 

 old days. This was varied somewhat by occasional trips to Labrador, Bay 

 Chaleur, etc. The pursuit of mackerel as a specialty had then hardly com- 

 menced, and the curing and smoking of halibut for the trade was unknown. 

 The crews of the Bankers would sometimes bring home a few fletched for 

 family use, that were cured in the smoke of the cabin. 



Fitting away for the Banks was usually attended to along in March, and 

 during April they were well on their way to their destination. Two trips, 

 or fares, generally occupied the season ; a Fall fare was sometimes under- 

 taken, but for this the chances were not considered favorable, by reason of 

 bad weather for fishing and the equinoctial gales. The "old salts" would 

 sometimes tell of intending to partake of their Christmas dinner before get- 

 ting up anchor for home ; but I think that this feat was never accomplished, 

 at any rate, " hardly ever." 



It was the custom to keep count of the number of fish caught, and a fare 

 of thirty to forty thousand, or enough to "eat all their salt," was considered 

 fair luck. An expert could estimate very nearly the amount a given num- 

 ber of fish would weigh off when thoroughly cured. 



The fish were all caught "over the rail." I remember of hearing it said 

 that French vessels were sometimes met with on the Banks, that were fish- 

 ing with trawls. On the arrival of a Banker the first move was to ascertain 

 the number of fish caught, by hailing from the rocks back of the old Fort, 

 and after coming to anchor in the inner harbor commenced the "washing 

 out." The "pound," a frame, or raft of timber, loosely boarded over and 

 around the sides, was made fast alongside ; into this the fish were thrown, 

 and the pickle and undissolved salt washed off, thence taken to the shore 

 in boats, they were piled in "water house " upon a stratum of brush, shav- 

 ings, etc. After remaining in this condition a week or more, to allow the 

 superfluous moisture to drain off, they were transferred to the flakes, where, 

 with careful tending, they were cured and thoroughly dried for market, for- 

 eign or domestic. 



