THE GEORGE'S BANK COD FISHERY. 189 



vessels were hauled up six months in the year, but that in 1859 some were not hauled up at all, 

 except when repairs were required. There was one arrival, January 2, from George's, and several 

 were at that time on the fishing grounds." 



For twenty years or more it has been customary for the George's fleet to set out for the Banks as 

 early as the 20th or 25th of January; at present many vessels go as early as the 15th. They start 

 thus early with the idea of getting on the Banks before the first schools of codfish strike there. 

 They very often have to return before getting a full fare on account of the bait giving out. Some 

 seasons a single vessel will strike the fish early; the others then think they can do the same. 

 Vessels very seldom start before the 15th of January, and many of the best skippers rarely go 

 before February 1, by which date the main body of the fleet is usually prepared to sail. 



In 1874 the early start of the fleet was delayed by the aqtion of the Mutual Fishing Insurance 

 Company, which refused to insure vessels leaving for the Banks before the middle of March. A 

 new company was formed that year, which insured vessels wishing to go in February, and some 

 forty sail started soon after the 1st of that month. The George's-men began to arrive from their 

 first trip before the 27th of February, and by the middle of March were coming in from their 

 second trip. 



2. THE FISHING GEOUNDS. 



The George's fishery is carried on for the most part upon George's Bank, though in De- 

 cember and January a large part of the vessels fish upon Brown's Bank and La Have; a few, 

 however, go to George's in January. The best time for fishing upon George's is in February, 

 March, and April, when the spring spawning schools of codfish appear on the Bank. During 

 these months the favorite fishing ground is upon that portion of the Bank which lies east of the 

 shoals, at a depth of 25 to 35 fathoms, this being called the "winter- fishing ground." At other 

 seasons of the year the vessels resort to the western part, or what is called "Clark's Bank" and 

 " South Channel," and also to the southeast part of George's Bank. In the fall they frequent the 

 northern edge of the Bank. Many of the vessels in summer and fall fish on Brown's Bank, Seal 

 Island Ground, and occasionally make trips to German Bank and other small grounds in the 

 B;y of Fuudy. Trips have sometimes, though rarely, been made in winter to Sable Island or 

 Western Bank, and in summer to the south shoal of Nantncket and off No Man's Land. 



After the spawning season of the cod, in February and early March, is fairly over there is a 

 great breaking up of the schools of cod and a scattering of the fishing fleet on the middle part of 

 George's Bank in 35 fathoms. Says Captain Martin: "You'll see 60 sail of vessels fishing on 

 George's in February and catching 30,000, 40,000, 60,000, and sometimes as much as 103,000 weight 

 of fish, and they'll go back in March; and it's like heaving your line into a well; there are no fish 

 anywhere." The vessels then scatter over the Bank to the South Channel, to the southeastern or 

 eastern parts of the Bank, or go off on Seal Island Ground or Brown's Bank. 



In sailing from Gloucester for George's Bank vessels steer an east-southeast course, striking 

 the edge of the Bank to the northeast of the "North Shoal." Many vessels fish in midsummer in 

 25 to 40 fathoms east of the main George's Shoal, gradually working out into deeper water. 



3. THE FISHERMEN. 



The crew of a George's-inan consists of eight to twelve men. About twelve hundred fishermen 

 of Gloucester are employed in this fishery. About one third of the men are British Provincials, 

 one third Americans, and the other third about equally divided between Swedes and Portuguese, 

 with a few Frenchmen and other nationalities. 



