112 THE COD. 



places of resort ; and its whole range appears to be confined be- 

 tween the 50th degree of latitude and the arctic circle. 



The famous fishing banks of Newfoundland, and those which 

 lie oft' Cape Breton, appear to be the tops of vast chains of sub- 

 marine mountains, extending above five hundred miles in length, 

 and surrounded with deep seas. These extensive shallows are, 

 by the resort of the cod-fish, rendered, if not intrinsically, at 

 least ultimately of more value to the United States and Great 

 Britain, than the mines of Potosi were to Spain. Previous to the 

 discovery of the banks of Newfoundland, the seas of Iceland, and 

 those which surround the Hebrides, contained the principal, and 

 almost the only cod fisheries, and were in consequence the grand 

 resort of ships from most commercial countries. 



The fishing season on the banks of Newfoundland commences 

 about February, and ends in May ; the fish being then in the 

 highest perfection, and the state of the atmosphere the most 

 proper for its curing. The method of taking them is by the 

 hook and line, and the fishermen draw them in as fast as they 

 can throw out for them. Stages are erected along the shore 

 for salting and drying the fish ; and the number caught would 

 be sufficient to exterminate the species, had not the wisdom of 

 Providence bountifully ordained that the fecundity of this fish, so 

 beneficial to mankind, should keep pace with the annual depre- 

 dations. This astonishing fecundity would surpass conception, 

 as well as belief, were it not ascertained by experiment. Leewen- 

 hoek counted nine millions three hundred and eighty-four thou- 

 sand eggs in a cod-fish of a moderate size. The fact exhibits 

 a grand display of creative wisdom, in thus proportioning the 

 measure of propagation and destruction in the system of animal 

 existence. 



The greatest part of the cod taken on the banks of Newfound- 

 land, is disposed of in the Catholic countries of Europe during 

 the time of lent. Considerable numbers, indeed, are used in 

 this country; but these are mostly caught on our own coasts, 

 and generally eaten fresh. The cod is also found in tolerable 

 plenty on the coasts of Norway, in the Baltic, and in most parts 

 of the British seas. More southward they are less plentiful, 

 and are never seen further towards that quarter than the Straits 

 of Gibraltar. 



Thus we find in this fish an important object of attention, not 

 only to the naturalist, but also to the merchant and the politician. 

 If we consider the number of ships, and consequently of ship- 

 wrights, with other mechanics concerned in the different depart- 

 ments of ship-building, and also of sailors and fishermen employ- 

 ed in this trade, as well as in the herring and whale fishery, we 

 perceive what numbers of the human species derive their sub- 



