6l6 THE OCEAN WORLD. 



fruitful fields of fish. In 1578 France sent 150 ships to the great 

 bank, Spain 125, Portugal 50, and England 40. 



During the first half of the eighteenth century, England and her 

 colonies, with the French, cultivated the cod-fishery. 



From 1823 to 183 1 France sent 341 ships, with 7,685 men, which 

 carried into port over 50,000,000 pounds of fish, an average of about 

 6,000,000 pounds annually. Two thousand Enghsh ships of various 

 sizes, manned by 30,000 seamen, are now employed in this important 

 branch of industry. 



On the coast of Norway, from the frontiers of Russia to Cape 

 Lindesutes, the cod-fishery is an important branch of trade, in which 

 a maritime population of 20,000 fishermen are employed, with 5,000 

 boats. 



The cod is taken either by net or line. The net is chiefly 

 employed at Newfoundland. The net used is rectangular, and 

 furnished mth lead at the lower edge and cork buoys on the upper 

 edge. One of the extremities is fixed on the coast; the other is 

 carried seaward, following a curve taken by the boats, and the fish are 

 attracted by dra^^"ing upon both extremities of the net ; and by one 

 stroke many boat-loads are sometimes taken. 



The modern cod-smack is clipper-built, with large wells for carry- 

 ing the fish alive, its cost being about ^^1,500. The crew usually 

 consists of ten to twelve men and boys, including the captain. The 

 line is also used for taking cod and haddocks. " Each man," says 

 Bertram, "has a line of fifty fathoms in length, and attached to each 

 of these lines are a hundred ' snoods,' with hooks already baited with 

 mussels, pieces of herring, or whiting. Each line is laid clear in a 

 shallow basket, and so arranged as to run freely as the boat shoots 

 ahead. The fifty-fathom line with a hundred hooks is in Scotland 

 called a ' taes.' If there are eight men in a boat, the length of the 

 line will be 400 fathoms, with 800 hooks, the lines being tied to each 

 other before setting. On arriving at the fishing-ground, the fishermen 

 heave overboard a cork buoy, wath a flagstaff about six feet in height 

 attached to it. This buoy is kept stationary by a line, called the ' pow 

 end,' reaching to the bottom of the water, where it is held by a stone 

 or grapnel fastened to the lower end. To the ' pow end ' is also 

 fastened the fishing-line, which is then paid out as fast as the boat 

 sails, which may be from four to five knots an hour. Should the 

 wind be unfavourable for the direction in which the crew wish to set 

 the line, they use the oars. When the line or ' taes ' is all out, the 

 end is dropped and the boat returns to the buoy. The ' pow ' Hne is 

 hauled up with the anchor and fishing-line attached to it. The 



