140 HISTORY AND METHODS OP THE FISHEEIES. 



while he scans the surface of the water for the ripple of passing schools, and a lookout in the bows, 

 motionless as a figure-head, resting upon his elbows and peering into the depths before him. Now 

 one gives warning, and over goes the seine smoothly and noiselessly, and with a rapid circuit the 

 bait is impounded and quickly hauled on board. One cast is generally sufficient, for the capelan 

 swarm in millions, swimming so densely that often a dip-net can be filled from a passing shoal. 

 They keep near the shore to avoid their finny pursuers, and are left floundering upon the rocks by 

 every reflex wave. The cod often leap clear of the water in their pursuit, and at such times may 

 be taken by the hook almost the instant it touches the water. The capelan is a delicate fish, about 

 6 inches in length and not unlike a smelt; his back a dark olive green, sides of changing rainbow 

 hues, and belly silvery white. * * * Later in the season, after this bait-fish disappears, launce 

 are used for bait, and herring in their turn. 



" Eeturning to the vessel the seines are hung to dry, and from every masthead flaunt like 

 gossamer veils swayed by the evening breeze. The boats float alongside, moored to outriggers, 

 and with their vessel seem like fledgelings nestling beside the parent bird. From many a deck 

 lurid fires flash and flicker in the gathering darkness, revealing dusky figures grouped around the 

 fishermen preparing their hasty supper. They use no stoves, but build their fires in halves of 

 hogsheads filled with sand. Then follows a night of refreshing slumber, and at earliest dawn they 

 start for the ground again. 



"At the stages on shore work goes briskly on. From the loaded boats the cod are thrown 

 upon the platform with pitchforks. There they pass respectively through the hands of the ' cut- 

 throat' and 'header,' who remove the livers, tongues, and sounds; thence to the 'splitter,' 

 who takes out the backbone, and thence, divested of the entrails, which are shoveled into the 

 water, below to the salter, who piles them in ' kenches,' head and tail, salting profusely between 

 the layers. After remaining thus for three weeks the water and ' gurry ' are absorbed, and they 

 are then placed upon the 'flakes' to dry. At the end of three days they are said to be 'made.' 

 After this they are piled in 'kenches' again for a day to ' sweat them' that is, to remove remain ing 

 moisture and are again thrown upon the flakes for a day. They are then ready to be stowed in 

 bulk in the vessel. Thus cured they bring from $2 to $3.50 per quintal. 



" Woman, too, hath a part in this business, and in the recesses of the moss-roofed hovels her 

 voice may be heard singing gaily as she ' heads,' while the unceasing splash of the water beneath 

 fitly chimes in unison. These are wont to stand in tubs while at work, protected from the filth 

 and offal by long gowns cod-liveries of oil-cloth extending to the floor ; and when their task is 

 done they emerge from these like butterflies from their chrysalids, clean and intact, in statu quo. 

 An expert will split 8,000 fish per day, or head twice that number. The lodging shanties are con- 

 structed of spruce poles or sheds, generally boasting but a single apartment, and here both sexes 

 occupy in common, the only partition being that mathematical one which excludes all objects not 

 within the line of vision." * 



Captain Atwood writes : " We sailed from Provincetown on June 6, 1820. We went to the coast 

 of Labrador, but, as it happened, we were unfortunate in getting codfish. Our men were not the best 

 of fishermen, so we got only a very small share. We carried 160 hogsheads of salt and brought back 

 about 30. I don't know how far north we went, but it was to the locality familiarly known to us as 

 Grosswater Bay. Our mode of fishing then was to let the vessel lie in the harbor and send the boats 

 out. At that time Provincetown had not a single vessel on the Grand Bank, and had two or three 

 small vessels which went to the Gul f of Saint Lawrence for mackerel. All the fishing vessels were on 

 the coast of Labrador. We carried four boats. We used one to get capelan for bait when capelan 



* Harper's Magazine, nil, 1861, 595. 



