EPISODES 



423 



get a good deal of rest during the voyage, and on Monday- 

 things go on as before. 



I must not omit to tell you, reader, that, while proceed- 

 '••«g from one harbor to another, the vessel has passed near 

 a rock which is the breeding-place of myriads of Puffins. 

 She has laid to for an hour or so, while part of the crew 

 have landed, and collected a store of eggs, excellent as a 

 substitute for cream, and not less so when hard boiled as 

 food for the fishing-grounds. I may as well inform you 

 also how these adventurous fellows distinguish the fresh 

 eggs from the others. They fill up some large tubs with 

 water, throw in a quantity of eggs, and allow them to 

 remain a minute or so, when those which come to the sur- 

 face are tossed overboard, and even those that manifest 

 any upward tendency share the same treatment. All 

 that remain at bottom, you may depend upon it, good 

 reader, are perfectly sound, and not less palatable than 

 any that you have ever eaten, or that your best guinea 

 fowl has just dropped in your barn-yard. But let us re- 

 turn to the Codfish. 



The fish already procured and salted is taken ashore at 

 the new harbor by part of the crew, whom the captain has 

 marked as the worst hands at fishing. There, on the bare 

 rocks, or on elevated scaffold? of considerable extent, the 

 salted Cod are laid sid-" by side to dry in the sun. They 

 are turned several times a day, and in the intervals the 

 men bear a hand on board at clearing and stowing away 

 the daily produce of the fishing-banks. Towards evening 

 they return to the drying-grounds, and put up the fish in 

 piles resembling so many hay-stacks, disposing those to- 

 wards the top in such a manner that the rain cannot injure 

 them, and placing a heavy stone on the summit to prevent 

 their being thrown down should it blow hard during the 

 night. You see, reader, that the life of a Labrador fisher- 

 man is not one of idleness. 



The capelings have approached the shores, and in 



