Brouage left their port of outfitting in January or February; those which 

 had their salt aboard in advance left in February or March. The boats which 

 made only one voyage a year returned in July or August, but those which had 

 the chance to return in June with a full trip of cod usually made a second 

 trip. In this event, they would not return until November, sometimes even 

 December, so that work on the banks went on from April to October or No- 

 vember. 



A roving sort of fishery was practiced on the Grand Bank, but this local- 

 ization was not exclusive. From the 16th century numbers of captains would 

 take their chances on neighboring banks, as well as in certain regions in the 

 Gulf of St. Lawrence, notably in the neighborhood of the Magdalene Islands. 



The outgoing crossing was made by the southern route, long followed by 

 the sailing vessels, by which they avoided a long series of contrary winds. 

 The captain was apprised by signs, and especially by the flight of birds, of 

 the approach to the banks, of which recognition was made by sounding. 



On arrival at the place of fishing, sometimes even in the last days of 

 the crossing if weather permitted, the carpenter and his helpers installed on 

 one side of the vessel, generally the starboard, a platform exterior to the 

 side of the vessel. Some barrels of half-hogshead size, supplied with double 

 bottoms, were solidly fastened there. 



When the captain decided to start fishing, the boat was hove to under 

 bare poles, the topmast generally taken down, the helm made fast under the 

 lee. This done, the platforms stayed on the windward side so that the lines 

 would not drag under the hull. 



Each fisherman, line in hand, installed himself in one of the barrels, 

 covering himself with his cuirier , a huge leather poncho which covered him 

 from the neck to the knees, so that water falling off the cod could not pene- 

 trate. It was this fishing post which he occupied each day, from dawn to 

 dusk, exposed, without other shelter, to the storms of the rude climate of 

 the banks and the showers of icy spray. 



Fishing was done by means of a very stout line held in the hand, about 

 four millimeters in diameter and about 100 fathoms long (actually about 160 

 meters-80 fathoms), weighted by a lead of 8-10 pounds. Under the lead at 

 the extremity of the principal line was a leader of finer cordage about 6-10 

 meters long, to which was fixed the hook. Sometimes the lead was crossed 



22 



