542 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [52] 



men of Nova Scotia who visit the Labrador coast in summer in pursuit 

 of cod and herring. This, because of its origin, is called a "novie" 

 or "nova" — a name that not only defines the type of boat, but desig- 

 nates the country from which it was first taken to Labrador. 



Mr. Stearns, in writing of the Labrador fisheries, makes the following 

 remarks concerning the boats employed in that region : 



"The boats used in the ordinary fishing are of two kinds : Those 

 called "novies," or Nova Scotia boats, being long and narrow, shallow, 

 and carrying no ballast, which, should she overturn, it would be im- 

 possible to sink her, since she would immediately right again even if full 

 of water; and those called "Yaukee barges," or boats brought here 

 from the States or made here, but to a similar pattern. These are very 

 wide for their length, and correspondingly deep. With the barges the 

 seats are so arranged that they form five partitions. The center one is 

 heavily ballasted with rocks. Of course, should one of these boats be 

 upset or filled with water, it would immediately sink to the bottom. 

 Strange to say, the barges are in more demand than the novies, from the 

 fact that while the former hold 8 quintals of fish freshly caught, the 

 latter hold only 4, or one-half the quantity. The men choose to risk 

 their lives rather than lose their fish, and principally for this reason, 

 that when the fish bite well they can load their boat without stoppiug 

 to run several miles home in a calm, pulling at the oars all the way, to 

 unload and return, often to find the fish gone or darkness approaching."* 



(r) Apparatus. 



(9) In general. — Trawl-lines are used almost exclusively, if not en- 

 tirely, by the bank fishermen. Both hand-lines and seines are employed 

 on the Labrador coast. Hand-lines, trawl-lines ("bultows" or "boult- 

 ers" in the local vernacular), gill-nets, seines, and traps are operated in 

 the coast fisheries. 



(10) Trawls and hand-lines. — The trawl-lines are essentially the same 

 as those used by the New Eugland fishermen. The hand -lines are usu- 

 ally rigged with a rough, home-made sinker or "lead," to which are 

 attached the snoods and hooks. When the cod school at and near the 

 surface, as they generally do when capelin are on the coast, so-called- 

 "float-lines" are used, these being rigged by simply fastening a hook 

 to the end of each line. 



(11) Gill-nets. — Gill-nets are set at the surface when cod are school- 

 ing, but at other times are moored close to the bottom. 



(12) Haul-seines. — Haul-seines are still extensively used. These vary 

 considerably in dimensions. 



(13) God-traps. — In recent years traps have been introduced, and in 

 many places have been very effective in taking cod. The statement is 



* "The Labrador Fisheries," by W. A. Stearns. Bulletin of the U.S. Fish Com- 

 mission, Vol. V, p. 8. 



