56 HISTORY AND METHODS OF THE FISHERIES. 
day-time. While there we had the heaviest gale that I have ever encountered, and as an account 
of it may possibly prove interesting, I will insert it here as an incident of the halibut fishery. We 
set under sail at noon of December 8, in 150 fathoms, in latitude 44° and longitude 58° 30’ by dead 
reckoning. We had eight skates of trawl out, set in four strings, three men going ina dory. As 
the weather looked threatening, we left the gear out only about two hours before we began to haul. 
The wind blew so strong, just as the men finished hauling, that the vessel could not carry her three 
lower sails, and I had to heave her to under mainsail and foresail. The dories came aboard safely, 
however, bringing a good catch of fish (about 5,000 pounds), but it blew so hard that I knew it would 
be of no use to attempt to anchor in deep water. We therefore took in the mainsail and jib, and 
lay to for the night close by the Andrew Leighton, which was at anchor. The schooners Augusta 
H. Johnson and Edward Grover, each of which had secured small fares of about 20,000 to 30,000 
pounds of halibut, started for home that evening. 5 
The wind, which was westerly in the evening, died out during the night, and on the morning 
of the 9th began to breeze up from the southeast. We made sail (that is, set mainsail and jib) 
before daylight, and got all ready to set our trawls, but before it was light it blew up smart from 
the southeast and began to snow. We lay by for awhile around the Andrew Leighton and her 
dories, some of which were out. After an hour or two, finding the wind increasing fast, we ran 
in on the Bank until we reached a depth of 60 fathoms, where we anchored and got all ready for 
a gale. The southeaster blew heavy, but was of short duration, being about what many winter 
southeasters generally are. 
The night of the 9th the wind jumped into WNW., and toward morning of the 10th blew 
very heavy; so hard, indeed, that, fearing the riding-sail would go to pieces, we hauled it dowf. 
The riding-sail, which belonged to another vessel, and which we had taken temporarily, was a new 
one which had no reef in it, as did our own. The latter had been left ashore, as it was too old for 
a winter trip. 
The gale increased in fury, and after daylight blew extremely hard, while, to make magters 
worse, the tide set out to run to the southward, hawsing the vessel up in such a manner that she 
Jay almost in the trough of the waves. There was a heavy sea going, too, I think the worst I ever 
saw, but we did not ship any heavy water before 8 o’cleck a.m. Just before that hour I went up in 
the companion-way and spoke to the man who had the watch, and who was busy aft by the wheel- 
box clearing the log-line, or some other small gear which had been fouled by the water washing it 
about. He was standing with his back to the sea, totally unmindfal of his danger. As I went 
below I said to him, ‘Keep a good lookout for yourself, George ; keep your eye to win@ard, for 
there are some nasty seas coming along.” “All right, skipper, I’ll look out for myself,” he replied 
in a cheerful tone. His watch was just out, and the man who succeeded him was nearly ready to 
go on deck as I went below. 
I had not been in the cabin more than a minute, when a tremendous wave broke on board, 
abaft, or about the main rigging, swept aft with resistless force, knocking the companion-way slide 
to as though it was struck with a trip-hammer, ripping two boards off of it 3 also the bait planks 
off the house; and last, and most appalling of all, sweeping the unsuspecting man, George Miller, 
into the foaming and seething waters astern, so far away as to be beyond the reach of all human 
aid. A feeling of horror, like an electric shock, passed through me as I heard the roar of the 
breaking wave and the peculiar swishing sound of the waters rushing across the deck, and I 
exclaimed to the man who was standing by the steps ready to go on deck, “My God! Silas, I’m 
afraid that sea has washed George overboard.” Reaching up, he shoved the slide back, and we 
both sprang on deck. But what a sight met our eyes! More than a hundred feet astern and drifting 
