468 HISTORY AND METHODS OF THE FISHERIES. 
With these conflicting opinions it is impossible for us at so great a distance to arrive at any 
positive’ conclusions as to the varying quantities of herring that resort to the islands each spring, 
but it is certain that the Size of the fleet has been greatly reduced by the loss sustained by natural 
causes, such as storms and encounters with ice.* 
The great decrease in the demand and the uncertainty of reaching the grounds have also 
played their part in reducing the fleet. The expense of fitting for the trip is considerable, and the 
loss of time of both vessels and men when they could be profitably employed in other branches o1 
the fisheries caused the parties interested to avoid uncertainties as far as possible. The loss sus- 
tained by the owners on several occasions was so great as to cause them to exercise considerable 
caution lest a repetition of the same should occur. The Gloucester Telegraph of May 25, 1870, 
gives the following account of the fisheries in the spring of that year: 
«< Bive vessels of the Magdalen Island herring fleet arrived home on Monday and two yester- 
day; the balance of the fleet will soon be along. This fishery has proved an entire failure this 
season, the vessels being unable to find herring, and returning home virtually empty. The failure 
of this branch of the fisheries this season entails a large loss upon Gloucester, as ap unusually 
large fleet fitted away in this business, all of which have lost the time consumed on the trip, as 
well as the considerable expenses of the voyage. The vessels are all of the first class, and might 
have been profitably employed elsewhere. 
“The herring made their appearance on the coast and in the rivers fully a month earlier than 
usual, and had disappeared before our vessels put in an appearance at their regular haunts at this 
season. The fleet from the other fishing towns of New England, though much smaller than the 
Gloucester fleet, met with the same ill success. Lamoine, Me., had ten vessels in this fishery, all 
of which together did not secure enough to make a single full fare. Newburyport had two vessels 
in the fishery, both of which have arrived home, one with 50 barrels of herring to show for a 
month’s work, and the other without a single herring.” 
*<‘These islands [Magdalens] were visited on the 23d August by one of the most terrific hurricanes which have 
ever yet swept the gulf, and lasted till the 26th. At the beginning of the gale there were 83 vessels anchored in 
Pleasant Bay. Of this number 48 broke away from their moorings and were stranded (10 on the shores of Pleasant 
Bay and 38 in Amherst Harbor), and 26 were able to make the harbor and anchor in safety, while 9 rode out the 
tempest with their anchors and cables. From what I have heard it must have been a fearful sight to witness these 
little vessels struggling against the gale, and, finally conquered by the contending elements, strike against the rocks 
during the cruel hours of darkness. It seems almost incredible that three persons only were drowned when we look 
at the deep cliffs on which some schooners grounded. The unfortunate men belonged to the E.J. Smith, of Wellfleet, 
United States, which vessel came ashore during the night under the cape at the entrance to Amherst Harbor and went 
to pieces two hours afterwards. Some other.vessels, such as the Diploma, Helen C. Woodward, and Emma L. Rich, 
after tossing about and losing their anchors, ran ashore on a solid ledge at the foot of the Demoiselles Hill, where the 
sea was breaking 100 feet high! The crews of these vessels would most probably have been lost had not two of the 
islanders, Aimé Nadean and James Cassidy, seen them coming ashore. These hardy fellows let themselves down the 
side of the cape by a rope, and were saved with the help of Cassidy’s Newfoundland dog, which plunged into the surf 
and seized the men, bringing them all on shore. Had it not been for this courageous behavior on their part, thirty- 
one more lives would in all probability have been lost. 
“Among the stranded vessels was a Jersey bark, the Swift, Captain Le Selleur, who had on board one hundred 
and thirty fishermen from the islands, all returning from Blanc Sablons. Most luckily for her passengers she was able 
to be guided to a sand bank at the entrance to the harbor when she lost her moorings. Had she gone alittle to leeward 
there would have been a fearful loss of life to chronicle. A steamer, the Commerce, from Boston, with the agent of 
the insurance offices, Captain Proctor, and all the appliances on board necessary to haul off vessels, was sent by the 
interested parties to give what assistance she could. Several schooners were got afloat, but I doubt if all will be as 
lucky. The United States Government also sent a vessel, the revenue cutter Woodbury, Commander Barr, to render 
what assistance he could in the way of transporting distressed fishermen back to their homes. Most of those ship- 
wrecked men had, however, left in the schooner before she arrived. The gale will long be remembered by all 
seafaring men, not only for its duration but for the destruction it caused to life and property all throughout our 
gulf—many are the families left fatherless and with scanty means of subsistence. Let us hope our shores will never 
again witness such a storm, or at least that a great number of years will elapse before its occurring again.”—Sixth 
Annual Report of the Department of Marine and Fisheries of Canada, 1872-’73, Appendix B, pp. 53,54. 
