September, less foggy, are the only good months of the year. From the 

 end of October, the fogs are replaced by the cold of winter. 



Activity at the port of Saint-Pierre was sensibly reduced with the Bait- 

 Bill and the progressive disappearance of landings of vessels from the 

 metropolitan ports, which was a consequence. The colonial outfitting, how- 

 ever, with its 200 two-masted vessels, the transport of seasonal workers, 

 and the movements of exports continued as important business in the colony. 



At this time, it was the colonial fishery which supplied, from May to 

 October, the important market of Bordeaux, to which the products of the 

 metropolitan fleet did not arrive until the last of October, sometimes later. 

 This prime cod, arriving already dried, was sold at a particularly remu- 

 nerative profit. In the last years of the 19th century, the Saint-Pierre out- 

 fitting also exploited with success the lobster fishery on the French Shore. 

 This was of great return until the abolition of the French Shore in 1904. 



The situation changed, after 1903, when the outfitting of two-masters 

 regularly and rapidly decreased. While the number of these vessels out- 

 fitted at Saint-Pierre was 208 in 1902, it was only 183 in 1903; then it fell 

 to 151 in 1904 and 101 in 1905. 



Many factors contributed to this decline. The season of 1903, very 

 unproductive, saw 2 3 two masted vessels lost. This continued in 1904 with 

 the loss of 24 vessels. In 1905 the number of shipwrecks dropped to 5, but 

 in 1906 there were 17. In these conditions, aggravated by the poor yield of 

 the fishery over several consecutive years, many of the Saint-Pierre out- 

 fitters, with limited capital, could not replace these vessels, or preferred 

 not to risk another season. 



To these causes of decadence was added the poor recruitment of crews 

 from France, composed, usually, of the left-overs , from the outfitters at 

 Saint-Malo, Fecamp, and other ports. Besides, the manner of exploitation 

 by the Saint-Pierre vessels, with the necessity of landing the fish at their 

 port and renewing provisions, showed a very inferior yield to that obtained 

 by the metropolitan three-masted vessels in the course of a season effected 

 without any breaks. 



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