NATIONAL FISHERY CONGRESS. 
333 
In July, 1896, one of tlie most destructive hurricanes that have swept the Gulf 
of Mexico was encountered by the smack Clara , of only 26 tons register, with her 
decks not over 18 inches above the water. She rode out the gale in perfect safety, 
although her decks were swept by the seas, washing overboard all movable articles, 
and staving her boats, but with no damage to hull or rigging, and able to resume her 
voyage as soon as these trifling losses were made good. The same storm proved the 
death of many a staunch ship, and for weeks the public was thrilled by stories of 
disaster and loss of life. So staunch are these vessels and so skillful their handling, 
that when danger signals are displayed and winds howl we are in the habit of giving 
thanks that no more of the fleet are in the harbor, considering those at sea much safer 
than those in port. In fact, the same July gale above mentioned sunk and disabled 
six fishermen that were in port, and damaged none at sea. 
The crews are of as various lineage as the vessels. Some are from Norway and 
Sweden, some were subjects of the King of Denmark, some were born under the flag 
of the Kingdom of Greece, and not a few of these hastened home to assist their 
country in its late war. The sunny skies of Italy shone over the birthplace of many 
others; while, of course, Yankees and Nova Scotians are present in great numbers. 
In the methods of. finding and catching the fish, little change has occurred since 
the inception of the fishery. The fish are found by the continual throwing of a lead 
line, carrying a baited hook. A man standing on the weather rail, supporting himself 
by a hold on the main shroud, swings the line, to which is attached a 9-pound lead; he 
releases it as it swings under and forward, and lets it swing to the bottom, and 40 
fathoms depth is reached as the hand of the leadsman comes over the lead, although 
the vessel may be moving forward 3 or 4 knots per hour. If fish are present aud 
are hungry, they snatch at the hook, and one is brought to fhe surface. As soon as 
a bite is announced, a dory, with one man, provided with fishing gear, is at once 
launched, and if the fish bite well the smack is brought back to the spot and either 
anchored or permitted to drift broadside across the ground. When she drifts away 
from the fish, she is again worked to windward, and the same process repeated 
until the fish cease biting or the fare is completed. This process of sounding is 
sometimes followed all day without success; and again, the fish are quickly found. 
Sometimes six men will catch a thousand fish in a few hours, and at other times two 
or three hundred fish will be the limit of a day’s hard sounding and patient fishing. 
When the snappers are spawning, they often are so abundant around the smack as 
to color the w'ater, but refuse to take the hook, and in such times the only recourse is 
to search for other schools. 
Once a load is secured no effort is spared to hasten along, and only the most 
severe of adverse winds will cause the skipper to lay to and await a more favorable 
chance. The fish after landing are either repacked in vaults and deeply covered with 
freshly broken ice or are forwarded at once to market. The conditions of marketing 
differ from those in any other fishing port, so far as is known. All the vessels being 
the property of the shipping firms, there is no haggling about prices. For some years 
past there has been a stable and constant price which is allowed the vessel and which 
remains the same in times of scarcity or abundance. Out of the price of the fare 
of fish is first deducted the cost of the ice taken on board at the beginning of the 
voyage. Then the crew receive a fixed percentage of what remains, out of which their 
provision bill is deducted and the remainder divided according to the rank and skill 
