524 COD-FISHING IN LABRADOR.
another source of merriment. The boats are generally filled about the
same time, and all return together.
Arrived at the vessel, each man employs a pole armed with a bent
iron, resembling the prong of a hay-fork, with which he pierces the
fish, and throws it with a jerk on deck, counting the number thus discharged
with a loud voice. Each cargo is thus safely deposited, and
the boats instantly return to the fishing-ground, when, after anchoring,
the men eat their dinner and begin a-new. There, good reader, with your
leave, I will let them pursue their avocations for a while, as I am anxious
that you should witness what is doing on board the vessel.
The captain, four men, and the cook, have, in the course of the morning,
erected long tables fore and aft the main hatchway, they have taken
to the shore most of the salt barrels, and have placed in a row their large
empty casks, to receive the livers. The hold of the vessel is quite clear,
except a corner where is a large heap of salt. And now the men having
dined precisely at twelve, are ready with their large knives. One begins
with breaking off the head of the fish, a slight pull of the hand and a
gash with the knife effecting this in a moment. He slits up its belly, with
one hand pushes it aside to his neighbour, then throws overboard the head,
and begins to doctor another. The next man tears out the entrails, separates
the liver, which he throws into a cask, and casts the rest overboard.
A third person dexterously passes his knife beneath the vertebras of the
fish, separates them from the flesh, heaves the latter through the hatchway,
and the former into the water.
Now, if you will peep into the hold, you will see the last stage of the
process, the salting and packing. Six experienced men generally manage
to head, gut, bone, salt and pack, all the fish caught in the morning, by
the return of the boats with fresh cargoes, when all hands set to work, and
clear the deck of the fish. Thus their labours continue until twelve
o'clock, when they wash their faces and hands, put on clean clothes, hang
their fishing apparel on the shrouds, and, betaking themselves to the forecastle,
are soon in a sound sleep.
At three next morning comes the captain from his berth, rubbing his
eyes, and in a loud voice calling " all hands, ho I" Stiffened in limb, and
but half awake, the crew quickly appear on the deck. Their fingers and
hands are so cramped and swollen by pulling the lines, that it is difficult
for them to straighten even a thumb ; but this matters little at present;
for the cook, who had a good nap yesterday, has risen an hour before
them, and prepared their coffee and eatables. Breakfast dispatched, they
exchange their clean clothes for the fishing-apparel, and leap into their
boats, which had been washed the previous night, and again the flotilla
bounds to the fishing-ground.
As there may be not less* than 100 schooners or pickaxes in the harbour,
300 boats resort to the banks each day; and, as each boat may procure
2000 cods per diem, when Saturday night comes about 600,000
fishes have been brought to the harbour. This having caused some
scarcity on the fishing-grounds, and Sunday being somewhat of an idle
day, the Captain collects the salt ashore, and sets sail for some other convenient
harbour, which he expects to reach long before sunset. If the
weather be favourable, the men get a good deal of rest during the voyage,
and on Monday things go on as before.
I must not omit to tell you, reader, that, while proceeding from one
harbour to another, the vessel has passed near a rock, which is the breeding
place of myriads of Puffins. She has laid to for an hour or so, while
part of the crew have landed, and collected a store of eggs, excellent as a
substitute for cream, and not less so when hard boiled as food for the
fishing-grounds. I may as well inform you also, how these adventurous
fellows distinguish the fresh eggs from the others. They fill up some
large tubs with water, throw in a quantity of eggs, and allow them to
remain a minute or so, when those which come to the surface are tossed
overboard, and even those that manifest any upward tendency, share
the same treatment. All that remain at bottom, you may depend upon
it, good reader, are perfectly sound, and not less palatable than any that
you have ever eaten, or that your best guinea-fowl has just dropped in
your barn-yard. But let us return to the cod-fish.
The fish already procured and salted, is taken ashore at the new harbour,
by part of the crew, whom the captain has marked as the worst
hands at fishing. There, on the bare rocks, or on elevated scaffolds of
considerable extent, the salted cods are laid side by side to dry in the sun.
They are turned several times a-day, and in the intervals the men bear a
hand on board at clearing and stowing away the daily produce of the
fishing-banks. Towards evening they return to the drying grounds, and
put up the fish in piles resembling so many hay-stacks, disposing those
towards the top in such a manner that the rain cannot injure them, and
placing a heavy stone on the summit to prevent their being thrown down