METHODS OF DEEP-SEA FISHERIES 303 



especially if the fog suddenly shuts in and the wind springs 

 up. Then comes the terror of being lost in the fog, of 

 rowing for hours and days at a time in order to reach 

 land, the dread experience of having to pass sleepless nights 

 and disappointing days at the oars in the ceaseless labor 

 of rowing. Many strayed dories are picked up by other 

 vessels; others reach the coast and are cared for; some 

 are overwhelmed by storms that arise and their crew meet 

 a quick death in the sea; while to a few that cruel fate of 

 insanity and starvation aboard their frail craft is re- 

 served. The hardships that befall the life of a fisherman 

 can only be realized by following in his steps and being an 

 active participant in the hazardous, laborious, and ill-paid 

 calling of the followers of the sea. 



The process of curing cod, haddock, hake, pollock, and 

 cusk is essentially the same as was practiced a century 

 ago. As soon as the dories return to the vessel the dress- 

 ing of the fish is begun. The usual gang aboard a Grand 

 Bank vessel consists of a "throater," a "gutter," and a 

 "splitter." The first-named person cuts the fish across 

 the throat below the gills, slits open the abdominal walls 

 and cuts off the fish's head. The "gutter" removes the 

 organs that are contained within the abdominal walls, the 

 livers being thrown into a barrel to be saved for their oil, 

 the other parts being cast overboard. The fish then passes 

 to the splitter who, with a knife that is rounded at the 

 end, cuts along each side of the backbone from the ventral 

 side towards the back and removes the bone from the 

 fish. Care is taken that the cut does not extend too deep 

 and appear through the fish, or too far from the bone 

 and thus leave much flesh on the bone that is removed. 

 Sometimes the "sounds," or air bladders, are removed 

 from the backbones and saved. The fish, after being split, 

 are thrown into tubs of salt water and thoroughly washed. 



The salting of fish may be accomplished in either of two 



