on the remarkable Failure of Haddocks. 371 
in with immense quantities of haddocks and coalfish, and no 
others whatever (the last is an ordinary fish, and perhaps its 
name may be local here, and unknown to you, but I confess 
I do not know T any other name it has), lying on the surface of 
the ocean, and sufficient, from the view they had of them for 
the three days, to have loaded all the ships then in com- 
pany. That they found them for the space of between twenty 
and thirty leagues in length, and in breadth, to the east, from 
three to five leagues, as the ships stood off and on ; but how 
much farther to the east, and a few r other points, they might 
extend, these persons cannot pretend to say, such points being 
out of their course for the ports they were destined to. That 
most of the fish were dead, though some w r ere alive, as ap- 
peared by a slight motion of the tail, but in a very weak, 
feeble state, and unable to sink in the water. 
In the above particulars Messrs. Stoker and Armstrong 
perfectly agree, as to the truth of the fact. The latter, 
through cautious timidity, prevented his crew from taking up 
any of the fish ; but the former took on board many, both dead 
and in a dying state, of which he first ate, and then suffered 
his men to do the same : and at Archangel gave the remainder 
to the customhouse officers, without any person receiving 
the least injury. Mr. Stoker having, previous to eating the 
fish, tried the usual experiment at sea, of putting silver into 
the fresh water wherein the fish were boiled, the silver was 
not at all discoloured. 
Talking with Mr. Stoker, in his parlour, I asked him how 
many fish he could take up in that or any other given space. 
He answered, that in various places the fish lay so thick, that in 
