THE GEORGE'S BANK COD FISHERY. 187 
natives still on board, and hastened to Saint John’s for officers of the law. Saint John’s is 6 miles 
distant from Tor Bay. When the skipper finally reached his vessel with officers the invaders were 
forced to go ashore. Beyond binding them to promises of no further violence their action was not, 
noticed by the Newfoundland authorities. The skipper could not obtain his bait from the people 
of that harbor, but he had escaped without any further injuries. This man I met, and heard his 
story from his own lips. 
‘Nor is the feeling of malice and hostility ended yet, for even this present year of 1880 has fur- 
nished new instances. On August 4 the schooner and many of the crew with whom I had passed 
the previous summer entered Conception Bay in search of bait. In the harbor 200(?) natives 
boarded the vessel, prevented by violence their taking squid, and finally compelled them to get 
under way and leave the cove where they had anchored. 
I will not say that the fishermen are not in part responsible for the temper of mind of the natives 
toward them. Some of the more slippery fellows have, I doubt not, in past times dealt unfairly 
with the Newfoundlanders. I have heard of some who obtained unfair measure, or who slipped 
their cables before the bills had been settled. The younger men among the bait-catchers are also 
somewhat actuated by jealousy toward the fishermen, since the latter are great gallants ashore 
among the young women, and the latter turn from their native beaux to the Americans, to the 
infinite disgust and chagrin of the former and the ill-concealed and often unconcealed satisfaction 
of the latter. . 
A further discussion of the manner of obtaining and preserving bait is given by Mr. Osborn, 
in Section IV of this report, under the head of “Life of Fishermen on Shipboard.” 
4.—THE GEORGE'S BANK COD FISHERY. 
By G. BRown GoopE ANnpD J. W. CoLuins. 
1. ORIGIN AND PRESENT IMPORTANCE. 
The George’s Bank cod fishery, or, as commonly called, the George’s fishery, was carried on to 
some extent by vessels from Marblehead as early as the middle of the last century,* but there 
is no record to show that it was long continued, nor is there any one now living who remembers 
fishing vessels going there prior to about 1821. 
This fishery is now carried on almost exclusively from Gloucester. Vessels from this port first 
visited George’s Bank in search of halibut about the year 1830, and in connection with the halibut 
took considerable quantities of codfish. Since the decrease of halibut in that region there has 
been a constant fishery there for cod. The George’s fishery has not yet shown a tendency to 
* William Douglass, in Vol. I, page 302, of his History and Political Summary of British Settlements in North 
America, printed at London in 1760, says: 
‘‘ Marblehead, in New England, ships off more dried cod than all the rest of New England besides; anno 1732, a 
good fish year, and in profound peace, Marblehead had about one hundred and twenty schooners of about 50 tons 
burthen; seven men aboard, and man ashore to make the fish, is about one thousand men employed from that town, 
besides the seamen who carry the fish to market; if they had al] been well fished, that is, 200 quintals to a fare, would 
have made 120,000 quintals. At present, anno 1747, they have not exceeding seventy schooners, and make five fares 
yearly; first to the Isle of Sable; the codfish set in there early in the spring, and this fare is full of spawn: formerly, 
they fitted out in February, but by stormy weather having lost sume vessels and many anchors, cables, and other 
gear, they do not fit out until March. Their second fare isin May to Brown’s Bank and the other Banks near the Cape 
Sable coast; these are alsu called spring fish. Their third and fourth fares are to Saint George’s Bank, called summer 
fish. Their fifth and last fare is in autumn to the Isle of Sables; these are called winter fish.” 
