THE COD-FISHERY.

In Newfoundland the term "fish" is generally understood to mean codfish, that being the great staple of the island. Every other description of fish is designated by its particular name.

The cod-fishery is either prosecuted in large vessels in the open sea, upon the Grand Bank of Newfoundland, or else in boats or shallops near the coast of the island; and these modes of fishing are respectively designated the "bank fishery," and the "shore fishery."

The Grand Bank is the most extensive sub-marine elevation yet discovered. It is about six hundred miles in length, and in some places five degrees, or two hundred miles, in breadth. The soundings on it are from twenty-five to ninety-five fathoms. The bottom is generally covered with shell-fish. It is frequented by immense shoals of small fish, most of which serve as food for the cod. Where the bottom is principally of sand, and the depth of water about thirty fathoms, cod are found in greatest plenty; on a muddy bottom cod are not numerous. The best fishing grounds on the Grand Bank are between latitude 42° and 46° north.

Those perpetual fogs which hang over the Banks, and hover near the southern and eastern portions of the coast of Newfoundland, are supposed to be caused by the tropical waters, swept onward by the Gulf stream, meeting with the icy waters carried down by the influence of the northerly and westerly winds from the Polar seas. This meeting takes place on the Grand Bank. The difference in the temperature of the opposing currents, and in their accompanying atmospheres, produces both evaporation and condensation, and hence the continual fog.

The cod-fishery on the Grand Bank began a few years after the discovery of Newfoundland. In 1502, mention is made of several Portuguese vessels having commenced this great fishery. In 1517, when the first English fishing vessels appeared on the Banks, there were then on the fishing ground no less than fifty Spanish, French, and Portuguese ships, engaged in the fisheries.

The great value of this fishery was not fully appreciated by the English until about 1618. In twelve years after, there were no less than one hundred and fifty vessels from Devonshire alone engaged in it. At that period England began to supply the Spanish and Italian markets, and then a rivalry in the fishery sprang up between the English and French. Its importance to England was manifested by the various acts of Parliament which were passed, and the measures adopted for its regulation and protection. Ships of war were sent to convey the British fishing vessels, and protect them while prosecuting the fishery. In 1676, some of the large vessels engaged in the Bank fishery carried twenty guns, eighteen small boats, and from ninety to one hundred men. This arose from the hostile position assumed by France with reference to this fishery. The English fishermen had much annoyance and trouble from those of France; notwithstanding which, the British Bank fishery continued to prosper.

Owing to the confusion created by the French revolution of 1792, their bounties on the Newfoundland fisheries were discontinued, and they immediately fell off greatly. In 1777, no less than 20,000 French

seamen were employed in the Newfoundland fisheries; but that number dwindled down to 3,397 in 1793.

From 1793 to 1814, the British fishery at Newfoundland prospered greatly. The price in foreign markets was very high, and the value of fish exported from Newfoundland in 1814 was estimated at nearly fifteen millions of dollars.

At that time the western and southern "shore" fishery sprung into importance, and offered stronger inducements for its pursuit by the inhabitants of Newfoundland than the Bank fishery. The latter was then chiefly carried on from St. John, and to a limited extent from Bay Bulls, Cape Broyle, Termense, Renews, and Trepassy. It was prosecuted by parties from the west of England, who were the last to abandon it. Their "bankers," as vessels which fish on the Grand Bank are termed, generally carried twelve men, whose catch for the season was about one thousand quintals of cod; yielding, also, about four tons of oil from their livers.

After the peace of 1814, the British Newfoundland fisheries suddenly declined, owing to the competition which sprung up with the French fishermen, and our own citizens engaged in the business. Many of the chief merchants of Newfoundland engaged in the trade, as also numbers of the principal fishermen, were wholly ruined; and it is stated, on good authority, that bills of exchange on England, to the extent of one million of pounds sterling, were returned protested in the years 1815, 1816, and 1817. So great was the extent of the depression in the British fisheries of Newfoundland, that it was at one time proposed to remove the settled population from the island. This, however, was not carried out, temporary measures being adopted to relieve the pressure which bore with such excessive severity upon the staple trade of

the country.

The bounties granted by France were higher even then than at present, and were so arranged as to exclude all fish of British catch from the French, Spanish, and Italian markets. The effect of this has been to break up the fishery on the Grand Bank by British vessels, altogether; and that fishery is now prosecuted solely by the vessels of France and of the United States, under the stimulus of bounties, which have never been given to this fishery by the British.

THE SHORE FISHERY.

The inhabitants of Newfoundland prosecute the shore fishery for cod in boats, shallops, and schooners, according to the ability of those who fit them out. În the small boats the fishery is pursued on the coast by the poorer portion of the inhabitants, who generally abandon it for the large-boat fishery so soon as they acquire sufficient means. In the small boats the people are confined to their immediate localities, whether the fishing is good or bad; with the larger boats they can avail themselves of such of the fishing grounds as offer the greatest induce

ments.

A fair average catch for small boats is from forty to fifty quintals per man for each season; for the large boats, from eighty to one hundred buintals per man. The expense of the large boats is about fifty per

cent. beyond that of the others. In the small boats there are two men only, and sometimes but one; in the large boats, four to six men.

At most of the fishing stations on the coast of Newfoundland the codfishery commences early in June, and by the 10th of August may be said to be over, for, although the people continue it for two months longer, the proceeds sometimes fail to pay even the expenses. The want of other employment is the principal reason why it is not abandoned in August. On some parts of the coast, however, the cod-fishery is pursued with much success during the whole year.

The small boats land their catch every night, when the fish are split and salted on shore. The large boats, when fishing near home, generally land their catch and salt it in the same way; but when at a distance from home they split and salt on board from day to day, until they have completed their fare. Four times the quantity of split fish, as compared with the article when caught, may be stowed in the same

space.

The "shore fishery" is the most productive, both of merchantable fish and oil.

The cod-fishery being generally the most certain in its results, has hitherto been followed as the staple and prevailing fishery at Newfoundland; while the seal, the herring, the salmon, the mackerel, and the whale fisheries, have been prosecuted but a comparatively short time, and to a limited extent, in those localities where they were first commenced. They are considered of such minor importance (with the exception of the seal-fishery) that no permanent arrangements have yet been made for their development throughout the whole fishing season.

THE HERRING FISHERY.

Great shoals of herrings visit the coasts of Newfoundland in the early part of every season to deposite their spawn, when a sufficient quantity for bait only is taken by the resident fishermen. On the southern and western coasts of Newfoundland, however, herrings are caught to some extent for exportation, but not by any means in such quantities as might be expected, considering their wonderful abundance. The inhabitants do not pursue the herring fishery as a distinct branch of business: so many as are required by themselves for bait in the codfishery, and to supply the French "bankers," appear to be about the extent of the quantity taken in general. It is no uncommon thing on the south and west coasts of Newfoundland for hundreds of barrels of live herrings of good quality to be turned out of the seines in which they are taken, the people not deeming them worthy the salt and the labor of curing.

This fishery might be made almost as productive as that for cod, and perhaps more valuable, by the adoption of an improved system of curing and packing, which would render the fish fit for those markets from which it is now excluded by reason of being imperfectly cured.

THE SALMON FISHERY.

This is a valuable fishery in Newfoundland, but it is not prosecuted so extensively as it might be, nor are the fish so valuable, when cured,

as they ought to be, from the manner in which they are split and salted. This branch of business, under better management, could be rendered much more extensive and profitable.

THE MACKEREL FISHERY.

Although mackerel are said to abound on the southern shores of Newfoundland, as also north of Cape Ray, and thence up to the Strait of Belleisle, during the summer season, yet this branch of the fisheries is neglected by the residents of the island. They have no outfit for the mackerel fishery whatever, and this excellent fish seems to possess perfect impunity on those coasts of Newfoundland which it frequents, going and returning as it pleases, without the least molestation.

THE WHALE FISHERY.

It is believed that the whale fishery might be much more extensively pursued from Newfoundland than at present, particularly on the western coast, and in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, where it is prosecuted to a limited extent by the hardy fishermen of Gaspé, without competition.

THE SEAL FISHERY.

About fifty years since, the capture of seals on the ice in early spring, which is popularly called "the seal fishery," first began at Newfoundland. It languished, however, until 1825, since which it has gone on increasing, year by year; and when successful, it is the most profitable business pursued there.

The mode of prosecuting this fishery is as follows: The vessels equipped for the seal fishery are from sixty to one hundred and eighty tons each, with crews of twenty-five to forty-five men; they are always prepared for sea, with the necessary equipment, in March every year. At that season the various sealing crews combine, and by their united efforts cut the vessels out of the ice, in which they have firmly frozen during the winter. The vessels then proceed to the field ice, pushing their way through the openings or working to windward of it, until they meet it, covered with vast herds of seals. The animals are surprised by the seal-hunters while sleeping on the ice, and killed either with firelocks or bludgeons, the latter being the preferable mode, as firing disturbs and frightens the herd. The skins, with the mass of fat which surrounds the bodies, are stripped off together; these are carried to the vessels and packed closely in the hold.

The sealing vessels during storms of snow and sleet, which at that season they must inevitably experience, are exposed to fearful dangers. Many vessels have been crushed to pieces by the tremendous power of yast masses of ice closing in upon them, and in some instances whole crews have perished. Storms which occur during the night, and when the vessel is entangled among heavy ice, are described as truly terrible; yet the hardy Newfoundland seal-hunter is ever anxious to court the exciting yet perilous adventure.

The vessels having completed their fare, or having failed to do so before the ice becomes scattered, and all but the icebergs has been dissolved by the heat of the advancing summer, return to their several ports; and it sometimes happens that vessels which are successful immediately after falling in with the ice, make two trips in that season.

The fat, or seal-blubber, is separated from the skins, cut into pieces and put into frame-work vats, where it becomes oil simply by exposure to the heat of the sun. In three or four weeks it flows freely; the first which runs off is the virgin or pale oil, and the last the brown oil: under these respective designations they are known as the ordinary seal-oil of commerce.

The seal-skins are spread out and salted in bulk; after which they are packed up in bundles of five each, for shipment to foreign markets. Besides the mode of seal-hunting on the ice above described, seals are also caught at Newfoundland and Labrador, on the plan first adopted—that is, by setting strong nets across such narrow channels as they are in the habit of passing through, in which they become entangled.

THE SYSTEM OF CARRYING ON THE FISH AND OIL TRADE OF NEWFOUNDLAND.

The persons connected with this business are

First. The British merchant, or owner, residing in some cases in Great Britain, but in general on the island, who is the prime mover in all the business of the colony.

Second. The middle man, or planter, as he is absurdly termed, probably from all the original English settlements in America having received the official designation of plantations.

Third. The working bee, or fisherman, the bone and sinew of the country, the main-stay of its fisheries, and chief reliance of its trade. and commerce.

The merchant finds the ship or vessel, provides nets, line, provisions, and every other requisite for prosecuting the fisheries: these he furnishes to the planter. In some instances the planter owns the vessel, and provides his own outfit. It is his duty in all cases to engage the crew and to superintend the labor of catching and curing.

In the seal fishery prosecuted in vessels, one-half the profit of the voyage goes to the merchant or owner who provides and equips the vessel, the other half being divided among the crew. Besides the profits on the extra stores or clothing furnished to the crew, the merchant or owner deducts from each of them from six to eight dollars as berthmoney. To this there are occasional exceptions in favor of experienced men, who are either charged less, or get their berths free, in consequence of being able marksmen; and then, by way of distinction, they are called "bow-gunners."

A fishing-servant usually gets from seventy-five to one hundred dollars for the season, commencing with the first of May, and ending with the last of October. These wages are usually paid one-half in money and one-half in goods.

The Labrador fishermen are in general shipped or hired on shares