204 CAPTAIN CAETWRIGHT'S 



the skiff a few yards off shore, and hi an hour's 

 time we caught a hundred and ten cod, although he 

 lost both his hooks soon after he began. I then 

 trouled for them from the shore, in the same 

 manner as for pike, and caught them as fast as I 

 could throw in. In the evening Jack caught a 

 bushel of caplin with the landing-net. I never in 

 my life saw them in such plenty, nor so large. 



Friday^ July 19, 1776. Observing many cod-fish 

 to come close in to the shore, where the water was 

 deep, I laid myself flat upon the rock, took a caplin 

 by the tail, and held it in the water, in expectation 

 that a cod would take it out of my fingers ; nor was 

 I disappointed, for almost instantly a fish struck 

 at, and seized it; and no sooner had one snatched 

 away the caplin, than another sprang out of the 

 water, at my hand, Avhich I had not withdrawn, 

 and actually caught a slight hold of my finger and 

 thumb. Had I dipped my hand in the water, I am 

 convinced they would soon have made me repent 

 of my folly, for they are a very greedy, bold fish. 



Saturday, July 20, 1776. From Black Head we 

 perceived the Otter crossing the Flats for the 

 harbour, and soon after we saw a vessel at an 

 anchor off the north end of Huntingdon Island; 

 we spoke the Otter in the tickle, and found captain 

 Scott on board, who informed me, that the vessel 

 was a snow called the Two Sisters, commanded by 

 Robert Maxwell, which he had chartered to bring 

 out our supplies. That he had sold both our own 

 vessels, and that my brother John had bought the 

 Earl of Dartmouth, and would send her out to me 



