Fishing Life in Labrador. igg 



shirts. The owner or captain furnishes them with hnes, 

 hooks, and nets, and also provides the bait best adapted 

 to insure success. The Iiokl of the vessel is filled with 

 casks of various dimensions, some containing salt, and 

 others for the oil that may be procured. The bait gen- 

 erally used at the beginning of the season consists of 

 mussels, salted for the purpose ; but as soon as the cape- 

 lings reach the coast, they are substituted to save expense ; 

 and, in many instances, the flesh of gannets and other 

 sea-fowl is employed. The wages of fishermen vary 

 from sixteen to thirty dollars per month, according to the 

 qualifications of the individual. The labor of these men 

 is^ excessively hard, for, except on Sunday, their allow- 

 ance of rest in the twenty-four hours seldom exceeds three. 

 The cook is the only person who fares better in this re- 

 spect, but he must also assist in curing the fish. He has 

 breakfast, consisting of coffee, bread, and meat, ready for 

 the captain and the whole crew, by three o'clock every 

 morning except Sunday. Each person carries with him 

 his dinner ready cooked, which is commonly eaten on the 

 fishing-ground. Thus, at three in the morning, the crew 

 are prepared for their day's labor, and ready to betake 

 themselves to their boats, each of which has two oars and 

 lug-sails. They all depart at once, and either by rowing 

 or sailing, reach the banks to which the fishes are known 

 to resort. The little squadron drop their anchors at short 

 distances from each other, in a depth of from ten to 

 twenty feet, and the business is immediately commenced.* 

 Each man has two lines, and each stands in one end of 

 the boat, the middle of which is boarded off to hold the 

 fish. The baited lines have been dropped into the wa- 

 ter, one on each side of the boat ; their leads have 

 touclied the bottom ; a fish has taken the hook, and after 

 giving the line a slight jerk, the fisherman hauls up his 

 prize with a continued pull, throws the fish athwart a 



