192 HISTORY AND METHODS OF THE FISHERIES. 
which are spliced together. The lines are of steam-tarred cotton, and weigh 18 pounds to the 
\ 
dozen.* 
The line is coiled in a tub, which is a flour-barrel sawed off an inch or two above the lower 
quarter hoops, having holes in the bottom to let the water out. It is called a line-tub. The end 
of the line is fastened through two of these holes to prevent its escape. The line-tub is about half 
filled by the line when it is coiled. 
The hooks are fastened to the line by means of a peculiar contrivance, which, together with 
the lead, is called the “George’s gear.” This consists of (a) the “tail,” which is an iron or brass 
rod 12 or 15 inches long or more, three-eighths to half an inch in diameter, with an eye in one end, 
to which the hauling-line is attached by a common hitch. Around the other end of the “tail” is cast 
(b) the “lead,” a long conical plummet of lead weighing 8 pounds, about 2 inches in diameter at the 
bottom end, and about 8 inches in height, its apex embracing the lower end of the tail, the shank of 
which projects above it 8 or 10 inches. From the front lower end of the lead, which is obliquely 
truncated, emerges (c) the “horse,” which is, in fact, sometimes a continuation of the tail. When of 
metal, the horse is of the same diameter as the tail and projects from the lead 10 or 12 inches, at an 
angle of 110 degrees with its axis. The horse is sometimes made of wood or, according to a custom 
formerly universal, of several pieces of line tightly wound with smaller line. An improved form of 
George’s gear has lately been devised by L. D. Lothrop, of Gloucester, which is very popular among 
the fishermen. It is in the main precisely like the one here described, except that it is more neatly 
made and the lead has a rounded base and an attachment of brass on its lower end to prevent it 
from being bruised by the battom. In the end of the horse just mentioned is an eye, to which is 
usually attached (d) a swivel of brass; to the swivel is fastened either (e) the “sling-ding gear” or 
(f) the “spreader gear.” The sling-ding (¢) consists of a galvanized-iron rod about three-eighths 
of an inch in diameter and from 15 to 20 inches in length, with an eye at each end. The “sling- 
ding gear,” when properly rigged, is provided with a piece of line, generally the same size as the 
fishing-line, and about twice the length of the sling-ding, the two ends of which are fastened to the 
eyes in the end of the sling-ding, and the bight is made fast to the swivel in the horse. The sling- 
ding gear is then an almost equilateral triangle, two sides of which are composed of the line and 
the base of the sling-ding, the object of which is to separate the snoods and prevent them from 
fouling. The ends of this line, which forms the two sides of the triangle, are provided with 
eye-splices or attached to swivels into which the snoods are bent. The spreader gear (/), the office 
of which is the same as the sling-ding gear, consists of a flexible rod of metal, bow-shaped, and 
about 15 or 18 inches long, the center of which is fastened to the swivel in the end of the horse, 
the ends being provided, like those of the sling-ding gear, with eyes for the reception of the snoods. 
Until within the past 10 or 15 years these spreaders were often made of two to four parts of cod- 
line tightly wound around with stout salmon twine. The snoods (g), of which there are two, are 
pieces of line smaller than the hauling-line,t one of them about 9 feet, the other about 10 feet long. 
These are bent in the eyes of the sling-ding gear, and at the lower end are spliced into swivels (h), 
which may be called “‘snood swivels.” These are patented, and are made by L. D. Lothrop, of Glou- 
cester. These swivels are so contrived, by means of a slot with a large opening at one end, that 
the gangings of the hooks may: be slipped into them and held in place by means of a simple knot 
at the end. The gangings (h) are usually made of hemp line, though sometimes of cotton line, 
varying in size from that of the snood to that of the hauling-line. They are about a foot in length, 
and at one end have a simple wall-knot, by which they are held in the snood swivel; at the other 
*A dozen of these lines fastened together and sold in a bunch. The weight designates the size. 
+ A dozen of these snood-lines, each 25 fathoms long, will weigh from 10 to 14 pounds. 
