Cod-fishing

A worlc enütled "Excuffíoiw in and about Newfoimdlnrd, ' by J. B Jiikc?, has rcrcntly been pubüíiicd. 'l'iio writcr llius describes thc oporation of'cod fidiin: "About. l!ie begrnning of May, nll the population are on ihe alert, preparing' lor llie frVhe ry: Iftyiñg ín stores ot'snmmer proviaion?, nnd hooks, lines, nets, c!othe?, nm) I lio rigíngns oí' (heir boats. 'J'ownnls tlie muidle or end oí' May, í he first slionl heVrirtg (callcd by tlie natives tlie sprinrr héríings) appoar. 'i'hcse are immfidiately canjrlit bríJefB, nnd v.soa] as bait for cod-fisli. - In the middlo bf June, fhe capeiin come in, and Jast lo tho middle of July: and with them commenco the heirbt of líie fishery. Every man, 'voman ana child is then íully omp'.oyed. A niarncd man, bavin a fnmily, usually poes out with bis sons, tokes liis bucket fuli of capelin for bait, and rpwipg to tlte íisliing ground, generally a miie or two outside tho harbor, anchors two lines about 25 fathoms Jong, wilh two or more hooks. -These hc fling.s ono on each side of the boat, tliecnd of the line beinï made frst to tlie thwart. FeeJjngeach occasjonally, the -moment lic strikes a fish, lic hauls hira in, ñinga l'ini n n in the boat, baits his liook and throw s out his line agnin. yiien they got what they cnl! a good spurt of fiáli, ?nch person wil! sometimes be fully omplöyed liauling in ono line nfter the other, as Tast ns he can bait hen) and throw Ihein outagain. When t!iis happens, an hour or luo snilices to fill the boat, 'wl.ich ihcn sails awfty wiih her carfro to Ihe stugc liead. Hcre the (ish are lorketl out of the boat with a kindoí bont-hook or pikol, the prong bcing struck into tlie hcac!, and the iisli llirown up on to the stagp, rrnic'i n tlie =ame manner as hay is Ihrown ntoacart. On the stage are usually ihé femaleg of tlie family.or a man or two assisted by females, as the case roay be. Tho i two most skiífnl of tüeseare called respectiveh', the hender and the splitter. The bos}ness of the first ia to ent the flsh open, across the throai and down the belly,and pasa it to an assistant, whu takjng out the livor, drops tliat i'Ho a tnb on one sid?, and tearinnr oñ' the lioad and cntrails, tlirows them down on tho otlier side. The liver is preserved to make oil, and the hcad garbage drop into tho water vvhich flows undernealh. The fih is then paseed to; tlie sphtler, who, by a dexterous mftvement, cuts out the back bonè ifrom tho neck uearly tp the tai), and thus lcavcs tlie fish entircly open and capab.'e of bem laid Hat on ils linc!;. "This is the most important part of the opcration, and a good ë-pütter nlways commands superior wages at a merchant's estab1 shmeni. VVhen split open,xllie lisherl, Initl n p'les io t'rain, washed and salted agnin, añjd finally laicl in llie sun on c!ear days to dry and harden. While thus exposed, they rcquirc mucli attention, and tlio women aro constan' ly lookinp ofter lliem, ayiuor tliem up in ro'.ind hraps with tlicskin outwards at nijiht or on the approach of rain, in which state they look very mucli Ukc i-m;d liaycocks." lic calcúlales tliat a fisherman, whon most fortúnate, muy calcli in a tiar, a quantity of cod weio-hintr over 2,000 lbs.' Wnii respect to the abundanco of the fish lic says: "One calin July e veningr, I was in a bont outeidc St. John's harbor, when the sea vvas prctly stil!, and the ñsh u'ere "breacliing"' as it i.s termed. For several miles around us, the ealm sea wns a'live with fish. Thev uere sportinsr on'the surfuce of the water, "flirtin? tlieir tiiilsoccaionally into the air, and as-far as could be seen, the water was ripplod and bioken by their moveinents. Lookjue down info its ciear depihf, cod fi.-h under cod fi.-h, of all sizes, appeared swjmniingjibout, as if in sport. Some boa(s were fjshing, but not a l)ite conld they jret, the flsh heing already Ljorred wilh food. I peared one preat fellow with the spike of the boat hook. but there being rm tnil to (f, he got auay: and, as far I f.ould sec, that was the only 'Bah toiiched. [Iad the groiind been shallow ennngh to use netí!, the harbor might have been fiiled with fl.-:h.''