THE COD FISHERY 279 



The trip proved a failure, and deterred others from going 

 there for a time. Notwithstanding the uncertainty of the 

 season, the lack of knowledge of the fishing grounds, and 

 the long distance from home, there were 31 trips made 

 from Gloucester to the grounds of Davis Strait for halibut 

 from 1866 to 1881. The total catch of salt halibut was 

 3,283,765 pounds, or 113,233 pounds for each of the ves- 

 sels returning. 1 Another venture by the New England 

 fishermen to new fishing grounds was made in 1890 by the 

 schooner Gatherer, of Gloucester, to the coast of Norway 

 for codfish. She arrived just too late for the season. The 

 expedition to the coast of Norway was a failure, but the 

 vessel, returning by the way of Iceland, secured a fair 

 trip of halibut. 2 



The method of catching ground fish by hand-line from 

 the vessel continued to a limited extent down to 1860. By 

 1880 the method had practically given way to the use of 

 dories. Hand-line fishing from dories first appeared be- 

 tween 1855 and 1856. The use of the trawl in these fish- 

 eries was as early as 1851 or 1852. 3 The process of trawl 

 fishing from dories a quarter of a century ago has changed 

 but little during the years. By this method, dories are sent 

 out from the vessel which is anchored on some good fish- 

 ing ground. Each dory has two men, and a trawl to be 

 set. In this way, the area over which the vessel fishes is 

 increased as many fold as there are dories. 



An account of the pursuit of the offshore fisheries from 

 Gloucester in 1876 sets forth the condition of fishing thirty 

 years ago, which, in most ways, is essentially the same to- 

 day. The writer says, "The Grand and Western Bank 

 Fishery is pursued to a greater or less extent during every 

 month in the year. Last year this business employed 175 



1 Ibid, p. 92. 



2 Boston Fish Bureau Report, 1892. 



s Goode, History and Methods of the Fisheries, I, p. 168. 



