T^T" 



424 



AUDUBON 



myriads enter every basin and stream, to deposit their 

 spawn, for now July is arrived. The Cods follow them 

 as the bloodhound follows his prey, and their compact 

 masses literally line the shores. The fishermen now adopt 

 another method ; they have brought with them long and 

 deep seines, one end of which is by means of a line 

 fastened to the shore, while the other is, in the usual 

 manner, drawn out in a broad sweep, to inclose as great 

 a space as possible, and hauled on shore by means of a 

 capstan. Some of the men, in boats, support the corked 

 part of the net, and beat the water to frighten the fishes 

 within towards the land, while others, armed with poles, 

 enter the water, hook the fishes, and fling them on the 

 beach, the net being gradually drawn closer as the number 

 of fish diminishes. What do you think, reader, as to the 

 number of Cod secured in this manner in a single haul? 

 Thirty, or thirty thousand? You may form some notion 

 of the matter when I tell you that the young gentlemen of 

 my party, while going along the shores, caught Codfish 

 alive with their hands, and trout of many pounds' weight 

 with a piece of twine and a mackerel-hook hung to their 

 gun-rods; and that, if two of them walked knee-deep 

 along the rocks, holding a handkerchief by the corners, 

 they swept it full of capelings. Should you not trust me 

 in this, I refer you to the fishermen themselves, or rec- 

 ommend you to go to Labrador, where you will give 

 credit to the testimony of your eyes. 



The seining of the Codfish, I believe, is not quite lawful, 

 for a great proportion of the codlings which are dragged 

 ashore at last are so small as to be considered useless; 

 and, instead of being returned to the water, as they ought 

 to be, are left on the shore, where they are ultimately 

 eaten b}' Bears, Wolves, and Ravens. The fish taken along 

 the coast, or on fishing stations only a few miles off, are of 

 small dimensions; and I believe I am correct in saying 

 that few of them weigh more than two pounds when per- 



