68 AMBROSE ON ST. MARGARET S BAY FISHING GROUNDS. 



Bay, oil one occasion, I saw a raidclle-sizecl pollack chasing a 

 whiting whose air-bladder was filled and could not be discharged, 

 so that the poor fish — (as is often the case with this species in 

 the month of September) — was obliged to skim along the sur- 

 face with its head partially out of water. It made wonderful 

 progress, however, in its endeavours to escape from its would-be 

 murderer, but all in vain, for despite the shouting of my little 

 boys who sympathised with the weaker party, the pollack at 

 length made a vigorous jump at the fugitive, and all was over. 



In all the coves and harbours around the lower parts of this 

 Bay, where much garbage is thrown into the water, large num- 

 bers of young pollack are always to be found throughout the 

 fishing season, varying from one to three or four pounds in 

 weight. They are very voracious, — always ready for the bait 

 thrown to them by the boys, and not at all squeamish at the sight 

 of hook or line. Numbers of them are cauo-ht bv the children 

 and boiled for the pigs. These small pollack are famous sca- 

 vengers, and with the help of the sea-fleas (a minute kind of 

 shrimp) rid the coves of much offensive matter which would 

 otherwise prove detrimental to the health of the fishermen. He 

 who " openeth His hand and filleth all things living with plen- 

 teousness " is, as of old, careful that nothing be lost, providing at 

 once for the health and sustenance of all His creatures. 



There are " logy " fish among pollack, but as they are always 

 full-grown and show no signs of organic disease, it may be pre- 

 sumed that old age is the cause of their sluggishness. 



Pollack are caught here for the West India market, but — 

 although very palatable when fresh and properly cooked — they 

 are, like the spotted codling and haddock, very little used 

 as food by our people. The mode of curing them adopted 

 here is the same as that for cod, haddock, &c. They spawn in 

 this Bay in October. The liver of the pollack is large and fiit. 



The lordly halibut next claims our attention, though he can 

 scarcely be said any longer to belong to this Bay. Within the 

 memory of our oldest fishermen, halibut were caught on the 

 " gravelly ground " off' the settlement of " sandy beaches,"' now 

 called Bayswater, — as also off Peggy's Cove, — l^ut for many 

 years they have been but very rarely taken an^'wherc near the 



