The fishing season ended, the men embarked and boats returned to sell 

 their catch in France, abandonning the temporary installations which had 

 served in the preparation of the cod. During all of the 16th century and part 

 of the 17th, the French did not have a permanent installation in Newfoundland. 



If one can hardly doubt the priority of the coastal fishery, it is, however, 

 very probable that the bank fishery appeared but a few years later. Without 

 doubt, in fact, it happened often to fishermen arriving in April to find the 

 bays closed by pack ice. It would not appear doubtful in such case that they 

 did not have the idea of taking their chance in the open sea in awaiting the 

 opening of the island shores, and that they were thus led to fish temporarily 

 on the banks and to note the richness of these waters in cod. Moreover, one 

 would judge that it was wasteful to go to fish and work on the shore of New- 

 foundland on the fish with which one could fill the boat directly at sea, whence 

 it resulted that part of the boats equipped themselves uniquely for the bank 

 fishing. 



The initiative in this fell to the Normands, for the Bretons, and espe- 

 cially the Malouins, stayed for a long time faithful to the shore fishery. 



The first certain evidence of a boat equipped exclusively for the Grand 

 Bank fishery is traced to the year 1536. From this time, this outfitting was 

 always practiced, along with the outfitting of numerous fleets for the coast 

 of Newfoundland. 



The crews sailing on these boats employed in the bank fishery were al- 

 ways smaller than those necessary for the shore fishery, for the handling of 

 the fish was much simplified. Aboard vessels from 50-70 tons, there was 

 hardly ever over a dozen men. It could be as much as 18 men for boats at- 

 taining 90 tons. As a general rule, a cabin boy was shipped for each 10 men, 

 in order to insure continuity in the recruitment of fishermen. 



The command of these bank vessels was exercised by the captain, a sail- 

 or elevated to this function by reason of his practical knowledge of navigation 

 on the high sea and especially his experience in the fishery. He was assisted 

 by a pilot to whom fell more particularly questions of navigation and by a 

 boatswain chosen for this duty because of his experience and authority. 



At this distant epoch, the fishing season lasted sometimes almost all 

 the year, under conditions much harder than those for crews engaged in the 

 shore fishery. The ships which had to take on salt at the Isle of Rey or at 



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