The lines and the leaders were of treated hemp. The leaders or gang- 

 ions, were about one fathom long, equipped with large silver-plated iron 

 hooks of French make. 



At Nantes, which was the principal port of landings and sale of cod, the 

 fish were classified, according to size and weight, in four categories. The 

 large, or market, cod weighed 900 pounds per hundred. The medium cod 

 weighed 600 pounds per hundred; and the small cod 300 pounds per hundred. 

 Finally, one classified together, as trash or ling, the small cod not accepted 

 as of the best quality as well as such varieties as ling, whiting and haddock. 



In the Normand ports, the market classifications were: la. gaffe, which 

 designated cod of exceptional size (taken by gaff); la trie or medium cod, 

 la ling and la. roguet, which included the small cod called valide or patelet ; 

 finally le rebut or trash. The sale of the latter was made by a count of 54 

 handfuls, being about 108 fish per hundred pounds. For cod salted in bar- 

 rels, in the round, one dealt with a measure of 12 barrels of 66 handfuls per 

 barrel. The salted barrels weighed 150 pounds dry of pickle; with pickle 

 about 300 pounds. 



At the beginning of the Revolution, the dry and green- salted cod com- 

 merce from the banks and from the French Shore carried a figure of trans- 

 actions, enormous for that epoch, of 6 million francs. In 1792, which was 

 the last year of the fishery of the 18th century, the outfitting for these desti- 

 nations amounted to 202 vessels with a total tonnage of 191, 153 tons. 



47 



