COD. 
149 
constantly employed ; which are thought to make 
a tolerable good day’s work of it, if they bring in 
fiom five to ten quintals of fish, though they have 
stowage for, and sometimes bring in, thirty. Two 
hundred quintals is called a saving voyage ; but not 
under, -The bait is small fish of all kinds; herring, 
capelin, lance, tom cod, or young cod ; the first of 
which they salt and keep for some time, in case 
of scarcity of the rest ; but these are not near so 
eagerly taken by the fish when salted. In case 
small fish cannot be got, they use sea fowl, which 
are easily taken in vast numbers, by laying nets 
over the holes in the rocks where they come to 
loost in the night. If neither small fish nor birds 
are to be got, they are forced to use the maws of 
fish they catch, which is the worst bait of any. 
“ When the fish are taken they are carried to 
the stage, which is built with one end over the 
water for the conveniency of throwing the offals 
into the sea, and for their boats being able to come 
close to discharge their fish. As soon as they come 
on the stage, a boy hands them to the header, who 
stands at the side of a table next the water end, 
whose business is to gut the fish and cut off the 
head, which he does by pressing the back of the 
head against the side of the table, which is made 
sharp for that purpose ; when both head and guts 
fall through a hole in the floor into the water. He 
then shoves the fish to the splitter, who stands op- 
posite to him ; his business is to split the fish, be- 
