Gleanings from the Sea; Showing the Pleasures, Pains and Penalties of Life Afloat with Contingencies Ashore
Author | : Joseph Warren Smith |
Publisher | : Theclassics.Us |
Total Pages | : 126 |
Release | : 2013-09 |
ISBN-10 | : 123028639X |
ISBN-13 | : 9781230286396 |
Rating | : 4/5 (9X Downloads) |
Book excerpt: This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1887 edition. Excerpt: ...They remained a fortnight later than usual, and where, the previous season, the fisherman had six weeks of good hauling, during the present one, ending the 1st of November, they scarcely earned their salt. These dog-fish are excessively annoying to fishermen. They swim in intermediate water, and intercept the bait to such a degree that it is almost impossible to reach the cod, which wait plenty enough at the bottom. They are as voracious as New Jersey mosquitoes, and not much more valuable when caught, as they have to be, yielding only a little oil and thin substance not profitable for land dressing. With a good catch of Fall fish, ordinarily, the fishermen haul up their boats by the 1st of November, with contented hearts, their net profits adequate for their winter supply. Large codfish come in upon the shoal banks, say from six to ten fathoms, and often the Jennie B., with four men, would capture from 3000 to 4000 pounds. Some fifty men were engaged this season, in the fruitless pursuit of fish. Herring were plenty in October, though they usually strike off in the Fall. A visit to the Pool about the middle of October revealed the true condition of things. The boys had been out scouring the rocks and trolling for fish, without success, but Capt. Frank had struck a bonanza of herring, and was busy bailing them out from a 16-foot dory, in which, from the lack of barrels, they had been salted. These herring were the product of two nets, set outside of Wood Island, into which sixty barrels of herrings had put themselves. These nets sank to the bottom, requiring six men, two dories and a seine boat to raise them so that they could be picked. One of the nets was entirely destroyed and the other one damaged. The herring were all transferred to...