532 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [42] 



The schooner Mitchie, built at Exploits Bay. is a representative of 

 the most modern and approved type of vessels employed from New- 

 foundland in the Bank and Labrador cod-fisheries. 



The following details of the above-mentioned vessel have been fur- 

 nished by her builder, Mr. Josiah Manuel : 



The outside planking and ceiling are birch and juniper, 2£ inches thick 

 on bottom and 3 inches thick on top side. The deck planking is white 

 pine. The frames (or "body timbers") are birch, spruce, and juniper, 

 sided 8J inches at throat, 7inchesinbilge, tapering to 5 inches at head ; 

 moulded 8, 9, aud 10 inches. The beams side from 8 to 10 inches, and 

 mould 8J inches in center and G inches at ends; keel 8£ inches wide. 



The principal part of the standing rigging — all the heaviest stays 

 and shrouds — is hemp ; the small stays are wire rope. 



The sails are cotton duck, of American manufacture. The mainsail, 

 foresail, and forestay-sail are No. 2 cauvas, but the other sails are made 

 of lighter material. 



The principal dimensions are as follows : 



Length : Ft. In. 



Overall 64 4 



On keel 59 



Beam, extreme 20 



Width of stern 1 16 



Depth of hold 8 



Draught of water : 



Light, aft 7 



Light, forward , 3 6 



Loaded, aft 11 



Loaded, forward , 5 8 



Tonnage 61 tons. 



(2) Seine-boat. — The boats used at Newfoundland for seining cod, her- 

 ring, and capelin are essentially of one class. There are variations, 

 due to local ideas or other causes, but so far as our observation extends 

 the following description of a St. John's seine-boat will apply equally 

 well to craft used for a similar purpose at Fortune Bay, Conception 

 Bay, and along the coast from St. John's to Cape Itay. 



The St. John's seine-boat has a round moderately slu p bow, a rak- 

 ing curved stem, round easy bilge, long convex floor, snort run, and a 

 wide V-shaped square stern. It is a keel craft, and heavily built. It 

 has only a moderate sheer. Inside, at the bow, there is a platform on 

 a level with the thwarts ; which is about 5 feet long fore and aft. Aft of 

 this, in the body of the boat, are three thwarts for the six rowers, who 

 sit " double-banked," two on each thwart. This part of the boat is 

 ceiled. In the after part of the boat are two other thwarts, the after- 

 most one being 4 feet from the stern. Between these thwarts, on a 

 platform, is stowed the seine, and at the extreme stern is a smaller 

 platform for the steersman to stand on ; this is about 3 inches higher 

 than the other. Here also, in the bottom of the boat, is sometimes 



