78 HISTOEY AND METHODS OF THE FISHERIES. 



set the light sails. All hands busy this morning clearing the ice off the deck and rigging. The 

 sky overcast all day. There was a moderate breeze all day from SE. to SSE., and the barometer 

 remained steady. Our position at 4 p. m. by dead reckoning was 42 32' north latitude and 57 2' 

 west longitude. At 7 p. m. the wind had increased to such a smart breeze that we took in the 

 light sails. The latter part of this p. m. there was a strong whole sail breeze, as much wind as our 

 vessel could swing her three lower sails to. 



Wednesday, January 29, 1879. There was a good whole sail breeze the first of this a. m. The 

 morning broke red in the east, but overcast elsewhere. Barometer falling ; on 29.85 at 6.30 a. m. 

 The wind at this time was SE. and freshening, and our schooner had all she could stagger under. 

 We double reefed the mainsail and took the bonnet out of the jib at 7.30 a. m. The wind blew steady 

 and strong all the forenoon, but lulled some at noon and backed a trifle to the eastward; rain and 

 hail showers. At 3.30 p. m. we changed the color of the water from dark blue to a whitish green. 

 We shot-to in the wind and sounded, but got no bottom with 150 fathoms out. The wind fresh- 

 ened again at 1 p. m., and all the afternoon it blew steady and strong, accompanied with rain and 

 hail. We tacked at 4.45 p. m. and headed to the southward, with our port tacks aboard. Barom- 

 eter at 8.30 p. m., 29.60. At 11 p. m., the wind having veered some to the southward, we tacked 

 again, and headed to the eastward on the starboard tack. 



Thursday, January 30, 1879. The first part of this a. m. there was little or no wind, but as 

 the barometer was down to 29.50 I expected a change to the westward ; therefore I concluded to 

 leave the reef in the mainsail until after breakfast, when, a light breeze having sprung up from the 

 SW., we set the whole mainsail and staysail. At 8 a. m. saw a four-masted steamer going to the 

 westward. Our position at noon was 44 17' north latitude and 54 30' west longitude. Barometer 

 at noon, 29.40. When the men learned the position they began sharpening their bait knives and 

 fixing other things preparatory to setting the trawls. Longitude at 3.20 p. m., 53 46' W. Barom- 

 eter at 7.30 p. m., 29.55, at which time there was a fine southwest breeze, but later the wind mod- 

 erated. We sounded at 10 p. m. in 110 fathoms, bnt as there were no vessels in sight we hauled 

 to nearly by the wind and steered SSE., along the western edge of the Grand Bank. 



Friday, January 31, 1879. The early part of this a. m. it was calm. At 6 a. m. light 

 WNW. breeze. Barometer, 29.40. We sounded at 6 o'clock in 65 fathoms, and soon after we 

 saw two fishing vessels (one under sail and the other at anchor) to the SW. of us. We hauled aft 

 our sheets and steered for the one at anchor, which proved to be the Magic. I spoke her. The 

 skipper reported halibut very scarce on all parts of the Bank where he had tried or had heard 

 from. He told me that the schooner under sail was the William Thompson. We saw two more 

 vessels at anchor to the NNW., just in sight. We set the staysail and worked up to them ; they 

 were the Addison Center and A. M. Williams. I went aboard of the Center. She lay in 160 

 fathoms. The skipper told me that he got 7,000 pounds of halibut yesterday, but only 500 pounds 

 to-day, and he was going to get under way and shift his position. He says that there has been 

 plenty of fish here, and their present scarcity proves that they are on the move, as they usually 

 are at this season. He also said that all the fleet had left the southern part of the Bank, and 

 thinks many of them have gone farther to the northward. I had previously formed the same 

 opinions in regard to the movements of the vessels and fish. So after a brief stay I returned to 

 our vessel, filled away, and stood to the northward again. At noon we spoke the Alice M. Williams 

 at anchor in 170 fathoms, and soon after the Gatherer in 160 fathoms. Both of them had done very 

 poorly and were heaving up their anchors. These vessels were anchored from latitude 44 (where 

 the Magic lay) to about 44 8' (where the Gatherer lay). We spoke the George W. Stetson at 1.50 

 p. m. in SO.fathoms, and about 44 17' latitude. She was heaving up, too, not having taken any fish 



