THE MACKEREL-HOOK FISHERY. 285 



completed her fare and is homeward bound. Some of these are lying to, and are still fishing, while 

 others have all sail set, and are heading for the Strait of Canso on their homeward way. A few 

 miles to the northeast looms up the rugged shore of the Magdalen Islands, its high outline here 

 and there broken by long stretches of sandy beach ; a train of great white gannets crosses our bow, 

 five or six of them rapidly flying close to the water ; suddenly the leader disappears beneath the 

 water, and his companions rise up for a moment and then plunge down head foremost after the fish 

 which they see. The movement is perceived by other gannets, and they flock in from all directions 

 and share the feast. As we speed along two or three of these birds, which have filled themselves 

 to repletion, are swimming in our course, unable to rise, and, iu order to escape, they disgorge their 

 stomach-loads of fish and flap away just before the vessel reaches them. We now approach tlie 

 fleet, and pass by the leeward vessels which are hove to, the starboard rails of which are lined 

 with men excitedly plying their lines. Our skipper stands on the quarter with his glass to his eye, 

 trying to determine which portion of the fleet is meeting with the best success. He selects a berth 

 near the middle of the fleet, and thither he directs the course of the vessel by word to the steers- 

 man. We thread our way in a zigzag course among the drifting vessels, sometimes escaping by a 

 few inches only the thrust of a jib-boom, and again almost snapping off the main boom of some 

 other vessel. At length we approach the selected position and heave to, coming up sharply to the 

 wind with the mainsail hard aback. The skipper takes his position at the main rigging and begins 

 throwing bait, at the same time putting out his lines for trial. After the vessel is hove to, the men 

 are lounging about the deck, yet in expectant attitudes. At a little distance from the rail stands 

 a row of barrels, one opposite the berth of each man. These are called " strike " barrels. The lines, 

 with the jigs attached, are coiled upon the cleats or lie upon the rails, each man having examined 

 his own and prepared them for immediate use. At last the skipper is seen to rapidly haul in his line, 

 pulling a glittering mackerel over the rail, and, by the peculiar motion known to the fishermen as 

 " slatting off," the fish is jerked over his right shoulder into the barrel, while the drumming of the 

 mackerel against the bottom of the barrel announces to the men that the fish have struck. The meu 

 rush to their positions, and a scene of great activity and excitement begins. The fish are now within 

 4 or 5 fathoms of the side of the vessel, but they soon come much nearer; looking over the rail we see 

 their mottled backs as they swim to and fro alongside the vessel. The lines are shortened up as the 

 mackerel rise, and now the time required for throwing over the jig and jerking it back with a mackerel 

 fast to it is only a few seconds. The men throw out their lines, pull them in, and, without glanc- 

 ing at the fish, dexterously " slat" them into the barrels, the jigs being torn out of their mouths 

 by the same motion which casts the line back into the water ; two twists of the wrist are sufficient 

 to accomplish this feat. The mackerel are large " No. 1's" and in fifteen or twenty minutes the 

 best fishermen have their barrels full. When a man's barrel is filled he springs from the rail, rolls 

 it back towards the center of the deck, and puts an empty barrel in its place. The fish may con- 

 tinue actively biting for ten minutes or for several hours, but usually the sharp biting is over very 

 soon, and the mackerel begin to " pick." Now the work is less exciting, though much more exact 

 ing upon the skill of the fishermen. When the fish are " picking," a high-line fisherman will catch 

 quantities, and the greenhorn will catch none, and even among the most skillful fishermen there is 

 a great difference in their success at this time. 



It should be stated that all the time mackerel have been biting, four men have been actively 

 employed in throwing bait over the side, at the same time attending to their lines like the remain- 

 der of the crew. The cook heaves bait in the position farthest forward, and one of the boys in the 



