DANGERS OF THE PISHEEIBS. 107 



the sealing schooners ashore tobriug batck the seal-skins, there is great danger of being swamped, 

 or upset, and injured by the heavy surf. About four years ago a boat's crew of twelve men was 

 lost in this manner. A successful landing is, of course, attained only by carefully watching for an 

 interval between the brealsers, allowing sufficient time for the boat to be run upon the shore. 



In the sea-elephant fishery vessels are lost by being driven ashore, or on the rocks, from their 

 anchorage, there being no protection, in the way of good harbors, from the violence of on-shore 

 gales. 



The bottom of the bays of Heard's Island, in the Southern Indian Ocean, which is the principal 

 resort for sea-elephants, is hard, slaty rock, and therefore extremely poor ground for anchorage. 

 On thjs account, as well as from the fact that the harbors afford indifferent shelter, several vessels 

 have been lost in that locality, having been driven ashore, though having out anchors dispropor- 

 tionately large compared with the size of the vessels. 



The vessels used in this fishery are exactly like whaling vessels, and the boats belonging to 

 the vessels are the same as those used in both sealing and whaling, than which no boats are better 

 fitted for landing in the surf. 



Dangees to vessels FiSBtiNG ALONG THE COAST. — The principal dangers to which the mack- 

 erel vessels .are exposed are heavy and sudden gales, by which they are taken unawares and driven 

 upon a lee-shore. They generally fish near the coastj and are therefore specially liable to this 

 danger. They are, however, excellent sailers, and, except under extraordinary circumstances, 

 can make a harbor, or gain an offing before the gale is too heavy. The chief disasters to the 

 mackerel fleet have occurred in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, in the vicinity of the Magdalen 

 Islands, Gape Breton, and Prince Edward Island. The north shore of the latter island has been 

 the scene of many disasters. This is a peculiarly undesirable spot for vessels in a gale. There 

 is a long stretch of coast, crescentic in shape, without available harbors in a gale, while at either 

 end of the crescent are long sand-bars, the whole forming a pocket out of which it is very difficult 

 for a vessel to beat its way. In the "Yankee gale" of 1851 a great many vessels were cast ashore 

 along this whole coast. Losses have occurred since then, the severest ones in 1873, when many 

 vessels and lives were lost in that vicinity. Disasters have been frequent at the Magdalene, 

 resulting in loss of property and lives. As many as twenty-four sail of vessels were driven 

 ashore at Pleasant Bay, on Amherst Island, one of the Magdalens, in 1873. Cheticamp, a one- 

 sided harbor or anchoring place, on the north side of Cape Breton Island, has also become some- 

 what noted for the losses that have occurred to the mackerel fleet in that locality. These have 

 been chiefly during the prevalence of southeast gales, which blow with almost irresistible fury 

 from the highlands forming the southern side of the harbor. In this region most of the harbors 

 have a bar at the entrance, and are consequently most difficult of access at the very time when 

 most needed. The water, too, is shallow, and in heavy gales the seas are sharp and exceedingly 

 dangerous, making it very difficult for a vessel to work off from a lee-shore. To add to the danger, 

 there is a current usually setting in the same direction as the wind. "When the winds blow over 

 the highlands of the islands they are squally and baffling. A gale in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence 

 is, perhaps, more dreaded by fishermen than one on any other part of the coast, as it can rarely 

 occur without bringing them in close proximity to a lee-shore. 



Gloucester has suffered less in proportion to the size of its fleet in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence 

 than have Provincetown, Wellfleet, and the various ports of Maine. Cape Cod lost largely in the 

 gale of 1851, but not so much in that of 1873. One reason for the fewer wrecks among the Glou- 

 cester vessels was the fact that they are better prepared with anchors and cables than any other 

 vessels in the world. Great loss of life has resulted from these disasters, though the drifting of a 



