114 Anacajiths. FISHES. Gadoids. 
are handed to the sailer, who places a bed of salt at 
the bottom of a large wooden vat, and over it a layer 
of fish, and so on alternately, salt and fish, till the vat 
is filled. Above all are laid heavy stones to keep the 
fish beneath the pickle. After some days they are 
taken out, well washed, brushed, and laid in small 
heaps, called clumps, to drain. They are then spread 
upon the shingly beach slantingly, with the back under- 
most, and exposed to the sun and air ; after alternate 
clamping and exposure, they are huilt into larger heaps 
caWdA steeples, which are taken down and rebuilt several 
times, on purpose that each fish may be subjected to 
ecjual pressure. The completion of this drying process, 
or piniug, as it is technically called, is indicated by a 
white effiorescence, or bloom, appearing on the surface 
of the fish, and then the whole are transported to a 
dry cellar, lined with wood, where they are piled up 
until shipped off to market. The Yorkshire curers, 
who are thought to be the best, expedite the process of 
drying by laying the fish on wooden bars raised three 
feet above the ground, so as to allow a free current of 
air to pass below them. Fish for the Spanish market 
are required to be rather lightly salted, to have a pure 
greenish colour and transparent aspect, and to be very 
hard dried. Care must be taken that the fish are 
neither sun-burnt, blistered, nor scalded by being laid 
on stones that are too much heated by the sun’s 
rays. 
The same distinguished ichthyologist gives the fol- 
lowing account of the Newfoundland fishery : — Each 
fisherman has a stout line of sixty or seventy fathoms’ 
length, to which is attached a lead of five pounds. Fi om 
this proceeds the pennant, a cord three feet long, hav- 
ing a copper swivel at its end, that supports the middle 
of the craft. The cord bearing this latter appellation 
is two and a half feet in length, is stiffened by three 
strips of whalebone, and has at each of its extremities 
a smaller swivel, to which the gauging of the hook is 
attached, the whalebone serving to keep the hooks a 
foot apart being so named. The men arrange them- 
selves on the windward side of the deck, with the hooks 
ready baited, throw over their leads and reel out their 
lines, till the lead rests on the bottom. It is then drawn 
up, so far that the hook shall touch the bottom with 
the downward pitch of the vessel. The fish on taking 
the bait gives a slight jerk, to which the fisherman 
replies by a sudden pull so as to fasten the hook in the 
fish’s mouth, and then standing back, hauls in the line, 
hand over hand, till the fish is landed on the deck. It 
is then uidiooked, and thrown into a square box called 
a hid; and the hooks being baited afresh, are hove over 
again. Early in the season, clams are the bait used, 
and are mostly taken from the stomachs of Cod already 
caught; afterwards lobsters, then herring and sand- 
launce; and in June, capelan are resorted to; herring 
coming into use again in August. While the line is 
descending, the fisherman picks up the Cod that he 
has caught and cuts out its tongue. Towards night 
the fish are counted out from each man’s kid, and 
thrown into a large receptacle near the main hatch, 
called the dressing hid. Each fisherman keeps his 
own account, and reports to the skipper, who enters 
the several catches in the log-book. The dressing gang 
consist of a thruater, a header, a splitter, and a salter. 
The three first, operating as indicated by their names, 
reduce the fish to the shape in which they come to 
market ; and the salter, stationed in the hold, builds 
them up in alternate kenches, or layers of salt and fish. 
The decks are then washed down, and the vessel 
anchored and made snug for the night. 
The voyage of John Cabot in 1497 led to the modern 
fishery on the banks of Newfoundland ; and the most 
authentic notice of that voyage, taken by Hakluyt from 
Cabot’s map cut by Clement Adams, reports that 
“ especially there is great abundance of that kind of 
fish which the savages call Baccalaos ” — a name of 
Basque origin, by which, with little change, the Spa- 
niards designate the Cod to this day. Ramusio in his 
third volume, published in 1565, says with the enchant- 
ment lent to his view by distance, that the Bacchalaos 
are in such quantities on the coast of Newfoundland, 
as at times not to leave room for a carvel to pass ! and 
that the Bretons and Normans call these fish Molve, 
and go every year to derive great profit from the 
fishery. The voyage of Verazzano in 1524 led to the 
subjects of France engaging in this fishery; and at 
first the Bretons seem to have sent more vessels to 
Newfoundland than the English. In 1578, according 
to Mr. Anthonie Parkhurst, in a letter published by 
Plakluyt, there were one hundred sail of Spaniards, 
fifty Portuguese ships, and of French and Bretons one 
hundred and fifty sail of small tonnage, engaged in the 
Newfoundland Cod-fishery, the English still being in 
inferior numbers, but lording it over the strangers who 
came into their neighbourhood, causing them to fish 
for them and to supply salt, in return for protection 
they afforded against pirates. In the present dajq six 
thousand ships of all nations are calculated to be 
employed in Cod-fishing, and the produce is supposed 
to amount to thirty-six millions of fish prepared in 
various manners, the whole of which immense quantity 
would be replaced by the eggs of four fish coming to 
maturity, according to the estimate made above. M. 
Valenciennes says that France now emplo 3 's twelve 
thousand seamen in four hundred vessels in taking 
Cod. The fishery of the United States must find occu- 
pation for a much greater number of seamen, and 
Newfoundland is a great nursery for our own navy, 
which was valued so much even in days of compulsory 
service, that the fishermen while engaged in their 
occupation were protected from impressment. 
The Haddock {Morrhua ceglefinus) is finer on the 
Scottish coasts than in the southern parts of England, 
and is consumed in large quantities in Edinburgh, 
Glasgow, and other important towns. Dried in a 
peculiar way at Findhorn, it becomes the “ Finnan 
Haddie,” which is a northern delicacy, and is exported 
to London, but deteriorates greatly if kept beyond a 
very few days. Dried more perfectly, so as to keep 
longer, it is called “ Speldron,” a much inferior article 
to the other. The Finnan, Buckie, and Bervie smoked 
Haddocks, are the most prized. The Bib [Morrhua 
lusca), and Whiting [Merlangus vulgaris), are smaller 
but good fish, brought in great numbers to market 
during the season. They are used only in the fresh 
state. The Coal-fish [Merlangus carbonarius) visits 
