554 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [64] 



the boat was picked up by the Grampus and hoisted on board, but it 

 was then so rough, and the wind was increasing so rapidly, that it was 

 not considered quite safe to send for the two men then on board the 

 fishing schooner, who it was supposed would reach Gloucester Harbor 

 without special difficulty. This expectation was not realized, however, 

 for the schooner upon which the two men were was unable to reach Glou- 

 cester in the teeth of the gale then blowing. She, therefore, kept off for 

 Provincetown, but in running across Massachusetts Bay the sea broke 

 upon her to such an extent as to complete]}' fill her decks, rendering it 

 necessary to knock off her bulwarks to prevent her from* foundering. At 

 the same time she sprung aleak, and it was with great difficulty that 

 she was kept afloat until she reached the shelter of Provincetown Har- 

 bor, where she had to remain two or three days before she could return 

 to Gloucester. Capt. D. E. Collins briefly reported the return of these 

 men as follows : 



•■ Our men got back from Provincetown Sunday, at 12:30 a. m. They 

 had a rough time getting over to Provincetown and came near swamp- 

 ing before reaching there." 



This simple statement will give some idea of the severity of the gale. 



Fortunately, the mainsail of the Grampus was single-reefed when 

 she left the harbor; for she was so short-handed, owing to the absence 

 of two out of five of her seamen, that it was believed to be impracti- 

 cable to reef the sails, which were coated with ice and stiff as sheets of 

 iron. Aud, even if the mainsail could have been double reefed, there 

 was not sufficient force to hoist it. It was evident that the single- 

 reefed mainsail must not be lowered, if the vessel could possibly stand 

 up under it, with the jib and forestaysail set. " There was too much 

 wind for comfort under that sail," wrote Captain Collins, and the fact 

 that he stood at the wheel for six hours, not daring to leave it in the 

 hands of another until anchor was dropped in Gloucester Harbor, is 

 evidence of the lack of comfort, particularly as his face was badly frost- 

 bitten on both cheeks, and his clothing was covered with sheets of ice. 



In reviewing the winter's work it seems desirable to call attention to 

 various causes which operated against the obtainment of complete suc- 

 cess. In the first place, much time was lost in the fall when there was 

 a good school of cod on the shore grounds, while the vessel was wait- 

 ing to be coppered. Secondly, the delay in completing the hatchery at 

 Ten Pound Island, and the death of the fish in the live cars, prevented 

 the Commission from reaping benefits which it otherwise would have 

 derived from the live cod that were collected. The work was again 

 very much interfered with and retarded b}^ the fact that the density of 

 the sea water in Gloucester Harbor decreased so materially during 

 March and April (presumably as a result of the melting snows) that, 

 although quantities of eggs were collected, they would not float, and 

 consequently most of them died on the bottom of the hatching boxes. 



