SAILOR FISHERMEN OF NEW ENGLAND. 



89 



hung up in some convenient place. If they were put away wet they would mold, and if dry they 

 might heat and ignite; above all, it is necessary that they should be ready for use at a moment's 

 notice. Bach member of the crew has his own nails or hooks upon which his oil clothes are always 

 hung. The act of donnipg the oil-skin suit is called " oiling up." Every man carries from two 

 to five changes of clothes, which he stows away in a canvas bag called a " clothes-bag." Conve- 

 nience, as well as the fisherman's prejudice against valises, causes this custom to be almost univer- 

 sally observed. The bag is about 18 inches in diameter and from 3 to 4 feet long, and is stowed 

 in the back part of the berth. Some men use it for a pillow. 



BED-CLOTHiNa. — Another part of the fisherman's outfit, which may properly be considered in 

 connection with his wardrobe, is his bed-clothing. This includes a mattress, or, more generally, a 

 sack of a coarse hempen fabric stuffed with straw, called a bed-sack. In Gloucester these are 

 kept in the outfitting stores and are furnished by the owners and charged to the men; when filled 

 and ready for use they cost $1.25. The other bed-clothing, furnished by the men themselves, 

 consists of blankets or quilts, of which each man carries one, two, or more. The pillows are 

 stuffed with feathers ov straw, and are provided by the men. When a man changes from one 

 vessel to another he carries with him his clothes-bag, his bed-sack, and his bed-clothing; hence 

 the common expression which is used to describe the man who is leaving a vessel and who is said 

 to "jerk his straw." 



Shobe clothes. — The clothes which the fishermen wear on shore are in no way peculiar. 

 The better classes in Gloucester live at home or in their boarding-houses ; and after returning 

 from a trip they cast aside their vessel clothing, and appear well dressed and well behaved- 



44. FOOD ON THE VESSELS. 



Mr. Osborne gives the following list of stores carried by'a Grand Bank cod schooner with a 



crew of twelve men setting out for a three months' cruise : 



Coflfee pounds.. 15 



Condensed milk (cans) • dozen.. 4 



Onions bushel.. 1 



Potatoes do 10 



Beans barrel.. 1 



Dried apples do 1 



Dried peas bnshel.. 1 



Essence of lemon (bottles) dozen.. 2 



Raisins . boxes.. 4 



Pepper pounds.. 2 



Salt bags.. 3 



Mustard pounds.. 2 



Cloves do 1 



Ginger do 2 



Cassia do 1 



Sage boxes.. 4 



Nutmegs pound.. ^ 



Beef • barrels.. 5 



Pork do 1 



Pigs' knuckles . do 1 



Butter pounds.. 200 



Lard do 150 



Flour barrels.. 8 



Eice bushel.. 1 



Oatmeal ...do i 



Indian meal pounds.. 20 



Hard-tack crackers barrel.. i 



Corn-starch papers.- 12 



Saleratus.... ; pounds.. 5 



Baking powder (packages) dozen.. 4 



Hops 1 pound.. 1 



Brown sugar pounds.- 350 



Molasses barrel.. 1 



Tea pounds.. 20 



In connection with his discussion of life on board the vessels, Mr. Osborne speaks of the manner 

 in which these articles are prepared for the table. He writes : " From a glance at the list of provis- 

 ions it is evident that, in the hands of a good cook, there is no reason why the crew should not be 

 provided with excellent fare. The table on board the vessel was very good indeed ; the lack of 

 fresh provisions was felt, but the bread and the butter, and, in fact, the fare generally, was far 

 better than that of the Provincials in the ports where we landed. I was surprised to find the 

 fishermen living so weU, and spoke of it, asking if it were generally so. In answer to this I was 

 informed that on our vessel living" was not better than the average, and that the crews of many 



