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of northwest Europe have also given much encouragement to 
the fisheries. Holland has been earnest in developing the herring 
fishery; for centuries her fishermen held a monopoly of that 
profitable industry; a proverb still prevails among the old 
sailors that “ Amsterdam is built on herring bones.” The duties 
of a shipmaster are now well defined ; a trim clipper, combining 
all the modern improvements, awaits his orders, well furnished 
cabins afford every comfort, the spar, rope and sailmaker have 
given her wings to walk the waters, a merchant furnishes a 
cargo which the stevedore stows secure, the shipping master 
contracts with the ship’s company and puts it on board, a broker 
prepares the papers and clears the vessel in the custom-house ; 
all being ready the “lord paramount” enters the ship bringing 
an approved time-piece, almanac, navigator, and sailing di¬ 
rections over every sea. A powerful tug-boat tows the vessel to 
sea under the guidance of a branch pilot; having got an offing 
the favored man of destiny takes his metal silver arched sextant, 
gets a sight of the sun, regulates his chronometer, gives the 
course to the steersman by the recently-touched compass, notes 
the barometer and snuffs the gale afar off j his spacious charts, 
perfect in all the discoveries of modern hydrography, point out 
with precision the islands, rocks and shoals in his path; thus 
armed and equipped he pursues the even tenor of his way. If 
he sights strange shores, lights, magnified with illuminating 
apparatus, cheer him on his voyage, and if perchance he spys a 
sail, he sends and receives friendly greetings by means of re¬ 
cognized signals. On approaching his destined port he sets the 
“ Jack,” which attracts the watchful pilot who skilfully conducts 
the argosy into port and moors it safely. 
Ancient Mariners. In early ages “ a life on the mountain 
wave ” was not so pleasant; the vessels were small, rudely 
built, and scantily furnished; the compass, quadrant or chro¬ 
nometer w r ere not in use; the holy pigeons and the heavenly 
bodies were the guides on the trackless sea. Seamen were 
daring, and placed much confidence in lucky stars and super¬ 
natural agency ; they launched out on the waters and made rich 
discoveries, visited strange lands, explored seas, and established 
trade with the denizens of other lands. Through the researches 
of the late Henry Wheaton, the Icelandic manuscripts unfold 
the early discoveries of the European fishermen in Iceland, 
Greenland, Labrador and Gaspe in the ninth century. He 
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