170 
CAPE COD. 
mackerel, the real Scomber vernalis. The crew proceeded 
leisurely to weigh anchor and raise their two sails, there 
being a fair but very slight wind; — and the sun now set¬ 
ting clear and shining or the vessel after the thunder¬ 
showers, 1 thought that I could not have commenced the 
voyage under more favorable auspices. They had four 
dories and commonly fished in them, else they fished on 
ti^e starboard side aft where their lines hung ready, two 
to a man. The boom swung round once or twice, and 
Winsor cast overboard the foul juice of mackerel mixed 
with rain-water which remained in his trough, and then 
we gathered about the helmsman and told stories. I re¬ 
member that the compass was affected by iron in its 
neighborhood and varied a few degrees. There was one 
among us just returned from California, who was now 
going as passenger for his health and amusement. They 
expected to be gone about a week, to begin fishing the 
next morning, and to carry their fish fresh to Boston. 
They landed me at Clark’s Island, where the Pilgrims 
landed, for my companions wished to get some milk for 
the voyage. But I had seen the whole of it. The rest 
was only going to sea and catching the mackerel. More¬ 
over, it was as well that I did not remain with them, con¬ 
sidering the small quantity of supplies they had taken. 
Now I saw the mackerel fleet on its Jishing-groundy 
though I was not at first aware of it. So my experi¬ 
ence was complete. 
It was even more cold and windy to-day than before, 
and we were frequently glad to take shelter behind a 
sand-hill. None of the elements were resting. On the 
beach there is a ceaseless activity, always something 
going on, in storm and in calm, winter and summer, 
night and day. Even the sedentary man here enjoys 
