174 



HISTORY AND METHODS OF THE FISHERIES. 



per ton, but were forced to pay for what we had in Newfoundland at the rate of $4 per ton. The 

 " baiting up" of fishermen has grown into such an enterprise, that in nearly every hamlet some one, 

 or often two, preserve ice to sell during the fishing season. As to the amount of ice used, 4 tons 

 is enough to preserve 40 barrels of bait during a period of from fourteen to eighteen days. The 

 melting of the ice is much hastened by the salt atmosphere in which it is kept, so that it would 

 seem that, were the ice-pen made tighter and so as to allow less ventilation from the hold, the 

 ice, and bait too, could be preserved much longer. 



PROVISIONS. In addition to these supplies were also the provisions, which must last the crew 

 during their entire stay. For, although it would be possible to purchase in Newfoundland any 

 provisions, they would be obtainable only at very great disadvantage. I append a list of the 

 stores furnished to the vessel as it was given to me by the steward : 



From a glance at this list one can see that a good cook could prepare excellent fare for our 

 men. Their fare was very good indeed, far better than I ever saw among the Newfoundlanders, 

 or even the Nova Scotians. Some fresh provisions were, of course, wanting, that landsmen could 

 have, but our bread and butter, and, indeed all our fare, was very much better than that of the folks 

 ashore. I was surprised to find our men living so well and spoke of it, asking if all the fishermen 

 fared as well as they. In answer to this I was assured that in our vessel the living was only average, 

 and that some lived even far better, because, being more inshore, they had more frequent chances 

 to obtain fresh provisions. 



In addition to having the care of providing these provisions, the cook was also responsible for 

 securing an abundant supply of wood and coal and the further light stores included in the following 

 list, viz: Kerosene, 1 barrel; burners for lamps, dozen; burners for lamps to be used without 

 chimneys, dozen; wicks, 2 bunches ; stove-polish; matches. 



WATER. By far the most important store carried in the vessel is water. This is usually carried 

 in barrels stowed about the deck and in the hold, though in some cases a tank is built in the vessel 

 for its reception. On departing from home a vessel takes on board a supply large enough to last 

 several days, relying on Newfoundland for a general filling up. In Gloucester the water is purchased 

 from an aquariits, who plies about the harbor in a boat called the Aquapura. The hold of this boat 

 is one immense tank, filled from the city hydrants, and from it the water is pumped into the barrels 

 of the schooner. Judging from the taste of the water and the untidy appearance of the Aqua pura, 

 one might think that the waterman was not quite as neat about his water-tanks as could be desired. 

 In fact, to a landsman the water he supplied was absolutely disgusting, so that the thought occurred 

 to me that some arrangement in Gloucester for supplying that enormous fleet of fishermen with 

 good, pure, fresh water, and that, too, conveniently, was an imperative demand. 



