practiced by unscrupulous merchants who outfitted, generally in Holland 

 ports, the "Coopers". These vessels, laden with adulterated whiskey, 

 contreband tobacco, and licentious publications, plied among the fishing 

 fleets of the North Sea, realizing, among the crews, scandalous profits. 



Good arises from excess evil. In 1880, a vessel named "Anti-Cooper", 

 was outfitted in England and sailed to the fishing grounds to sell at cost 

 price, without profit, tobacco, articles of clothing, food, linen, and other 

 ordinary necessities. The success of this first attempt led, the following 

 year, to the foundation at London of the "Mission for Deep-Sea Fishermen". 

 After quickly ruining the "Coopers", the undertaking went on to real assist- 

 ance, in carrying to the fishermen, with a substantial backing, medical, 

 moral, and religious benefits. Its field of action was localized on Dogger 

 Bank and the fishing grounds off Jutland, places where the fishermen so- 

 journed, at that time, for trips of 6 to 8 weeks. Thus, in some years, as 

 many as ten vessels were outfitted for this work. From the medical point of 

 view, some of the vessels were outfitted as hospital ships; others functioned 

 as supply ships. 



In France, this example inspired the founders of the "Society of Workers 

 of the Sea". This organization was born in the last days of 1894, under the 

 guidance of a retired officer of the Marine, M. Bernard Bailly. It stated its 

 purpose as "carrying material assistance, medical, moral and religious, to 

 French sailors and those of other nationalities. " To attain this end, its pro- 

 spectus states: "it outfits hospital ships to cruise the fishing banks at appro- 

 priate seasons; each of these has a doctor and a priest. These vessels 

 respond to calls from the fishermen, carrying to them the necessary help, 

 and are entirely consecrated to their service. The Society founds also homes 

 of refuge for mariners. " 



The appeal to the public generosity, launched in all France by powerful 

 means of publicity, having been extended, the Workers of the Sea started, 

 without delay, along the road to effective realization of its ends. In the year 

 1895, at the same time the keel was laid for the first hospital ship, real 

 estate was acquired at Saint-Pierre which was immediately prepared to re- 

 ceive fishermen stopping at this port. They were then very numerous, for 

 colonial outfitting was, at that time, at the height of its development, and 

 most of the vessels outfitted in France made at least one call at Saint-Pierre 

 before beginning the first fishery. 



116 



