110 HISTORY AND METHODS OF THE FISHERIES. 
The passage home was uneventful, the crew being unemployed the greater part of the time. 
Some read, others walked the deck, smoked if they could get tobacco, and lay in their bunks. 
Most of the food gave out, until toward the last nothing but salt meat and bread were left. We 
reached Gloucester the 17th of September. 
4. THE VESSELS 
A part of the salted halibut is brought into port by vessels not exclusively engaged in this 
fishery. Vessels visiting the Banks after codfish are in the habit of salting the halibut they catch, 
and even the fresh-halibut fishermen, when the number of fish taken is greater than they have ice 
for preserving, often salt the remainder. But at present the larger part of the salted halibut is 
obtained by schooners “fitted out” for catching and salting these fish. These schooners, in size, 
speed, and sea-worthiness are among the best of fishing vessels. Remaining on the fishing grounds 
months at atime they often experience heavy weather such as only the stanchest vessels could 
possibly survive, and, as the grounds are at a distance from home, size and speed are very desir- 
able. 
The following table gives the names, the tonnage, and the date and place of building of vessels 
engaged in the Davis’ Strait fishery, which has for the last few years monopolized the salt-halibut 
fishery: 
Tonnage, date, and place of butlding of vessels that have been engaged in the Davis’ Stratt fishery. 
Name. Tonnage. wae ‘Where built. 
Aaron Burnham...... 69 1870 | Essex, Mass. 
Albert Clarence ...... 101 1863 | Portsmouth, N. H. 
Bellerophon .......... 85 1873 | Essex, Mass. 
Banker Hil] .......... 100 1875 | Gloucester, Masa. 
Caleb Eaton ........-. 104 1866 | East Boston, Maas. 
Carrie Jones .......... 97 1869 | Chelsea, Mass. 
Cantrd, crssecencesnve 74 1877 | Essex, Mass. 
Grace L. Fears... ... 88 1874 | Gloucester, Masa. 
Henry Wilson ........ 93 1875 | Essex, Masa. 
Herman Babeon ...... 101 1876 | Essex, Mass, 
John Atwood......... 109 1865 | Kennebunk. 
Mambrino Chief ...... 227 1871 | East Boston, Mass. 
MaryE ............... 67 1871 | Essex, Masa. 
Nulli Secundus ....... 89 1874 | Essex, Mass. 
River Queen. ... 129 1853 | Haddam, Cenn. 
Thorwaldsen ..-...... 8&6 1871 | Essex, Mass. 
William 8. Baker. .... 103 1860 | Essex, Mass. : 
Averago......... 101+ 
i 
5. APPARATUS AND METHODS OF FISHING. 
The fishing is done by means of trawls. A trawl is composed of several parts. First, there 
is the ground-line, which is anchored at each end and lies on the bottom. The hooks are attached 
to lines 5 feet long, called gangings, which are in turn fastened to the ground-line at every 2 
fathoms, sometimes at every 2. To mark the position of each end of the trawl, a line extends 
from the anchor at the end of the ground.line to a buoy on the surface of the water. 
The main or ground-line is about a quarter of an inch in diameter, and is made up of parts 
50 fathoms long. Hach of these parts has one end fastened, so that it will not unravel, while the 
other has a loop spliced in it. The end not spliced is tied’to the loop end of the next part by 
a knot, which is both strong and secure, though easily untied. The trawls can thus, by using 
