114 FISHEEMEN OF THE UNITED STATES. 



On January 17, 1873, tlie schooner Franklin A. was run down by the schooner E. B. Phillips, 

 off Falkland Island, Long Island Sound. The E. B. Phillips struck the Franklin A. amidships, 

 carrying away both masts and cutting through the hull, causing the latter to sink almost immedi- 

 ately. The captain and the mate were knocked overboard by the shock of the colliding vessels, 

 but were rescued, narrowly escaping a watery grave. 



On May 31, 1865, the schooner Northern Chief, returning to Gloucester from the Western 

 Bank, was run down and sunk off Cape Sable by the English steamer Bosphorns. The schooner 

 had a crew of eleven men; five of them were in the cabin, and, rushing on deck, succeeded in 

 scrambling up the rigging and boarding the steamer just as the schooner was going down. The 

 rest of the n>en were drowned. This disaster was attributed to carelessness on the part of those 

 keeping watch on board the steamer. 



On May 2, 1853, the schooner Ocean Nymph, of Gloucester, was run down by the ship Sarah 

 Jane off Cape Cod, but the crew were saved. 



Many other instances might be related where vessels and lives have been lost from collision, 

 and many more in which the vessels were badly injured. 



Collisions sometimes occur through gross recklessness, or perhaps purposely in a spirit of 

 retaliation or spite. 



Among the vessels engaged in the mackerel fishery, when jigging was the method of capture 

 employed, there was a sharp competition not only between the Provincial and American fieets, 

 but to a still greater extent between vessels from different ports along the American coast, and 

 sometimes among those who were close neighbors at home. 



When mackerel were plenty in any one locality, large fleets congregated there, lying to in 

 close proximity. At such times each was anxious to secure as great a share of fish as possible, 

 and in the attempt to do this the rights of other vessels were considered of secondary importance. 

 One practice, that of " lee-bowing," as it is called, was often a cause of ill feeling. To " lee-bow " 

 a vessel is to heave to directly under her lee, thus tolling away the fish which are. playing along- 

 side, having been attracted by the bait which has already been thrown overboard. The skippers 

 of the vessels thus deprived of fish to which they had the first right, often seek a rather savage 

 revenge. By dint of skillful seamanship they carry away a boom or a boat of their rival without 

 receiving any injury themselves. Such injuries may sometimes be repaired at once, though they 

 may cause the loss of much valuable time spent in port. When from two hundred to four hundred 

 sail of vessels are closely packed together it is not uncommon for many accidents to happen even 

 when they are unintentional, especially when there is a fresh breeze blowing. It is then not unu- 

 sual for a number of vessels to meet with such minor disasters as the carrying away of mainbooms 

 or bowsprits, and even more serious damage may be inflicted. 



One of the many instances of this kind took place off the northern shores of Cape Breton in 

 the fall of 1867. A fleet numbering between two and three hundred sail had collected in the 

 vicinity of Cheticamp, and, as it was late in the fall and the mackerel were moving rapidly on their 

 way from the fishing grounds, it was evident that another chance of catching them during that 

 season was unlikely to present itself. The mackerel bit freely, but would stay only for a short time 

 alongside of the vessels. For this reason the vessels were under way most of the time. The wind 

 blew fresh and the crews were eager to improve this last opportunity for that season. A great 

 many of them were reckless in the extreme. A number of the vessels had their sails torn, their 

 spars carried away, and many were run down and cut nearly to the water's edge. The disabled 

 vessels were obliged to cease fishing and haul out of the fleet for repairs. The loss of the oppor- 

 tunity to fish seemed to be the lesser evil, for they were on a rock bound coast and far from any 



