THE BANK TKAWL-LINE COD FISHERY. 169 



if not quite, universal, of buying fresh bait where it cau be most conveniently obtained and 

 usiug it fresh. It is the unanimous belu-f of the men that the fish won't bite on salt bait during 

 the summer and early fall. It is, henco, only fair to suppose that the fish at such times find so 

 much invertebrate life on the bottom that only a tempting morsel attracts them, and they refuse 

 salt bait because they are not hungry. That they do refuse the salt bait is an unquestionable fact. 

 Ou our second baiting, we averaged thirteen tubs of fish daily, until the number suddenly fell. 

 We tried salt bait, and, in place of thirteen tubs, took two. The same thing happened in one 

 or two other instances. As soon as the fresh bait was replaced by the salt, there was no decent 

 catch, even when, from past success, it was but fair to expect the ordinary success. Every 

 fisherman to whom I spoke upon the subject gave it as his opinion that no fish could be caught^ 

 on salt bait until the very last thing in the fall, and that it was useless to try it. 



As to the question, "Do the fish prefer one kind of fresh bait to another, as, for example, squid 

 to capeliu," I cannot say very much. I did not have any opportunity of observing the use of any 

 bait except the squid during my trips. Of the fact of the use of the different kinds of bait I have 

 spoken under the subject of bait. What might be the result if one vessel continued using herring 

 iu August, when vessels anchored on every side were fishing with squid, I cannot say; from what 

 I know of fishermen I don't believe that many would care to try the experiment, provided they 

 could have either kind of bait at the same expense and trouble. 



d. THE VESSEL AND OUTFIT. 



FORECASTLE. The vessel was a schooner, built at Essex in 1874. Her dimensions were as 

 follows: Length, 76 feet 8 inches ; width, 21 feet 8 inches ; depth, 8 feet. Her tonnage was 70.91 tons, 

 and she cost, when built, $8,000, but the owner says she could be built to-day probably for $0,000. 

 In the extreme forward part of the vessel was the forecastle or living room of the greater part of 

 the crew. Its shape was that of a triangle with two sides curved, and was the same as the shape 

 of the bow of the vessel. On the sides of the forecastle were berths placed in two tiers, and six 

 in number on the port side. On the starboard side were four, the place of the two farthest aft 

 being used for an upright locker or dish-closet, and for some open shelves. On the inner sides of 

 the bunks ran a board about one foot wide. This, on each side of the apartment, was pierced 

 by a sort of trap-door, which, on being removed, allowed one to see quite an extensive store-room 

 or locker, used for potatoes and other stores of that sort. The ledge forming the top of the locker 

 was at such a height from the forecastle floor as to form a convenient seat, and, indeed was built, 

 I suppose, to serve just that purpose. Passing up through the apartment from the floor through 

 the deck above were the pawl-post and the foremast. Between these was placed a table so 

 devised as to furnish the greatest surface possible, when open, and to occupy the smallest space 

 when closed. In order to accomplish these ends it was made in two parts, the former of these, 

 extending from the pawl-post half-way to the foremast, was fastened securely, and was immovable ; 

 the other filled the remaining space from the forward half to the mast. When not in use it was 

 thrown up out of the way and folded around the foremast. The side of the table reached out toward 

 the berths, and parallel to them so far as to allow one sitting upon the lockers to eat from it con- 

 veniently; and to prevent dishes from sliding off in a rough sea its edge was protected by a ledge 

 extending all the way around it. The escape of dishes toward the table's center in rough weather 

 was further prevented by a piece fastened along the table parallel to the edge and leaving the 

 dishes in a sort of trough just wide enough to accommodate them. 



These three concentric triangles the berths, the lockers, and the table occupy the largest 

 part of the forecastle ; some other points are, however, worth noticing. The after end of the room 



