excvt 
NEWFOUNDLAND 
FIsHery. 
NEWFOUNDLAND FISHERY. 
is none like the fifheries. In 1534 they were actually engaged in them. A pri- 
vate man, Sir Humphry Gilbert, brother-in-law to RALEIGH, or, what was bet- 
ter, animated by a congenial foul, failed in 1583 with every provifion for fettling 
this important colony. On his return he was fwallowed up by the ocean. 
His love of improvement, and his piety, never forfook him. He was feen fitting 
unmoved in the ftern of his fhip, with a book in his hand; and often heard to 
fay, * Courage, my lads ! we are as near heaven at fea as at land *.’ 
The ifle of Newfoundland is of a triangular form, and lies between lat. 46. 40, 
and 51. 30: vifited occafionally, but not inhabited, by favages from the continent. 
The boafted mine of this ifland lies on the fouthern and weftern fides, on the 
great bank, which ftretches from north-eaft to fouth-weft, about two hundred 
leagues. The water on the bank is from twenty-two to fifty fathoms ; on the 
outfide from fixty to eighty; on the lefler banks much the fame. A great 
fwell and thick fog generally mark the place of the greater. The fubjeét of the 
fithery has been often treated of ; but the following fhort though clear account of 
fo interefting a fubject cannot fail being acceptable to the Briti/h reader. 
“The boats or fhallops are forty feet in the keel, rigged with a mainmaft and 
foremaft, and lugfails; furnifhed with four oars, three of which row on one 
fide, and the other (which is twice as large) delays the other three, by being 
rowed fideways over the ftern, by a man who ftands up for that purpofe, with his 
face towards the rowers, counteracting them, and fteering at the fame time as he 
. gives way to the boat. 
“ Each of the men in this boat is furnifhed with two lines, one at each fide of 
the boat, each furnifhed with two hooks ; fo here are fixteen hooks conftantly em- 
ployed ; which are thought to make a tolerable good day’s work of it, if they 
bring in from five to ten quintals of fifh, though they have ftowage for, and 
fometimes bring in thirty. ‘Two hundred quintals is called a faving voyage; but 
not under. The bait is fmall fifh of all kinds; Herring, Capelin, Lance, Tom 
Cod, or young Cod ; the firft of which they falt, and keep for fome time, in cafe 
of fcarcity of the reft; but thefe are not near fo eagerly taken by the fifth when 
falted. In cafe fmall fifh cannot be got, they ufe fea-fowl, which are eafily taken 
in vaft numbers, by laying nets over the holes in the rocks where they come to 
rooft in the night. If neither {mall fifth nor birds are to be got, they are forced 
to ufe the maws of fifh they catch, which is the worft bait of any. , 
‘¢ When the fifh are taken, they are carried to the ftage, which is built with one 
end over the water for the conveniency of throwing the offals into the fea, and 
® Hackluyt, iii, 159. 
for 
