76 HISTORY AND METHODS OF THE FISHERIES. 
proper shape, or, if the hook cannot be fixed so that it will serve all purposes, it is condemned and 
thrown aside; if a ganging is poor, the hook attached to it is also thrown aside to be reganged. 
The trawls are marked in various ways with the number of the boat they belong to, and as they 
are passed on deck each dory’s crew stand by to select or claim their own gear. When the marks 
happen to be indistinct on a good trawl, considerable discussion about the ownership frequently 
takes place; as all who have to rig new trawls or have some that are nearly worn out are eager to get 
it, and several will declare it is theirs and point out some peculiarity in the rig which they claim no 
one else has but themselves. Some put in a claim, just for fun, to make the other claimants talk 
more earnestly; and considerable amusement is occasioned in this way, the non-contestants always 
urging on the others and laughing. 
At last, all differences being satisfactorily settled, the men take up their stations on different 
parts of the deck, and the work of “fixing up” the trawls goes briskly on, many of the workers 
singing some ballad of the sea or telling their chums long stories of experiences which they met 
with while last on shore. 
At 9a. m. the wind hauled so far to the westward that we took in the staysail and winged 
the foresail. At 10 o'clock we jibed the mainsail, bringing the main-boom on the starboard side. 
The wind was quite light after 10, and weather hazy. At 2p. m.we made Seal Island, Nova 
Scotia, bearing NE. by N., 8 miles distant. The work on the gear was completed at 4 p. m., and 
the trawls were stowed below. At 7p. m. barometer 29.40; wind WSW., and breezing up; sky 
overcast. The barometer continued to fall, and at 8.30 stood on 29.30 and vibrating very much. 
The night was intensely dark, with “spitting” snow in the air. I considered the danger of being 
struck with a squall so imminent that, notwithstanding the wind was light, we took in the -gaff- 
topsail and mainsail at 9 p. m. and furled them up. 
Sunday, January 26, 1879.—This day began with a strong breeze WNW.., and the barometer, 
which was on 29.15, indicated still more wind. The night or early morning was exceedingly dark, 
and having previously taken in and furled the mainsail and gaff-topsail, we double-reefed the fore- 
sail at 1.20 a. m., and took the bonnet out of the jib. At this time the wind was increasing rap- 
idly, blowing in sharp puffs, and hauling to NNE., while it grew cold very fast, causing the flying 
spray to soon congeal into ice on the rigging and such portions of the hull as were not under water 
when the vessel lurched. At 4.30 a. m. the wind had freshened to a gale, and the sea ran sharp 
and high, causing our vessel, which was running with the wind abeam, to occasionally take a heavy 
lurch to leeward. Fearing the dories might be injured if we continued on our course, we furled 
the jib and hove to under the reefed foresail until 7 o’clock in the morning, at which time we kept 
off again, the wind in the interim having changed to NNW., which was fair for us, though it was 
blowing hard.* It was bitterly cold all the morning and ice made rapidly on deck and about the 
rigging. Nevertheless, we set the jib and riding-sail soon after breakfast, and a half hour later saw 
a vessel at anchor ahead, which, as we approached nearer, we knew was the Everett Steele. There 
was no one to be seen on her deck, and as we passed close to her stern our men, most of whom had 
gathered aft on the quarter, joined in a general shout. This had the desired effect of frightening 
her crew, and four or five of the Steele’s men rushed up, bareheaded and stockingfooted, to be 
greeted by the laughter and shouts of our fellows as we went dashing by. At 10 o'clock a. m. we 
passed a brig which was lying to under main-staysail. She was badly iced up, and appeared to be 
taboring heavily, rolling her lee yard-arms nearly to the surface of the water. 
*The schooner Howard, of Gloucester, in which I had formerly sailed, was knocked down and came near being 
lost in this gale; the Thresher, of the same port, also had her deck swept, and it is believed by many that the Gwen- 
dolen, which was also bound to the Banks, went down the same day, since she was never seen afterwards, 
