HE

EI S h e r m eI I

O WTI B o o k

C O M PR I S I N G

SS EL S

A N D VE

THE L I T O F M E N

G L O UC E TER

MA S

LO T

FR O M

THE PO R T O F

FR O M / 8 7 4 TO A PE / L

A9 82

AN D

A T A B L E O F L O S S E S F R O M 18 8 0
T O G E T HE R

W I TH

VA LUA B LE STA TI STI C S O F THIS TI S ISRI B S

II

'

A L so

TL

TX

RTIJ I N G I SI/ I
N A R R O W E S C A PE SSS

F I HE RM E N O FF HA N D
ETC HE B A LLA D

N O TA B LE

F A RE S

SK

DE C R I PTI O N

f S

O F FI S HI N G TRI P
AN D

O T HE R

I N T E R E S T I N G FA C T S A N D I N C I DE N T S C O N N E C T E D
T HI S B R A N C H O F M A R I T I M E I N DUS T R Y
.

G L O UC E S T E R
P R O C T E R

B R O T

C A PE

A N N

H E R S

A D VE R TI S E R

O FFI C E

b lis h

e r s

W TH

n tered according to Act of Co n gress in

,

PR O C TE R

ii
'

h e dili de idf f fh k

nc

th

year

88 2 ,

by

B R O T HE R S ,

L ibrarian of Co n gress at
,

ashington

TA B LE O F C O N TE N TS

PR E F CE
E arly Fisherie s o f C a p e Ann ( illus with m odels of shing vess e ls)
A R e m arkabl e E sca p e on Board S c h C o d s e e k e r
Glouc e ster H arbor in 1 8 0 6 ( ill ustrat e d with m ap)
A W in ter s Trip to Geo r ge s (i lll u s t r a t e d )
Table giving Pri ces of M ack e r e l for th e Past 5 2 Y e ars
e m a r k ab l e Adv e ntur e s e t c ( illustrated
Leaves fro m a Log B o o k
)
Notabl e Fishing Fares ( illustrated)
T h e O l d Ti m e Fish e ry at S qua m
Ho m e ward Boun d
Products of t h e Glouc e ster Fisheri e s
R e turn of t h e Dori e s ( illustrated)
ed
uick
Passages
illustrat
)
Q
(
S ong of t h e W int e r Fish e r m an
First Trips
Large Fish ( illustrat e d)
Glouc e st e r Harbor in 1 8 3 0 ( illustrat e d)

U S Fish Co m m ission S u m m er H eadquarters in Gl oucester

A round C a p e Ann
S c h S ultan a Tow e d by a W hal e ( illustrated)
Loss of S c h H e nri e tta Gre e nleaf
Gill Net C o d s h in g in Ipswich Bay ( il lustrat e d)
A Day at th e B e ach ( illustrat e d )
I n Me m oria m
List of Lost M e n an d Vess e ls of t h e Port of G l o u c
inclusive
e ster fro m 1 8 7 4 to 1 8 8 1
Tabl e giving the Losses for 5 2 Y e ars
W e lco m e H o m e A R o m anc e in a Fish e rm an s Life ( illustrat e d)
T h e F i s h e r B o y in t h e S tor m ( illustrat e d )
H alibut Fish ing a m o n g t h e I c e Flo e s
L ist of Vess e ls B e longing to t h e Port of Glouc e ster in 1 8 5 0
The Phan t o m Boat
A Trawling Tri p ( illustrated)
Massachus e tts Mack er e l Catch for 7 4 Y e ars
The Fortu n e Bay R iot
I m portanc e of Fish Culture ( illustrated)
T h e Fisheri e s of th e O lden Ti m e
S al m on Fis h ing at t h e M out h of t h e Colu m bia R iv e r O r e gon
O n the Beach in a S tor m ( illustrat e d )
Narrow E sca p e of S c h David A S tory (illustrat e d)
Ha m m e rhead S hark T h e S h ark s Mouth S h ark Fishing
N o M ore S e a
,

M1 0 2 7 2 9

I Z I

CO

TS

E N

Fisher m e n s S up e rstitio n s
T h e O l d Fort an d Glouc e st e r Harbor i n 1 8 3 7 ( ill ustrated )
Fore ig n Co m m e rc e of Glouc e st e r ( illustrat e d )
Fish e r m e n C o m ing into Port Fro m t h e Ho m e of t h e Fish to the
Tabl e of t h e Consu m e r ( illus trate d )
The R egatta ( illustrat e d)
A Nig h t i n Boston Bay
Truthful and S tartling Accounts of Tough Ti m e s e tc ( illustrated)
T h e Fr e nch m an s S t e w and t h e Disgust e d Irish m e n
Do r y Voyage s across the Atlantic ( il lustrat e d )
O n Board a Mack e r e l Catcher
T h e M e rry M e rry Mack e re l C atc h e rs ( ill u strate d)
S aving t h e C abl e
A S u m m er Tri p to Georges ( il l ustrat e d)
R ob s First Cruis e ( illustrated )
Lost i n t h e Fog ( illustrat e d )
Cripp l e d o n t h e Ho m e S tre tch ( illustra te d)
T h e Dec e m ber Gal e s of 1 8 7 6 ( illustrat e d )
F e arful E x p e ri e nc e on Board S c h Howard
Thach e r s Islan d
F o u n d e r i ng of S c h Al m on Bird
T h e Harbor Bar ( illustrat e d )
Nin e ty Three Voyage s to S urin a m ( illustrate d)
R ecoll e ction s of a V e t e ran Fis h er m an
Making a Harbor i n a S n o w S tor m
An O ld Boat ( illustrat e d)
Hand Lin e Mack e r e l Fishing
S etting U nd e r S ail
[ n a Fog on t h e Banks ( illustrat e d)
Lin e s on t h e Loss of S c h G uy Cunningha m and in Me m ory of he r
Mast e r Ca p t Dani e l O B r ie n
A round t h e W har v es of O ld Glouc e st e r H alf a Cen tury Ago
T h e Jolly Yachts m an ( illus trat e d )

e
Th e n an d N o w
T h e Haddock Fish e ri s
A Macker e l Catch e r Dressi n g H e r Fare by M oonlig h t ( illustrate d)
Fright e n e d by t h e Moon
Gloucest e r Harbor ( illustrat e d)
A d v e ntur e s of Ca p t R ichard M u rphy
T h e O pe n S e a
Gloucest e r s E x h ibition at t h e C e n t e n nial
Th e W idow s Ap p e al to t h e W inds and S e a ( i l lustrate d)
P ickin
t h e Nets and Tra wls ( il l ustrat e d )
g
F is h l n g Party ( illustrat e d)
Not a B en e
S p ill e r
l h e Macker e l Pocke t or
( ) n t h e Loss of t h e
R oyal G e org e
Bank e r Disc h arging He r Fare ( il lustrated)
L oss of Life and V e ssel Pro p e rty fro m January 1 t o Apri l I 1 88 2
L ist of V e ss e ls Co m p rising t h e G louc e st e r Fishi n g Fl e e t and t heir
O wn e rs or Fitt e rs

12

3
1
2
3

2 12

2 1

5
1
5

2 1

2 1

2 1

2 2

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2 2

2 2

55
2
6
5
2
57
258
2
59
2

60

63

1 N Q

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F O R

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Do ub l e B r e as te d Ve sts
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Rubb e r Ove r c o ats , l o ng ,
R ubb e r uits ,
M itt e ns

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m p e r s , S h i r ts , o u t s i d e

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f o r quality o f goods
All ar e cordially invi t e d
,

T A

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Old Cape A nn,

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O UT F I T S

M A S S

Th e Di r ect United States Cabl e Co

I M

(L

I T E

N otic e to Owne rs and Maste rs o f Fish ing Ve sse ls

In order t o avoi d th e dang e r o f losing t h e ir t ackl e and also o f da m a ging

t h e Cable s o f t hi s Co m pa n y ca p t a in s a r e r e qu e s t e d t o gi v e th e m a wide b e r th
S hould a ny vess e l h o wev e r los e h e r anch o r or t ackle by reason o f c o m
i ng in con t ac t wi t h th e T e legraph Cab l e and wil l u s e ev e ry endea v or t o

m
h
e
m
t
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s
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m
t
e
r e i m burse th e loss subje ct t o a d
t i c u l ar s f urnish e d o f t h e circu s an c s
u
t
en
t
upon
b
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m
s
j
T h e dir e c t ors in a d op t ing t h is co u rse conden tly b e lieve t ha t m asters o f
vess e l s will d o every thing in t h e i r pow e r t o p ro t e ct the Cables f ro m inju ry
A s a m e ans o f v e ri cation and to e nabl e t h e t ackl e to b e cl e are d f ro m
it i s
t h e Cable by t h e Co m pan y s repairing s h ip i f con sid e r e d n e cessary
i m p ort an t ( weath e r p e r m i tting ) t h a t the slipp e d an chor should b e buoy e d
by m e an s o f a ligh t hawser and woode n spar
Fo r t h e guidance and in f orm ation o f Fisherm en CHA R T S sho wing t h e

l oca t i o n o f t h e D i r e c t Un i t e d S t a t e s C a b l e C o m p a n y s C d
b l e s , wi t h th e depths o f wa t er hav e be e n pl aced as f ol lows :
AS S J o h n P i ck e t s S to re
B E V E R LY
G L O U C E S TE R AS S R e ad ing R o o m o n ain S t C u sto m Ho u se an d at t h e S to re s
So m e s
S o n an d C l ar k
o f J o h n Pe w
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HA L I AX N
S h i p p i n O f c e r s O f c e A ng l o
ic e
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P LY O UT H AS S C u sto m Ho u se
PO R T S O UTH N H C u sto m Ho u se
P R O V INC E T O W
N CAP E C O D C u sto m Ho u s e Po st O f c e an d at t h e O f ce o f t h e
A d v o c at e
r G R o b e rt s o n s
S HE L B O U RN E N S
ss r s A r c h i b ald
Co s
S Y D NE Y C B
IQUE LO N T h e Am e r i c an Ho u se ( U S C o ns ul ate )
S T PIE R R E
N E W Y O R K( 16 B ro ad S t )
T h e S t at i o n s o f t h e D i r e c t Un i t e d S t at e s C abl e
B O S T O N ( 122 S t a t e S t )
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The u ndersigned o ur A gen ts at G L O U C E S T E R , M a s s , keep

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d a g e , and will take orders f o r G a n g s o f R u s s i a o r A m e r i c a n
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35 RO G E RS S T G L O UC E S TE R M A S S
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SLA DE GO RTO N 8: CO
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Who

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Fish

6321 HS

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W E D D I N G

C A

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S P E CI A L T Y

I am prepared to f ur n ish any descriptio n o f C ake a n d Pastry a n d o f a

qu al ity th at has n o equal in the city W hen i n w a n t o f good s in this li n e
please give m e a call
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C O UN T Y

E:

C o rne r o f Hanc o c k

P R E FA C E
Nine yea r s ago we publ ishe d T H E F I S HE R

M E N S M E MO R I L
It
A N D
R E CO R D BO O K
at onc e m e t with popular favor and the two
editions o f 3 5 0 0 copi e s hav e n early al l b e e n
sold O rd e rs hav e be e n rec e iv e d fro m Nova
S cotia to Cal ifornia fro m those wh o once
pull e d a lin e o n board a Cap e An n sher m an
an d fro m this cl ass e specially the work has
r e c e ived a m ost att e ring r e c e ption
Fo r the past t wo y e ars we have be e n i m p ortun e d by the s h e rm e n to pub
l ish an oth e r si m ilar work which would prove a co m p anion volu m e carrying
the record of lost vessel s and m e n to t h e dat e of publication thus nis h ing
t h e l ist to date and adding s uch m atte r i n r e lation to the sheries as we had
gath e re d i n th e interi m
This volu m e is in an swer to o ft repeate d requests W e h ave e n deavored
to m ake it r e liable and of sp e cial int e r e st to t h at class of m e n who m we hav e
kn o wn fro m ch ild hood th e h ardy s h e r m e n who m a n the eet and e ar n
th e ir l iv e l i h ood a m idst con stant peril ; the m e n who hav e d one so m uch
toward buildi n g up Gloucester th e p roduc e rs fro m old oc e an s harvest elds
who draw d e posits fro m Banks which have nev e r y e t refused to honor their
drafts who go forth at all seasons and br ave the dang e rs of t h e sea i n orde r
to o b t a in a n honest l ivelihood for th e m selves and those d e penden t up o n
the m
Th rough the labors of the sher m en m ainly G loucester h as grown fro m
a p o p ulation of 6 3 5 0 and a val uation of o ne m illion dol lars i n 1 8 4 0 to a
present population o f
and a valuation e xc e e ding n ine m illions show
ing an i ncrease in t h e bri e f period of 4 1 y e ars of u p wards of 2 0 0 per cent
in population and over 8 0 0 per ce nt i n valuation T h rough his skilled
o p erations and the adva n tages taken of his labors the shing busin e ss of
Gloucest e r has grown fro m an enterpris e of secondary i m portance to rank
a m ong th e valuabl e p roducing intere s ts of t h e country I n 1 8 4 7 thirty v e
years ago t h e total valuation of the shing product fro m this po r t was
a n d n o w in roun d nu m bers it exc e eds
yearly
To this cla s s Gl o ucester owe s m uch and t h e y a r e e ntitl e d to the kindly
consideratio n o f every g oo d citi z en Arou n d the m s h o uld be thrown ev e ry

iv

P R E FA C E

s afe guard m orally an d physically a n d they s hould receive eve ry e n courage

m en t possible
L o n g m ay th e i r wh i t e s a i l s d o t t h e se a
I n s u n s h i n e o r i n r ai n ;
A n d w e lc o m e h o m e t h e i r c o m i ng s b e
ro m o ff t h e ch ang ing m ain
L o n g m ay t h e cl i pp e r s m ake t h e i r w ay
With gall ant h e ar t s t o m an
A s t h o se w h o tre ad t h e d e ck s t o d ay
,

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rp p ro w s cu t th e b i ll o w s blu e
O n G e o r ge s B an k aw y
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I n f ai r S t L awr e n c e B ay
O r g l i d e a l o n g N e w E n g l an d s s h o r e
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sh a

Th e

h
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therefore s e nd forth t h is our secon d volu m e with the h O p e th at i ts

conten ts m ay be i n structive and p l e asing to the class for who m it is in t e nd e d
a n d bespeak fr o m the s her m en everywhere a wid e ly ext e nded patronage
e

P R O CT E R B R O TH E R S

M ODE

Th e E ar ly

o r

( 2m m ) B A N

KE R

F ish e r i e s o f C ap e

Ant e date the p e r m anent se ttl e m ent of h e r territory I n 1 6 2 3 a s h in g

vessel f ro m E ngl a nd h a v i ng co m pl e te d he r cargo in M at ta h u se tts Bay

sail e d for S p ain le aving fourte e n m e n i n the country at Cape An n e to

await he r r e turn E arly in th e n ext year the sa m e ship with a consor t
ca m e to Ca p e An n and aft e r an unsuccessf u l shing s e ason se t s ail f or
E ngl and l e aving thirty t wo me n h e re
T h e following year thre e vess e l s
ca m e fro m E ngland a n d a n e ffort was m ad e to establish a col ony here under
the governorship of R og e r Conant but t h e att e m pt was abandon e d in the
course of the year Mr Conan t an d so m e of his co m pan ion s re m oving to
S ale m and founding the Col ony of Massachuse tts Bay
F ishing was also
carried on at Cape An n in 1 6 2 4 an d 1 6 2 5 by th e Ply m outh people who had
T h e p e r m an e n t s e ttle
t wo v e ss e ls shing on our coast in the latter year
m en t of t h e t e rritory was co m m enc e d prio r to 1 6 3 3 an d so m ething wa s
again done in t h e way of shi n g as early as 1 6 3 9 although it d o e s n o t
appea r that t h e e arly s e ttle r s of t h e Cap e w e r e sh e r m e n
T h e sh e ri e s of Cape An n as a con siderabl e an d per m anent in dustry
s ee m to have beco m e r m ly e stablished about 1 7 2 2 when the business wa s
co n duct e d on a so m ewhat extensi v e scale at Annisqua m an d also i n a le ss e r
degree i n t h e harbor parish H e re tofore t h e business h ad been carried o n
i n s m all sloop s built in the to wn but in 1 7 2 0 a f e w s chooners wer e a d ded
and this cl ass o f ve s s els soon beca m e popular Many o f these s chooners
were of a burthen o f fty tons o r m ore an d were therefo re s uitable fo r th e
pros e cution o f the sherie s o n the Grand Bank and oth e r di s tan t shin g
ro
u
d
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we
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F I S HE R M E N

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stern and pr e sented the strongest possible contrast to th e swift clippe r ee t

of ou r own day T h e m odel on the preceding page of a Gran d Banke r o f
1 7 4 1 will give a good idea of the app e aranc e o f these old ti m e craft
Th e re was one of these craft in existence i n 1 8 78 t h e Manche s te r
which was th e n owned in York Me an d wa s n early o ne hun dred y e a r s old
S h e wa s for m e rly of this port being owned by Mr Dani e l Ga ff ney an d
ot h ers S h e was
tons built in Duxbury Mass in 1 7 8 4 W e do n o t
know wh e ther she is i n exist e nce n ow or n o t
About sev e n ty of th e se vess e l s we re owned i n Glouc e ste r in 1 74 1 n early
al l of which were probably e m ploy e d in the Gran d Bank sh e ry for c o d s h
E ach of the crew k e pt an accoun t of t h e n u m be r of sh h e caugh t and the
proce e ds of th e voyage were distributed accordingly That th e ir e arning s
were far fro m uniform is shown by an account of th ree tri p s of sch Abigail
Capt Paul Hughes to Grand Bank in 1 7 5 7 3 the thr e e trips occupied abou t
six m on th s in which were included sixty seven days shing the skippe r

b e ing high line with a catch of 66 4 3 sh the low l in e taking 3 4 3 5 the

av e r age catch of t h e crew of six m e n being 4 5 0 6 Fro m 1 77 0 to 1 77 5
betw e en sev e n ty and eighty Glouceste r v e ssels resorted yearly to the Gran d
Bank an d about sev e nty boats s h ed fo r c o d hake an d poll ock o n the
ledge s n ea r our own coast Th e se latter boats were m o s tly built at E sse x
th e n the Chebacco parish of Ipswich and fro m that fact r e ceived the n a m e
of Chebacco boats thei r m odel being shown in the followin g engraving
The re wa s a l a rge eet of the m owned here and in R ockpo r t a t the c o m
m e n c e m e n t of the p r ese n t ce ntury but they h ave al l disappeared
,

'

The ton n age e m pl oyed in th e C ape An n Fishe ries at the outbreak of the
R e volution could not have been far fr o m f o rty eigh t hun d r e d ton s r e p r e
s e nted by o ne hundred and fty schooners and boats an d e m pl o y ing about
s ix hun dred m e n The y e arly pro duct m ay be esti m ated at forty eigh t
thousand quintals of a value of o n e hund red thousa n d dollars
The R evolution of course put an e m bargo on Bank shing as wel l a s
an e nd to the exportation of s h and the busine s s s oo n dwindle d to in s ig
n i c an t gu r e s
Af te r peac e had b ee n dec l a red th e b u s in e s s wa s r e s u m ed

F I S HE R /

KE N

B O OK

O WN

an d s o m e sixty vessels were sen t to the Gran d Bank but in co n s equence

o f unsatisfactory r e turn s t h e busine ss soon languished I n 1 8 0 4 the whole
n u m b e r of vessels over th irty ton s burthen e n gaged in the Cape Ann sheri e s
wa s o nly eight and for nearly h alf a century shing was al m o s t totally
aba n doned
W ith the d e clin e of the Bank she ry the S hore sh e ry co m m enced t o
attract incre as e d att e n tion At the co m m ence m e nt of th e pre sent century
so m e t wo hundred Chebacco boats av e raging about ft e en ton s e ach an d
m anned by so m e six hundred m e n wer e engag e d in this sh e ry
The
in cre asing i m portance of this in dustry created a d e m an d for an increase i n
the capacity o f t h e craft engaged in it ; an d about 1 8 1 0 t h e Ch e bacco boats
b e gan to giv e place to t h e j igger or pinkey of which class but a single
speci m en is n o w included in the Gloucest e r enrol m e n t the sch S enator
buil t in E ssex i n 1 8 3 1 and n o w own e d by Capt J ohn Parker The fo llow
i n g 18 a S peci m en o f a pinkey of the m odel of 1 8 1 0
,

The S ho r e she ry reache d its m axi m u m in 1 8 3 2 whe n it e m p l oyed a t o n

n age of 6 4 6 3 tons
furn ishing e m pl o y m en t to 79 9 m e n and resulting i n
l
t
s
a catch of
sh of a value o f
receiving also a bounty
q
o f $2
fro m th e gover n m ent Fro m this ti m e the business e xcept a s
a winter industry began t o decline giving place to the m ackere l shery a n d
o the r m od e rn bra n ches of the in dustry
,

FI S

HE R M E J V S O W N

A R e m ar
T we F zs
'

or

er m en

a nd

W a te r

mp

r zlro n e d

in
A

on

B O O

k bl
a

F o r e c a s tle E

l l o w a nc e

E s c ap e

o
d
Fo

ne

'

/
zz r M
g j

Ho ur :

I fm e y R

e sc u e

tra i l /t o u t

/
1
t
g

The Nova S cotian schoon e r C o d s e e k e r was capsi z e d o ff Cape S able May

h
1 8 77 with t h e suppos e d l oss of all the cr e w exc e p t t h e captain and two
t
9
others who saved th e m s e lv e s i n a d o ry The schoon e r was struck unde r
the weathe r quarte r by a s e a at about 1 1 o clock P M an d gradually
care e n e d ov e r o n her b e a m e nds i t} which position she re m aine d It wa s
found i m pos s ibl e to cl e ar the boat and the thre e m e n in the dory w h ile
drift e d rapidly to le e ward leaving
e ngage d in bailing to keep her aoat
a part of t h e crew clinging to the w e ather side of the v e ss e l which t hey
were un abl e to nd again when th e ir frail craft beca m e m an ageabl e Afte r
great di fculty and dange r th e y e ffe cte d a landing in the surf o n the s outh
s ide of Cape S able Islan d soon afte r daylight on the m orning of the r o th
A schoon e r was at once tted away in t h e fac e of a heavy gale and at 1 1
o clock A M twe lve hours aft e r the accid e nt th e C o d s e e k e r was sight e d o n
her bea m e nds with ve of t h e cre w lash e d to her side 3 o n e of these was
wash e d o ff and drowned b e fore h e could be reach e d and the othe r four
we re re scu e d with great difculty T h e rest of the crew we re suppos e d to
h ave bee n drowned in the cabin or wash e d ov e rboard an d t h e wre ck was
abandon e d to h e r fat e O n S unday afternoon the wre cke d schooner wa s
fall e n in with o ff S e al Island by t h e schoon er O hio of Bucks p ort M e an d
wa s boarded by the captain and two of the cre w who fancied that they heard
s ounds proc e e ding fro m t h e forecastl e t h e gangway leading to which was
en tirely und e r wate r O n pounding o n the side of t h e v e ss e l th e y were
answer e d by faint tappings fro m within and ca m e to t h e conclusion that s o m e
of the crew had bee n caught i n the fore castl e and i m prison e d when the ves
s el capsi z ed Th e y at once proc e ed e d to cut a hole in the side of the
schooner by the fore chain s a n d e ffected the re scu e of two m e n who had
been conned there without light wate r or food with th e e xception of a f e w
s m al l cake s fro m 1 1 o clock o n W ednesday n ight until 4 o clock o n S u n
d ay afte rnoon Th e y w e re l an d e d at th e ir ho m es on Monday m orning to
the great j oy of their fri e nds who had giv e n th e m up as l ost T h e fe e lings
of thes e m e n in thei r long and appare ntly hopeless conne m ent thei r sen s a
tions when th e ir co m rade s were taken fro m t h e wreck o n Thursday leaving
the m without m e ans of m aking their pre s e nc e known the long weary hours
that followed and the int e nse anxi e ty with which th e y b e ca m e awar e that
the v e ssel wa s boarded again on S unday aft e rnoon and th e ir great j oy whe n
they knew thei r s ignal s were heard an d deliverance was at hand can n eithe r
b e im agined n o r de s c ribed
,

F I S HE R M E N

O WN

H bo

G l o u c e s te r

ar

B O O

in 1606

o pposit e page is pr e sented a m a p of Glouc e ster Ha rbor as i t

app e are d to so m e French n avigators wh o sough t its sh e l t e r in 1 6 0 6 rep r o
T h e ac c o m p a n yi n g
d u c e d fro m a m a p rst p ublish e d in Franc e in 1 6 1 3
accoun t of this rst visit to our harbor was translat e d fro m t h e Voyag e s
of Cha m plain for th e colu m n s of the Cap e An n A d ve r tis e r an d so far as
our kn owledg e e xten ds has not elsewhere appeared i n prin t in the E nglish
languag e
The al p habetical referenc e s o n the m ap are as follows (the gure s d e n o t
ing the de p th of water probably in Fr e nch m e tre s a m e tre being ab o ut
thre e and o n e fo urth fee t)
O

th e

'

A T h e p l ac e wh e r e our bark was anchored B M e adows C L ittl e Isl

and ( T e n Pound Is l and ) D R ocky Point ( E ast e rn Point ) E T h e
plac e wh e re we caulk e d our boat ( R ocky Neck ) f Little R ocky Islan d
v ag e s wh e r e t h ey cultivat e t h e earth
m
alt
Isl
and
G
W
igwa
s
of
the
sa
S
)
(
H Littl e riv e r wh e r e there a r e m e adows ( Brook and m ars h at Fre sh
e n ters the s e a at Pavilion Be a c h
Brook
which
W at e r Cove ) I Brook
(
)
L Tongu e of plain ground wh e re th e re a r e sa ffron s n ut tre e s an d v in e s
m a plac e wh e r e the Cape of
T
h
e
ast
M
sal
t
water
fro
e rn Point )
n
E
O
(
I slan ds turns ( T h e creek in the m arsh at little good harbor ) N Littl e
river ( Brook n e ar Clay C ov e ) 0 Littl e Brook co m ing fro m m e adows
l
This
brook
can
not
o w b e e xactly locat e d )
P
A
ittle
brook
wh
re
they
e
n
(
R
At
ak
e s C ov e
ocky
N
e ck )
O
was h e d t h e ir lin e n
Troo
of
savag
s
e
Q
p
(
co m ing to s u rp ris e t h e m ( At R ocky N e ck ) R S an d b e ac h ( N ile s
B e ach at E ast e rn Point ) S T h e s e a coast ( Back sid e of E ast e rn Point )
T T h e S i e ur d e P o u t r in c o u r t in a m buscad e wit h se v e n or e ight arqu e busiers
V The S i e ur de C h a m plain pe rc e iving t h e savag e s
.

Cha m pl ain sailed on a voyag e to Ca n ada and a sc e nded

I n 1 6 0 4 h e m ad e a second
t h e S t L awren ce as far as Cartie r w e n t in 1 5 3 5
voyage as p ilot for D e Mon ts li e ut e n ant g e n e ral of L A c a d ie Th e y saile d
fro m Havr e April 7 s a w S able I sl an d May 1 an d x e d t h e p lac e for th e ir
wint e r r e sidenc e on S t Croix Island i n th e S t Cro i x r l v e r
S e pt 2 Cha m
plain l e ft S t Croix for a cruise sail e d up t h e P e n obscot as far as Bango r
J une 1 8 1 6 0 5 D e Mon ts an d
a n d th e n r e turn e d to his winter quart e rs
Cha m pl ain with a s m all co m pany l e ft S t C roix and cruis e d al ong th e coas t
to t h e southward u ntil July 1 6 wh e n th e y r e ac h e d a c a p e wh e re there w e re
*
thre e islands n ear t h e m ain land full of tr e es of di ff ere n t kinds W e na m e d
this pl ac e says Cha m p lain Cap aux I s le s T n e ar whic h we p e rc e ived a
cano e contain ing v e or six savages wh o ca m e n ear our bark and th e n w e n t
In

60 3 S am ue l d e

T h e

Il

s an

T h r T u rk

M lk I l
ee

an d

an

He ad s

tN

C
C

ap

ap e

nn

Sm i h ;

no

w S tr ai ts m o ut h

Il

s an

T h ch
a

er s

F I S HE R M E N

I O

B O O

O WN

K
.

away to dance upon the shore I w e nt ash o re t o s e e the m and gave to each
a kn ife and so m e biscuit which caused the m to dance again b e tt e r than
befor e I n ext m ade the m understand as w e l l as I coul d that th e y sh o uld
Afte r h aving drawn with a pi e ce of charcoal the b ay
s how m e the coast
and the cape of isl ands wh e re we w e re th e y m ad e a gu re with the sa m e
charcoal of an other bay ;t wh ich they re pres e nted v e ry large on whic h t h ey
put six pebbl e s at e qual distances gi v ing m e to und e rstan d by so doing that
eac h of these ston e s de noted the h abitation of a ch i e f an d his tribe The n
they drew at the said Longue Baie a river
that we h ad passed which e x
tends v e ry far an d has sand ats Thes e savages tol d us that those wh o
dw e lt i n t h i s country cultivat e t h e earth as t h e oth e rs wh o m we had s e e n

befo re This plac e is in t h e latitude of 4 3 d e gre e s an d so m e m inutes

O n t h is voyage Cha m p lain did not e nt e r Gloucest e r harbor but p roc e e d e d
to Naus e t Ca p e Cod fro m wh ich pl ace h e r e turn e d to S t Croix I n 1 6 0 6
howeve r he m ad e an oth e r voyage acco m p an ied by t h e S i e ur de F ontrin
court sailing fro m Port R oyal whith e r the settlers had re m oved fro m S t
Croix Aug 2 8 t h They arriv e d at S aco S e p t 2 1 a n d continuing on th e i r
course on arriving at t h e Cap aux Isl e s ca m e to anchor at t h e entrance
The n ext day they ca m e u p t h e harbor and l anded
We
o f t h e harbor
s aw says t h e voyag e r so m e good ripe grap e s Bra z il nuts gourds an d
s o m e roots which t h e savage s cultivate T h e y gave us so m e of th e s e i n
exchange for littl e t r ie s we had give n to the m They had al re ady gathere d
th e ir harvest W e s a w t wo hu n dre d savage s in the place t h e chi e f of which
m
w
m
h
m
e
n
e
c
ca
e
to
us
ith
a
cousin
na
e
d
o
n
e
for
who
h
o
u
i
u
a
e
c
m
w
e
C
o
Q
p
O n e m e c h i n a S aco chi e f al so ca m e to s e e us to who m
m ade good chee r
we gave a coat w h ich h e soon gave away to anot h er b e cause it did n ot t
h im
W e also s a w a savage who had b e e n wound e d in the h e e l whil e run
Many
n ing towards the bark an d had lost so m uch blood that he fainted
others ca m e around h im singing so m e ti m e b e for e th e y would touch h i m 3
then m aking certain ge sture s with thei r hands and fe et th e y m oved h i s
h ead and u pon their blowing upon h i m he ca m e to hi m self O u r surgeo n
dressed his wound and h e w e n t gaily away ; but t wo hours aft e r he ca m e
again adds L E scarbot t h e m ost j ocund in th e world having put about
his head the binding cloth wh e rewith his heel was wrap p ed for to s ee m the
m ore gall an t
The n e xt day as so m e of our m e n wer e caulking our sh allop th e S ieu r
de P o u t r in c o u r t s a w in t h e woods a n u m b e r of savage s who ca m e with the
int e ntion of m aking us so m e troubl e Th e y w e re going to a little brook
which is upon t h e narrow part of a ban k which leads to the m ainland w h er e
our p eo p l e wash their linen A s I was walking al o n g this bank th e y per
c e i v e d m e an d to put a good face o n t h e m att e r because th e y s a w that I
,

ch u se tts B

as sa

ay .

T h e M rr i

m ac

F I S HE R M E N
h a d d iscov e red

O WN

B O O

I I

the m they b e gan to sh out an d to pre p are for da n cing Then

they ca m e towards m e with their bows arrows quivers and other arm s and
a s there was a m e ado w b e twee n th e m and m e
I m ade sign s to the m t hat
th e y s h o u I d dance again wh ere upon th e y form ed a circl e and put all their
a r m s in the c e ntre of it
Th e y had hardly co m m e nc e d to dance when th e y
s a w the S ieur de P o u t r i n c o u r t withi n t h e wood with eight arqu e busi e rs
which a s tonished the m They stopp e d da n cing an d retire d fro m one side
and the other with a pp re h e nsion that we shoul d do the m so m e har m W e
s aid n o m ore to the m how e v e r an d only m ade so m e d e m onstrations of
rej oicing Th e n we return ed to our boat in order to put to s e a an d ge t away
fro m the m They wanted us to stay one day sayin g that m ore than 2 0 0 0
m e n would co m e to s e e us but not wil ling to lose ti m e we woul d not l o ng e r
d e lay I believe that they wanted to surprise us
They h ave so m e cul tivate d lan d an d are clearing it u p all th e ti m e S e e
h o w they do it ! T h ey cut t h e tr e es at the h e igh t o f three feet fro m t h e
groun d 5 then they burn the branch e s upon the trunk and s o w th e ir cor n
between the cut wood 3 an d in the cours e of ti m e they tak e away the roots
There are als o m eadows there su f ci e n t for nourishing a n u m b e r o f cattle
Th is port is a v ery good o n e h av ing s u f c ie n t wate r for vessels an d
a ffording sh e lter behind so m e islands It is in the latitud e of 4 3 degrees

an d we have n a m e d it Le Beau Port

Thes e Fre nch e xplore rs n e xt sailed to Cape Cod l e aving Qu io h a m e n e c
and his trib e in quiet possession of th e ir t e rritory which is not known to
h ave bee n again touc h e d by t h e fe e t of civili z e d m e n till it was occupied by
a few E nglish sher m e n in 1 6 2 3 W e s h ould be glad to kn o w so m e th ing
of th e doings an d adv e ntures of th e fourtee n m e n who co m p osed this las t
co m pany but n o pe n ha s traced the history of the sec o n d la n ding at L e
Beau P o r t
,

F I S HB B M E N

12

A W inte r

BY
O

a tw a m

o aad

Me B

O WN

s T r ip
W

AT
L

'

a l zo m

oo

B O O

to G e o r

aa r

S e e n e F zr ae r m e i z s B
'

H LL

ER

K
.

ge s

d F l ee i ng

S le ep ing G

'

za a f

C /za a e
g

D g e a l l i e s
T /ze G za m
g
A m a r a T a k e ep o u r C o u r age zap B o a r d e r! l

a
e
S
a
N a r r o w E s c ap e
y
A T /zr zll zag S zgal A D ay b e a k
t/ze zr P l a ce A f te r t/ze S te r m H o m e
o

a t za

z ma e r

wa r d B
L

'

'

'

a z ma

us suppos e ours e l v e s on board a tri m shing craft lik e t h e abo v e

with a good su pp ly of fro z e n h e rring on board runn ing out fro m G lo u c e s
t e r harbor bound to Georges Banks
W e are h e ading E S E with a trip
of 1 4 0 or 1 5 0 m il e s before us T h e wind is N W and t h e sky is cloud
l ess and we arriv e on t h e grounds th e day following our d e parture pretty
early in t h e day and bring to in about 3 0 fatho m s of wat e r fur]t h e can
vas and b e nd t h e riding sai l T h e l ads a r e soon at wo rk with th e ir l in e s
T h e re a r e s e v e ral v e ss e ls in our vicinity and t h e t wo that we s p ok e b e for e
bringing to ga v e us b u t litt le e ncourage m e n t But this is n ot to be de
p e n d e d on for t h e y would say t h e sa m e thing probably if t h e sh w e re
S o m e ski p p e rs dir e ct t h e cr e w to sto shing w h e n
solid around th e m
p
a v e ss e l co m e s along m aking inquiri e s of this nature so as to m isl e ad the m
h
T ere is so m e j ustication for this p ractice in wint e r ti m e sinc e the gre at
e st p eril arises fro m too m uch crowding and there are plen ty of m e n in
e

"

F I S HE R M E N

0 WN

B O O

h arge of vessel s who are reckl e ss en ough to anchor righ t on t o p of

anoth e r v e ss e l if th e y should s e e t h e l att e r haul in half a do z en sh
Howe v e r we don t nd m uch h e re an d on t h e following m orn ing m ake a

b e rth to th e eastward an d club h e r

e anchor in about 4 0 fatho m s
)
H ere
S ev e ral v e ss e ls in sigh t h e re too ; two or thre e quite clos e e nough
we m e et with b e tt e r shing al though n ot anything extra and by n ight th e
boys ave rage about 3 5 sh e ach
The following m orn ing th e wind b e ing brisk fro m t h e w e stward we are
call e d b e ti m e s and th e m orning watc h r e p orts as we sit down to br e ak
fast that h e h as not had a bit e ye t T h is do e s n ot discon c e rt us m uc h
as the s h ofte n refuse to bit e for an hour or so aft e r daylight ; an d so it
turns out in this instance for we soon nd ours e lv e s pre tty briskly e m ploy e d
and a r e able to k e e p ours e lv e s war m wit h constan t h auling I t is a busy
s c e n e b u t t h e r e ader will r e adily p e rc e ive t h at the inten sity of t h e cold e v e n
on a m od e rat e ly ne day in February precl udes m u c h pleasurabl e e m otion
war m ing on e s bre ast asid e fro m t h e cold satisfactio n that o n e feels that
eve ry sh tak e n is so m uch add e d to t h e co m m o n good
W e ll by n ig h t we are al l fairly tire d out you m ay b e sure an d n o o n e is
sorry to stre tch out in his bunk and e nj oy a s noo z e The high lin e to day
caught 8 5 sh an d t h e low lin e 6 0 a m ore t h an average day s sh ing
Two m ore n e days of glorious s h ing weath e r T h e boys h av e b e e n
m aking good use of the ti m e too and so m e of the
knowing o n e s esti m ate
about
w e ight of s h in t h e hold
W e hav e n o w reach e d T h ursday e v e n ing an d will n ot e t h e app e arance

of t h e w e at h e r particularl y as we exp e ct a n early change T h e glass i s

six or s e ven t e nth s above thirty and that indicat e s t h e approac h of an
E asterly
The wind has bee n ligh t fro m t h e S W al l d ay fal ling at
ti m es to a cal m then light z e phyrs spring up an d c h as e eac h oth e r along
in quick succ e ssion It i s o n e of the f e w re al ly e nj oyable days we get dur
ing t h e wint e r m onth s in this cli m ate and so m e of t h e s anguine ones have
already in th e i r m i n d s e ye start e d for ho m e with a full fare Ther e is
so m e swell on it is true but n o m ore th an woul d fairly r e p resent the
r e spiration of such a peaceful sl e e py giant as t h e one on wh os e boso m we
r e st O n such occasion s this m on st e r beco m e s to m e en dow e d with sp e ec h
Don t b e scare d of m e ; I n e v e r
a n d se e m s to say wit h a benevol ent s m il e
har m e d anything in the world of m y own accord it is on ly when th at aggr a
Bo r eas provok e s m e to fury with his spit e ful
v a t i n g broth e r of m in e
whistling and howling th at I unwillin gly work so m uch d e struction but I
a m always sorry for it afte rw ards
And going on so th e la z y hulking
good nature d giant half inclines m e to b e li e ve that h e is sincere I should
certain ly s c o u t a ny other idea but for t h e recollection of c e rtain slaps h e

F I S HE B M E ZV S

B O O

O WN

K
.

hit m e fro m ti m e t o ti m e which o n t wo or three o ccasion s h ave wel l

n igh s ent m e into the s we e t by e and bye
Darkn e ss has co m e u pon us while we have been m usin g and as we m ay
b e for e m any hours p e rhaps be in the m idst o f a storm we h ad better take

ti m e by the forelock and s e cure a n ap while we m ay The night watch

h a s alre ady b e en set the signal light is burning brightly an d eve n ou r
n e ighbor t h e giant is bre athing l e ss p e rc e ptibly as if inviting us too t o
repos e
Friday m orning Decided change this m orning The wind h as sprun g
up fro m t h e N E during the n ight an d the clouds betoken a h e avy sn ow
stor m at h a n d O u r sanguin e fri e n ds of last n ight look as if bric k walls h ad
O n t h e princi p l e of m aking
S p rung up betw e e n the m an d th e ir airy hopes

h ay whil e th e sun shines e ve ry m a n is d oing his ut m ost to swell his total

of sh to a res p ectabl e gur e whil e there is stil l a c h ance to sh T h e cod
too a r e biting pr e tty freely an d the vess e l b e gin s to surge and creak to he r
cable uneasily like an i m patient hors e cha m ping th e bit an d pawing the
ground
The skipp e r who wa s up b e ti m es is uneasy al so an d n o w go e s forward
to insp e ct the cabl e an d th e n b e low to co n sult the baro m e t e r which this
but has sinc e co m m e n c e d to fall bringin g
m orning stood al m ost on
along occasio n al spits of snow He is partic u l arly anxious about th e bear
ings of the thr e e or fou r vessel s in our i m m e diate vicinity one right ast e r n
an d an oth e r o n t h e starboard quart e r giving h im m uch concern
The light scattered snowak e s n o w fall thick e r an d fast e r The neigh
b oring vess e ls beco m e m o re and m ore indistinct till th e y fade o u t of sigh t
altog e th e r and l e ave us alone with t h e incre asing wind t h e blinding s no w
and t h e rising s e a ! O u r giants a r e e vidently about to co m m ence one of
their wildest bouts
There is t h e skipp e r s voice W h at do e s he say ? Haul in your lin e s

Heave in strad s and give her cabl e

The strads are strands of rope
pl ait e d toge ther an d are bound tightly around th e cabl e to prev e n t it fro m
chang in the haws e pipe H aving tak e n the m o ff we pay out 6 0 or 7 0
fatho m s an d strad h e r u p again as b e fore W e also loos e t h e fore sail
put thre e re e fs in it an d roll it up again so as to hav e it re ady in cas e the
vessel goes adrift fro m h e r ancho r ( It is usual ly custo m ary in a n choring

o n G e orges to doubl e reef the foresail b e fore furling it ) W hat sh th e re

a r e on deck we
dress and h e ave b e low as w e l l as ev e r ything else that is
loose
All b e ing m ad e snug so m e of the crew st o w away their lin e s whil e
t h e m or e e a e r on es h e av e ove r again and continue shing
But one drop s
o ff and an other dro p s off till t h e l ast m an shing calls t o those below to
set the watch and whe n r eliev e d g o e s bel o w hi m self I t i s cust o m a ry
h

as

F I S HE R M E N

0 WN

B O O

hav e a watch on d e ck at al l ti m e s on e i n ordin ary weath e r in ve ry r ough

weat h e r t wo in a watch an d in h e avy w e ath e r t h e w h ole crew hol d the m
s elv e s in r e ad i n e ss for a j u m p at any m o m e n t
About 3 P M t h e cook invite s us to sup p er ; for fair w e ather or foul th e
in n e r m a n has to be take n care of Let us take this opportunity of o b s e r v
i ng his hard w e ath e r arrang e m ents He has a kettl e e ach of tea an d co ffee
always on t h e stove an d o n e or the othe r is se rved wit h e v e ry m e al The
prov e nd e r consists of h ash sh chowd e r salt beef bread an d butt e r ginge r
bread an d dri e d apple or corn starch pies A good d e al d e p e nds on the
cook h owever an d his m ode of catering W ith a good cook e verything
go e s s m oothly Th e re a r e guards o n t h e tabl e to k e e p things f ro m rolling
and sliding o ff ; but th e s e are n ot e ffe ctual in v e ry stor m y weath e r
And now darkn e ss approach e s apace Looking to wind ward is a painful
Nothing is to be s e e n but
O p e ration and on e can only snatch a glance
a blank prosp e ct of snow which strikes t h e face with the shar p ness of hail
This is wh y sh e r m e n so m uch dre ad a N E stor m it plac e s the m s o
u tterly at the m e rcy of chanc e There m ay b e a v e ss e l t wo s e as o ff b e aring
down to swe ep both to destruction L ik e the sword of Da m ocl e s the dang e r
is always hang ing ov e r their h e ads as lon g as t h e stor m continues But of
its actual ap p roach th e r e is short warning A careless l o okout would be
in e vitable d e s t ruction
The night watch being set on such occasion s as this the re st of th e
cre w usual ly m uste r in the cabin al l oil e d up
The old h ands will b e
r e m ind e d of si m ilar bre e z e s in t h e past and e nt e rtain us with n arration s of
O ld U ncle Parsons d e tails the story of his n arrow
n arrow e scap e s e t c
e scap e in t h e 2 d April bre e z e ; a l so in the 4 t h March bree z e ; an d again
wh e n h e succ e ssfully rod e out t h e gal e in which 7 5 oth e r v e ssels cut thei r
cabl e s an d s e v e ral w e re lost Anoth e r old fogy usually re ticen t m ak e s

quite a littl e history o f his experi e nc e in t h e G e o rg e s m an that turn e d ov e r

with th e m while lying on t h e Bank in a h e avy br e e z e ; and although
dis m ast e d righ t e d h e rs e lf a n d fetch e d th e m ho m e safe ly aft e r all
W e b e gin to b e quite oblivious of the pr e s e n t br e e z e w h e n a heavy s e a
strik e s us car e ens the v e ssel ov e r and s e n ds e verybody tu m bling down to
l e e ward Th e ski p p e r who has bee n standing in t h e co m p anio n way
bobs dow n an d haul s over t h e s c u tt le ju s t in ti m e to prev e n t a dre nch
ing s e a fro m pouring down T h e watch on d e ck k e e ps out of harm s way
by ge tting on t h e f o r e ga ff cl e ar of t h e wildly rus h ing wat e r on d e ck
This littl e a r e u p of e xcit e m en t has j ust subsid e d wh e n the h ands o n
the lookout give a loud cr y Although n on e kn ow what was actually said
al l r e cogni z e th e fact that i m m in e nt p e ril was e xpressed in the m anner an d
ton e and all hands at onc e rush on d e ck T h e sk i p p e r has alre ady pl aced
hi m self at th e cable with a sharp ax e a n d eve ry eye is st r ained in t o th e
to

F I S HE B M E N

O WN

B O O

gloo m to distinguish the fatal light for light it is sure ly approac h ing !
Th e re is hope yet that t h e co m ing craft m ay drift across our bows without
striking us for the tid e l S s e tting ov e r t h at way so m e what Yond e r s h e
e m e rges fro m t h e gloo m and we can distinguish t h e d im outline of h e r spa r s
an d hull I t see m s as if nothing short of a m iracl e can pre v en t t h e dange r
fro m cul m inating The skipp e r has twice lift e d his axe to strik e t h e s ever
i ng bl ow at the cabl e but t h e r e m e m bran ce of t h e v e ssels to le e ward of us
caus e s h i m to hesitat e But for this we s li o u l d doubtless hav e cut at t h e
rst al ar m N o w s h e rises on t h e cr e st o f a s e a right ahead of us and ve
s e conds m ore wil l t e ll th e tal e T h e suspen s e w h ich thrills e v e ry breast
susp e nds re s p iration ; al m ost sto p s circulation T h e tongu e is powerl e s s
an d al l the faculti e s are con ce n trat e d in t h e e yes E v e ry ga z e is ri v ete d on
t h e vessel as s h e ris e s m ore on t h e h o w t h is ti m e and e very m a n draw s
a great brea th of relief for we kn o w that t h e dange r is past !
S h e is n o w abreast of us but going away slowly on t h e starboard quarte r
S o n e ar is s h e that we fe e l her cabl e run n ing up across our o w n but we
know fro m its buoyancy that there is n o anchor o n the e nd of it so we ha ve
n o fe ar of its hooking hol d of us Away into the gloo m out of sight drifts
t h e fated v e ss e l h e r cr e w unconscious of t h e n e w p e rils so near at ha bd to
l e e ward T h e drift s h e was m ak i ng when we l ost sight of h e r would take
he r v e ry ve r y n e ar the v e ss e l whos e b e arings we took on the starboard quar
ter before t h e storm set in God help the poor fellows
To be adrift o n
G e orges Bank at such a ti m e a m ong a e et of vesse ls is a dange r only
to be reali z e d by thos e who hav e b e e n t h rough so m e e x p e rienc e of t h e kind
I s it by c h anc e that t h e snow s h ortly aft e r this sudd e nly c e ases ? The
cessation is of but sh ort duration but as it cl e ars to l e eward all ey e s are
s e arc h in g for th e lights and soon o n e is d e scri e d as it rises on t h e s e a W e
try to s e e t h e ot h e r we k now t h ere m ust be two i n that dire ction T h e
A l oud
n e xt s e a r e v e al s to all that t h e re a r e t wo lights th e r e T O G E T H E R !
an d horri e d cry ann ounc e s this discovery an d the n e v e ry m a n s e e m s fro z e n
to a statu e The t e rribl e in t e re st cen t e r e d in thos e e ntangl e d lights see m s
to suspen d ev e ry s e ns e but that of sight which it in tensies
This scen e has scarcely beco m e distinct wh e n lik e a vision it fad e s away
T h e snow falls again an d the lights disa p p e ar wheth e r behind the curtai n
of sno w or wh e th e r th e y sink into the e m brac e of t h e furious giant who was
ye st e rday so softly e nchanting us we are in doub t But of the e n d of the
encounter th e re is a 1a s l n o roo m e ve n for doubt
D aylight br e aks or rath e r cr e eps o n us at last
I qu e stion if th e re I S
a m a n on board h e he ind e l or Christian who does no t fe e l a s e ns e o f
thankfulnes s as he recogn i ze s the long d e fe rred light slowly spre ading ove r
and through the scene The cre sts o f the breaking s e as beco m e visible
fu r ther a n d fu rth e r The s n o wake s s h o w up i n relie f a ai ns t t h e in c r e w
g
.

F I S HE R M E N

O WN

B O O

ing dawn an d soon al l the daylight the storm wil l perm it is ours The cook
does n ot lay any table for bre akfast and we go down an d snatch what we
S ev e ral u gly seas board e d us
can to e a t a n d swal low so m e hot co ffe e
durin g the night and bulwarks are stove gurry kids s m as h e d and other
da m age don e but all thought of this dwarfe d in to i n s ig n i c a n c e in t h e face
of the thrilling scene we w e re going through
As t h e m orning advan c e s it beco m e s evid e nt that we h av e seen th e
extre m e fury of t h e stor m T h e glass is b e ginning to ris e and towards
noon t h e snow slowly c e a s es T h e wind is also m oderating W e e ndeavor
in the aft e rn oon to snatch a n ap I try h ard to sl e e p but with p oor s uccess
My i m agin ation is e xcited and m y sl e e p is tf u l an d troubled with dre a m s
I fancy m ys e lf on board t h e lost v e ss e ls during th e last f e w ho p e l ess m in
utes and a pp e ar t o ha v e pl e n ty of l e isur e to obs e rv e t h e e ff e cts as sh own i n
the di ff e r e nt fac e s around m e I m ark e xpression s of wild supplication of
cool r e signatio n Of st e ady bravery of d e speration and wick e d bra v ad o e v e n
yet H e re I recogni z e the face of a young m a n who has oft e n s p ok e n of
his ho p e o f soon going across t h e oc e an to s e e onc e m ore h is m oth e r an d
sist e rs the re and e ndeavori ng to get th e m to acco m p any h i m back The re
is anot h e r wh o has a m assed a resp e ctabl e s u m in the savings bank and has
hopes of soon investin g in a vessel h i m s e lf and of m arrying at the sa m e
ti m e In another fac e I recogni z e a frank ch e e rful young fe ll o w j ust
b e gin ning the world full of hop e an d boist e rous m e rri m en t and whos e only
faul t is that h e is too fr e e for his o wn good A n d lastly another fa m ilia r
fac e I h ave oft e n se e n ; m ark the stol id stupid indi ffe re nce of expression
ev e n n o w H e is a m arri e d m a n and h as a d e s e rving wife but h e hi m s e lf

e
e
e
is a drunkard long since lost to all s ns of s lf res p ect I t is ever so
wh e n a m a n o v e rst e p s t h e bounds of bl ess e d m od e ration an d allows all his
m ind soul and str e ngth to c e ntr e on the bottle
W h at thoughts occupy lzzr
m ind in this awful m o m e n t ? Is he con su m ed with r e m orse ? Has he a
though t for th at wo m an h e has wronged and m ad e m is e rabl e a ll her life
long ? Does h e think of his n egl e ct e d child re n ? O r is h e m e rely wish ing
for a parting gras p an d swig of that bottle whic h should be a co m fort but is
so oft e n m ade a curse ?
O v e r t h e b r in k o f i t
P i c t u r e i t th i n k o f i t
D is s o lu te m an
J ust as th e s e words ar e runn ing t h rough m y m ind so m ebody shakes m e
an d savs I a m talking gibb e rish
T h is is so m e what m ortifying for I coul d
have e m ph atically d e clar e d that I was giving e xpre ssion to th e abov e quota
tion fro m Hood
I go on d e ck and nd oth e r restl e ss on e s shing I follow suit an d ge t
a f e w sh B e fore dark we h e av e in
slack cable
The wind is i n th e
southward n o w but i t will co m e round to the westward I m anage t o ge t
.

'

F I S HE B M B N

O WN

B O O

K
.

o m e sleep through th e n igh t an d rise refresh e d I nd the wind is N W

the air k e en and everything dry and hard with frost It is freshening an d
it is m ore than we can do to kee p war m hauling al l t h e ti m e The sh soon
free z e sti ff after they co m e on d e ck and t h ey are biting briskly S e vera l
good halibut too h ave be e n s e cured

At night we h av e to p ay out m ore cable again an d t h e b re e z e pro m ises

to b e heavy but there is on ly o n e v e ss e l i n our vicinity n o w an d with good
clear weather we do n ot fe ar any tr o ubl e I t blows heavy through the n ight
a n d just about daylight a heavy sea strikes us and m ak e s the vessel tre m bl e
T h e watch soon afte r puts h i s h e a d down the
scuttle and says S h e s
adrift
W e all j u m p out sli p o n
oil skins an d get on d e ck T h e fore
sail is loosed an d set then we p roc e e d to heave in t h e cable which we nd
h as b e e n chafe d pre tty w e ll throug h by sawi ng across a ro ck o n the botto m
W e a r e n o w standing with our h e ad to t h e n or ard and a s we have
received a good deal of da m age the skipper d e cides to m ake for h o m e
The win d m od e rat e s so we m ak e sail and pound ice for forward our vessel
is a sh e e t of ice an d ropes W indlass and cable are all buri e d i n several
inch e s of it But al l hands turn to with a wi ll and th ings are soon put to
rights T h e wind b e co m e s m ore favorabl e an d we m ake al l sail and head
for Glouc e st e r J oyful fac e s a r e watching for us th e re ; but alas ! for t h e
poor h e arts to who m we bring tidings of bereave m ent o f fathers gon e fo r
ever ; of brothers never m ore to return and son s whose m a nly right h ands
will never earn h on orable support for aged paren ts again
F e w of the a fu e n t hav e any idea of the da n ge rs encounter e d an d braved
to procur e those savo r y dishes of sh which th e y so h ighly appreciate and
I a m afraid f e w even sto p t o en quire wh e th e r t h e sher m en ar e w e ll or illy
paid for thei r labor There is o n e duty howe ver which p eopl e of fortune
ought n ot to n e gl e ct i n m y O pinion and t h at is to contribute lib e rally t o
the s uppo r t o f the widows and orphan s of who m this arduous calli n g m a k e s
s o m any
s

'

,
.

F I S HB B M B N

Pric e s

M ac k ere

of

O WN

in t h e G

and C o d fish

loucester

Past 5 2 Ye ars
P

RI C
N

1 830
1831
1 832
1 83 3
1834
1 8 35
183 6
183 7
1838
1 8 39
184 1
184 2
1 843
1 84 4
184 5
1 84 6
184 7
1848
184 9
185 0
1 85 1
185 2
185 3
185 5
1 85 6
1 85 7
1 85 8

E S

OF

PE R

B B L

8 s

ms

vs
vs
ms
s
ss
ss
He s
Hs s
Hs a
Hs s
s s
9 s

Hws

ws
s
Hw
ws
Hw
s
Ho s
Ho s

ws
!

A CK R L

M ark e t S e pt

RI C

E S

OF

8
8
8
8
8

11L 8 7
725 0

14 AM)
3O J X )
2 2 AM)

a
2 s
2 a
2a
5 s
4 m
5 m
4 m
5 a
Tm
5a
6m
4 m
6m
5 a
6m
3a
4 a
3m
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5
5 n
5s
7a
5m
6s
6m
8 a
8a
.

8m
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.

9
M
9

1 1 25
1 5 1X )
201 )
13 J ES
J

PE R

QT L

s2
2
2
2
2
2
3
2
3
3
2
2
2
2
2
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3
2
2
2
2
3
3
3
3w
3 a
3 s
.

e8.

4
4
3
3
5
8
8
8

7
7

14 00
14 AM)

21 1 )
283 00

15 AN )
11L 5 0
18 4 )

lst f o r th e

CO D F I S H

B
1 871
18 7 2
1 873
1 87 4
1 8 75
18 76
1877
1 8 78
1879
1 88 0
188 1

Gw
185
1 86 0
186 1
186 2
1 86 3
1 86 4
18 65
1 866
186
1 86 8
1 869
18 70

B O O

'

5 s
7e
9 a

7 m
.

5
8
5
5
4
4

m
m
m
m

4
a
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5
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4
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.

Sh

ore

8 4m
.

5m
5 m
5m
4 a
4 m
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?5
1

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9

e 8
n3

F I S HE R M E N

2 0

L e ave s fr o m

H ir
a

B O O

O WN

R e m ar ab l e A dve ntur e s
B r e adth E s c ap e s

L og Bo o
-

and

BY

CO L L I N

The following incid e nts e xtracts fro m a daily j ourn al kept by th e write r
wh il e e ngage d in t h e fresh halibut sh e ry an d r e m arkabl e and we l l a u th e n
t i c a t e d p e rson al e xp e ri e n c e s of oth e rs i t is hop e d will convey to t h e r e ad e r
so m e id e a of t h e vicissitud e s and p e rils to w h ich our sh e r m e n a r e exp os e d
w h il e p ursuing t h e ir ha z ardous occu p ation At the sa m e ti m e so m e knowl
f
e dg e m a
be
gain
d
of
the
daily
li
e of a class of m e n a m ong who m m a
e
b
e
y
y
fo u nd e xa m p l e s of coura ge ous daring a n d h a r d ih o o d unsurpassed by any
thing whic h has ever b e en writt e n Th e re ar e f e w ind e ed a m ong thos e
wh o hav e b e e n e ngage d in the Glouc e ster sh e ries who can not r e lat e truth
ful though startli n g tal e s of t h e ir p e rsonal ad v e ntures T h o u gh n on e of ou r
sh e ri e s a r e e xe m p t fro m p e ril it m ay b e safe ly said t hat the wint e r cod
s h e r y on G e org e s Bank and t h e trawl shery es p e cially that for haddock
an d halibut in wint e r a r e th e m os t dange rous of all T h e last n a m e d

t h e fresh halibut s h e r y fro m its peculiar n ature furnishes m uch that is

in t e resting and wil l b e e s p e cially consid e re d h e re though i n quoti n g fro m
t h e log book m uch of t h e writ e r s o wn e xp e ri e nc e m ust n e c e ssarily b e gi v e n
8 0 shar p is t h e co m p e tition i n this business th at fe arful risks are tak e n i n
S e curing far e s an d carrying th e m to m ark e t
The O peration o f setting an d haul ing the trawls g o es o n with al l po ss ibl e
,

2 I

diligenc e whenever the w e athe r will p e r m it it And in this m atte r of s a zza

bl e weather t h e sher m en a r e n ot at all fastidious n or can th e y a fford to b e
Thus t h e boats are oft e n caught out in h e avy squalls and driv e n away to
oat h e l p l e ssly for d ays a nd nigh ts until th e ir occupants succu m b to hunge r
o r succ e ed i n re aching so m e other vessel O th e r dories a r e u p s e t o n
rough days and t h ough t h e m e n are so m eti m es r e scu e d more fre quently
th e y beco m e ex h aust e d and sink in t h e icy waters Again t h e m e n will p u t
out in the m idst of t h e d e ns e fogs so charact e ristic of t h e N e wfoun dland
Banks and los e the p osition of t h e v e ss e l in s p it e of loud fog h orns ; or i n
wint e r th e y will b e ov e rtaken by blinding s now squalls h iding e verything
in a t h ick and turbul e nt wast e of das h ing spray and drifting sn ow
O n idl e days or wh e n late in t h e ev e ning t h e cr e w gat h e r in t h e forecastl e
for their usual lunch before turning in you will h e ar thrilling tales of t h e s e
adven ture s and e sca p es by only th e bre adth of a hair fro m boundl e ss tortur e
or sudd e n d e ath Nor are th e s e varns z/2ey a r e r e s e rv e d for t h e ga p ing
crowd around the stov e at th e corn e r groc e ry ashor e W h e n fo c s le m e n
co m pare not e s each o n e kno ws t h e r e st a r e critics and d are s not draw t h e
long bow a t l e ast not b e yon d t h e li m it of tru e dra m atic e ffe ct Y e t who
ev e r heard that these narration s of p eril e v e r d e te rre d a dory s cre w fro m
putting o ff wh e n it s e e m e d n e c e ssary ? Mr S t e d m an you a r e right
B r av e ar e t h e h e art s t h at m an

T h e s h ing s m ack s o f G l o uc e st e r t h e se a b o at s o f C ap e A n n

'

S TA R TI NG F O R T H E

BAN K
.

The ttings including ice provisions wat e r

boats and s h ing a pp aratus having b e e n tak
board and sn ugly stowe d awa y n e xt
en o h
co m e s th e day of sailing which oft e nti m es is
quit e an episode in t h e s h e r m a n s life S inc e
h e m ust then part with all he holds d e ar
knowing full w e ll what dread uncertainti e s
The
lie b e tw e e n his d e p arture and r e turn
s a iling day m ay occur at any season an d
e ach ti m e m ay vary in so m e p articulars though
T h e account of t h e day o f which
t h e g e neral fe atur e s r e m ain t h e sa m e
I now write I nd in m y j o urnal und e r dat e of J anuary 2 4 1 8 79
The m e n co m posing our crew ca m e down to t h e wh arf alongsid e of which
lay our v e ss e l about half past e ig h t o clock in t h e m orn ing m any of the m
bringing a s m all calico bag containing a s m all supp ly of cl e an clothes and
roviding
t
selves
at
h
e tt i n g out stor e with pi p e s and tobacco for t h e
h
m
t
e
p
a vessel lying at anchor
trip T wo of the crew are se nt o ff t o the baiter
,

F I S HE R M E N

22

O WN

B O O

K
.

in the harbor with ag yin g a n d s oon re tu rn with fou r o r ve thou s a n d

fro
z e n herring wh ich a r e ha s tily st o red in the h old unde r straw t o
s t if
y

preven t their thawing A little before n oon the tid e s e rv ing at that ti m e
we got underway and worked out of the harb or With a m oderate southwe s t
wind A ft e i p assing E astern Poin t our course was shap e d e ast by south
and we went S kipping away before t h e wind leaving Brace s Cov e Bas s
R ocks and Thacher s I sland wit h i t s two tall lighthouses on our port hand ;
while astern th e sn o w covered shore s of Magnolia an d the m ore distan t l an d
ab o ut S ale m an d Marblehead soo n gre w indistinct and was n ally lost to
v iew
I n the m eanti m e the ropes have bee n coiled dorie s turn e d b o tto m up and
s ecurely lash e d and the vessel pu m p ed out ; while our e ars have bee n
pleasantly greeted by th e ding dong of t h e cook s din n e r b e ll calling us
away fro m straig htening up things o n d e ck
The cre w is divided into
t wo gangs for m e als t h e tabl e in the forecastle n ot b e ing large enough to
acco m m odat e all O n e of the second gang n o w ca m e aft saying : I ll ke e p
h e r along S kippe r while you ge t din ner
where upon I gav e up the whe e l
which I had h e ld si n ce starting an d wen t with th e rst gang down t o din
ne r
For dinner we had t h e usual rst m eal at se a which hastily prepared
c o n sis t s of boiled salt b e ef an d potatoes whit e biscuits p ilot bread an d
butter strong te a and fried beefsteak This bill of fare is v e r y m uc h
ch anged as soon as the D octor ( cook) has ti m e to p repare a great e r
variety and th o ugh beefsteak o r othe r fr e sh m eat is rare ly s e en aft e r the
rst f e w days out the table is well provided with plen ty of good bre ad cakes
pies & c and l ast though n o t least the nest s h are served up i n a m anne r
r arely equalled elsewh e re
Afte r dinn e r the pat e n t log is put out a n o te m ade of the bearing an d
distance of the lan d and then e verybody is calle d aft to thu m b th e hat i n
All han ds n ow stand aroun d an i n ve rte d
o rde r that the watch m ay be set
hat taking hold of it so t h at t h e thu m bs are on top of the r i m The skippe r
then turns away his head and reaching over touches o n e of the thu m bs
an d the n counts around fro m left to right any nu m ber previously decid e d
u pon
The rst one that the cou nt reach e s h as the rst watch T h e
counting then b e gin s at the next thu m b with O n e an d so o n until each
m an kn ows his watch and with t h e inj unction fro m t h e skipper
R e m em be r
n o w who m y o u call
the perfor m ance en ds and the one h aving the rst
watch takes the wheel
W e n o w have an oppor tunity to n o tice critically the vessel u p on the m e r
it s of which we d e pend n ot only for the s ucc e ssful issue o f t h e voyage in a
pecuniary sens e but for t h e p rese r vati o n of life its e lf S h e is a clipper
schooner of 8 0 tons with n e lines and broad bea m but snug rigge d that
i s carryin g but one j ib a s be t s the winte r weather
Forward o n th e
,

F I S HE R M E N
'

l arboard side o f

O WN

B O O

the fo re m ast li e s coiled a huge pile of m a n il a cable fou r

hundred fatho m s o r n e arly a half m il e in length The m ain d e ck is divide d
into s m all co m part m e n ts by c h e cker pl anks eight or te n inches wid e se t
on edge crossing each oth e r at right angl e s an d s e cure ly fastened in th e ir
plac e s they a r e to p rev e nt the sh fro m S liding across t h e d e ck an d on top
of th e se ar e plac e d the dori e s t h re e on e ach sid e of th e v e ssel
The cabin is te n or e l e v e n fe e t squar e tastefully nish e d i n ash and black
wal nut and containing four bunks o n e for m y o wn u s e t h e others for such
m e m b e rs of t h e crew as hav e s e cur e d th e m by lot sinc e th e r e a r e n o und e r
The furniture of t h e cabin con sists of a
i c e r s to clai m the m by right
o
stov e secure ly fast e n e d to t h e oor a m arin e clock looking glass haro m e
t e r and chrono m e te r the l att e r b e ing plac e d on t h e s e at w h ich runs aroun d
the sid e of the cabin supplying th e place of chairs The fore castl e also is

h
m
h
s t e dining roo m of t h e vess e l an d the sl e ep ing
n icely nis e d and for
a p art m e nt for part of t h e cre w A door op e ns fro m t h e fore castl e into the
forehold where the provision s wate r and fu e l are store d and where the
cook has his pantry
O u r cr e w aside fro m the cook and m yself nu m b e r tw e lve m e n : stout
h ardy an d brav e fellows sel e cted for th e l i prociency as s e a m e n and s h e r
men
E ach one is known to be
a good m a n o n board a v e ss e l wh ich
m eans that he I S an agreeable shi p m at e and c a n always be reli e d o n to
p e rfor m any n e c e ssary duty with out i n c h i ng
But while we have be e n looking ov e r the vessel the wind h as incre as e d ;
t h e land has sunk b e low the hori z on and our littl e schoon e r is rushing
along at a liv e ly rate occasionally sending h e r le e rail u n d e r as S h e l urches
in t h e rising sea ; whil e frequen t dash e s of S p ray co m e ying ov e r t h e
weath e r quarter rail A rival vess e l also boun d to the Banks is close by
and although our to p m ast bends and s e e m s lik e ly to go o v e r t h e S ide we do
not short e n sail until we see a m ov e m e nt for th at p urp o se on board the
o th e r
W e h ave al ready carri e d our light sails long en ough an d the stay
sail co m e s utt e rin g down to t h e d e ck like a gre at w h ite bird t h e ga ff t o p
sail is also cl e w e d up and away goes a m a n to f u rl it ni m bly cli m bing t h e
rigging to th e m ain m ast head
A little before sev e n o clock P M our vessel took a h e avy lurch to le e
ward s e nding h e r lee rail s o far und e r that when s h e straight e ned up t h e
deck was n e arly full an d several buck e ts ful ca m e d ow n the co m panio n way
w e tting the b e d cloth e s in th e le e bunks and also t h e boots lying o n t h e
oor T h is e p isode call e d forth excla m ations m ore forcibl e than p olit e fro m
the occupants of t h e le e bunks an d S h outs of la ught e r fro m th e ir c o m p a n
ions wh o could s e e only t h e ludicrous sid e of t h e accid e n t T h e s e a by t h is
ti m e h ad rise n S harp and choppy and so fre qu e n t were the l urch e s the
m ainboo m oft e n going und e r t o t h e slings that we soo n after double r e efe d
,

'

F I S HE R /M E N

O WN

B O O

K
.

the m ain s ail This done I go below for the nigh t giving the usual ord e r
to call m e if th e re is any chang e in t h e force or dire ction of th e wind
T h us ends t h e rs t day out ; and nev e r p e rhaps were w ords wri tt e n
whic h so tly describe the situatio n of t h e out ward bou n d sher m an as those
of Byron whe n he says :
O n c e m o r e u p o n th e w a t e r s ; y e t o n c e m o r e
A n d t h e w av e s b e n e at h m e a s a s te e d
T h at k n o w s h i s ri d e r We lco m e t o th ir ro ar !
S w i f t b e t h e i r g u i d an c e w h e r e o e r i t l e a d ;
T h ugh th e s trai n e d m as t s h o uld q u iv e r as a re e d
S t i ll m u s t I o n : f o r I am as a w e e d
lu g f r o m t h e r o ck o n o c e an s f o am to s ai l
Wh e re e r t h e s u rg e m ay s we e p t h e te m pe st s b re ath p re v ai l
.

BAN KI N A GAL E

R U NN I NG F O R T H E

This day began with a strong bree z e west

j
n or west an d the baro m eter which was on
in dicat e d still m ore win d
T h e night ( or e arly m orning) was int e ns e ly dark and ha v ing previously
tak e n in and furled the m ainsail a n d gaff topsail we double re e fed t h e fore
sail at
A M and took the bonnet out of the j ib At this ti m e t h e win d
was incre asing rapidly blowing in S harp p u ffs and hauling to N N E
while it grew cold very fast causing the ying spray to soo n congeal into
ice on the rigging and such p ortions of t h e hull as were not too m uch unde r
wat e r At
A M the win d had freshened to a gal e and the sea ran
S harp and high causing our vess e l whic h wa s running with t h e wind abea m
to occasionally tak e a heavy lurch to leeward Fearing the dorie s m ight be
inj ured if we co ntinu e d o n our course we furle d t h e j ib and hov e to und e r
t h e re e fed for e sail un til 7 o clock in the m orning at which ti m e we k e p t o ff
again th e wind in th e inte ri m having change d to N N W which was fai r

f
for us t h ough it was still blowi ng hard
I t was int e nsely cold all the
N o t wit h
m orning and ice m ade rapidly o n d e ck and about the rigging
s tanding this h o wev e r we set the j ib and riding sail s oon aft e r bre akfast
an d a half hour later s a w a v e ssel at anchor ah e ad which as we approach e d
There was no o n e to b e s e e n on
n e ar e r we kne w was the E vere tt S t e e le
h e r d e ck an d as we pass e d clos e to h e r stern our m e n m ost of who m had
gath e red aft on the quart e r j oin e d in a g e n e ral shout This had t h e d e sired
an d fo u r or v e of t h e S t e e l e s cr e w rush e d u p bar e h e ad e d an d
e ffect
stocking foot e d to b e greeted by the laught e r of our fe llows as we w e n t
dashing by At 1 0 o clock A M we pass e d a brig which wa s lying to
u n d ay

an u a r y

6M

8 79

'

ch o o n e r Ho w ar d o f G l o uce s te r was kno ck e d d o w n an d c am e n e ar b e i n g l o s t i n

th is ga l e ; t h e T h re s h e r o f t h e s am e p o r t al so h ad h e r d e ck s we p t an d i t i s be l ie v e d by
m an y th at t h e G we n d o l e n w h i ch w as al s o b o u n d t o t h e B an ks we n t d o wn t h e s am e d ay
s i n ce s h e was n e ve r s e e n a fte r w a r ds
*T h e s

FI S

HE R M E N

O WN

B O O

under m ain staysail S h e was badly ice d up an d appeared to be l aboring

heav ily rolling h e r le e yard ar m s n e arly to t h e surfac e of th e water
To o n e standing upon t h e d e ck of our littl e sc h oone r at t h is ti m e the
sc e n e though gran d an d i m pre ssi v e had a d e cid e dly wintry and dre ary look
T h e i c e cov e r e d hull and rigging the dark m ass e s of snow l ade n clouds
dri v e n to leeward by t h e gal e which shrieked and whistled through th e
rop e s and l ash e d into th e wild e st fury th e foa m e c k e d wat e rs piling the m
into hug e waves was a sight that onc e s e en could n e ver b e forgotte n
But on we we nt n o w p lunging down t h e sid e of a big sea again lurching
h e avily l ling t h e deck with wat e r which as t h e v e ss e l straighten e d up
again w e nt dashing ov e r to t h e weather side ofte n out over t h e rail an d
through the binn acle into the cabin
T h e r e m ark of o ne of our boys t h at any one who can t swi m had b e tt e r
tak e a back seat was c e rtainly v e ry apt but t h e gravity of the S ituation an d
t h e da m ag e incident to running in suc h a gale with the sea on the quarte r
was bett e r e xpre ss e d by t h e order fr e quently shouted to t h e m a n at t h e
wh e e l W atch h e r sh arp n o w ! K
e e p your eye to wi n d a r d an d if you se e
*
a my one co m ing swing he r o ff and le t he r take it st e m to
During th e afternoon there was a d a n ge rb u s an d n asty cros s s e a run n ing
re nd e ring it e x tre m e ly u n safe to con tinue o n our course during t h e n igh t
W e th e re fore took i n t h e j ib an d furled it before dark and at 5 o clock P M
hove to under doubl e re e fe d fore s ail and riding sail At 7 P M the gale
still continue s with undi m in ish e d force but lik e a gul l with its head und e r
its wing our litle sea boat ris e s an d falls safe ly breasting t h e foa m creste d
wav e s that go seething by l e aving b e hin d th e m a phosp h ore sc e nt track
w h ich lights u p the surroun ding darkness giving it a p e culiarly we ird and
strange a p p e aranc e Thus closes this day th e e v e nts of which I n o w sit
down to write b e fore turning in for the night
'

AS H E D

O UT O F A
'

DO
FO

Y A T E R R I BL E
R LI F E

S T R U GGL E

a bree z y day in Nov e m b e r 1 8 8 0 t h e crew of the sch Grac e L Fears

a fre sh halibut catcher which lay at anchor i n t h e D e e W at e r start e d
p
out to haul t h e ir trawls Although it was rough t h e wav e s fre qu e ntly br e ak
ing and t h e win d bl e w in gusty pu ffs it was not consid e red exc e p tion al ly
dangerous to v e nture out by the sher m e n since th e tid e which r a n quite
strong to wind wa rd w o uld m at e rially as si s t the m in again r e aching the
vessel
In o ne of t h e dori e s w e re W illiam T L e e and Jack Devin e W h e n these
tw o had safe ly haul e d the larger part of th e ir trawl and the boat which
O

F I S HE R M E N

O WN

B O O

K
.

on b oard several halibut lay h awsed up in such a m anner that her S ide
was so m ewhat e x p osed to t h e s e a a huge curling wave ca m e tearing along
striking with full force both m e n and dory t h e form er being thrown over
board and t h e l att e r nearly ll e d with water Devin e went ov e r the S id e
b ut fortunat e ly for h im was near enoug h to grasp the gunwale of t h e boat
and cli m b into her W ith L e e howe v e r the case was quite di ff e re nt T h e
s e a broke ov e r the dory with such viole nce as to throw h i m a distanc e of a
d oz e n or fte e n fe et fro m her He wa s so m uch en cu m bered with h e avy
clothing and sea boots t h at he could n o t pre vent hi m self fro m sinking I n
t h e m e anti m e his dory m ate fast e ned t h e trawl to the b o w of t h e boat s o as
to k e e p her a s n early head to the sea as possibl e and fright e ned fo r his o iv n
As goo d
s afety m ade desperate e ff orts to bail ou r the n e arly lled dory
fortune woul d h ave it howev e r the sl acking of t h e trawl allowe d the dory
to drop slowly to lee ward and t h e tid e also swe p t the struggling m an S lowly
t o windward who as h e sank for t h e second and as he thought l ast ti m e
felt his h and co m e i n contact wit h the trawl about t wo or thre e fatho m s
un der water I t is said that a drowning m a n will clutch at a straw and it
re quires no great stre tch of i m agin ation to un de rstand h o w eagerly this stout
li n e was grasped by t h e sinking sh e r m a n Though quit e exhausted by his
e fforts h e still re tain e d his wits an d his indo m i table courage and a t once
began to haul hi m s e l f toward the dory hand ove r hand along the li ne
Al m ost as soon as h e bega n this process o ne of the stout hooks caught i n his
for e nge r and passed co m plet e ly through it n e ar the e n d To an ordinary
person this would hav e b e en c e rtai n d e ath un de r such circu m stanc e s b u t
d e t e r m in e d not to give up while life lasted he reach e d the oth e r hand as fa r
up o n the trawl as h e could and with a desp e rate pull tore t h e h ook c o m
*
H
e wa s
l
e te ly t h rough o r out of his ng e r end m aki n g an ugly wound
p
j ust as he got his h e ad above water an d caught
n o w able to proc e ed but
his bre ath j ust a t t h e very last instant of en durance with his hand clutching
t h e gunwale of t h e boat a s e cond hook caught i n t h e leg of his trousers
Though he shout e d to his co m pa n ion the m a n rend e re d n o assistance fe ar
ing that shoul d he m ove to t h e S ide the water logged do r y would up s et
L e e m ustered all of his fast ebbing en e rgi e s and by o n e last an d m ighty
e ff ort pull e d h i m s e lf ov e r t h e S ide of the boat an d fell sens e l e ss t o the
botto m
All of this though long in the t e lling occupi e d a ve ry short ti m e
but the s e con ds wer e eve ntful on e s and p e rhaps n o better voucher for the
invincible pluck of o ur sh e r m e n coul d be giv e n than by the stat e m ent o f
the single fact that after recove ring s o m e what fro m his exhaustion un m in d
ful of his t orn and bleeding nger as well as of the breaking waves sweeping
h ad

'

u ti l ate d nge r w as se e n by th e wri te r wh i l e y e t it re m ain e d u n h e al e d an d its t o rn

m an gl e d a p p e ar an c e g av e am p l e p ro o f o f t h e d e sp e r ate n atur e o f th e str ugg l e in w h i ch

*T h e

an d

th e

wo u nd h ad

ee n r e c e iv e d

F I S HE R M E N

O WN

B O O

by L e e woul d not return to the vess e l until he had nished hauling the
trawl thus acco m plishing the task he start e d out to do
The abov e is o n e o f th e m any instances that m ight b e m e ntioned to S ho w
that so m e m e n se e m e n dow e d with a luck all t h e ir own in e scaping fro m
perilous positions wh e n th e ir co m panions ap p are ntly i n n o worse a scra p e
h av e lost th e ir liv e s T h is is large ly due to be sure to th e ir indo m itabl e
pluck an d p e rs e v e ranc e in e ff orts to sav e their liv e s so long as a bre ath
r e m ains and a pres e nce of m ind t h at enables th e m to m ake t h e m ost of any
fortunat e circu m stance
,

LO

S S O F T HE

FO

R E ST

BE L L E

The schoon e r For e st B e lle wa s lost on h e r rst tri p to t h e Gran d Bank i n

t h e latter part of 1 8 6 8 an d was supposed to hav e fo u nd e r e d in a furious
tornado that sw e p t t h e west e rn Atlantic in Dec e m b e r of that year S h e was
co m m and e d by Capt Mos e s M W elch a young m a n of gre at pro m i s e who
was so m uch est e e m ed by thos e of h is o wn profe ssion that s e v e ral of his
cre w w e re skip p e rs who having haul e d u p th e ir o wn vessels chose to m ak e
this tri p to the Bank wit h h i m I n e v ery s e ns e the cre w wa s an e xc e ll e n t
an d the v e ssel was consider e d o n e of the n e st that e v e r s ailed fro m
o ne
Gloucest e r T h e following co m pris e d the cre w : R obert M Collin s Daniel
Luf kin R andall M c L e ll a n Arthur U l m e r, S ylvanus Gott Geo Bartl e tt Geo
Kane John A Ke lly J a m e s M c D o n ald W m H ick m an an d W m B R owe
,

o m e

al l

yo u h

rdy sh e r m e n

r v e s se l n e e r w as l au n ch e d
O r o e r th e w i ld w av e s e w ;
A n d b r av e r h e a r t s w e r e n e v e r k n o w n
T h an th o se o f h r h ardy cre w
T we l v e stu rdy m n i n p r im e o f l ife
D arin g w inte r gal e an d s to r m
L e f t t e n d e r w i v e s an d m o th e r s d e ar
T o w a tc h f o r t h e i r r e t u r n

Wh at th o s e d ar in g m e n d id s u ff e r
N o o n e w i ll e v e r kn o w
U p o n t h at w i ld an d w i ntr y s e a
Wh e n h o w l ing W in d s d id bl o w
T h e r ag i n g w av e s e n g ul fe d t h e i r b a r k
N o h an d w a s th e re t o s av e
Th at l ittl e b an d o f g all an t m e n
ro m a co ld an d w ate r y gr av e

ty g t
e n i n e t e e nth d ay
e
o ve
e n w i th a n o r w e s t g a l e
e a e ss
e se
r o m C ap e A n n b o re aw ay :
B o u n d aw ay u n t o t h e G r an d B an k
W i n t h e w h i te c a pp e d w ave s th e y y ;
A h ! l i tt l e d re am e d th o se s e am a n b o ld
T h at so so o n th e y all m u st d i e

bl e ss t h e m o u r ng fr d t y v e l e ft
A n d c o m fo rt t h o s e w h o w e e p
F o r h u sb an d s s o n s an d b r o th e r s d e ar
N o w bu r i e d i n t h e de e p
T h o ugh p arte d fro m th e i r l o v e d o n e s h e r e
T h e re i s a b righ te r sh o re
Wh e re th e y m ay m e e t th e m o n ce ag ain
T h e r e p art i ng s ar e no m o r e

ne

Tw i th F l l
N m b r th
T h f rl m

as

of

si x

-e

i h

With te n d e r wo rd s an d fo n d c are s s
T h e y p arte d f r o m th o s e d e ar
C h e e r u p s ai d th e y we l l so o n be b ack
I f G o d o u r l i ve s d o th sp are
With a ch i ng h e art s w i v e s m o th e r s w e e p
F o r n o n e c an t e l l t h e t a l e
O f t h e B e ll e s s a d f at e bu t a l l s u p p o se
S h e fo u n d e r e d i n a g a l e

W ho

w in te r s h i ng g o ;
W h o f ac e th o e n o rth e r n w i n tr y bl asts
ie r c e s t o r m s o f h a i l a n d s n o w
Pau se h e re aw h il e an d l i ste n
Wh i l e a d r e ad ful t al e I te ll
O f a w i n te r g a l e an d th e s ad s ad l o ss
O f t h e s c h o o n e r o r e s t B e ll e
,

ie n

ni

F I S HE R M E N

N o tab l e

O WN

B O O

Fishi ng F ar e s

Th e re is con sid e rabl e ri v a l ry a m ong t h e Cap e An n S ki p p e rs in the m att e r

of bringing in large far e s and t h is fri e n dly co m p e tition n ot only d e v e lo p s
t h e skill an d d aring of t h e sh e r m e n but k e e p s th e m e v e r on t h e al e rt to
t r y experi m ents an d to discov e r n e w m e t h ods of catc h ing sh an d n e w s h
ing grounds thus bringing into pl ay those faculties which t e nd to pro m ote
the shing int e re sts and add to their productiveness W e have kept a r e c
ord of m any of thes e big trips and tak e m uch pleasu re in publishing the m

in the page s of the Fish e r m e n s O wn Book

,

BAN KT R I P S

The best c o d s h fare ev e r l an de d at this port was in O ct o b e r 1 8 8 0 wh e n

e ls o
the B 1 sch K
Capt B e nj a m in Hin e s arriv e d here fro m Grand Bank
with
lbs larg e c o d s h
to
lbs m e diu m and s m al l
do an d 1 6 0 0 lbs e tc h e d halibut The n e xt best Bank far e wa s
lbs c o d s h in round n u m b e rs land e d in 1 8 7 8 by sch I f e r nza n B a or o n Capt
Ch arl e s J Lawson which schoon e r also l and e d
lbs on o n e trip i n
1 88 0
T h e ve b e st B a nk far e s ev e r landed by a single vess e l w e r e r e c e i v ed
in t h e sch G r a n d M a s te r Capt Byron Hin e s of Pubnico N S sailing
fro m t h is p o rt : in 1 8 7 5 s h e l and e d a fare of
lbs ; in 1 8 77 o n e of
lbs stocking
in 1 8 78 o n e of
lbs ; in 1 8 8 0 o n e of
lbs ; an d in 1 8 8 1 on e of
lbs A m o n g other good c o d s h
fare s we notic e those of the C e n te n n ia l 2
lbs in 1 8 7 8 and 2
lbs in 1 8 8 1 A m o ng oth e r good far e s in t h e l ast n a m e d y e ar the W o os te r
lbs t h e M 20 E ngl a n d for
lbs the S ni
S a n oo r n hailed for
Zo n of t h is port H a ttie L M w m a n of B e v e r ly an d W a te r L i ly of Yarm outh
N S each
lbs t h e D a vy C r o c k e tt fro m a hand lin e trip to W e stern
Bank for
lbs and the T/zr e s ne r for
lbs c o d s h an d
lbs halibut F o r the week en ding S e pt 8 six Gran d Bank fare s w e re
r eceived aggregating
lb s c o d s h includin g t wo fare s of 2
,

F I S HE R M E N
and

B O O

0 WN

29

one of
lbs ; f ro m March 8 to O ctober 1 5 th e f o s ie M C a l d e r
wo o d m ade v e trips to t h e W e st e rn and Gran d Banks and B a n qu e r e a u
taking i n round n u m bers
lbs c o d s h an d
lbs halibut stock
ing
bel iev e d to b e th e best season s work in the Bank c o d s h e r y
T h e largest a m oun t of Bank c o d s h e v e r la n d e d at Glouc e st e r in a singl e
w e e k wa s
lbs tw e nty v e fare s for the w e e k e nding J uly 2 7 1 8 7 6
lbs ; for th e we e k
t h e total c o d s h r e c e i p ts for t h at w e e k b e ing
Bank c o d s h w e r e lan d e d
e nding S e pt 1 6 1 8 8 0 fte e n far e s of
at Gloucest e r and for t h e we e k e n d ing S e p t 1 3 1 8 7 7
lbs S c h
P ly m o n tn B o c k took
lbs on o n e Bank trip in 1 8 7 8 O n a v e
m ont h s trip in 1 8 7 3 s c h
C a r r i e P M o r to n Capt Charles A K
e ene took
lbs c o d s h and
lbs h alibut stocking
the cr e w shar
ing
the b e s t stock on o n e trip in this s h e ry of which we have any
re cord S c h a g/zt Te mp l a r C ap t Mic h a e l M c D o n a ld stock e d
5
on o n e trip in 1 8 7 3 b e ing absen t only two and one half m onths In 1 8 7 7
lbs c o d s h and
lbs
sc h
C o n c o r d Capt John Dago l an d e d
h alibut fro m a W e ster n Bank tri p stocking
in four m on t h s and t wo
d ays
S c h B e n : P e r l ey P o o r e Capt C h arl e s H Nut e l and e d
lbs
c o d s h an d
lbs halibut fro m a fou r te en we e ks tri p in 1 8 7 2 sto c king
In 1 8 7 9 t h e C o r i n n a f f B zs nop ar r iv e d
t h e cr e w S haring
ho m e in August fro m a s e v e n te e n we e ks Bank tri p wit h
lbs larg e
c o d sh
lbs s m all do and
lbs e t c h e d halibut h aving sold
lbs in N e wfo u ndl and giving her a catch of
lbs sh
.

'

FL E TC H E D HA L I B UT

The l argest Bank far e of e tc h e d halibut ever l an ded at Gloucester was

lbs in sch B e n / no n Ca p t B e lch e r Torre y in 1 8 6 8 S h e had also
h
lbs c o d s h a n d stock e d o n a twe lv e w e e ks tri p
e be s t
t
(
Bank stock o n o ne trip ye t r e port e d) t h e cre w sharing
.

F R E S H HA L I B U T

The largest fare of fre s h halibut ever land e d at Glouc e st e r was

lbs by sch G P a tm a n Capt Jero m e M c D o n a ld fro m a Bank tri p in
h
e n te n n i a l
18
T
h
e
n
e
xt
larg
st
far
was
landed
by
s
c
C
Capt Den nis
e
e
77
C Murphy fro m a thr e e w e eks trip in 1 8 7 6 l anding
lbs and
lbs c o d s h ; o n h e r rst t e n tri p s t h e C e n te n n ia l took
lbs halibut
I n 1 8 7 5 sch C /ze s te r R L a wr e n c e Cap t Th o m as Hodgdon took on one trip
lbs halibut an d
lbs c o d s h The n e xt y e ar sch D a vy
lbs on h e r rst tri p which sold at 6 a n d 3 cts p e r lb
C r o c k e tt took
for w h ite and gray S c h W zl l za nz T M e r c /za n t took
lbs in tw e nty
T h e best fare landed i n 1 8 8 1 was brought in by t h e
v e days in 1 8 68
'

'

'

'

F I S HE R M E N

30

O WN

B O O

K
.

sch P ly m o nt/z B o c k ; she weighe d o ff

lbs halibut an d
lbs cod
sh h aving a su fcient quantity of unsal e abl e h alibut to bring h e r catch up
to 1 0 0 0 0 0 1b s ; h e r stock was
t h e cr e w sharing $8 5 on a voyage
occupying four w e eks and two days A m ong t h e rec e ipts in o n e w e ek i n
1 8 6 w e re
h
r r ie P
n
D
r o ck
lbs
in
r
in
sch
c
a
o
t
o
a
v
C
M
s
C
y
7
e tt
lbs i n sch E d w in C D o ll i ve r and two oth e r v e ss e ls had upwards
of
lbs e ach th e sa m e we e k T h e larg e st a m ount of h alibut ev e r
rec e ived in Glouc e st e r in a singl e week was for t h e w e ek e n ding Fe b 1 0
1 88 1
when th e r e cei p ts were
lbs fro m the Banks an d
lbs
fro m G e orges
lbs
The b e st stock on a si n gl e trip in th e Bank h alibut shery was m ad e by
s ch N H P ail / ins Ca p t W illia m M c D o n ald i n 1 8 7 1
S h e land e d
lbs h alibut an d
lbs c o d s h stocking in v e w e e ks
1 1 two
successiv e tri p s that s e ason s h e stock e d
the cr e w sharing
for nine we e ks shing T h e sa m e y e ar sch M a r y C a r l is le Capt W illia m
Th o m pson stocked
on one trip t h e crew shari n g
In
a r a /z P
187
S
ch
sch
r e s ne r
stock
d
o
n
one
trip
T
/
z
e
S
A y er
9
stock e d
o n a trip in 1 8 6 9 I n 1 8 6 8 sch A p nr o d i te C apt R a n dal l
M c D o n a ld stock e d
an d th e previous y e ar t h e sa m e vess e l stocked
on on e trip ; s c h W i l l ia m 7 1 M e r c /za n t Capt N e lson M c K
e nne y
stocked
on a twen ty six days trip in 1 8 6 8 S c h C B M a n n i ng
C apt Charles H N ute stocked
on a h alibut trip i n 1 8 6 9 I n 1 8 8 0
S te ve n s her catch of
lbs
t h e best stock was m ad e by sch W i l l ie
selling for
ti m e about three we e ks T h e best stock in 1 88 1 was
m ade by th e G r a c e L F e a r s
lbs
crew sh ari n g
On
on e trip in 1 8 7 6 sch B p e s T a r r w a s abs e n t three weeks and took in four
days s h ing
lbs whit e an d 2 4 4 4 2 l
gray halibut whic h s o l d for
t h e cr e w sh aring $ 1 2 0
T h e b e st season s stock in this sh ery was m ad e by sch G e r tie B F o s te r
Capt E dward Morris in 1 8 7 5 I n e lev e n m onths sh e l an ded
lbs
T h e n e xt b e st stock
halibut and
lbs c o d s h stocking
was that of sch W i l li e M S te ve n s C apt J ohn M c I n n i s in 1 8 8 0 ; fro m
Dec 2 4 1 8 7 9 to D e c 1 5 1 8 8 0 her gross stock was
an d h e r n e t
stock
the cr e w S haring
The best season s stock in
th is shery in 1 8 8 1 was m ade by Capt Nathan i e l Gr e en l e af in sch G r a c e
net S c h R a c e r Capt W alte r M Falt stock e d
L F ea r s
in 1 8 66 C apt W illia m Tho m pson was high lin e of the cr e w m aking
I n 1 8 7 1 C a p t T h o m pson m ade nin e trips in sch M a r y C a r l is le stocking
I n 1 8 6 9 7 0 7 1 Capt Tho m pso n
h e r crew s h aring
stocked
In 1 8 73 74 75 Capt E dw ar d Mor r is stoc k ed

'

F I S HE R

ME

GE O

GE

o WN

B O O

FA R E S

The l argest c o d s h fare e ve r r e ce iv e d fro m G e orge s wa s

lbs
round with 8 6 2 lbs halibut by sch S R L a n e Capt S olo m on J acobs in
e
Lan
stock
e
d
o
n
this
tri
her
cr
w
haring
an
d
18
h
e
S
t
e
p
75 ;
I n 1 8 8 1 t h e sch T r i to n Capt E dward Grov e s
t h e cook m aking
w e igh e d o ff fro m o n e G e orge s tri p
split c o d s h
lbs round
*
do ( e qual to about
lbs round) and
lbs h alibut
I n 1 8 75
sch C a r l S c /zzc r z Ca p t N e il S M c P h e e land e d a G e org e s far e of
lbs c o d s h an d
lbs hal ibut stocking
cr e w share d
S c h E ve r e tt S tee l e C a p t J os e p h Goslin w e igh e d o ff
cook m ad e
lbs on on e trip in 1 8 6 9 I n 1 8 6 8 s c h I Vi ll i a m
D a l e Capt
D avid A O si e r landed a far e of
lbs O n a fourt e e n days trip in
in two successiv e tri p s that y ear
1 8 6 7 sch M o n ta n a took
l anded
l
m aking a gross stock of
I n 1 8 6 6 the M a d
of
lbs I n 1 8 7 7 th e R i ve r d a le took
a m e R o l a n d h ad a far e
D a l e 9 1 5 0 0 1b s e ach on one tri p ; t h e H a ttie S
lbs an d the W i ll ia m
lbs on two trips in th re e w e e ks I n 1 8 79
C l a r k Ca p t Hilt z took
l bs s p lit c o d s h
th e S a r a /i P A y e r had a trip of
The best far e in
1 8 8 0 was
lbs split c o d s h an d
lbs h a libut in sch f l yp e r i o n
an d the n e xt b e st fare
lbs s p lit c o d s h an d
lbs halibut in
sch D a v i d M H i l to n O n v e G e orge s tri p s in t h e S pring and S u m m er o f
c o d s h in n u m b e r w e i hing
1 88 1
s c h P r o c te r B r o t/ze r s took
g
lbs O f her cr e w of el e v e n m e n Mr G e orge W illia m son was high line
taking
sh w h ile the low lin e caught
by sch M a d a m e
T h e b e st stock on a S in gle G e org e s trip was
R o l a n d Ca p t Ja m es L u n d e r k i n in 1 8 6 5
in t wo trips t h at y e ar s h e s tock e d
S c h E ve r e tt S te e l e Capt Cash stocked
in 1 8 6 5
i n 1 8 6 9 and
in 1 8 6 6 on singl e trips In 1 8 6 5 sch
L a ng/zi ng W a te r Ca p t Jos e p h Gos l in on e l e v e n G e org e s tri p s stock e d
and aft e rwards go ing to t h e Bay of S t Lawrence for m ack e r e l
m aking her s e ason s stock
stocked
the high lin e
m ad e
and h e r cook
.

G R E E NLAN D T R I P S
l argest fare of e t c h e d halibut ev e r l and e d at this p ort was
lbs by sch B u n k e r Hi l l Ca p t Joh n M c D o n a ld fro m a Gre e nland voyag e
T h e sa m e y e ar sch H e r m a n B a l s o n Ca p t Charl e s
in 1 8 8 1 stocking
h
d

e
c
e
t
Lawson
took
lbs
halibut
and
a
quantity
of
oth
r
sh
on
e
J
the coast of Greenland stocking
on a four m on ths tri p ; the
Th e
.

*I n

18 79 th

T r i t o n h ad

trip

lb s

sp

l it c o d sh

an d

lb s h
.

l ibu t

FI S

2
3

HE R M E N

0 WN

B O O

K
.

crew shar e d
each and the skipper s shar e and co m m ission a m ounte d
to
I n 1 8 7 0 s c h C a le b E a to n Ca p t J o h n S M c Qu in n lan ded
lbs e t c h e d h alibut and a quan tity of sal m on and n s fro m a four
m ont h s Greenland trip stocking about

H I GH P R I C E S

HA L I B U T

FO R

In the Fall of 1 8 6 5 Ca p t L A S tory now of Magnolia caught fro m a dory

while engaged in han d lin e s h ing in Boston Bay a halibut weigh ing 1 9 4
lbs which was sold to M e ssrs Parson s
Co of C o m m e rcial W harf Bos
ton at 2 8 c e nts p e r pound m aking t h e total price
The l arg e st
pric e e v e r re c e iv e d for a fare l ot was 2 1 cts p e r lb for white an d 1 4 cts for
gray for
lbs brought in by sch T L M ay o I n J an uary 1 8 8 1
h alibut sol d at 1 6 and 1 2 cts p e r lb for wh it e and gray
.

KBAN KAN D

QU I C

GE O

R GE S

TR I P S

Capt Garrett Galvin m ade a sal t tri p to the Banks in 7 %

weeks in 1 8 78 ; sch C a r r i e P M o r to n Ca p t Charl e s A K
in 2 %
e en e
sch B e n P e r ley P o o r e Ca p t Charles H Nut e in 1 4 we e ks
m onths in 1 8 7 3
in 1 8 7 2 ; sch R e u n io n Capt B e lc h er Torrey a e t c h e d halibut tri p to th e
Banks i n 1 2 we e ks in 1 8 6 8 I n 1 8 77 sch A ug u s ta H j o nn so n C apt George
A Johnson m ade a fr e sh h al ibut tri p to W est e rn Bank in 1 3 days an d the
s a m e y e ar s ch E d w a r d G r o ve r m ad e thre e such trips in side of 1 4 days e ac h
an d an oth e r i n 1 6 days I n 1 8 8 1 sch G r a c e L F e a r s Ca p t Nathaniel
Green l e af m ad e a Grand Bank tri p for halibut i n 1 4 days 6 hours s e curing
lbs halibut t h e cr e w sh aring
T h e sa m e y e ar sch G P
W k i tm a n Capt J e ro m e M c D o n a ld m ad e a Grand Bank trip in 1 6 days
taking
lbs h alibut ; on four trips that year t h e W k i tm a n a v e raged
8
0 e ach
t
/
z
n
i
s
r
w
ks
each
the
crew
averaging
e
tri
The
N
a
a
e
l
e
te r
k
e
e
W
$
4
p
p
al so m ad e a Bank halibut trip in 1 6 days in 1 8 8 1 t h e D a vid A S to r y Capt
J oseph R yan o n e in 1 8 days stocking
crew s h aring
sch
lbs c o d s h S c h F r a n k l in S n o w
H A D u n c a n in 1 7 days took
Capt M c D o n a ld stocke d
on an 1 8 days tri p to W e st e rn Bank in
on a 2 0 days trip
1 8 6 8 and sch A p k r o d i te C apt M c D o n a l d stock e d
in 1 8 6 7 t h e cr e w s haring
I n 1 8 8 0 sch A tic e M W i l l ia m s Capt
Den nis C Murphy m ade a B a n qu e r e a u tri p in 1 6 d ays r e turning with
lb s h alibut S c h I Vi l l ie S e a vy Capt R obert W hit e of Newcastle N H
with a cr e w of e ight m e n sail e d on a W e st e rn Bank trip A p ril 1 6 1 8 8 1 an d
arrived at Portl and May 1 8 wit h a fare of 4 5 0 qtls pri m e c o d s h t h e r e s ul t
of 2 1 days shing I n 1 8 6 7 sch H a ttie S C l a r k Capt Hilt z took
lbs c o d s h in a week s tri p to G e org e s an d m ad e two trips inside of 2 1
days landing
lbs cod I n Nove m ber 1 8 8 1 sch A l ice M G o u ld
Sch

C un a r d ,

F I S HE R M E N

O WN

B O O

33

of Po r tland m ade a L a H ave Bank trip in 5 days securing

lbs sh
*
which s old for
the cr e w S h aring $8 0 each or $ 1 5 p e r day
L O N G TR I
S c h C o m m o n w e a l t/z arri v e d h o m e fro m a Bank halibut trip
in April 1 8 8 1 having be e n abse nt 7 % we e ks S h e was 1 6 days on the
passag e ho m e
,

HO

RE

FI S HIN G

The largest h addock fare ever caugh t by a Gloucester v e s se l was land e d

at Boston in February 1 8 8 0 by sch M a r t/2a C Capt C h arles Martin S h e
w e igh e d o ff
lbs which sold at
per 1 0 0 lbs stocking
the result of two days shing o n a s e v e n days trip The e xpenses of the
trip were $ 1 3 7 and t h e cre w of fourt e e n m e n s h ar e d $8 6 each I n 1 8 8 1
the sa m e v e ss e l and skip pe r had a v e ry succ e ssful s e ason ; on a J anuary trip
s h e l anded
lbs s h about two thirds haddock and o n e third cod ; o n
a F e bruary trip t o La Hav e Bank she took
lbs h add o ck an d
lbs c o d s h stocking
t h e cr e w sharing
in Marc h s h e
stock e d
on one trip t h e crew sharing $9 4 ; in A p ril S h e struck
a good school of sh o n t h e w e st e rn e dge of W e st e rn Bank and in two
days s h ing took
lbs c o d s h an d
lbs haddock the large st
fa e ye t r e ported by a Gl ouc e ster v e ssel U p to t h e rst of May
S hor e
the Martha C land e d about
fre sh sh stocking m ore tha n
1 88 1
the largest s tock for t h e ti m e e m ploy e d ever m ad e in the sh o re
sh e ry
lbs tak e n
T h e large st haddock far e e ver land e d at Glouc e st e r was
L R o w e Capt S ewall W S m ith on a ve
o n G e org e s in 1 8 7 8 by sch E
days tri p
lbs
T h e large st h addock far e e v e r tak e n in one day s shing wa s
with
lbs c o d s h tak e n in 1 8 7 7 by sch P a u l R e ve r e Ca p t Joh n
Bentley wh o stock e d
fro m O c t 6 1 8 7 6 to May 1 1 1 8 7 7 O n
o n e tri p to G e org e s in 1 8 7 7 sch C o r a E
S m i t/z Capt S ewall S m ith took
lbs haddock ; in thr e e trips S h e land e d
lbs ; during F e bruary
lb s and stock e d
and March she land e d
I n 1 8 8 1 sch E d i t/z
lbs haddock on o n e trip ; in
M P e w C apt W illia m C orliss land e d
two trips o c cupying thr e e w e e ks t h e cre w shared $ 1 0 0 e ach S c h D a v id
ed
t e n days tri p t h e
stock
o
n
a
d
a m s Capt R ichard Murphy
A
j
crew shari ng $ 1 0 7 I n thre e w e eks sch C /za r le s S T app a n Capt Jo h n
B e ntl e y stock e d
lbs sch A n a ble
S c h A l e r d e e n lan d e d
e ach on o n e trip
lbs and s c h P a u l R e ve r e
I n 1 8 79 s c h
lbs c o d s h in o n e day and
A l i c c l ld H a w k e r of S wa m pscott took
lbs on o n e trip For t h e y e ar ending
sc h
G e o r ge A Up to n took
,

an

din

be r

lbs p o
.

sc h

ll o ck

E mma S

O sie r m

1 88 1 ,

o ve m

*I h

de

t w o p o ll o e k i ng

trip s

in s i

de

f 5

d ay s

FISHE RM

34

B O OK

O WN

EN S

sch M y s tie C apt Joh n M c K

sh ore
e n n o n stoc k e d
trawl ing t h e cre w sharing
each I n ve m onths in 1 8 7 2 3 sch
E aste n Queen Capt W illia m Corliss stock e d
n e t in t h e h addock
s h e ry h e r cre w sharing $5 6 0 The sa m e s e ason sch j enn ie B T no i n a s
Ca p t H e nry Tho m as stock e d
in v e and a h alf m onths In 1 8 7 0 1
sch A n ie S Frien d Capt M c C la in stocked
in v e m onths and
sch M a u d M u ller Capt N athani e l S m ith
in four m onths S c h
Geor e 17 H agne t 3 2 ton s of Harpswell Me stocked
in ve
m onth s shor e shi n g i n 1 8 8 1
Fe b

4,

88 1 ,

E R E L FA R E S
MAC K

E dwa rd E W o oster Capt S olo m on J acobs stock e d

in the
I n t h e S u m m e r and Fal l
S u m m e r an d Fall of 1 8 8 1 in th e m ackerel sh e ry
of 1 8 8 0 C apt J a cobs in t h e W ebst e r disposed of
bbls m ack e re l fresh
an d
bbls pickled stocking
gross T h e sa m e s e ason sch
took
bbl s of which 9 0 0 bbls we r e
A l iee of S wan s I sl an d M e
disposed of fre sh stocking
T h e season of 1 8 8 1 was a v e ry favorabl e o n e for t h e m ack e rel ca t ch e rs
S c h L izz ie D Sa un ders Ca p t Alfr e d S aund e rs of Pigeon Cov e stocked
in two we e ks t h e cre w sharing $ 7 3 3 sch [ va n /t o e m ade e l e v e n tri p s
for fre sh m ack e r e l i n s e v e n t e e n days being two or thr e e days in port ; sch
l
c
a
i
n
e
e
a
M
s
e ls in six
i
l
re
C
a
t
G
org
M
C
took
pack
d
barr
e
e
W d
p
we e ks 3 s c h No th ern Ea le C apt G e orge H Martin stocked
in
M
e
u
d
e
S
days
sch
R
i
of
wan
s
Isl
and
took
bbls
to
the
e
a
a
s
[
e
v
p
;
caught 7 6 2 bbls
m iddl e of J uly ; sch Fra nk B u tler of N e w London C on n
in thre e we e ks 3 sch D a v id A Osier 1 6 0 bbls i n forty s e v e n hours ; s c h
h
i
s
t
e
a
a qn a 4 0 0 bbls in
s
c
P
e
bbl
s
in
ight
days
an
d
0
0
n
ne
r
e
E
H
C ol ]
5
four days ; sch D r e a d n a zegnt of Portland M e 2 0 5 bbl s in tw e nty on e
d
s
z
o
n
e
sch
M
a
a
a
n
a
M
a
i
d
o
2 2
0
sch
1
bbls
at
haul
n
2
i
zo
t
ee
l
F
3
hours 3
g
5
bbls in one day and
bbls in v e w e e ks ; sch W illia m V G an ey
t
M
e
sch
A
l
i
e
of
wan
s
Island
bbls
S
n
e
o
e
bbls
in
tw
nty
days
00
3
,
9
to O c t 2 1 S c h W i l ayi r e stock e d
in two w e e ks Fro m A p ril 2 0 to
J uly 2 6 sch S
Lan e land e d
bbl s 3 for t h e twenty m onths e nding
Aug 1 1 8 8 1 t h is v e ss e l stock e d
s h ing In O ctober 1 8 7 6 sch
n
e
m
e
e
dell
C
apt
n
m
ade
o
haul
in
Barnstabl
Bay
of
or
than
a
i
c
L
M
O
r
M a y
the cr e w could tak e dar e o f 3 s h e took 3 0 0 bbls gav e away 1 1 0 an d lost
sev e ral hundre d through a hol e in the s e in e The M a r y O dell had a crew
th e crew sharing
of 1 2 m e n and up to S e pt 2 2 stock e d
e ek following two m ore
e
w
next
w
l
an
d
d
good
far
s
and
the
w
e
t
o
h
e
k
s
e
e
h
e
t
at Bosto n I n 1 8 7 7 s c h j a m e s A Stetson took at one h aul o ff Block Island
h
M
e
2
0
r
os
s
d
a
s
e
S
c
h
A
bbls
la
r
ge
fat
ack
e
r
e
l
w
ich
sold
at
bbl
m
$
3
140
p
,
Sch

FISHE RM EN S

O WN

BOO

35

C apt S o l o m on Jac o bs st o cke d ove r

in three sh o rt trip s in o ne
we e k i n O ctober 1 8 78 3 in 1 8 7 6 sch [ f e r oe r t M Ro ers Capt R ichard
W arren took at o ne haul o ff Block Island 1 6 5 bbls fat m ackerel which
en
G
sch
Gran t Cap t Coas stocked
sol d at $2 5 per bbl stocking
3
Bay trips i n 1 8 6 4 3 sch [ Vo r W ester Capt D ani e l
n e t on t wo
Hilli e r stocked
o n one Bay trip in 1 8 6 4 I n three m onths of t h e
sam e year sch G en S ne r m a n C apt George W Miner took 6 1 2 bbls and
sch
bbls
and
/
t n B r ig/i t C apt Aaro n R iggs took 6 3
o
s tock e d
3
9%
j
n e t) on o n e Bay trip i n 1 8 6 6 3 the high
stocke d
gross
line m ad e
cook
s he wen t thr o ugh Canso
lo w line
after Aug 1 and packed out Nov 1 5
T h e earli e st receipt of n e w m ack e re l wa s in 1 8 8 1 when the sch E dwa rd
E W ebster C apt S olo m o n Jacobs sailed fro m Gloucester March 1 5 and
arrived at N e w York March 2 3 with 1 4 0 bbls which sold for
In
1 8 7 8 1 0 bbls
were taken by sch L ilia n of N o an k C o nn an d l ande d at
L e wes April 5 s e lling in N e w York at 2 0 1 5 an d 1 0 cents each First
far e 1 5 0 bbls sch
Cla rk C ap t Charles L e e at N e w York April 1 3
The rst receipts in 1 8 8 0 wer e April 4 3 i h 1 8 79 April 1 4 3 in 1 8 7 6 April
in
18
April
0
2 4 3 i n 1 8 7 7 April 2
3
3
75
5
.

DO R

Y FA R E S

In the W inter of 1 8 7 78 L e ander G o d d i t t of Pigeon Cove took

lbs
c o d s h in one day 3 John E W oodbury and his so n E lbridge of Folly Cove
nowlton and Howard Parsons
lb
s
arre
took
lbs 3 Albion K
0
W
n
3
5
an d Howard Pola n d
lbs 3 J W Marchant an d B F S aunders
lbs 3 J ohn W oodbury and C S a m m is
lbs The sa m e W inter a Mr
Taber of Nantuck e t launched his dory pulled t wo m iles to the shi ng
grou n ds took
pounds of c o d s h and pull e d ashore all on one tide
n ot exc eeding three hours Feb 2 6 1 8 8 0 Mr George W oodbury of Folly
Cove had three tubs of tr a wl s set co m prising 1 5 0 0 hooks He hauled his
trawls and got for his hard day s work ve o un ds of sh The next day
Mr E z ra L W o o dbury overhauled s i x tubs o f t r a wl s and did n o t g et a sh
,

FISHERM EN

6
3

Th e Old

O WN

B O O

K
.

Time Fisher y at S quam

BY I
AV I

G DE O N

Traditio f t/ Early S ttl t 7 l Vessels Used an d Voyages Pu rsued A

I n terv i w w it/
Kn ows o t tn O ld
W n Tells W f a t
U l B
First T io
Ti
U l E ij /
E l y
Un cle f oe s Na rra tive
Va rio u s K
in ds f Craf t Used i tl F sh eries A G d Ba k T p i 8 6
or 8 7 L g t Fisk ng Fa re E
Lan ded
C p A
n o

ne e

en ,

s ee r

ar

es

te

on

on

a zs

nn

r an

o er

ne e

rne

ie

e nze n

ze

n 1

r e

The busin e ss of shing at S qua m m ust have co m m enced with its settle
m en t for the n ot over productive soil could h av e a ff orded but a scanty
l ivelihood an d the early settlers were doubtless attract e d by t h e product s
of the s e a which were plent iful and easily obtained Tradition d o c u m e n
tary evidence and land m arks tend to prove tha t the s h eries co m m ence d
here at a very early period and ourish e d for m any years T h e p l ace s
which tradition ass e rts were once the sit e s of shing establish m ents h ardly
a trace of which re m ains an d t h e shing stands of a later p e riod with th e i r
W harves an d warehouses cru m bl ing to decay m ark t wo eras of prosperity i n
the shing business t h at have long since pass e d away
C ould we go back in i m agination to that earli e r era 3 could we bridge ove r
the lapse of years that h ave inte r vened 3 an d tell h o w the sh e r m e n lived
h o w they captured th e ir s h describe th e ir clu m sy and ill con triv e d crafts
r e coun t the dangers and difculti e s th e y encounter e d we m ight co m pile

a chapter full of intere s t f o r the F is h e r m e n s O wn Book

O f the anci e n t shing establish m ents which se e m to h ave ourished at an
early day we can h a z ard but a f e w conj e ctur e s Al l r e cord of th e m if there
ev e r was any such record has bee n l ost O u r knowl e dge of the m is t here

fore m e rely tradition al The k e tch e s an d sloops spoken of in history

as the rst vessel s e m ploy e d in the C ape An n sheri e s we r e d o ub t le s s used
by the m O f the l atter cl ass of shing craft we learn fro m h istory tha t i n
the
1 7 2 4 severa l were e m ployed in t h e Bank shery and that o ne of the m
Squ irrel bel onging to S qua m river was captured by a p irat e 3 that the
crew subsequently rose against their captors killed so m e thre w others ov e r
board retook the sloop and brought h e r back into the river T h e hanging

of the bodies of two of the pirat e s up on H a n gm an s I s l an d m ay be

take n as evidence that the Squ irrel bel onged to th e sh ing establish m en t a t

Done Fudging about which there h a s b e e n so m uch conj ecture since

the isl and was but a sho rt distance fro m it I t is n o w covered by the E ast
I re m e m b e r se e ing
e r n R ailr o ad bridge which spa n s the river at this p o i nt

'

o WN

FISHERM EN S

B O O

37

i t when a boy a s m al l lo w island partly washe d away by the tide with

a f e w stunted trees growing upon it As the cap tured pirates w e re tried an d
executed e lsewh e re it is probable that the island took its n a m e fro m the
s us pension of the dead bodies of Burroughs and Phillips who were killed
i n the recaptu r e of t h e sloop upon a m ock gal lows ther e on
W h y the e arly sher m en should hav e sought such out o f the way places
always far up so m e river o r creek in preference to Glouce s ter harbor
whos e conve nience of access and adaptability to t h e business has give n
birth to a thriving and growing city is l e ft to conj ecture I t m ay b e that
in thos e troublous ti m es they selected the m a s being m ore re m ote fro m the
s e a and a ffording greate r s af e ty fro m the d e pr e dations of piratical craft
which were th e n quite nu m e rous and also fro m th e cruisers of the govern
m ents wit h which the m o t her count r y was then at war
The location of
their d welling hou s es 0 f which forty d e solate cel lars r e m ain whose story
n one can tell far r e m oved fro m
t h e shore an d alway s in s o m e secluded
s p ot corroborat e s this V ie w as does also the tradition that they hauled t hei r
sh up on Dogtown Co m m on to cure
About 1 6 3 0 a party of m e n led by a son of R e v John R obinson of P u ri
tan fa m e seeking a p l ace suitable fo r a s h ing statio n l anded at An nisqua m
a n d wer e s o w e ll pleased with its harbor an d othe r conveniences that th e y
concluded t o set up a shing stage there and s e nd for their fa m ilies This
was the rst p e r m anent settl e m e nt of Cape An n T h e abandon e d cell ars
were theirs an d the ruin e d W harve s which tradition asserts were once the
sites of i m p ortant shing e stablish m e nts doubtless belonged to and were
used by the m and th e ir i m m e diate desce ndants
W hat sort of crafts they used what voyages they m ad e what succes s they
I t is probable that t h e ketch a s m al l
m e t with can not n o w be l e arned
open boat with t wo m asts and sails answe red every require m e nt fo r a long
period since doubtless sh were ple ntiful and near a t hand Probably n o
craft of con siderabl e si z e tte d fro m th e se establish m ents until a m uch
l at e r period I n 1 7 2 4 nearly a hundred y e ars after the s e ttle m ent we n d
m e ntio n of a vessel of l arger pro p ortions the Squ irrel b e for e alluded to
S h e m ust have bee n a goo d si z ed craft carrying quite a crew and bound o n
a distant voyage as it is said that the m e n took th e ir tools along with the m
to co m pl e te h e r on the outward p assage she being a n e w vessel At a l at e r
dat e t h e old Bankers and Pinkeys were undoubtedly tted fro m these estab
,

li s h m e n t s

ishing to obtain so m e inform ation i n r e ga r d to the anci e nt shin g

site at Mill C reek conc e rning which th e re ha s been so m uch curiosity
and conj ecture an d of which a ruin e d wharf is all that n o w re m ains we

sought out U ncle Ben who liv e s n ear t h e place as t h e one m ost lik e ly to
U ncle B e n i s a h al e o ld
b e abl e to i m part the info r m ati o n we desire d
W

FISHERM EN S

8
3

B O O

O WN

v e t e ran o f the sea W e foun d h i m O pe n hearted an d free a s we knew h im

of old an d carrying his e ighty and odd y e ars re m ark ably well
D o I know anything about the ol d shing establis h m ent just b e l o w here
on R iggs Point ? W ell I ought to seeing that I w e n t fro m there wh e n
a boy C apt S am uel R iggs carri e d it on then I do no t k n ow wh o carried
it on before h im
S o m e body m ust have don e s o for he did not build the
wharf or the warehouses 3 h e built only the drying houses that st o od fu rthe r
up th e hill Th e y were all pulled do wn about for ty y e ars ag o H e owne d
three ve s sels sta n di n g roo m pink e ys o f about t we n ty v e ton s burth en one
called the j onn an oth e r t h e M a ry A nn an d the third the Sa lly
I was a s m all boy when I co m m en ced to go W e us e d to start ab out
the rst of May an d go down on T a n t o r S outheast e rn J e ff ri e s C ash e s an d
so m e ti m e s to W ood I slan d a n d would be gon e about a w e e k Fis h were
plenty enough and we could catch j ust as m any as we wanted
I d o not re m e m b e r anything a b out the old Banking e e t 3 that was before
I can re m e m b e r I h av e heard say that th e y us e d to have the m up to Don e
Fudging Cod an d h addock wer e a l l t h e sh we us e d to m ark e t H alibut
were plen ty e n o ugh Th e y woul d co m e up al ongsid e and swi m with thei r
ns out of water but we neve r thought of catc h ing t h e m
S o m e ti m es
th ough n ot oft e n we woul d catch on e an d s m ok e i t for our o wn eating
in the pinkey s chi m ney which m ade a n ic e s m ok e hous e W h e n th e y got
too plenty we woul d h aul up an d seek another b e rth
They used to bot h er
us as I have heard m y father say the pollock used to bother the m when he
wen t They d id n ot kn ow what a pollock was in his day and us e d to thin k
it a bad h aul wh e n they got o n e o n t h e hook At one ti m e he us e d to go
coasti n g in wh at woul d n ow be thought a s m all craft but what they c o n s i d
ered a m on ster an old fashioned standing ro o m pink e y of fo r ty t wo ton s
with ti m ber h e ads co m ing up along h e r sid e s six or e ight inch e s aroun d
wh ich a plank was b e nt to s e rve as bulwarks then call e d a waist S h e
had fore and aft standing roo m s a fore cuddy with a brick chi m n e y an d
replace carri e d fore and aft sails an d was without shroud s or bowsprit

h
m
e
R
aven s duck sails cotton duck
S e had he p or what was then call d
*

was the n unkn own and carried a scout horn to wet the m down wh e n the
wind was m od e rate Th e y us e d to coast along shore carrying corn and
lu m b er and on ce went as f ar south as C h arleston
Aar o n Hodgki n s h ad a p inkey of twen ty tons called the W i llo w He
wen t in her hi m s e lf going fro m he re Aaron and Vinc e nt W h e e l e r broth
Th e y wen t
e r s had a square stern boat whose n a m e I do n o t re m e m b e r
fro m W heeler s Point O ve r in Goose Cove above t h e m ill d am wh e re
-

l w e r e p o ro u s an d h ad n o t t h e w ind h o lding p ro p e rtie s o f co tto n duck t h e

r
l e ab o u t fte e n fe e t i n l e ng th w ith a l e at h e r p o ck e t h o ld i ng ab o u t a p i n t
s co ut
o f w ate r to t h r o w o n t h e s a i l s an d cl o s e t h e m u p w as an i n d isp e n s abl e i n s tr u m e nt
*

h e m p s ai s
h o n , a p o

FISHERM EN S

B O OK

O WN

39

you c an s ee the r e m ain s of an o l d wharf Jo s h R iggs we n t in an o l d pi n k e y

call e d th e B la ney It i s about s ixty years since s h e last left the cov e S h e
we nt out unde r her foresail with a fr e s h sou west wind
U ncl e Josh
l eaning over the m ainb o o m s aid L ooks dreadful squally don t it ? Guess
we had bette r g o back
Back they we n t a n d there she l aid he r b o n e s that

being the last cruise o f t h e B la n ey

All this an d m uc h m ore interestin g info rm ation U ncle B e n i m parte d

f r eely but we shall o m it the re s t a s there are o the r veterans of th e shing
grounds to be heard fro m
W e were desirous of learning s o m ething concerning the old Bankers that
are s aid to have sail e d fro m th e se ancient shing establish m en ts and fel t
that we should be m ost likely to o btai n t h e inform ation we desire d by in ter

vi e wing U ncle Joe

W hat we gathere d fro m this source will n o w b e
e graphic p e n tha n ours
m
iven
n
o
t
as
he
told
it
for
that
would
take
a
or
g

But we will puss it up t o gether as th e sherm e n do the scho o l s of

m ackerel
I re m e m be r whe n a boy four score ye ars ago of he a ring Capt W illia m
Babs o n then an old m an tell about the old Bankers Capt Babson Capt
Gee and J o seph Baker s o m eti m es called Mast e r Baker were a m o ng the
tt e rs Capt Babson s place of business was at Babso n s Point Maste r
Baker s was at Baker s Poin t n o w known as Pl e asant Point an d the house
in which he resided is the o n e n o w occupie d by Prof Hyatt as a S u m m er
residence The old warehous e which used to stand so conspicuously o n
the Point was own e d an d used by h im
Capt Ge e s pl ace of busin ess was
at Ge e s Point n o w known as W heeler s Po int His wharf m ay yet be
seen so far decayed as to be cov e red at half tid e I thi n k There w e re
fourt e en s ail in all I can not re m e m be r n o w eve n if I eve r kn ew the
n a m es of any o th e r tte r s 3 but as there were fourt e e n vess e ls and as it was
n ot usua l for one establish m ent t o t m ore than one or t wo Bank e rs th e re
were probably other places where they tted out an d t h e old sites at Done
Fudging Mill Cre e k an d other pl ac e s where ruin e d W harves re m ain prob
ably had their sh are
The R e volution put a stop to the busin e ss S o m e of th e v e ssels w e r e
captured and burn ed and oth e rs sold or otherwise dispose d of as a Bank
shing voyage was d ee m e d ha z ardous
The v e ssel s were for the m ost par t buil t upon th e M e rri m ac river Th e y
h ad neve r heard of a ch r ono m et e r in those days and n ot m any of th e m
carried a quadrant They used to d e pend o n the co m pass soundings a n d
personal j udg m ent I t is probable that as a rul e the skipp e rs w e re ac
u
i
n
a
t
e
d
n
o
nly
with
h
o
s
si
pl
and
ractical
rules
of
avigation
e
m
m
e
e
t
t
t
y
q
p
they were very succ e ssful on th e ir voyage s It is r e lat e d of Capt Babson
that having secure d the se rvice s o f Capt David S argent as skipper i n
.

'

FISHERM EN S

40

B O OK

O WN

r der to badger h im he sent s o m e on e d o wn whi l e he was getti n g un der way

for a shing voyage to ask h i m if he had got his quadrant o n board
Te l l
C ap n Babs u was the reply that I k i n n d ye way t o ye Ba n ks wi d o u t a
quadrant as we el as he kin wid one
I wish I coul d tell you so m ething m ore denite about the ol d ti m e sh
e ri e s but even were I able to do so it m ight be questioned since I could
o nly speak fro m hearsay
At o ne
T h e pinkey e e t h o weve r were quite nu m erous in m y d ay
ti m e th e re w e re m ore than on e hundre d on this side of the Cap e including
R ockport then S andy Bay 3 L ane s vil le then Lan e s Cove 3 Bay View then
H o dgkin s C ov e 3 a n d S qua m where about twenty v e were own ed an d
tted Thos e b e l onging to t h e r s t na m ed plac e s would co m e around t o
S qua m wh e n t h e w e athe r was bad or threatening those fro m R ockport
going i n to Goos e Cov e as a ffording a near rout e t o their h o m e s and those
f r o m L anesvil l e an d Bay View into Lobste r Cove for the s a m e reason
T h ere w e re n o breakwaters at thos e places then and in good w e ath e r the
*
pinkeys were m oored to a m oori n g stu m p
a spar with one en d driven int o
a hole m ade for the purpos e in a large at rock of several tons weight
sunken at a su f cient distance fro m th e shore to al low the pinkeys to swi n g
cl e ar of the rocks S o m e of the m still re m ain and are obj e cts of curiosity
Th e y were the ol d styl e pinkey witho u t bowsprit or shrouds wit h two
m a s t s an d he m p e n sails and w e re fro m twelv e to twen ty v e ton s burthen
an d carried a cre w of three m e n They w e re built at Chebacco n o w E s s e x
at rst but w e re afte rwards also built at S qua m
Capt E pes D avis buil t
the rst o n e there about the year 1 8 0 0 on the Chebacco m odel H e hire d
a m an fro m E ss e x to h e lp h im but for so m e r e ason he we nt away wh e n the
pink e y was h alf co m pleted an d C apt Davis nish e d h e r hi m s e lf with the
aid of his wife who held th e p l ank and ti m bers while h e f a s te n e d the m on
This pink e y was twe nty to n s burth e n an d na m ed t h e D r o m o Capt Davis
w e nt to Brown s Bank in her and brought in sixty quintals of split sh
S h e had t h e usual f e ature s of the pinkey t wo op e n standing roo m s one
forward and o n e aft to sh in with hatches to cove r the m over and wa s
without shrouds or bowsprit C apt D avis con tinued the building of vess e ls
and i n all buil t m ore than one hundr e d I n 1 8 2 3 h e built t h e rst square
H e r n a m e wa s t h e C /zr y s a n tne rn u m of
stern vess e l e ver buil t at S qua m
sixty three tons and she was rst s e nt on a south e r n m ackere ling voyage
At one
O t h e rs e ngag e d in the busin e ss and it ourish e d f o r m any years
ti m e I hav e see n te n v e ssels o n the stocks and sixty s ail were o wned and
tted here
They are al l gon e skippe r s boats and crews I can re m e m be r the
o

*A

Re

full d

es

co r d B o o k

c r i pt i o n

th e se

m o o in

tu m p s is

gi

ve n

in th

i sh

rm e n s

em o

rial

an d

F I S HE R M E ZV S

O WN

BOO

41

At the Fol ly W alter W o o dbury went in the R ep u o

n a m e s o f m a n y o f the m
in th e S e a
l ie a n E pes W oodbury in the Bon a a rte E p e s W oodbury J r
Fl ower Caleb Merchant in the Ho e Jo e l Gri f n in the L ion Nat L ane i n
the Sea Foa m J ohn Clovis in the f onn an d Asa W oodbury in the Essex
At L an e s Cove w e re the L iberty W in throp S arge nt 3 E ler o n J ohn L ane 3
L ily R eub e n Patch 3 j ej e r s o n Mos e s L ane 3 and W illia m Andrew an d
J oh n L an gs f o r d owned and w e nt in pinkeys The last n a m ed was lost
overboard in 1 8 2 6 i n co m ing fro m Je ffries an d the crew carried the boat
in to the h arbor
There are m any others wh o m I re m e m ber Andrew Bailey R obert
S tev e ns W illia m Young E pes L ane Joe L ane David L ane Fellows Mor
gan Harry S arge nt etc who own e d a n d shed in pinkeys At S qua m I
David Chard 3 Co r ora l Trim J ohn Dul e y 3 D o ve
r e m e m b e r the M a r tli a
J oseph Davis 3 and m any others that I could recall I re m e m ber a trip
that Dani e l A R obinson m ade to W e stern Bank in April 1 8 1 7 i n a p inkey
of forty or fty tons n a m ed the Con stitu tion S h e was owned a n d tted by

E p e s Davis

Th anking U ncle Joe for his infor m ation we next proceeded to hu n t

up Capt Bij ah
W e f o und h i m s m oking in a sn ug corne r by a sea co al
re and he gav e us between whi ffs the following account of his rst trip
I was ten y e ars ol d whe n I m ade m y rst shing trip W e we nt to
Cashes in a deck boat of twenty tons Capt Dani e l R obinson was s kip
per and I was cook There were six of us al l told W e went at th e halves
an d all shared alik e th e p rivilege of cooking an d t h e glory of b e ing skip
per b e ing consider e d in t h ose days a m ple co m pensation for any e xtra labor
or responsibility W e took about forty barrels of m ack e re l saving only t h e
l arg e bloaters which we slat into the barrels ; the s m aller sh we sl at in to
the lee scupp e rs an d sta m ped the m up with our boots for bait with which
to tol l the sh Afterwards we chopp e d bait with a hatchet until Gun ni
son of N e wbur yport invent e d the bait m i l l a gods e n d to the sh e rm en
who could n o w s m oke and s p in yarns while on watch inst e ad of cho p ping
bait A sto r y is tol d on the b e st of authority of o ne skipper Andre w
Burnh a m wh o had b e en a grea t killer in his ti m e that afte r th e bait m ill
ca m e into use he was unable to sl e e p without the so u nd of the hatchet
chopping bait to which he had b e e n so l ong accusto m e d It is said that
they tri e d pounding o n the anchor stock and tra m ping with their big boots
on the deck ab ove his he ad but all to n o avail There was an ele m e n t
lacking i n the nois e they m ade and h e wooed the so m nol e n t god to n o e f
f e c t and was oblig e d to retire to privat e life on a far m in the S e cond Par
ish I b e lieve
W e cooked i n the old fashion e d way in a b rick r e place with a brick
c hi m n ey and a w o ode n s m ok e stack o r funnel which wa s in t ended to carry
.

'

FISHERM EN S

42

ff

O WN

B O OK
.

the s m o ke but did n o t always do so Th e c r ane p o t h ook D utch o ve n

an d trencher were all ther e an d al l brought into use as I well re m e m ber
W e baked short cakes on the tre ncher bread in the Dutch ove n and hung
o ur kettl e on the crane with the pot hook to m ake co ff ee o r t e a
W e h a d ne weather and everything passed o ff nely except the s m oke
which refuse d to pass o ff at all and u nder a l e ss resolute co m m and e r than
skipper R obin son would doubtless hav e assu m ed co m m and altogether
N o casualties occu rred except t h e burning of a f e w short cakes while
Bij ah ( it b e ing his rst voyag e ) paid tr ibut e to father Neptune an d was
hi m s e lf ag a in W e were gone three days Arriving on the shing groun ds
we m ad e but one berth catching and dressing until eve rything wa s full
when we hoisted the foresail fo r j ib we had non e an d bore away for
S qua m arrived in the c h annel droppe d anch o r furled the sails and we n t

ho m e to s ee the folks
Acco r ding to th e rec o rds the rs t vessels e m ployed i n th e Glouceste r

sheri e s were t h e k e tch and the sloo p

The k e tch e s w e re s m aller
than the sloops an d w e r e doubtless e m ploye d i n t h e shore sh e ry whil e
the sloops w e re used for voyages to a greater distance T h e ketch was but
a m iserable sh allop wit h t wo m asts o ne far in the stern and the other far
forward in the bows to obtain all the r oo m possible b e tween They were
l ittle better adapted to th e calling than the slo o p which any sailor knows i s
a poor rig for a shing trip At a lat e r day we nd the pink e y and the old
Banker brought into general use But the pinkey was only an i m prove
m en t in so m e respects upon the ketch having the sa m e dangerous rig of
two unsupported m asts and it is a wonder h o w th e y could have pe rfor m ed
so m e of the voyages with which they a r e credited S o m e of the pink e ys
were as l arge as the ordinary shing schoon e r with spars in proportion
W ith the pinkey to m onopol i z e t h e shore she ry ca m e the ol d Banker to
take the plac e of the s lo o p a clu m sy craft at the best slow and u n wieldly
with short m asts full b o w an d high quarte r deck not unlike th e vessel i n
which Colu m bus discovere d the n e w worl d though s o m ewhat i m proved
upon n o doubt These had th e ir day an d generatio n a n d by gradual de
adopting here and there what experience showed t o be a n
v e lo p m e n t
i m prove m e nt gav e to the sheries and to ocean navigation a n e w craft with
a n e w n a m e an d characteri s tics peculiarly it s o wn the bea ut ifully m o delled

s wift and grac e ful schooner

W ith t h e exception of so m e disguise i n the na m e s o f the narrat o r s th e
foregoing account of the e arly sheries at S qua m m ay be regarded as esse n
t i a l ly correct being ei t her m atters of hist o ry o r s tate m ents of per s ons n o w
l iving
In conclusion we prese nt a brie f acc o unt of a trip to Grand Bank i n 1 8 1 6
o r 1 8 1 7 r e s u l ting i n the l arge s t fare o f s h ever landed o n Cape A n n
o

F L S HE R M E N

B O OK

O WN

43

This trip wa s m ade fro m Gloucester i n the sch M a ry E l iz a be t/i one o f t h e

ti m e Bank e rs c o m m anded by Cap t George Davis of Annisqua m T h e
o ld
as a n e w
M a ry E l zz a Oe t/z was own ed by R obert E lwell of Gloucester and w
topsail schooner of one hundred an d thirte e n tons built upon the M e rri m ac
r iv e r j ust abov e the Haverhill bridge S h e carried a cre w of t welve m e n i n
additio n to the skip p e r as follows : B e nj a m in Marble Jos e ph J on e s J a m es
S awye r all of Fresh W at e r Cov e ; S a m u e l Davis of F e rry L ane 3 John
W harff E noch Cente r o f Fo x Hill 3 S a m uel W harff W illia m Be nn e tt B e n
j a m in Curtis n e ar Dodge s Mill R iverdale 3 W illia m Marsh R obert an d
George Davis of Annisqua m t h e two latter sons of the skipper R obert b e
ing the cook and Ge orge n o w living at Annisqua m in the eightysixth y e ar
of his age being our infor m ant in re gard to t h e incid e nts of the trip
They starte d about the rst of April an d were g o n e n in e ty days Th e y
sh e d with hand lines on board the vessel and caugh t seve n teen thousan d
c o d s h i n nu m ber
Having arrived o n the Ba n k they m ad e e ve rything as s nug as p o ssible
taking dow n the topsail an d topgallant yards an d l ashing t h e m ac ross the
s tern Halibut w e re v e ry nu m e rous and t h ey could have soon loaded wit h
the m had they d e sired They caught a great m any of the m but o nly saved
the ns and napes which they salt e d i n barrels and e tc h e d an d s m oke d
quite a lot o f the best piec e s overhead in t h e cabin O n e day they caught
a very large o n e wit h a haddock i n h is m o ut h the o nly haddock th e y s a w
during t h e tri p Th e y had ve ry go o d w e ather m e t with no disaster an d
arrived safe ly in Glouceste r and landed th e ir fare at Fresh W at e r Cove
quintals dry sh the cre w r e ali z ing as their share $ 2 4 for
m aking
each thousand sh caught O u r i nfor m an t states that the water stood u p on
her lower deck wh e n s h e left t h e Bank but n aturally fro m the shrinkage
of th e s h and the pu m ping o ff of the pickle she was c o nsiderable lighter
wh e n s h e r e ach e d port Her o utts were princi p ally ship bre ad b e ans ric e
a little our so m e b e ef an d pork m ol ass e s te a and co ffe e and so m e r um
Fish and beans a n d b e ef wit h ship bre ad were the p rincipal articles of
die t but o n S unday m orni n g they would have fri e d pancakes about half a
bushel being required to go t h e rounds as a sort of holiday treat as they
invariably r e frained fro m shing o n S unday Th e M a ry E liz a be t/z had t h e
h igh quarte r deck peculiar t o t h e Bankers divided be low into three co m
h
t
e
r t m e n t s the forward part used for the st o rage of shing gear etc
a
p
m iddle co m part m en t as a pantry and kitchen i n which they cooked and
and the after part call ed t h e steerage where they lived and slept
at e
.

'

FISHERM EN S O W N

Ho me war d
BY A
J

B o und

M E S

O OK

A I

V S

ch o r t h e w a i s t i t l i e s lo w
t
w e igh t o f o u r go o d nun y fr e igh t i n t h e h o l d ;
T h e w in d f ro m t h e e as t i s be gi nn in g t o bl o w
N0 W h e av e u p th e an ch o r m y l iv e l io ns b o ld ;
y e ye s th e y ar e ach in g f o r s igh t o f th e l and
y h e ar t i t i s s igh ing f o r swe e t h o m e o n ce m o re ;
N o w h e av e O m y h e ar t i e s an d l an d w ar d w e ll st an d
T o m e e t t h e d e ar f r i e n ds w h o ar e w a i t i ng o n sh o re
O h e av e u p t h e
Wi h t h e

an

C RU
HO

ch o r m y go o d sh e rs bo l d
A n d h o m e w ar d w e ll s te e r w i th o u r f re igh t g o o d as go l d ;
B l o w b r e e z e s an d w a ft u s t h e w i d e w ate r s o e r
F o r d e ar o ne s ar e w ai ti n g f o r u s o n t h e sh o re
O h

e av e u p

th

e an

d ark w ate rs f o r f o u r w e e k s an d m o r e
We v e tr aw l e d an d w e v e h aul e d bo y s d ay i n an d
N o w d e ar o n e s ar e w at ch i n g f o r u s o n t h e sh o re
A n d fe ar s f o r o ur s afe t y ar e w h i sp e r e d abo u t ;
S o h e av e u p th e an c h o r an d s e t e v e r y s ai l
B l o w b re e z e s an d s p e e d u s t h e w i d e w ate r s o e r
B l o w s te ady an d s t r o n g t il l t h e h o m e p o r t w e h ai l
A n d g l add e n th e h e arts th at ar e w ai t ing o n s h o r e
O

th

ut o n

d ay

o ut

C h o r us

w i ll s ai l o u t an d Lo v e w i ll s ai l i n
F o r be n e at h o u r r o u gh ja cke ts o u r h e art s th e y be at w ar m
A n d b r e a d an d d e l igh ts f o r o ur d e a r o ne s to w i n
W e w at ch an d w e w o r k an d w e b att l e t h e s to rm ;
B u t h a pp y t h e d ay w h e n th e s k i pp e r d o th s ay
Co m e h e av e up th e anch o r m e n full i s o u r s to re
A n d o e r t h e w i d e w a te r s w e s p e e d o n o u r w ay
T o m e e t t h e d e ar fr i e n d s w h o ar e w ai t i n g o n s h o r e
C h o r us
0,

Lo

ve

w i ll s ai l b o ys bl o w h igh o r l o w l o w
S a i l l an d w ar d o r s e aw ar d as du t y m ay c al l
Wi th a h e art f o r h ard fo r t une s f o r ne v e r w e kn o w
B o u n d o u tw ar d o r i nw ar d W h at luck m ay b e f a l l ;
A n d w e s ai l an d w e r i d e o u t o n G e o rge s f ar b an k
Wh i l e t h e w in d s an d t h e w ate rs th e y r age an d th e y r o ar
A n d b e twe e n u s an d d e ath th e re i s o n ly a p l an k
F o r t h e s a k e o f t h e d e a r o n e s w e v e l e ft o n t h e s h o r e
0h o r u s

nd

so

we

dange r o n l an d an d th e re s d ange r at s e a
B u t th e re s h o p e at al l p ar t in g s o f m e e t ing aga in
F o r Lo v e i s ar o u n d u s w h e r e v e r w e be
A n d O n e th e r e go e s wi th u s wh o kn o w s we ar e m e n ;
S o w e s ai l an d w e r i d e o u t u p o n th e ro u gh ti d e
E x p e ct ing t h at w h e n o u r l as t s e a v o y ag e i s o e r
We ll m o o r o ur o ld b arks bo y s in p o r t si d e by s ide
A nd gr e e t o ur d e ar f r i e n ds o n th e h e ave n ly sh o re O h o r us

Th r
e

e s

FISHERM EN S

Pr o ducts

th e G

of

B O OK

O WN

45

lo uc e ste r Fishe r i e s

fo l lowing esti m ates of the sh productions of Gloucester at di ff ere n t

periods during the past thir ty ve years will give a good idea of th e gr o wth
an d change s in the busines s
S tate m ent of sh products i n 1 8 4 7 collect e d by Mr Addison W in ter an d
furnishe d the History of Gloucester not including t h e r e sul ts of th e W i n
ter dory shing :
lbs c o d s h valu e d at
lbs
halibut
lbs hak e
lbs pollock
bbls m ackerel
3 3 7 % bbls tongues and sounds $ 1 8 73 3
gal s oil
To tal value
Nu m be r o f vesse 15
Tota l
e m ploy e d 2 8 7 of whic h 1 2 6 were of less than forty ton s burth e n
t o n nage
nu m ber of m e n e m ployed 1 6 8 1 3 boys 1 8 6
Fish products for 1 8 5 9 e xcl usive of t h e herring sh e ll and shore sheries
bbls m ack e rel valued at
3 1
q t ls c o d s h
3
lbs halibut
bbls oil
Total val ue
The other s h prod u cts prob ably broug h t the value to nearly
o ne and a h alf m illio n dollars Nu m b e r of v e ss e ls 3 2 2 3 ton nage
3
boys 3 4
n u m ber of m e n e m p loyed
bbls
1 8 6 fro m S tate Cen sus value of m ackerel catch
5
l
t
etc
oil
fr
e s h sh
s
0
2 3 c o d sh
6
6
$
q
3
5
sounds
bbls
h e rring
bait
0 0 0 3 tongu e s and
bbls
lobst e rs
Total value
85 2
Nu m be r
m
m
n
e
nu
b
r
of
e
Capital invested
o f vessels 3 5 3 3 tonn a e
3
value of salt consu m ed
Products for 1 8 7 3 Custo m House esti m at e
m
e
bbls
ack
rel
of
a
4
4
5
l
d

h
t
s
c
o
s
value of
bbls herring
q
3
l
h
ot
er sh
lbs fresh sh $3 1 0
s
t
q
gals oil
shel l sh
tons sh m a
000 3
Total value
agains t
nure
3 m isc e llaneous
in 1 8 7 2
Products of 1 8 7 5 carefully pre pare d fro m actual re turns obtained by
d
h

G e o rg e H Pr o cter :
l
s
Bank
o
s
of a value of
t
c
3
q
Georges
do
lbs
Georges
halibut
l
s
t
q
l
lbs Bank do
t
s
hake
q
l
bbls
herring
t
s pollock
l
cusk
t
s
3
q
q
shore sh fre sh
cured
oil
bb ls No 1 m ackerel
bbl s No 2
bbls
bbl s he rring
bbls No 4
No 3
3
1 6 3 bbl s pickl e d c o d s h a n d 4 0 % bbl s swordsh
3 4 1 0 % bbls tr o u t
bbls s al m o n an d 2 0 5 bbls
2 1 p
n s and n ape s
a n d 7 5 % bbls
Th e

F I S H E R M E ZV S

46

B O OK

O WN

t o ngu e s an d sounds
3 othe r s h
3 shel l sh
3 sh o il
other than shore
Tota l v a lue
I n 1 8 6 7 there were 2 2 0 Glo u cester v e ssels e ngaged in the Bay S t L a w
rence m ackerel shery an d only 5 0 o ff shore
Products since 1 8 75 e xcluding h ak e pollock cusk sh e ll sh and oil :
1 8 76
George s c o d s h
lbs 3 Bank do
lbs 3 Bank
halibut
lbs 3 Georges do
lbs 3 m ackerel
bbls 3
herring
bbls
1 8 7 7 Ge o rg e s c o d s h
lbs 3 Bank do
lb s 3 Ban k
l bs 3 Georges do
h alibut
lbs 3 e tc h e d do
lbs 3 Green lan d do
lbs 3 m ack e rel
bbl s 3 h e rri n g
bbls 8 6 Gloucester vessels she d for m ack e re l in t h e Bay S t L awrence
this year

8
8
1 7
Georges c o d s h
lbs 3 Bank do
lbs 3 Bank
h alibut
lbs 3 G e orges do
lbs 3 Green lan d do e tc h e d
lbs 3 m ackerel
bbls 3 herri ng
bbls This was t h e
y e ar when th e h e rring e et was driven away fro m the shore s of N e wf o u n d
l and 1 2 5 f ar e s about
bbls s e a p ack e d m ackerel w e re receiv e d
fro m the Bay S t L awre nc e
George s c o d s h
18
lbs
Bank
do
lbs
shore
3
3
79
do
lbs 3 Bank halibut
lbs 3 G e orge s do
lbs 3 Gre en l and do e t c h e d
lbs 3 m ack e rel
bbls 3 h e rring
bbls 4 2 9 vessels were e m pl oy e d of which 3 3 8 hailed f ro m G lo u c
e st e r 3 1 0 4 follow e d G e orges all the sea s on a n d 8 2 t h e Bank cod a n d hali
but sh e ri e s 2 5 v e ssels m ade Bay S t Lawr e nc e trips for m ack e rel
1 8 8 0 G e orge s c o d s h
lbs 3 Ba n k do
lbs 3 shor e
do
lbs 3 Bank halibut 7 9 4 0 0 0 0 1b s 3 G e org e s do
lbs 3
Greenlan d do e tc h e d
lbs 3 m ack e r e l
bbls 3 h e rring
bbl s The e et nu m bere d 4 4 1 vessels of which 3 3 4 we re owned i n G lo uc
ester 1 0 7 followe d t h e Georg e s sh e ry e xcl usiv e ly and 9 0 conned their
operations t o t h e Bank cod and halibut sheri e s and 1 7 m ade Bay S t
Lawren ce trips bringing so m e
bbls m ackerel
1 8 8 1 Georg e s c o d s h
lbs 3 Bank do
lbs 3 shore
do
lbs 3 Bank halibut
lbs 3 G e org e s do
lbs 3
lbs 3 m ackere l 1 6 3
e t c h e d do 2
lbs 3 Greenland do e tc h e d
T h e e e t nu m b e re d 4 3 7 v e ssels of
8 5 1 bbls 3 fro z en h e rring
which 3 4 3 w e re own e d in Glouceste r 6 2 followe d t h e G e orges she r y ex
c l u s iv e ly 2 6 W e st e rn Bank sh e ry 1 0 Gran d Bank c o d s h e r y 2 5 Bank hal
ib u t i n g an d 2 9 shore an d Bay of Fundy c o d s h e r y
O n ly z v e ssels visit e d
the Bay S t L awrence for m ack e rel an d th e ir catch was l e ss than 5 0 bbls
,

FISHERM EN S

O WN

B O OK
.

R e tur n o f th e Do r i e s

BY

CELLIS

abov e picture shows the r e turn of so m e of t h e shore sh e r m e n fro m a

trip o ff s h or e wh e re th e y hav e sein e d a goodly quantity of po gies or m ack
care
e r e l which t h e y a r e n o w about to unload fro m th e ir dori e s and tak e
of T h e baskets have b e e n l l e d all r e ady to be co n v e ye d to the store
h ouse The childre n are enj oying the sight and a r e p robably asking all the
questions which th e ir littl e brains can conj e ctur e T h e vast e x p anse of
wat e r with t h e nu m erous s e a birds add life and b e auty to t h e sc e ne whic h
is in d e cided contrast to that pr e s e nted w h e n t h e stor m clouds lowe r an d
old ocean is lash e d into fury The lighthouse w h ose ch e e rful bea m s by
night guid e th e m arin e r on his cours e over t h e pathl e ss dee p stands as a
faithful sen tinel and t h e little cottage n e ar by with the s m ok e rising fro m
its chi m n e y is sug ge stiv e of p e ace and con tent m e nt Tak e n as a whol e
t h e p icture is a cheerful o n e and shows th e bright side of the s h e r m e n s
life
The

FISHERM

48

EN S

B O OK

O WN

u
i
c
k
ss
g
s
P
a
a
e
Q
Grif n

C
a
t
Gould
left
Chatha
m
o
n
edn
e sday O c t 3 1
W
p
f
e d cargo and was back t h e following Mo n d ay
w
1 87
for
York
discharg
N
e
7
with
bush e ls of corn boun d to Dan v e rs p ort S c h A n son Stim son
C apt S lo m an m ad e the p assag e fro m S andy Hook to Matan z as i n 1 8
days in 1 8 7 7 S c h Ti mF ie k e r i ng of S al e m m ade t h e voyage fro m N e w
York to S al e m and back i n 9 days in 1 8 7 7 5 days of the ti m e being sp e n t
in S ale m an d Gloucest e r Bark C /za r le s Stew a rt m ad e the passage fro m
Trapani to this port in 4 3 days in 1 8 78 being 3 3 days fro m Gibral ter
S c h H erm a n B a bson m ad e the passag e fro m Canso to G e tt e nberg i n a f e w
hours over 1 6 days i n 1 8 7 6 S c h C n tenn ia l C apt Philip Johnson m ade
t h e passage fro m Gloucest e r t o Port Mulgrav e a distanc e of 4 8 8 m il es i n
T h e sa m e y e a r sch I f e n r y I/ Vi l s o n Capt Ja m e s O
1 8 8 0 in 4 6 hours
Nauss m ad e t h e run fro m C ape J ack to G e orge town P E I a distance
of 4 0 m iles i n 4 hours an d sch D a v id A Sto ry C a p t Joseph R yan m ad e
t h e passage fro m Glouc e st e r to Gran d Mena n a distan ce of 2 2 5 m iles in
In 1 8 6 0 s h ip Go lden Ga te m ade t h e p asage fro m Live rpool
1 8 hours
E n g to S a n Francisco in 1 0 2 days 3 in 1 8 8 0 1 ship B r i tt s /i Gen era l m ad e
In
t h e sa m e passage in 1 0 5 days being 1 5 days fro m t h e e quator i n to port
1 8 8 1 sch A lit e of S wan s Island m ade t h e run fro m Bosto n to E ast p ort i n
W illia m I f j o rda n of Taunton m ade the passage fro m
2 7 hours and sch
Balti m ore to Providence in 5 6 hours S te a m e r A d m i r a l f ro m N e w York to
Boston m ad e a run of 9 m iles in 2 7 m inutes and a passage fro m G lo uc e s
ter to Boston i n 1 hour 5 0 m inut e s I n Nov e m ber 1 8 8 1 sch L u lu A m
h
e
C
apt
J
o
h
n
S
tile
ade
t
passa
e
L
s
m
o rm a nn of Perth A m boy N
J
g
Sch

o /zn

'

FISHERM EN S O WN B O O

49

fro m Boston to Phi ladelphia in thre e days S c h L izz ie W M a tne s o n Ca p t

of
Provinc
e town in O ctobe r 1 8 8 1 m ade the passage fro m Bosto n
M cK
a
y
to Cape Haytien in 8 days discharged cargo loaded an d re turned to Bos
ton m aking the round trip inside of 3 2 days said to be t h e quick e st ti m e
o n record S c h j e nn ie A S tu OOs Capt S tubbs m ade the run fro m S andy
H ook to Turk s Island in 1 8 8 1 in 1 4 5 hours actual ti m e S c h L ottie K
Frien d Capt W illia m H Collins sail e d fro m N e w York on S aturday e ven
ing April 3 0 1 8 8 0 at 6 % o clock an d a rriv e d at Glouceste r at 2 o clock
the fol lowing Monday m orning m aking t h e passag e in
hours 3 the pre
Phillips wharf
v i c us W inter the L o ttie KFrien d m ade th e passage fro m
S ale m to N e w York in 3 1 hours
I n t h e S u m m er of 1 8 8 0 several of the Gloucester shing vessels had a n
oppo rtunity for a rac e with crack Bosto n~yachts un d e r favorabl e circu m
stanc e s : J uly 2 7 sch A li e M W illia m s Capt D ennis C Murphy fell in
with the yacht A c ta e o ff Cap e S able ; t h e yacht put on all h e r light sails
and Capt Murphy spre ad his riding sail and all t h e dory sails h e coul d raise
and k e p t co m pany with the yacht until he reached E astern Point when he
ca m e into port th e A c ta e proceeding to Boston Aug 5 sch I s aa A
C ap m a n Capt Chas R Crew fell in wi th the yacht T a r o l in ta ; both craft
spread e very inch of canvas an d in an hour and a half beating to windward

the yacht was left fully one half m ile to le e ward I n S epte m be r the sch
M a ry Odell C a p t M c C la i n out sail e d one of the crack Boston yacht s an d
parties who witnessed t h e rac e wer e so wel l pleased with her sailing quali
ties t h at th e y m ade an o ff e r for the O dell on the spot and she was s old to
g o t o S avann ah as a pilot boat
'

S O N G O F T HE W I N

BY
g

w i th y o u r s ail s to th e be nd i n m ast
S h e e t th e m h o m e w i t h a h e a rt y w i ll ;
L e t t h e r ud e c are ss o f t h e w i ntr y bl as t
E v e r y f o ld o f t h e c anv as l l
N o w s a i l aw ay o e r t h e tre a ch e r o u s m ain
Wh e re t h e sto rm k in g bu i lds h i s th ro n e
Wh e re t h e n n y tre as u re s o f h i s d o m ai n
W e w i ll g ath e r an d c all o ur o w n
Wh e r e t h e t o w e rin g i ce be rg s c ry stal do m e
I s l o st i n t h e d r if t i n g s n w
A nd t h e w av e s d as h u p t h e i r m i lky fo am
r o m t h e g l o o m y d e p th s b e l o w

Up !

up

Aw y w h

re th e b righ t Au ro ra s be am s
l ash o v e r t h e starry s k y
L i gh tin g t h e s e a w i th i t s go ld e n g l e am s
Wh e re th e dar in g s h e rs li e

CA LD E R

FI S HE R M A N

TE R

k i n g s an d r ul e rs t h e l an d m ay o wn
W e e n v y n o t t h e g r e at ;
T h e o c e an fr e e i s o u r r e g a l th r o ne
Th e
d e ck i s o u r C h ai r o f S ta te
O h h e re w e ar e fr e e o n t h e o c e an s b r e as t
A s t h e d e e r o n h i s n a t i ve h e at h 3
A n d w h e n t h e s t o rm i s o v e r w e r e s t
O n t h e b i ll o w so r u n de r n e at h
Wh at m atte r to u s wh e n t h e s p i ri t s e d
Wh e re t h e bo dy n d s a t o m b
I n t h e c h u r c h y ar d w i th o u r k i n d r e d d e ad
O r n e at h t h e o c e an s fo am ?
He re s a n o bl e c raft t o m e e t t h e bl as t
Wh e re e r fat e b id s u s ro am
A n d h e a rt s t o g re e t w h e n d an g e r s p as t
O u r l o v i ng o n e s at h o m e
Oh

FISHERM EN S O W N

T r ip s

F ir s t

BOO

The rst c o d s h i ng trips to G e orges were m ade in 1 8 2 1 and the rst c o d

shing trips to the Bay S t L awrence the sa m e year The Georges halibu t
sh e ry was in augurat e d i n 1 8 3 0
The rst sal t herring tri p to Newfoundlan d was m ade i n 1 8 3 7 or 1 8 3 8 by
Capt J a m es W Pattillo in the pinkey Ti er T h e N e wfoundlan d fresh
herring shery was in augurated in 1 8 5 4 by sch Fly in Clo u d Ca p t Hen r y
The rst fro z en h e rring m arketed in N e w York was in 1 8 5 7 by
O S m ith
sch E C Sm it/z Capt S ylvanus S m ith T h e rst cargo of herring e ve r
in
s
ch
s hipped fro m Gloucester to a for e ign port were se nt to G o t te n b e r
g
Nu lli Se un dus in 1 8 7 6
T h e rst Greenland h alibut trip was m a d e in 1 8 6 6 by sch f o /zn A twoo d
of Provincetown ch art e red by Messrs J ohn F W o n s o n C o Dodd Tar r
S h e sailed June 2 9 co m m anded b
C c an d Mr G e orge J Marsh
y
C apt G P Po m ero y of N e w London Co nn with Cap t Av e rill L York of
th is city as shing m ast e r and arrived ho m e O c t 1 4 selling h e r e tc h e d
halibut at 9 cts pe r pound an d stocking
S c h Ca leb S Ea to n
Capt Joh n S M o Quin m ad e a Gre e nland tri p in 1 8 6 9 and agai n i n 1 8 7 0
T h e rst a n d o n ly shing tri p to Ic e lan d fro m this port was m ade by
C apt J ohn S M c Qu in i n sch M em brin o C /zief i n 1 8 73
n ud Markuson m ad e a m acke rel seining trip on the
S c h No ti e Capt K
coast of Norway in 1 8 7 8
The i m portation of s h t o the W est Indies wa s revived by Capt C h m 1435
A Ho m an s in 1 8 7 8
Mackerel catc h ing was rst pursu e d by s m all boats about 1 8 0 0 The
throwing bait did not b e co m e general
m ode of catc h ing by driftin g an d
until after 1 8 1 2 T h e j ig hook was invented by M r Abraha m L urvey of
Pigeon Cove i n 1 8 1 6 Fly lines did not co m e into use until about 1 8 2 3
Bait m ills were n ot used until 1 8 2 0 whe n th e y were m ade of nails driv e n in
The rst bait
s traight lines acr o ss wood e n cylinders an d t h e n sharpened
m ill with kn ives was m ade by Mr Gorha m Burnha m in 1 8 2 2 and t h e kn ives
were rst pl ac e d in s p iral form in 1 8 2 3 T h e rst trip for m ack e rel to cure
was m ade by sch Presiden t Capt S i m e on Burnha m in 1 8 1 8 Mackere l
were rs t caught o n G e orges in 1 8 2 2 by Capt W illia m Marshall The rs t
m acker e l ing trip fro m Glouc e ster to the Bay S t L awrence was m ade by
Capt Charles P W ood in s c h M a rin er i n 1 8 3 0 S c h Eliza f a ne Capt
S t e p h e n Brown m ade a Bay m ackerel ing trip the sa m e season an d two
of t h e crew who m ade th e trip Messrs J oh n Hodgkins and Joh n N Day
S c h Cl io of E ast S alisbu r y is said to hav e
o f R iverdale are still l iving
,

FISHERM EN S

O WN

BOO

a d e a s i m i l a r trip i n 1 8 2 9 T h e rs t tr aw l wa s m ad e an d s e t ac ross
B r ace s C o ve i n 1 8 2 0 by M r J o h n R o we s ti ll l ivin g at E a s t Glouce s t e r a t
th e age o f 7 5 years
T h e F ishe ry C l au s e s o f th e W ashi n gt o n T r ea ty we n t i n to e ff ec t J u l y 1
1 8 73 3 n o tice o f a desire to te r m in ate thei r pr o vi s i o n m ay b e give n by eithe r
s ide afte r J u ly 1 1 8 8 3 and t hey wi l l c o ntinue i n f o r ce t wo
af te r s uch
n o tice i s gi ve n
'

L ar ge F ish

A halibu t weighi ng up wards o f 6 0 0 l b s is said t o have bee n t ake n at N e w

Twe n ty y e ar s l ate r a
L e dge 6 0 m iles s outheast of Portland Me in 1 8 0 7
dead hal ibut wa s picke d up by t wo m e n near D am ask Co ve at Boothbay
Me that weighed whe n gutted and gilled with head o n 6 3 7 lb s This i s
Dr S to re r m enti o ns o n e
th e l a rgest halibut o f which we have any r eco r d
take n o ff the S outh S hore three quarter s of a cent u ry ag o which weighed
00
or
probably
lbs
live
weight
The
larges
halibu
l
bs
dressed
2
0
t
t
3
4
5
eve r lan ded at Gloucester was b ro ught i n f ro m Ge o rges by sch E tta E
Tanne in 1 8 8 1 turning the scale s at 3 8 0 l bs 3 it was purcha s e d by Messrs
The s a m e yea r
S tockb ridge
C o and attracted c o nside r able atte ntion
s ch C /za r le s Ca r o ll t o ok a Georges halibut weighi n g 3 5 8 lb s 3 i n 1 8 7 1 s ch
an
d
s
eve
n
halibut
take
n o n the
o /zn D ov e took o n e weighing 3 4 7 lbs
j
t rip t u r ned the scale s a t
lb s The l argest Bank hali b ut o f whic h
we h ave a ny knowledge weighed 3 77 lbs and was take n by s ch W ac /t use tt
in 1 88 0 I n 1 8 7 7 s c h City of Glo u es ter t o ok a Ba n k halibut weighin g
n
6
s
o
n
e
2
lb
s
and
sch
i
ll
i
a
weighin
lb s The l a rgest
6
Tb
o
m
o
W
p
g 9
33
s hore halibut o n rec o rd was taken o n P oo l e s L edge ab o ut six m iles ea s t
so utheast o f Th acher s I s l a n d ab o u t 1 8 73 by J B Golds m ith and Pete r
L e m a n two R ockp o rt sher m e n 3 it was as wide a s the s te r n place o f th e
dory weighed whe n dressed 3 4 7 1b s and s old fo r
I n 1 8 77 Mr
E lbr i dge Ger ry took o ff E a ste r n Point a halibut weighi ng 3 2 0 lb s
The
.

'

KM B N

B I S HB

O WN

BOO

s m al l e s t h alibu t o f wh ich we h ave heard was b ro ught in b y a G l o uce s te r

ves s el in 1 8 8 0 an d s ent by m ail t o M r E G Blackf or d the s h c ultu ri s t,
o f N e w York 3 its we igh t wa s 2 0 ounces
The Port s m o uth she rm en have a traditi o n o f a m o n s ter c o d s h caugh t by
hich weighe d whe n
S a m u e l H aley of S m utty Nose Island I sle s of S hoals w
dre s sed an d dried 1 1 3 lb s I n 1 8 78 Capt G e o rge H Martin of Glouceste r
took o ff Cape C o d a c o d s h weighing 1 1 1 lbs dress e d an d the n ext yea r
cap tu re d on e in Ip s wich Bay which m easure d 5 fe e t 2 inche s in l engt h an d
weighed 9 0 lbs when l and e d and probably 1 0 0 lbs whe n take n fro m t h e
water I n 1 8 79 two c o d s h were rec e ived in the Po r ts m outh m arket each
o f which weighed 1 0 8 lbs
S tor e r spe aks of a c o d s h take n i n the S pri n g
o f 1 8 0 7 at N e w L edge 6 0 m iles s o utheast of Po rtla n d Me , which weighe d

The N e w Yo rk J ourn al of April 3 1 79 3 rep o rts a c o d s h

1 0 7 lbs

lately sol d i n the N e wbu r yp o r t m arke t which was 5 % f e et in lengt h an d

weighed 9 8 lbs O n e o f 9 7 lb s was caugh t o ff Ports m outh in 1 8 2 7 an d

un dressed by the S wa m pscott s h erm e n in 1 8 5 7 I n

o ne of 9 4 l bs
F eb ruary 1 8 2 3 the Marblehead s h er m e n se nt t o John Q Ada m s S ecre
tary o f S tate fro z en with gr eat care and packed in ice a c o d s h weighing
8 4 lbs
I n 1 8 8 1 th e sch M o ri ll Boy C apt R ussell Gill took on on e t r ip
weighing
lbs or averaging 3 0 lb s e ach
n e t shing 3 1 9 c o d s h
A l o bster 3 8 inche s in length an d weighing 1 5 lbs was take n at New
Bedford i n the Fall of 1 8 8 1 3 a f e w m o nths earlie r a l obste r weighing 1 3 lbs
and sol d fo r 2 5 ce nts A horse m ackere l
W a s t ake n at L ive r pool N S
weighing 5 4 5 lbs was landed a t Portland Me i n th e S u m m e r o f 1 8 8 1 A
bas s weighi ng 79 lbs was take n n ear Po rts m outh N H in August 1 8 8 1 3
it wa s t wo hours fro m the ti m e it was hooked before it was la n ded i n a
f o u r tee n foot boat which was h alf ful l of water before the sh wa s s e cured
A 4 4 5 lb turtle wa s take n i n the weir s at O rlean s Mass in August 1 8 8 1
.

FISHERM EN S

G l o uc e ste r

O WN

ar o r ,

B O OK

53

1830

Above is give n a view of the harbor taken f r o m o ff the beach at the Cut
in 1 8 3 0 which wil l be readily recogni z e d by m any who pe ru se these page s
T h e ol d wind m il l which then occupied a position where the Pavilio n Hote l
n o w stands was fo r m any y e ars an i m portant l and m ark in en tering the
harbor I t was e rected in 1 8 1 4 by Mr Ignatius W ebbe r a successful s hip
m aste r who retired fro m seafaring pursuits in 1 8 0 7 and for three years
s ub s equently was co nn e cted with Mess r s Aaron an d Henry Plu m e r in ca r
r y i n g o n the ropewalk on W ester n avenue which was built by Capt W ebbe r
an d Aaro n Plu m e r in 1 8 0 3 The rope walk was sold at auction about 1 8 1 0
The wind m ill wa s re m oved to C o m
to Mr John S o m e s J r fo r
m e r c i al str e et near the Fort whe n the Pavilion was erect e d an d was s o
badly inj ured by re July 5 th 1 8 77 that it was sold an d re m ov e d The
ropewalk is plainly disc e rnible in the foregrou n d an d m any a ne run when
a lad h ave we had barefooted over its s m ooth oor There ar e m any no
t i c e ab le cha n ges i n that vicinity especially o n the hill which n o w show s
s o m e very hand so m e dwelling h o u s e s
.

FISHERM EN

54

UMM

O WN

BOO

S Fish Co mm is sion
A UA T
U

U
S

HE

E R

DQ

ERS

IN

GLO

CES

ER

The S um m e r o f 1 8 78 wa s m e m or ab le for the selecti o n o f th i s ci ty a s th e

S u m m e r h eadqua rte rs o f th e U S Fish C o m m i s s i o n
T h e s cie n t i c c o rp s
c o m pri s i n g th e Co m m i ss i o n ar r ived here July 9
Pr o f B a ird an d hi s c l e rica l
f o rc e taki n g up t heir re s ide n ce at th e K
irby c o ttage s o n W e s tern ave n ue
and a l a rge bui l ding o n F ort W ha rf wa s lea s ed fo r a n o fce l ab or at ory etc
The l ab o rato r y work was u n de r the the specia l charge o f Prof Goo de o f th e
C o m m i s s i o n an d P ro f Ver ril l o f Yale College with D r Be an a n d M e ss rs
R icha r d R ath bu m an d W arre n U pha m a s assistant s
O n the 1 8 th o f July
t h e s team er S eedwell u n de r co m m and o f Captai n Beardslee a rr ive d an d
f ro m that ti m e un ti l S ept 3 0 with a brief inte rrupti o n f or r epair s o n t h e
Che s
s tea m e r dredgi n g expediti o n s were m ade o ff the c o ast C apt H C
te r form e rly o f the Po la i s having charge o f t h e dredging m achine ry
W ith th e depa r ture o f th e S eedwell at th e end o f S epte m be r the r e gul a r
S u m m e r work of the C o m m i s sio n wa s p r actically co m pleted
Aside f r o m the i n ve s tigati o ns pur s ued by the s cientists an d the v aluab l e
c o ll ecti o n s secured o n t h e dr e d ging expeditions the vi s it o f the Fi s h C o m
m is s i o n t o Glouce s te r s e rved t o create a n i n terest i n i ts eld o f o p e r ati o n s
a m o n g the Gl o uceste r sherm e n f ro m which gre at benet h a s been derived
S everal o f th e l arge r s h ing vessel s were pr o vide d with ta n k s and alc o h o l
f o r the prese rvati o n o f s uc h n o vel s peci m en s a s m ight be b r ough t up o n
t hei r li n e s a n d traw l s a n d a l ively e m ulatio n was m anife s ted i n fo r wardi n g
Thi s branch of th e w o rk wa s co n tinued
th e i n tere st s o f t h e Co m m is s io n
afte r th e depa rtu r e of Prof Baird an d hi s corps the n u m erous co n t r ibution s
being weekly a n n ounc e d in the col u m n s of the local pa pe rs until the m iddle
o f N o ve m be r 1 8 8 0 whe n the n u m be r o f s eparate c o ntribution s had reached
2 4 incl u din g m any th o usa n d s o f s pe ci m en s o f which a very large n u m be r
9
we r e eithe r n e w t o s cie n ce ve ry r a r e o r hithe rt o u n heard o f i n A m e rica n
wa te rs
Du ri n g th e s ea so n a s e rie s o f i n ve s tig ati o ns was m ade by D r W G Fat
l o w a s t o th e cause of the reddenin g o f c o d s h cured in S u m m e r whic h
Afte r a ful l
r e n de rs it l iable to dec o m p o sition and un t fo r t h e m arket
i n qui r y D r Farlow ca m e to the conclu s ion th a t the troubl e was o ccasione d
by a m inute r e d alga speci m e n s of which were found in the Cadi z salt used
for c u ri ng s h and i n accordance with his reco m m endatio n a m o re gener al
use h a s since been m ade o f Trapani s alt which was fo und t o be fr e e f r o m
t his alga
T h ro ugh th e e ff ort s o f P ro f B a i rd G l o uc e s te r was m ad e a s to r m signal
.

B O OK

O WN

FISHERM EN S

55

ta ti o n du ri ng th e S u m m e r o f 1 8 78 an d th e wa rn i n g s i gn a l s h ave p rov e d
o f gr eat advantage to m a rine rs
O n the 2 5 th o f July the T a lla oosa visited Gl ouce s te r h av i n g o n b o a r d
t h e S ecreta ry o f the Navy Ho n R W Tho m pson the Chief Nava l C o n
Th e
s t r u c to r Chief E ngi n eer Pay m a ster Ge n eral an d o th e r n av a l o ffi ce rs
s tea m e r r e m ai n ed i n p o rt t wo d a y s th e vi s it ors m aki ng a dr ed gin g t r ip o n
th e S ee dwell
O ne o f the m o st v aluab le re s u l t s a t the Gl o uceste r s tatio n was the d e m
o n s t r a tio n o f the fact that c o d s h hadd o ck he r ri n g an d o the r deep s e a s h
c o uld be artici a lly propagated as readily as shad W hitesh a n d o the r den i
A s sista n t Co m m issi o ne r Mil n er Capt Che s
z e n s o f o u r r ive r s an d l ake s
t e r a n d Mess r s F r a n k N Clark and R o b e rt E H all had charge o f t h e
c o d hatching expe ri m ents whic h were entered up o n after the depa r ture o f
thei r as s o ciate s Vari o us devices were t r ied u n til the pro p e r c o n diti o n s
we re reali z ed a n d several m ill i o ns o f codfi sh we re hatched o ut a n d turned
int o the ha rbo r w h e re they c o uld be r eadily o bser ved aro u n d the wha r ve s
I t was als o fou n d tha t
th e follo wing S u m m e r havi n g m ade a g oo d g r o wth
herr ing h a dd o c k a n d p oll o ck c o uld b e articial ly m ulti p lied at will Th e
result s o f the exp eri m e n t s were all that c o ul d have b ee n ex p ected and m uc h
valuab l e i n for m ati o n wa s secure d that will be o f great advantage if the w o rk
i s eve r a tte m pt e d o n a large s cal e
The s h hatching e s tabli s h m ent wa s broke n up in the e a rl y pa rt o f J anu
a r y 1 8 79 b u t t h e Co m m is s i o n re tained its laborat o r y f o r the recepti o n a n d
pre p aratio n o f s p eci m ens bro ught i n by Glouc e s ter shi ng v e s sels until th e
M r E arl e re m ained i n charge o f the w o rk i n 1 8 79 an d
S u m m er o f 1 88 1
wa s s ucce e ded by M r A Howard Clark in 1 8 8 0 S ince the l abo rat o ry wa s
c losed i n 1 88 1 Capt S tephen J Marti n h a s b e e n the l o cal r epresentativ e
o f the C o m m issi o n kee p i n g a rec o rd o f shi n g a r rival s a n d s e curi ng o th e r
i nf o rm ati o n n eces s ary t o the pr os ecuti o n o f i ts w ork
s

Ar o und C ap e A nn

we have s ee n o u r h arb o r wa s n a m ed L e Beau Po rt an d s i n

H a rbors di ff er a s m e n do Harbo rs are hu m an and s o m ething lik e
c e r e ly
wo m e n ; they have their o wn ti m e s for dain ty an d delicate attire
T o kno w
t he m y o u m ust study the m u n der dayligh t unde r twilight ; a t sun rise an d
s u n set ; under the full ha rve s t m oo n ; at low tide a n d high t ide 3 in a sto rm
a n d a fter it i s o ver ; t he n will you nd so m e m o od t o ad m ire
n e w b eauty
co m e to sight O u r h arbo r lik e every o ther sulk s so m eti m es o n e m u s t
al l o w
A d o g day s f o g h as h u n g o ve r it o r w run g itself d r y i n t o it t o d ay
I

60 6,

KM B M

B I S HB

6
5

O WN

BOO

pe n a s the highw ay to al l fa r e rs m any ki n d s o f c r af t s har e i ts f av or T h e

deep l y l ade n collie r with i ts so be r m ie n 3 the lu m be r c o aste r with he r d eck
l oad s uggestin g the hea rt o f pine fo rests in Mai n e 3 the s tra nge r s hip with
s al t fro m S pai n 3 th e slo o p o r s chooner yacht with eve ry gr ace a m a rvel a n d
eve ry lin e a picture those l ilie s of the se a which toil n o t neithe r d o t h ey
s pi n ; the tu g b o at eying eve ry sail for a su m m ons 3 the s he rm a n with he r
s eine b o at re ady for action idle afte r toil ; the fer r y boat going he r way s o
o fte n as t o have it by heart ; the light clu m sy wood c o aster fro m th e pr o v
i n c e s sturdily m ain taining her look o f in di ff e r e nce t o th e ne r co m pan y
around he r ; a single s ki ff s hooting a m ong the dori e s an d b o at s 3 all poin t
i n g di fferen t ways 3 s o m e with sail s partly s e t expectant 3 so m e wi th m ind s
m ade up t h eir ancho r s r esolutely down and all eithe r g r ieving o r s ulkin g
ove r the unce rtain weathe r O n e hint of fa r ewell fr o m the s etting sun an d
wha t a change ! The so m be r collier an d c o aste r lo o k careles s and h appy
and the yach ts s hare the go l d that falls upo n the m with every ho m ely sister
til l twi l ight creeps a n d creep s up eve ry m ast like a m iser for eve ry glin t
of it T h e woods alon g the western s h o re grow like a deepenin g m ystery
The tide is down and the weed hung r o cks s ee m darkly to desire the n ight
O n e glea m is in the weste rn s ky the light of which little p oo l s of tide a m o n g
the rock s sue fo r and o btain by so m e b ridge unseen
T o see the su m m er day co m e into th e ha rbo r o n e m ust rise ea rly Th e
e arly evening m ost m e n kn ow 3 but the early m orning what i s it ? Ho w
m any of us kn ow it ? H o w m any l o ve it ? O n e star is skippe r and crew

of the whol e heaven s and weary with i ts wat c h tu rn s in not curious t o

see wh at the day is like Th e wind is sl e epi n g A b o a t h e re and there

puts o ff to so m e vesse l
S c hoone r abe y i s ays a voice fro m the shore
an d she ub ays S ail and hull an d rope a n d block are duplicated in the tide
below That was a yawn of the awaking wind Notes of preparatio n
deepen S ail after sail is swaye d up Anchors break thei r ho ld 3 the n
co m es the quickened clink clink of t h e W in dlass 3 the j ib is hoist e d and
the s o uthwest wind n o longe r napping l l s i t and a hu n dred other sail s
t hat m ake their way out of the harbor in the mornin g sunlight to and fro
The rst sc h oone r rigged c raft that ever swa m it is cl ai m ed wa s built by
Andre w R obi n son i n 1 7 1 3 and n a m ed the S c /zo o ne r
It was a h andy craft
for rig but even d o wn t o fty years ago a clu m sy b o dy Cape A n n ve s sel s
are m ostly built at E ssex a f e w m ile s fro m Glouc e ste r ; up a rive r or crooked
creek the builde rs construct and launch their fait h ful wo rk for al l s ort s
of weathe r to try S o they were building thirty yea r s ago whe n one m o r e
ventureso m e suddenly departed fro m the m odels o f the day s ha r pen ing th e
bow an d ho l lowing the run W h at talk a m ong the sherm en ! W h o woul d
go in her ? W hat a
o f a r ake ! W hat a sheer ! S h e was m anned
O

FI S

HE F M E I V S 0 W N

B0 0

57

beca m e s ucce ss ful and ve ry soo n o ther s were o n the s to ck s m o deled

after the Ro
the pet o f the eet
S ix s loops one boat and o ne s hal lop co m posed the Cape An n ee t in
1 6 3 ; n o w i t ha s n early ve hundred s ail of al m o s t twenty e igh t thousand
9
Its eet i s
t o n s and Glouce s t e r is t h e l argest s hing port in th e l and
A tide o f y o ung m e n m ainly fro m the
m anned by m e n of every cli m e
Pro v inces set s steadily toward thi s port M any h ave the characteristic
r ecklessnes s of the s ailo r and earn ings o f week s are sp e nt b etween s unse t
and sun rise There i s a m ong the m n o s ailo r cut of c l o the s and ash o re th e y
follow the prevailing fashi o ns down to lager beer All h aun ts are prepared
As i n all oth e r cal lings thrift
f o r J ack and he is pre pa r ed fo r al l haunt s
fol lows prudence and indu s try though h e see m s to l ie open to th e changes
an d chances of luck You will see his cottage co m m an din g the n e st se a
Alas ! that the waiting wife
v iew for on the heig hts lie the cheape s t lots
h alf m ast
c a n l o o k ha rbor ward o n eve ry c o m ing sail ofte n to s ee t h e ag
for who m ?
He re are n o l ab o r s trikes T h e sai l o r b rings in a far e o f sh perh ap s
a ll he h as ca ught by the m s e l ves ; they a r e weighed o ff the vessel is put to
rights and he g o es up to the counti ng r o o m for his check The wh o l e valu e
o f the sh i s reckoned by the ves s el o wn e r o r his clerk 3 the n is deducte d
c o st of ice and bait bought 3 then on e q uarter of on e per cen t fo r the W id
o w s and O rphan s Fund 3 one half the r e m ainder belongs to t h e own er the
Fro m his part is then d e duct e d ch arges for wood sawing an d
o the r t o h im
S plitting for water , m edicine chest condensed m ilk and any charge for la
bo r o n the vessel wh ich belonged to h im to do but wh ich has been hire d
d o ne His check is then handed h im and he presents it i n p e rson or it
nds its devious way to the bank by other perhaps n ot clean er hands
O n e of the m o st exciting scenes i m aginable is that of a eet of hundreds
In a n ort heast gale they m u s t beat in All
m aking the p ort in a stor m
day l o ng by two s an d thre e s t h ey co m e I t i s lu ff bear away o r tack s h ip
to av o id a s m ash C r ack s nap goes a j ib boo m o ff Crack snap there
is o ne m ain boo m the less Hoarse v o i ces of the ski p pers howl in entre aty
o r c o m m an d a b o ve th e h o wling gale and the sh o re is lined with liste n ing

l o o k e r sc n C en tu r y M a az ine

t h o ugh 3

mp

FISHERM EN S

s
5

B O OK

O WN

S cho o ner Sultana T owe d

by

W h al e

the 1 6 th o f D ece m be r 1 8 7 4 while s c h o o ne r Sul ta n a Cap t Pe te rso n

wa s a s udde n m o tio n
o f thi s po r t wa s at ancho r o n G r and Bank the re
fe l t by th o se o n b o a r d t h e ve s s el and it wa s evident that the craf t was bein g
c a rried through the wate r by s o m e un s ee n a n d unkn o w n m o t ive p o we r
L o o king forwa r d it wa s o bserved that the cable wa s drawn taut and th a t

m onste r o f the deep

was attache d the r eto an d drawing th e ves s e l
s om e
along at the r ate o f t welve knots a n hour S oo n they o btaine d pos itive
e vide nce as a m a m m oth whale ca m e t o the s u r face to bl o w h a ving the a o
There was als o
c ho r o f the ve sse l eithe r h oo ke d int o his j aw o r blow hol e
anothe r wha le which swa m near evidently gre atly asto n ished at the predic
The m e n o n b o ard o f the d o ries which had j us t
a m e nt o f his c o m panion
r etu rne d fro m visiting their t r awls h a d b a rely ti m e t o m ake fast their p a i n te r
Anothe r do r y with t wo m e n was at s o m e dista n ce
e r e the ve s se l s t a r ted
The cap tain s t o o d ready with axe i n h a nd in
a ls o visiting their t r awl s
s o m e distance 3 b u t
c a se o f e m e rge n cy and allowe d the wha l e t o tow the m
n o t wishing to l ose sight o f the m e n in the dory was o bliged to cut the c a
ble o the rwise he m ight h a ve succeeded i n ca p t uring the whale W hethe r
o r n o t his whale s hip succee ded i n ge tti n g rid o f the a n ch or a n d t o w line i s
n o t know n a s n o accoun t h as yet co m e to ha n d of hi s being fallen i n with
I t was r athe r a n ovel m et h o d of b e ing towed W e have heard of but o n e

i
il
r
in
s
tance
a
m
o
ng
the
shing
e
e
t
t h at of s ch C f f Pri e being t o wed
m
a
s
by a whale a day an d a half so m e n ine years ago while o n Gran d Bank
whe n the f l uk e o f the anchor b roke an d she was relea s ed The above
I t was d raw n by
s pi r ited pictu r e giv e s a good idea o f the Su lta n a i n t o w
R o ry M c D o n a ld stewa r d o f the vessel
O

FISHERM EN

O WN

BOO

59

L o ss o f th e S cho o ner He nr i e tta G r e e nl e af

Fo ur M D ro wned i tb i B tb T b Rem a in d r f tb Crew Take to
t/ i
D o ries A drif t i a n Open D o ry w it/ Sca n ty Cl tb i g a m id Sleet
t Oa rs f
Forty Fi ve Ho u rs Tb D ories Pa rt Company
d Co ld wi t/
One Rescued by S b L izz i K Cl a rk T a O t/
[ Vever I Y
d Fro m
i tt Green leaf left Gloucest r Thursday April 6
The w s ch f l
8 76
.

en

er

e r

ze r

an

to u

ne

enr e

or

ze r

ea r

fo r a Grand Bank trip ; an d this was her rs t an d last trip S h e was c o m

m a n d e d by Capt W illia m H Gree nleaf who wa s als o part ow n er and fro m
h i m we ob tain e d the following particulars :
O n Friday night was to the s outhward of L a Have Bank an d had ne
weather with a six knot south southwe st bre e z e The watch o n d e ck w e re
G e orge O lse n and Philip Mc c loud an d t h e re m ai n d e r of the m e n were b e
l o w asleep
S hortly before three o clock the watc h call e d all hands to
handl e sail and all turned out Capt Gree nleaf wa s the rst o ne on de ck
and whe n he took the wheel the vessel was m asts dow n in the wate r The
s quall was the m ost t e rric he ever experie nced an d ca m e s o sudden ly that
there wa s n o esca pe fro m it All hands were ord e red to the weather sid e
and the rigging was at once c u t away in order to le t the m asts break o ff an d
thu s ease t h e vessel 3 but of no avail and it was evident that she was fast
sinking and if they would save th e ir lives they m ust get out of her as soon
as possible There was no ti m e eve n to secure oars water or fo o d and al l
the m e n except th e watch had o nly their pants shirts an d stocking s on
Thus illy provided they proceeded to l aunch the dori e s whe n it was found
that four of the cre w were m i s sing and th e se had been drowned i n th e ir
berths having bee n unable to reach th e d e ck o n accou n t of the deluge of
water which had overtake n th e m in their atte m pt The na m e s of these u h
fortunate m e n were Franklin Greenl e af brother of the m ast e r 2 5 ye ars of
age ; Alfred S h ort a native o f O ls e n b u r g Nor way wh o had followed shing
fro m this port several years 3 J a m es Pete rs of Prospect N S 3 George
Connors brother i n la w of Capt Gree nleaf 1 5 years of age
The loss of these m e n threw a gloo m over t h e re m ainder of the c rew 3 but
there wa s no ti m e for re p ining 3 they m ust work quickly and at about half
pas t three t h ey l e ft the vessel with the win d blowing hard and a rough sea
running T h e dories kept co m p any all day S aturday an d the winds we re
variabl e with snow squalls an d c o ld biting sl e et w h ich m ade th e ir situation
extre m ely unco m fortable and they su ffe re d greatly They w e r e fr e quently
wet with the wat e r s hipped by the dorie s and it require d con s tant e ff or t
.

FISHE RM EN S

6o

B O OK

O WN

with a bucket fort u nat e ly o n b o ard to ke e p the m free H aving n o oa r s

th ey t o re t h e railings o ff t h e dori e s and we re also fo rtunat e en ough to pick
u p the vessel s W h e e l box which they m ad e paddl e s of a n d by dint of a l
m o st su pe rhu m an e x e rtions w e re en abled to k e e p th e ir frail craft s aoat
At eight o cl o ck S aturday evening th e dori e s parted co m pany b e ing un abl e
to k e e p togeth e r any l o nge r The wind was then blowing strong fro m
n o rth
n o r thw e st and c o n tinued until S unday noon whe n it m oderat e d grad
u al l
until
evening
At
ve
i
n t h e aft e rn o on Fr e e m an Crawford o n e of t h e
y
m e n succu m b e d t o the t e rribl e fatigue and died a n d his c o m pani o n s felt
that if n o t s o on rescued they t o o m ust s o o n fo llow h im
He was a n ativ e
2
y
e ars o f a e
o f W e stp o rt Main e
5
g
S hortly after m idnight thro ugh the d im ha z y light they s a w a sail draw
i ng n e ar Th e y su c c e ed e d in attracting attention and th e v e ssel p rov e d
the L izzie K Cla rk Ca p t Tho m as H odgd o n o f this p o rt I t wa s but t h e
w o rk o f a f e w m o m ents f o r the captain and his cre w to re s p ond t o th e cri e s
o f distre s s w h ich wer e born e u p on t h e ir e ars in t h e m id nigh t and i m agin e
their surp rise when they learn e d that the su ff e re r s we r e their o wn acquaint
an o es W ith kindly care they lifted their po or suff e ring ship m at e s on board
the vess e l an d did everything p os sibl e for m e n to d o for their co m fo rt T h e
Clark laid to until dayligh t in h ope s t o p i c k up t h e o ther dory but was u n
successful an d Capt H o dgd o n cruis e d all day Monday l e aving n o e ff ort s
untri e d in ord e r t o sav e his brother she rm e n 3 but all t o no avail an d th e
condition of the r e scued m e n b e ing such as to re quire m e dical skill he sail e d
for Halifax where he arriv e d o n Tuesday Here the m e n w e re t h e r e c ip i
e n ts o f e v e ry att e nti o n 3 m on e y cl othing and kind words w e r e freely off er e d
and t h e A m e rican Consul Judge J ackson was indefatigab l e in his e ff o rts t o
ben e t th e m
Capt B e nn ett of t h e stea m er C k as e o ffe r e d the m a f re e
e m itting in his att e ntions
ass
to
Portland
and
was
unr
Ca
t
M
rrill
e
o
f
p
p
Maine R ailroad also passed th e m ov e r his road to B oston an d
t h e Boston
all who m th e y m e t sh owe d n on e but kindly fe elings The body of Crawford
was taken on sh ore and buried
T h e na m es of the m e n r e scued were Capt Gre e nl e af Lawr e n ce Hardi
T h o s e i n the othe r
m a n Phili p M c C lo u d Ge org e O lsen and C h arl e s Cook
dory whic h was n e ver heard fro m we re J os e p h Gardn e r Liverp o ol N S
2 9 y e ars of age 3 George R owe E ast Glouc e ster 2 8 years 3 Bernard J e w e tt
W estport 2 7 years ; Charles Pattie W e st p ort an d J ohn S T o bb ie of N 0 1
way 2 8 years
,

FISHERM

B O OK

EN S O W N

61

Grill N e t C o d sh ing in I p swi c h B ay

-

18 80 8 1

The W inte r of
w i l l b e m e m orabl e in loca l s hing an nal s a s wit
h ess i ng t h e r st successful att e m pt at net s h i n
fo
r
cod
n
our
wat
rs
a
i
e
g
m ethod that pro m ises to m ake as m ark e d a chang e in t h e shore shery a s
was wrought by t h e introduction of tra wl shing a f e w years previously
This m e t h od of shing has long been followed by t h e N e wfoundland s h e r
m e n and it is said that the Norw e gi ans take half the nu m b e r and two thirds
t h e weight of th e ir i m m ense catch of c o d s h in this m ann er
I m pressed with the i m portance of t h e s av i ng m ad e in th e cos t of bait and
o f ti m e consu m ed in procuring bait Prof Baird d e cided in the S u m m e r of
1 8 8 when t h e S u m m er quarters of t h e
Fish Co m m is s ion w e re located i n
7
Gloucester to e xp e ri m ent as to the practicability of introducing t h e N o r we
gia n m e thods in our waters Accordingly he procured a s e t of Norw e gian
gill n e ts which attract e d consid e rabl e atte ntio n at the l aboratory of the
C o m m issio n at Fort W harf fro m th e ir nove l construction a n d curious g la ss
oats W he n the W inte r s cho ol of c o d s h s e t in in the Fall of 1 8 78 e x p e r
i m e n t s wer e m ade with th e s e n e ts on the O ld Man s Pasture
but it wa s
found t h at t h e n e ts w e re t o o fr ai l fo r t h e large cod which fre que nt o ur coas t
in W inter an d for the strong curre nt and rocky botto m along our s h o res
The resul t of t h e e x pe ri m e nt howe v e r was suc h as to indicate that n e t
s h i n g m ight be m ade practicabl e with p ro p e rly construct e d n e ts and
Prof Baird co ntinu e d his i n vestig ation of t h e m ethod and on t h e o ccasio n
o f t h e I nte rn ation al Fish e ri e s E x h ibit at Berli n in t h e S pring of 1 8 8 0 d e le
gated Capt J os e ph W Collins of Glouces t e r to m ake a careful study of t h e
E urop e an m ethods o f dee p s e a shing the result of w h ich has be e n pub
l i s h e d by t h e Gove rn m ent for the infor m ation of the A m erican sh e r m e n
M e anwhile t h e Nor wegian se in e s re m aine d a t t h e Glouceste r headquarters
o f t h e Fish Co m m ission with the un de rstanding tha t th e y were at t h e s e r
v ic e of any r e s p onsibl e m ast e r who de sir e d to e xpe ri m ent with t h e m
In t h e Fall of 1 8 8 0 t h e scarcity of bait inte rfe re d with t h e succ e ssful pros
e c u ti o n of t h e shore sh e ry an d at th e sugge stion of Ca p t S teph e n J Mar
t i n an attache of the Co m m ission his son Cap t G e org e H Martin de cid e d
t o m ak e a trial of n e t shing in t h e scho o n e r N o r t/ze r n E a le of Gloucest e r
S ecuring t h e ne ts belonging to t h e Co m m issio n and procuring others of
i m prov e d con st ruction the N o r tk e r n Ea le m ade a thorough trial of thi s

0
81
m e thod of shing for shore cod in Ipswic h Bay in t h e W in t e r of 1 8 8
with such success that before the se ason clos e d quit e a nu m b e r of t h e shor e
e e t provid e d th e m selv e s with si m ilar outts The N o r tk e r n Ea le was
suppli e d with three dories e ach requi ring thr e e nets which were se t at night
-

g
.

FISHERM

62

EN S O WN B O OK

an d h auled the n ext m o rn ing The expe ri m en t pr o v e d a success fr o m the

sta rt For the rst t hree nights the catch was
an d
lbs
r e spectiv e ly although the weather was unfavorable and t h e tra wl sherm e n
were securi ng o n ly ab o ut half the a m ount taken by the N o r t/ze r n Ea le I n
e ight days shi n g this s ch o o ner to o k
l bs o f larg e sh a n d o n o n e
trip en di n g J an 1 1 1 8 8 1 she t o o k a fare o f
lb s o f which
lbs were tak e n in o n e m o rn ing T wo trawlers abse n t the sa m e l e ngth of
ti m e t o o k
an d
lb s respe ctively T h e n ext tri p s h e was absen t
four days and took 3
lbs o f which over o n e h a lf were caught i n a s in
*
gle d ay
Fr o m N o v 2 7 1 8 8 0 t o J an 2 0 1 8 8 1 Capt Ma rti n t o ok
lbs c o d n o ne of the trawlers exceedi n g o n e third o f that a m ount in th e
sa m e ti m e L ater in t h e s e ason thre e netters a r riv e d at Po rts m outh i n o n e
day o n e with
lbs an d t h e o thers with
lbs e ach o f large cod
sh while the t r awlers h ad m uch s m aller fares An other day sch D e a n e
took with her nets
lbs st e ak c o d s h an d was high lin e of a eet o f
twe n ty seven vess e ls one with twen ty trawls out secu r ing onl y fo urt e e n s h
another 8 0 0 lbs and a n u m ber of others n o t exceeding
lbs e ach
The n ets used by the Ipswich Bay sh e r m e n are m ade o f stro ng S cotch
ax twin e twe lve thread an d are of n ine inch m esh ( 4 % in ch es square)
Th ose used by C apt Martin were 5 0 fat h o m s l o ng an d 3 fatho m s d e ep w
hil e
other vessels lat e r in the season us e d nets 1 0 0 fatho m s long and 2 fatho m s
deep The oats were of glass fty of the m being attach e d to a f ty fatho m
net Bricks were used as sinkers one being attached to the foot o f the n e t
directly ben eat h each of the oats Thes e fty fat h o m n ets h o s t about $ 1 8
e ach and a fourtee n po u nd trawl anchor was attached to each end of a gang
of three n e ts They were m o stly set i n t h e n orth e rn part of the Bay but a
f e w m iles fro m shore where th e curre nt was n ot strong o ne m an in a dory
b e ing a ble to set or un derru n three nets faste ned together at the top an d
botto m
The advantages o f this m ethod are found i n the larger si z e of the s h
take n the saving in the cost of bait the saving of the l ab o r required to bait
trawls etc C apt Collins is of the O pini o n that this m ethod m ay be p r o t a
bly e m ployed on the Grand and W e stern Banks an d B a n qu e r e au e s pecially
on the shoal e r parts of th e se grounds where the n e ts could b e easily under
run
This would obviate the nec e ssity of l e aving the Bank b e fore a fare
had bee n secur e d as is frequently don e to procu re a fre sh sup p ly of bait

W e present four plat e s illustrating th e m e thods of gill ne t c o d s h in g :

Pl ate V s h o ws the Norwe gian m eth o d of setting the nets at th e botto m of
the sea 1 being the n ets 2 the r o ck s used for m oo ring 3 the buoy 4 the
buoy line 5 glass oats attached to t h e b u oy line to k e e p the s lack fro m
*O n th i s d a
o f P o r ts m o u t h s e t te n tr aw l s o f
h
o o k s e ac h
m
e
l
l
s
t
i
e
a
b
r
i
C
c
h
C
h
s
p
y
lb s ta ke n i n t h e n e ts
l bs o f sh to t h e
cl o se to th e ne ts an d caugh t a o u t
.

PL A

TE

VI

FISHERM EN S

B O OK

O WN

63

sinking when there is no curre nt and the watch o at s to show the posi
tion of the buoy whe n it is draw n unde r the water by the tide
Plate VI shows the m ann e r in which the ne ts a r e set at di ff e ren t depth s
t o ascertain wh e re the sh m ay be found 1 b e ing the nets 2 the foot lin e s
holding the n e ts to th e botto m 3 the ston e m oorings 4 the buoy line and
h
e bu o y
t
5
Plat e X I shows th e way in which the gill nets were set for under run ning
in Ip swich Bay 1 is the e n d of a gang of nets 2 the anchor or und e rru n
ning lin e 3 the anchor 4 the buoy line 5 th e buoy
In p late X I I t h e sh e rm e n m ay be s e en in th e ir d o ri e s underrunning the
n e ts By this proc e ss one m a n can s e cur e t h e cat ch of a gang of nets fo r
which work a n entire boat s crew of six or eigh t m e n is r e quired in the N o r
U nd e r favorabl e circu m stanc e s one m a n can set a gang
we gi a n shery
of n e ts by l e tting the boat drift with the win d or tide and th rowing th e m
o ver as it m ove s along but as a general rule t wo m e n can acco m plish this
m uch bette r
W h e n s e tting for un derrunning the anch o r is rst thrown over an d 2 5
fatho m s of lin e paid out whe n the buoy line is b e n t to it The buoy an d
lin e are then thrown over with t h e re m ainde r of th e an chor line the e n d of
A m id
t h e l atter being m ade fast to t h e n e ts which are t h e n ext to follow
dle buoy is attached to the center of the gang W he n t h e n e ts are all out
the other anchor line with t h e buoy line attached is paid out and last o f
all the anchor is th rown ove r I n u n d e r r u n i ng t h e sher m an goes to one
of t h e buoys o n the e nd of his gang of n e ts tak e s it i n his dory a n d throws
it out on the other side hauls in the buoy line allowing it to run out o n t h e
oth e r sid e and wh e n th e anchor or underrunn i n g lin e is reached tak e s i t
across the dory and hauls along to wards the nets These are und e rru n by
pulling the m in on e side of t h e dory a s seen in plat e X I I re m oving the
sh an d allowing the nets to pass o v e r t h e other sid e into the wat e r the
anchors which are n o t disturbed holding the m in position until the work is
acco m plished
6

FISHER M EN S

64

A Day

at

B O OK

O WN

the

B e ach

The spirit e d illustration on t h e opposit e page tells it s own story and the
sc e n e is an e xtre m e ly pl e asant o n e to ga z e upon Many who will p e ru s e
Fish e r m e n s O wn Book will readily call to m in d such a festiv e occa
th e
sion in which they were a m ong t h e happy p artici p ants ei ther at C o i n s
T h e r s t na m e d is a
B e ach Good Harbor B e ach Half Moon or Niles
favorite of ours and w h e re we hav e p assed m any pl e asan t hours of S u m m e r
S tarting fro m town in a sail boat si m ilar to t h at d e lin e at e d in the pictur e
i t prov e s a m ost delightful tri p to sail across t h e harbor go through the
canal at the C ut the n follow on until t h e draw at t h e rail r o ad bridg e al lo ws
a safe trans i t and fro m t h e nc e s ail down t h e An nisqua m R iv e r p ast co z y

e
w
e
hit t nts t h e ho m e s of the m erry ca m p e rs who
S u m m e r h ouses an d
j oyfully gr e et us as we sail al ong W ith a fair tid e an d good br e e z e the
passage is quickly m ade and we run into Ipswich Bay co m ing to anchor o ff
t h e long whit e b e ach which is so inviti ng that o n e longs to wad e into the
wat e rs which l av e t h e shore an d run ov e r the s m ooth sandy surface spr e ad

n
h
e
e
out for m il e s T e scen is o
of e nchanting b e auty th e wide expanse
of water i n the fore ground with t h e whit e sails dancing up and down with
that belo n ging to
t h e billows and t h e hillsid e s dott e d with S u m m er hous e s
M r George J Marsh so c h arm ingly attractive co m m anding particul ar n o
tic e sitting as it do e s on t h e v e ry e dge o f t h e wat e r with its solid rocky
foundations its cool and co z y v e randas and its hospitable and re stful ap
,

r anc e
a
e
p

But le t us r e tur n to our p arty W e m us t ge t th e m ashore j ust as in t h e

picture T h e boys a r e wild with d e light an d t h e girl s n ot m uch bett e r
He
S e e h o w o n e wav e s h is h at as h e s tands with his trousers strip p e d up
is i m patie nt for the party in t h e boat to l and and j oin h i m in his sports
O n e youngst e r is fan ning the re with h i s hat whil e anothe r is tugging
s o m e wood to k e e p the bla z e agoing T h e four girls will h av e to be b rough t
ashore in t h e young m an s ar m s and th e y are not a t all averse to such a
landing The old lobst e r trap o n the sand looks n atural a n d t h e din n e r
k
e ttl e and bask e t a r e sugg e sti v e of t h e chowd e r and lun ch a littl e late r
o
t
p
The shing and ra m bling not forge tting t h e visit to the sand d un e s the
bathing wading sailing and that dinn e r with t h e prodigious app e tites a r e
a m ong t h e p leasing episod e s of the day and whe n twilight gath e rs once
m or e the boat is e nter e d and with a fair tide an d light br e e z e s h e ski m s
h o m e ward a m id song and m irth fro m the party who have thus spe nt a de
l ightful S um m er day at the beach
.

FI S

HE R M E ZV S O W N

B O OK

66

FISHERM EN S

B O OK

O WN

The Fisherm e n s Me m orial and R ecord Book contains a de taile d r e

port of the loss e s of vess e ls and m ariners belonging to this port fro m 1 8 3 0
to 1 8 73 inclusive I n addition to the losses of 1 8 6 3 published there in
there was one vess e l which was n ot recorded the sch S U C C E S S C apt
W illia m H Parsons lost in the m ackerel she r y on the Nova S cotia shore
in
S h e was own e d by Mr David G Alle n 4 7 tons an d valued at
in the Gloucester Mutual Fishing In surance C o Crew
s ured for
saved
H e rewith we pres e nt a list of the l o sses since 1 8 73 co m pleti ng th e record
for f ty t wo years past I n that ti m e 4 1 9 Glo uc e st e r vessels of the value
of
and insured for
have been lost an d
G lo u c
est e r m arin e rs have pe rished at sea m aking th e average an nual loss 8 v e s
sels and 4 3 l ives

'

18

74

Total l oss 1 0 vessels and 6 8 l ives L o st tonn age

Value $4 9
E igh t ee n of t h e lost s e a m e n left widows and
I n suranc e
100
childre n to the nu m b e r of 3 7 2 vess e l s were l ost in the Newfoundl an d
s h e ry 4 in t h e G rand Bank shery 1 on W e stern Bank 1 in the S hore
W inter she ry 1 in the Bay S t Lawre nce and 1 in the Me nhad e n shery
O n ly 2 lives were los t in t h e George s sh e ry thi s year
ton s o wned by L eight o n
S c h LA U R A A D O D D
C c lost o n
.

B O OK

O WN

FISHERM EN S

5,

Miquelo n Island i n F e brua r y on the passage to Newfoundland C re w

Valu e
insuranc e
s av e d
Sc h MA R Y G D E N NI S 6 8 tons own e d by D e n nis Ayer and Capt
R andall M c D o n ald lost in Long Island S oun d o n t h e p assag e fro m N e w
C re w sav e d Valu e
insuranc e
f o u n d la n d for N e w York
S o m e s lost o n Grand
to n s owned by Clark
S c h B H S M IT H
Bank F e b 1 1 Val ue
ins u ranc e
C re w list Charl e s
J o h nso n m ast e r ; D a v id Anderson Matt h e w W alk e r L ewis Dickson Chas
J ackson S a m ue l Jo h n son J o h n Carroll R ob e r t N e lson S a m u e l P e t e rso n
J oh n N e lson Josia h Ho ward a n d o n e m a n n a m e u n kno wn
tons o wn e d by W al e n
All e n lost n e ar
S c h J O HN C O R L l S S
Barrington N S o n the passag e ho m e fro m Gra n d Bank March 1 7 Cre w
e
insuranc
sav e d Valu e
3
S ons los t
S c h R O B E R T B R UC E 4 4 tons o wn e d by Ja m es Manseld
at Cape L a Ha ve Nov 1 2 o n the p assage ho m e fro m Gran d Bank Cre w
saved Valu e
insurance
I DDE R
tons o wn e d by Leon ard W al e n l ost o n
Sch G G K
Grand Bank in No ve m ber Valu e
insuranc e
Crew list
T h o m as D o wnie m aste r ; Luk e W h ite and his so n T h o m a s J oh n Coolin
Ja m e s M e rc h ant W illia m J ackson Jo h n V ic k a r y J oh n S m ith George B e at
tis John M c D o n a l d Ja m e s M c D o n al d R ory J M c D o n a ld A llan M e hl m an
tons owned by George Fri e nd
lost
S c h W H I T E FA W N
Co
o n W e ste rn Ba n k in March Valu e
insuranc e
Cre w list

Dani e l Nickerson m aster ; Mark Hask e ll H e n ry P e rry Benj a m in A

Gray W oodbury Nickerson Asa R Nic k e rso n W alt e r Ho p p s Georg e Gray
H e nry C Mur p hy J a m e s Murray Tho m as Monro e David Co m m isk e y
tons ; o wn e d by P e t e r Bolter engage d
S c h W E S T E R N L IG HT
in the W inter shore sh e ry lost o n t h e Main e coast in J anuary C re w
saved Valu e $6 0 0 3 un insured
tons owne d by J a m es G Tarr Bro
S c h C A R R I E F R A NC E S
engaged i n Bay S t Lawre n ce m ack e rel sh e ry lost on M a lp e c ba r Aug 6
Cr e w sav e d Valu e
insuranc e ;
S c h S A R A H M S A U N D E R S 5 0 to n s own e d by Leighton 8: C o e h
gaged in t h e m enhaden sh e ry s unk o ff D e n nis p ort May 2 0 Value
insuranc e $8 7 5
L o s r O VE R B O A R D Ga m al i e l S wai n fro m sch S /zi l o k an d C a p t N e il Mc
Ke n z i e and Jo h n D e V o h fro m s c h Ge or e B L o r i/2g on Grand Ba nk Nov
8
Archibal d K
e n nedy fro m sch Fi tz ] Ba bson J an 1 1 and J o h n Carp e n
Al e xand e r M c D o n
t e r fro m s c h O e a n Belle F e b 1 0 o n W e st e rn Ba n k
c e a n us Nov 2 1
ald fro m s c t
and C h arles M c D o n a ld fro m sch En o la C
D e c 1 5 in t h e W int e r s h or e sh e ry
Fre d e ric R h od e s fro m s c h Fred B
Frye in Gloucest e r h arbo r O c t 1 7 in the shore m ack e re l she ry G e orge
.

. .

FISHERM EN S O WN B O O

68

M B r yan t f ro m sch Ha ttie B W est March 1 3 and J os eph H Bird f ro m

s ch Ex ress Nov 2 3 on G e orges
L O S T I N D O R I E s Patrick Lyn ch and J a m es M c I n to s h fro m s c h ] F
A llen Jan 2 0 3 Michael M c D o n a ld a n d Harvey W hit m a n fro m sch Ca rie
P M orton June 1 3 3 C apt Hen ry C rowel l an d R ufus S pinney fro m sch
W i llia m V H u te /zi ngs in O ctober ; Charl e s Len nox fro m sch H ere wa rd
Aug 1 5 3 J ohn H anley an d S tuart Hadl e y fro m sch E verett Steele Dec 8 3
Benj a m i n Griffi th s and Neil M c L an e fro m sch Cla ra B C k ap m a n S ep t
1 4 3 all on Grand Bank
D avid H e nderson fro m sch Edwa rd A Ho rton
F e b 2 6 3 Hira m S aunderson and Har r y Anderson fro m sch jVo tice Apri l
1 7 3 Murdoch Ma rt e ll an d Tho m as W hit e
fro m sch C B M a nn ing May
0 3 Alon z o R ob e rts fro m
sch
S
a
r
a
/
i
C
P
y
le
Ap
il
r
2
0
illia
m
Phale
n
W
3
3
an d Mich a e l B o u d r o u t fro m sch M a ry Lo u is a in May ; Charl e s M c P h e r s o n
an d Charles K
eefe fro m s ch M o rn in g Sta A ug 5 3 all on W ester n Bank
'

'

18

75

vessel s and 1 2 3 liv e s were lost this year The loss of t o n nage was
Value of v e ssels lost
I nsurance
1 0 vess e l s
an d 9 1 m e n w e re l ost in the Gran d and W estern Bank sheri e s 5 vessel s
and 2 7 liv e s i n the G e orges she ry 1 vessel i n the m acker e l sh e ry 4 l ive s
in the shore s h e ry and 1 in the h e rring trad e
tons owned by Brai nard L o w
S c h DAVI D B U R N HAM 2 D
Val ue
o n
C o l ost on the Banks in J anua r y
3 in surance

ess
l
and
outts
Crew
list
Alfre d Dagge tt m ast e r 3 W illia m L R eeve s
e
v
L H H a ws o n Patrick Powers J a m es A Bushey F r e deric Lindsay G e orge
W
S tuar t Arc h ibald M c D o n a ld W illia m Coolin Micha e l Curtiss Pete r
H Miller Charles W ilson
tons owne d by L eonard W alen l o s t
S c h J O S E PH C H AN D L E R
on t h e Banks in Janua r y Valu e
insu r anc e
on vessel an d
outts C rew 1ist F ra n k M c R a e m ast e r 3 Charles Gun nison Hugh K
en
Dani e l M c D o n a ld J o el M c C a le b Charles Anderson
h e dy F A Beaton
Al lan M c M u l le n Al e x C a m pbell Hen ry Mosi e r J a m es M c D o n a ld D unca n
1

n ti r e

AH H C R E S S Y
ton s own e d by L e ighton
C o l os t
on v e ss e l and
on the Banks in February Valu e
3 insurance
i n n o n W illia m
outts Crew list Dan iel M c F a d d e n m aster 3 All e n M c K
C h arl e s F S in
e n z ie
Fr e e m an Tho m as J oy Calvi n M c P h a il K J M c K
C lair S a m uel M c L e a n Malco m Morrison Al e x Grant John Maguire Joh n
Ke lly
ton s owned by L eight o n
C c lost on the pa s
S c h J C CALL
Cre w
sage to the Banks in F e bruary Valu e
3 insurance
list R obert S Baker m ast e r ; Martin Madison Pius M c P h e e D avid D u m
Sch

S AR

B O OK

O WN

FISHERM EN S

69

phy Joseph B o uchy Hend rick Jense n Joh n Donovan Andrew Peterson
Ant h ony Cash H e n ry O N e i l R ichard Bra m bl e Ch ristia n Pet e rson
ton s owned by George S t e ele lost on the
S c h PHA R S A L IA
Banks in Nov e m be r Valu e
insurance
Crew list
m aster ; A W G e t n e r J Peters o n M J ohnson O sca r
e e ne
S a m uel A K
W ilson Charles S m ith Martin Pe t erson Th e odore R eed Louis L Baile
J ohn L e wi s Howard S teele J ohn W S trah an
tons own e d by W alen
Allen an d e m
S c h BL O O MINGDAL E
ploy e d in the Bank s h e ry lost at Cape Breton J un e 1 1 Cre w saved
8
0 0 additional on outts
in
suran
c
with
e
Valu e
$
3
tons own e d by Pool e
Cun n ingha m lost at
Sc h M O N A DN O C K
Magdal e n Islands i n June Crew saved Value
3 in surance with
o utts
H Babson
S c h HATTI E M LY O N S 6 6 7 0 t o ns owne d by D C
lost in Bank she ry at Cape Breton A ug 1 9 Cre w saved Val ue
insuranc e
with $8 0 0 o n outts
tons owne d by Ja m e s A S tetson lo s t
S c h J O HN W D O DG E
n e ar Yarm outh N S on the passag e ho m e fro m the Bank s Nov 6 Cre w
s aved Value
in suranc e
tons owned by Poole
Cunn ingha m
S c h ABBY M H E ATH
abandoned on the ho m e ward passage fro m the Banks in Dece m b e r Value
insurance
tons owned by David L o w
S c h W I LLIAM H TH U R S T O N
C o e m p loy e d in Georges s h e ry lost on Gull Isl and N S in F e b r u a r y
Cr e w saved Valu e
insura n ce
8
1 ton s own e d by S ayward Brothers
S c h J O FR I E ND J R
r un
59
Cr e w sav e d Valu e
d own an d sunk on G e org e s May 5
ance
on v e ssel and $4 0 0 o n ou tts
t o n s o wn e d by R owe & J o rdan e m ployed i n
S c h M O NTANA
Georg e s she r y lost n e ar Cape S t Mary s May 1 0 Valu e
n
i
su r
3
anc e
with $4 0 0 on outts
ton s owned by Pettinge l l
Cunning
S c h H B S TAN W O O D
Valu e
insurance
Cre w
h am lost on G e org e s in March
list L au c h l in M c L e a n m ast e r 3 S a m u e l E rickson David W oost e r Albe rt
Faulk J a m es M c L e a n Dani e l A M c L e o d Joh n M c K
ay Ja m e s M c K
e n z ie3
Charl e s M c L e a n Nor m an M c L e a n N e il M c D o n a ld Dani e l M c L e o d
S c h W I LLIAM C E N DI C O TT
ton s own e d by W illia m C W o n
son lost on G e orges in March Valu e
in suranc e including out ts
Cr e w list J oh n J ones m ast e r ; Fr e d e ric S m it h Ja m e s J ohn son
C Gunderson E Ha m li n Frank Nelson Andr e w J ohn son Pet e r O ls e n
Ja m e s Mahar J o h n Perow
S c h B E LL E O F T H E BAY
ton s owned by L eighton
C o em
,

'

'

B O OK

FISHER M EN S O W N

0
7

ployed i n the S outh e rn m ack e r e l she ry run down an d sunk o ff Block Isl
and J un e 7 Crew sav e d Valu e
in suranc e
L O S T O V E R B O R D E T c T h e foll owing person s w e re lost overboard on
G e org e s : J a m e s Hayn e s fro m sch M a ry E D a n iels March 3 3 E d m un d
C oolin fro m sch B F Somes March 4 3 J ohn W ilson fro m sch Etta Go tt
April 1 9 3 Micha e l P e nd e r fro m sch Fin a n e May 1 4 3 H arr i son T Clark
fro m sch j o k n Q A da m s i n O ctob e r
August And e rson fro m sch E l D o ra do on Middle Bank March 1 6 3 Mi
cha e l S hea fro m sch Eli s/2a Cro well in Provinc e town harbor O c t 2 8 3
Charl e s And e rson fro m sch C P Tk o mp s o n on the passag e to Fortune
Bay
T h e following p e rson s were lost in t h e Ba n k shery m ost of th e m while
o ut in dori e s to visit th e ir trawls : Angus Harrigan an d W illia m E dwards
f r o m sch W illia m Pa rson s 2 d Jan 1 5 3 R ory M c D o n a ld fro m sch a gk t
T em la r J an 1 7 3 Pi e rce H oward fro m sch E l D o ra do F e b 1 4 3 W illia m
H S m ith fro m s c h W i llia m A Pew 1n Liv e rpool ( N S ) harbor in F e bru
ary 3 Blanchard C a m p b e ll fro m sch 1V H P k i ll ip s March 1 8 3 J ohn Mar
s h all and Patrick Mann ing fro m sch a
gb i Tem la r A p ril 6 3 J ohn W ilso n
fro m s c h Etta Go tt April 1 9 3 Pius M c I n t i r e and Hugh Gil m or e fro m sch
W a c k u s e tt May 3 3 J ohn J Pow e rs an d Nor m an M c L e o d fro m sch C k a l
l en e S ept 2 3 3 G e orge F W ilson fro m sch Gertie E Fos ter S ept 2 9 3
J a m es G r e n e b e n fro m sch j a mes Bliss S e pt 2 2 3 J ohn J ohnston and J oh n
P e terson O c t 2 1 and H e n ry Morin e Nov 2 fro m sch A berdeen ; Morris
Bryan t fro m s c h M o ro Castle O c t 2 6 3 J oseph Mor e y W illia m Gallivan
J ohn M c D o n a ld an d H e n ry S t e llo fro m sch E e s Ta rr O c t 2 7 3 Tho m as
S t e vens and Pet e r J ohnson fro m sch A lf red W a len Nov 7 3 Charl e s Hy m e s
fro m sch A n drew L e zgk to n Nov 1 1 3 Nicholas D e v e r e aux an d E dward Mc
C arty fro m sch Peter D S m itk Nov 1 4 3 Tho m as Morrissey and E dward
Collins fro m s c h Fitz ] Ba bson in Nove m b e r ; Fre deric P e t e rson fro m
s ch On wa rd i n Nov e m b e r 3 Charl e s Fogg an d J ohn Den n e n fro m sch L e
v a n ter on Middl e Bank Nov 2 3
,

'

8 76

vessels
T
h
1 shing boa t and 2 1 2 m e n were lost this year
e vessels
7
cov e r e d a ton n ag e of
tons an d were valu e d at
with
insuranc e O f t h e lost sea m an 5 4 l e ft widows a n d 1 1 2 childre n
were m ad e fath e rl e ss 1 6 7 m e n wen t down i n th e ir v e ss e ls 2 1 w e re lost ov e r
board an d 2 4 w e re lost i n dori e s whil e visiting th e ir trawls 9 v e ss e ls we re
l ost on Grand Bank 6 on La Hav e Bank 3 o n G e orges 3 in t h e B ay S t
L awrence 3 in the W int e r shore s h e ry and 1 e ach i n t h e W est e rn Bank
sh or e m ack e re l and herring sh e ries 1 2 ve ss e ls and 9 0 m e n w e re lost in
a series of gal e s e xtending fro m Dec 9 to 1 6
2

O WN

FISHERM EN S

71

H E N R I E TTA G R E E NL E AF
tons ow n ed by L e ighton
Co and Capt W illia m H Gre enleaf capsi z ed and sunk on passag e t o
Gran d Bank A p ril 8 Value
insura n c e
The captai n
and four of th e cr e w w e re subs e qu e ntly picked u p in a dory but t h e follow
Franklin Gre e n leaf Ja m es P e ters Alfred S hort G e orge
m g were lost :
C on nors Jos e ph Gardn e r B e rnard J e wett Ch arl e s Patti e John S Tobi e
George S R owe and Fr e e m an Crawford T h e four rst n a m e d w e re
drown e d in th e ir b e rt h s the l astm e n tion e d died of exposure i n the dory
which wa s p ick e d up an d the others were n ev e r h e ard fro m after the dorie s
part e d co m p any th e ev e ning after t h e disast e r
tons owned by S m ith
S c h JAN E T M I D D L E T O N
O akes los t
o n Gran d Bank in April o r May Valu e
insuran ce
C rew
l ist W illia m W en t z e l m aster an d his brother n a m e unknown 3 Ch arle s
R e e ves Cal e b W h e aton J ohn M c F a d d e n S i m on Landry Jerry S aun der s
Joh n R uss e ll W alt e r S W illia m s S a m u e l P R e m ick Joh n M c F a r l a n d
S c h JAM E S L S H U T E
tons owne d by S hut e
M e rchan t als o
lost on Grand Bank in A p ril or May Value
insuran ce
C re w list G e orge H Norwood m aster 3 P e rcy H Norw o od Felix D e C o s t
Charl e s B Turn er E dwin P Turner Georg e W Fyle R obert S Mills J oh n
Cody W illia m S a m p son Micha e l T r u e by Paul Veno H e n ry Cook W illia m
O B r ie n J ohn W Porter
S c h W A L T E R M FALT
to n s owned by L eigh t o n
C o lost o n
Grand Ba n k in S e pt e m ber W r e ck seen dis m ast e d an d wat e r logged C rew
n e v e r h e ard fro m Value
insuranc e
C rew list B e nnett
P e rry m aster ; Joh n P Colby J a m es K
ey e s John G i n e v a n Tho m as D a
v id s o n
Patrick Dugan J a m e s W heeler Joh n Phalan Ch arles L Austin
Tho m as Burke G e orge W illia m s Patrick Busteed
S c h W I L L IAM T M E R C HANT
tons o wn e d by S hute
M er
chant lost o n Grand Bank in D ec e m ber Value
insuran ce
with
additional o n out ts Cr e w list Angus An derson m ast e r ;
Barn e y Fra z ier Charl e s Fra 2 1e r broth e rs 3 J ohn Barry R ob e rt Mil e s Al e x
Babbin S a m uel Thurb e r C harles An d e rson B W Alby John M c K
a
y
J ose p h G o sb y Mos e s S ta fford
S c h D E W O O DB U R Y
tons ow n ed by S m ith
G ott l ost o n
Bank tri p in Dec e m b e r Valu e
with $7 0 0 on
3 insurance

w
outts C re list Franklin D Pinkha m m aster ; D avid S Corson A h
dre w M Anderso n W illia m O lsen O liver O l s e n Andrew Hanson J oh n
Bra n t E dward S p e rling Ja m e s S M c L e ar e and o n e m an n a m e unknown
S c h J O B J O HN S O N
tons own e d by J ose p h O Procter run dow n
and sunk on Grand Bank in J uly C rew sav e d Value
3 insura n ce
Sch

DANI E L

B U R N HAM

Sch

to n s ,

o wned by

e on ard

alen

F I S HE R M E ZV S

2
7

B O OK

O WN

capsi z ed an d ab and o ned i n Grand Ban k she r y D e c 1 0 Crew t aken o ff

Valu e $6 5 0 0 3 insurance
S c h G E TTY S B U R G
ton s owned by Cunningha m
Tho m ps o n ,
e m ploy e d in Ba n k s h ing aban doned in Dece m ber C rew taken o ff an d
l anded at Plym outh E n g Value
insuran c e
S c h J F AL L E N
tons owned by B Madd o cks
C c lost o n
W estern Bank in O ctob e r
Value $4 6 2 5 3 insurance on ve ssel and ou tts

C rew list John C a m pbell m ast e r 3 W illia m M o N a r e Joseph Brown

J a m e s Brown Alpheus C a m pbe ll W oodbu r y Lewis Angus M c D o n al d
S m ith M c D o n a l d W illia m R ogers Tho m a s R ussell
E AR S AR GE
Sch K
ton s owne d by J ohn P e w
S o n los t o ri
Georg e s in April Value
insurance
Crew l ist S olo m o n
Burchell m aster 3 John Ha ff e y Patrick Dorsey Jos e ph Frit z Frank H e p
so n J os e ph Frit z J r J oseph S awyer J o hn Francis Jos e ph E n os Murdock
S m ith Charles K
ing
S c h S A R AT O GA
t o n s owned by George S te el e l ost o n George s

i n May
Value
M
M
i
ll
n
a
insurance
Crew
list
J
oh
n
c
3
m aste r ; Joh n H ilt z J ohn D
C a rte r W illia m Mackay E dward M c G u i r e
Alb e rt W alke r An drew J W ood m an F E L ewis J r J oh n Murphy
Ch arles R ichard s W illia m B W alk e r
Sch L A N C E T
t o n s o wned by J oseph O Procter engaged in the
George s shery abandoned o n Georges Dec 1 0 O n e of the crew John
irby washe d o verb o ard an d drowned Value
3 insurance
S c h H O W A R D S T E E L E 6 0 3 7 tons owned by George S teele lost o n
L a Have Ba n k in Dece m ber
Value
3 i n surance including outts
Crew list E dward Murphy m aste r 3 W illia m S ilvey Patrick Cos
tello Barnard P S canlan George Mel roy Peter S tapleton E dward W al sh
Tho m as R e ady Pet e r Collin s J a m es M c Qu illa n Daniel Curtis
S c h J O H N S TY L E R 6 3 tons owned by S idney Frien d
Bro los t
o n L a Have Bank in D e ce m ber
Value
3 insura n c e o n vess e l an d
o u tts
Crew list Arthur O N e al m aster ; Fel ix O N e a l Murdoch
M c C lo u d Alexander M c C lo u d his son E dward Be r ry W illia m L aney
Ge o rge Allen Louis W ilson W illia m S ul livan Henry Maddox
S c h J F H U NT R E S S
tons owned by S a m uel Haskell lost o n
L a H ave Bank in Dece m be r
Value
insurance
on vesse l

0
0
an d $4
on outt s Cre w list R ichard R o s e m aster ; George L He n
d r i c k s o n Frank M Anderson J oh n M J ohnson Charl e s J And e rson A h
drew Anderson Harr y Beck Peter J O ls e n Tho m a s Tho m pson J ohn Beck
S c h M O D E NA B J E R A U LD
ton s owned by D C
H Bab
s on l o s t on La Have Bank in Dece m be r Value
3 in surance
Crew list Charles P Mitch e ll m aster 3 E dward Haines J oh n C Hain e s
b r o thers 3 Michae l Keefe Free m an S now W illia m S n o w his br o ther
,

B O OK

O WN

FISHERM EN S

73

dward He rrin g B D J oyce L ewis D Martin E m anuel R o se D anie l

Gardne r
ton s o wne d by Charle s Parkhurst lo s t
S c h R O B E R T E M M E TT
Value
uninsure d Crew list
o n La Have Bank in Dece m ber
J oseph Grey m aster 3 J ohn E S aun ders S e th S Colby S a m ue l S pinn e y
Al e x Boyd E dward Dodge S a m uel T y n g W illia m Michaels Tho m as
Tarreo
tons own ed by M c K
e n z i e Hardy
C o lost on
S c h W Y O M IN G
insuranc
e
Crew
list
Value
L a Have Bank in Dece m ber
3
H e n ry Nauss m ast e r an d his brother Arthur ; J a m es J e ff rey W arre n
W illia m s Tho m as Haney Ch arles F o rbes Alex Tho m ps o n Joh n Haskins
Ge orge Critten den J oseph Zink
tons ow n ed by Capt O liv e r F How
S c h C O L E LL S W O R TH
a rd and engaged in the Bay S t Lawrence m ackere l she r y lost at the Mag
dalen I slan ds Aug 2 0 Cre w saved Value
insurance
t o n s owned by W alen
Allen also e m ploye d
S c h R E LIAN C E
Bay m ack e reling lost n ear Can so S ept 2 1 Crew saved Value
in
insurance
ton s al s o o wned by W alen
Allen anothe r of the
S c h TI B E R
Bay S t L awrence eet wrecked at L ouisburg S ept 2 9 C rew saved
V alue
insurance $8 5 0
ton s owne d by E ben H an d Franklin Griffi n
S c h C HA L L E NG E
wrecke d o n the Maine coast in the s hore m ackerel she ry J uly 6 Crew
s av e d Value
unin sured
ton s owned by Capt Charles H O rne
S c h J O H N S TO R Y J R
an d engaged i n th e W inte r sho r e she ry r u n down and sunk o ff E aste r n
Value $8 0 0 ; insurance $7 0 0
C rew saved
P oi n t J an 2 7
tons owne d by R owe Jordan also e m ployed
S c h GL E N W O O D
Crew
i n the sh ore she r y run i nto and sunk o ff H ighland L ight Feb 1 9
s aved Val ue
in suran c e
S c h MAZ E PPA
tons owne d by Capt Gil m an R oberts lost at
Brace s Cove i n the shore shery Nov 2 C r ew s aved V alue
3
i n surance $7 0 0
S c h E LL E N F R ANC E S
tons ow n ed by B Maddocks C o lost
o n the passage fro m S ouris P E I with a l o a d o f potato e s in Dec e m be r
Value
insuranc e
o n vessel and
on cargo Crew
l o st Co m m anded by C apt J oh n L u ne r gan of B e verly with a crew of fo u r
m e n n a m e s unknown
Boat B O NANZA o wn e d by Capt John Carter was wrecke d in the o ff
s h o re shery o ff Ply m outh M ay 2 3 Crew sav e d Value $6 0 0 3 u n insure d
S c h G E O R G E P E AB O DY of S al e m cha rtered by Capt George W
E

'

FISHERM

74

B O OK

O WN

EN S

P l u m er of this city was wrecked in the Bay S t L awrenc e i n O ctobe r an d

s old for
S h e is not includ e d in our gures
L O S T O V E R B O R D L 0 u ls B e ck fro m sch S a r a /z C Py le Jan 4 3 Capt
Maurice W al e n fro m sch M a r a tk o n on G e orges Feb 2 2 3 Capt R obert N
Mack e y o n t h e passag e fro m Fortune Bay F e b 1 4 3 Dennis Lyon fro m sch
N a t/za n ie l W ebs ter F e b 2 4 3 Capt Martin N e l son fro m sch A rizon a o n
Georg e s Feb 2 4 3 S Augustus W e bb fro m sch f o /zn S Presso n on Gran d
Bank F e b 2 6 3 Nath ani e l Gillis fro m sch D a v id Cro kett an d N e lson Mitch
ell fro m sch Edw in C D olliver on Gran d Bank M arch 1 1 3 J ohn O B r ie n
fro m s c h j o s ep k O on Georges March 2 6 3 Georg e C arpenter fro m sch
Robert E mmett on Georges April 1 0 3 N T Chatto fro m sch B loo mer o ff
Ports m outh J uly 2 4 ; Alfred Mey e rs fro m sch Edwa rd E W ebster o n
Gran d Bank J uly 4 3 R ichard Tibbetts fro m sch C k a r le s P Ba rrett o n
Middl e Bank O c t 1 2 3 J a m e s S igs wo r th Frank Dunn an d Dan iel M c N e il
fro m sch E A S m i tk on Gran d Bank O c t 1 6 3 Mic h ael Morgan f ro m sch
Vi to r on Grand Bank in D e c e m ber 3 J oseph Teddy and Charles Cook fro m
sch R u t}; Gro ves o n Georges D e c 1 1 3 Ge orge Mille r fro m sch Ho wa rd
on Gran d Bank Dec 1 0
L O S T I N D o w ns Charl e s H Fisher and Chester W Denton fro m sch
Pola r W a ve Jan 1 9 3 J oh n G S m ith and J ohn Davis fro m sch Restless 1n
J anuary ; al l o n W est e rn Bank Herb e rt Gor m an m ate of sch F las /z a t
Newfoundl and Feb 2 4 Dani e l B r y n n e ls o n and S tephen S ton e fro m sch
A lf r ed W a len o n La Have Bank March 1 7 3 Capt J ohn M c C lo u d fro m
sch A ddiso n G Pro ter Feb 8 ; W il lia m Norton and Albert S u lk e y fro m
sch Frederi G e r r i ng f r Feb 2 8 3 J a m e s H orto n an d Tho m as K
ennedy
fro m sch Edw in C D o lliver March 3 3 George Pati e n ce and Charles A n
d e r s o n fro m sch Fi tz
Ba bson and Jo h n M c M illa n and J oh n M c A u le y
fro m sch
E A llen A pril 1 8 3 David S hearer and W illia m Diggers fro m
s ch [ {e r e wa r d J u n e 2 7 3 C h arles O lsen and Charl e s S t r im m fro m sch A ber
deen in Aug u st ; N icholas S u rratt fro m sch S k ilo /i S ept 2 0 3 Angus Mc
Kay and G e orge Party fro m sch E es Ta r r S e p t 2 7 3 Ch arle s Haley f ro m
sch C k a r le s P Tk o mp s o n O c t 6 3 all on Grand Ba n k
.

18

77

This was a y e ar of general depression i n the shi ng industry but the

losses were co m p aratively light 7 vessels we re lost i n the shing busi
n e ss and 1 i n t h e coasting trad e th e ir to n nage bein
e ir value
and
th
g
about
I nsurance abou t
Nu m ber o f live s l ost in t h e
sh e ries 3 8
S c h MAY QU E E N
ton s owned by C apt Isaac P P e terson
wrecked in shore s h e ry on C on e y I sland J an 2 C rew saved after seve n
hours extre m e peril a n d s uff ering Value
insurance
3
,

FISHERM EN
IZA J AN E
n ear S helb u rne N
Sch

EL

B O OK

O WN

75

8: S o n s ,

tons owne d by J a m e s Mansel d

J an 2 3 C rew saved Valu e

los t
insurance

G R ANT
tons own e d by J o hn P e w S o n l o s t at N e w
0
0
2
in
J
anuary
Cre
sav
d
Value
insurance
e
w
$
n
f o u n d la d
5
to n s o wne d by Harv e y K
n owlton J r
S c h M A R Y B U R N HA M
insurance
l ost on La Hav e Bank in J anua ry Value
3
C r e w list Alexan der L yl e m aster 3 Ja m es Ho ward John W ill o w; D avid S
M e rchant Th o m as L a u r ay L a wre nce M c V a r is h R andall M c V a r is h Alex
and e r M c V a r is h Ja m es Ca m p bell R obe r t K
ing E dward Martin
t o ns own ed by Denn is Ay e r los t
S c h C LA R A B C HAPMAN
e
andy
Point
May
C
rew
s
av
d Value
insurance
i
n
t
S
a
W reck sold for
tons owned by Gardner K and Howard
S c h AN N M A R IA
W o n s o n and e m ployed i n the Georges sh e ry lost on Newburyport b a r
in s ur
July 1 C re w saved wit h considerable di ffi culty Value
anc e $9 2 8
t o ns owned by G eorge R Gates an d others lo s t
S c h B E LL E
in the shore she ry Aug 1 7 C rew s ave d Va l
n ear Ports m o uth N H
ue
$7 5 0 3 insu r ance $6 0 0
Thr e e m asted sch G P P O M E R O Y
tons lost with al l he r cre w
o n the passage fro m Bru n swick G a for Bath Me with a cargo of ship
t i m b e r in an April gal e About two thirds owned in Gloucester and one
third in Manc h e ster Beverly Bosto n and S ale m
Co m m a n d e d by Capt
Francis A Bryan t of Gloucester
insurance in the Glouceste r Fire
I nsuran ce C o an d other s m all a m oun ts elsewh e re
L O S T O VE R BO R D Capt Daniel M Gray fro m sch B E So mes March
1 3 3 Jo h n K
ennedy fro m sch A delia Ha rtwell March 2 6 ; Manuel V e ada
fro m sch D i ta tor O c t 6 3 and Han s Antone O lsen fro m sch A rizon a N o v
2
al l in Georges shery N e il M c P h e e fro m sch H zg/z
y e r in N e w Yor k
harbor in May W al te r H Merchant fro m sch Etta Gott in th e Bay S t
L awrenc e S ept 2 2
C P S I Z E D I N D o m e s Al p ho nso Babson an d Gorha m Parson s in Ip s
wich Bay March 1 3 An dre w Anderson o ff E aster n Point May 7 Harr y
Mill er of sch Eben B P k il l ip s in Glouc e ste r h arbor O c t 1 0 George B
Michael and W illia m Burnh a m fro m sch Eben B P /zi l l ips March 1 8 3 J oh n
D ani e ls and E d ward S penc e r of sch Frederi G e r r i ng f r Marc h 2 7 3 E d
ward Coles and Howard Po wers fro m sch Edwa rd E W ebster an d J a m e s
Murp hy fro m s c h E be n Pa rson s April 1 2 3 Harry R ichardso n fro m sch
L izzie K Cla rk May 2 1 3 L e m uel Parson s and John Hol m es fro m s ch C o
rinn a H B is/i op May 3 0 3 N e il J ohnson and Charles Culvert fro m sch
M a rion J une 3 3 Adolph Jack so n and Matthe w H un t we ll fro m sch A n d re w
S h
c

GEN

'

'

O WN

FISHERM EN S

6
7

BOO

K
.

an d D aniel M c D o n ald an d Albe rt Mi z ne r fr o m s ch G

P W k i tm a n N 0 v 4 all on the Banks
C apt Joseph Ca m pbell killed by falling fro m aloft o n b o a r d s ch Gertie
E Foste r o n th e Banks N o v 6

ei

ept
k
t
o
n
S
,
g

6;

8 78

The shing l o s s e s for this y e ar nu m be red 1 1 vesse l s

tons valued
T wo Gloucester coasting
at
and i nsured for
a n d 5 5 lives
v e s sel s were lost this year m aking the total nu m ber of vessels 1 3 tonnage
value
in suranc e
lives 5 6
S c h C A R R I E P M O R TO N
tons owned by W ale n
All e n los t
in
suran
c
e
o n Gran d Bank i n January or Fe bruary Value
3
Crew list Anton e S Downs m aste r 3 Jo s eph Gay Angus M c L e a n Jes se
M c L o u d Anthony H o l th e s Aug ustus Fra z ier E m anuel E n os Charle s
B urke L a wr ence Powers J a m es L u n d r y J oh n R os e David Atwater S a m
ue l Bragg
L e V an z e
S c h J U L IA W O O D
tons owned by Ja m e s Man sel d
S on s
w recked ne ar L iverpool N S in April C re w saved Value
in
s uranc e
W reck sold for $7 0 0
S c h O R O NO CO
tons owned by John P e w S o n lost on S trait s
m outh Island July 5
Crew s aved Value
insuranc e
W reck s o ld for
S c h L I L IAN G E R T R U D E
ton s owned by D anie l S ayward an d
o thers lost o n M t Desert R ock J uly 1 2
Crew s aved L oss
i nsura n ce
S c h L IZZI E
NAMA R I
tons o w n e d by George L at u r e n m as
t e r and Al m on M ason of Pig e o n Cove lost n ear Matinicus Aug 3 1
C rew saved Value
insurance
W
reck
sold
for
0
$
3
5
S c h MA R Y L O U I S E
tons ow n ed by Dani e l S ayward and othe r s
and e m ployed i n the Georges shery r u n dow n and sunk 6 0 m iles east o f
B o sto n Light S ept 1
Crew s aved Value
in s urance
S c h R IVA L
to ns owned by S ylvanus S m ith lost at the Magdale n
I sl ands i n S epte m ber Crew saved Value
insu r ance
W reck sold fo r $4 3 0
S c h R IV E R DA L E
ton s ow n ed by Maddock s
C o r u n i nto an d
s unk o ff Thacher s Island N 0 v 2 3 Crew r escued Value
in sur
ance
S c h C U NA R D
ton s ow n ed by J am e s G Tarr Bro lost on the
B anks in Nove m ber or Dece m ber
Valu e
C re w
3 in surance
l ist Garrett Galvin m aster Philip Hennesy J ohn H R e ynolds J ose ph
L ockwo o d A n d r e w C ro well J a m e s an d J oh n Hardin g b ro thers J oh n R yan
,

FISHERM EN

O WN

BOO

77

All e n C B ria n John D ru ry Danie l M c L e o d J a m e s T o b in an d two o the rs

s h i p ped at Port Mulgrave wh o se n a m es are unkn own
tons owned by Le o nard W alen w r ecked o n Cap e
S c h NI MB U S
Negro i n D e ce m be r Value
insurance
with
addi
T wo o f the crew Augustus L ong an d Andrew R o b inso n
t i o n a l on outts
w e re drown e d
tons o wned by S a m ue l L an e & Bro aba n
S c h M O S E S ADA M S
doued at sea Dec 2 1 Crew re s cued with conside r able di ffi cul ty Value
3 insurance
i n l o st in c o astin g
to n s o wn e d by Ben nett G r i
S c h M O D E NA
unin
sured
C rew s aved Value
tr ade o ff Cape Cod June 2 1
3
tons owned by B H askell 8: S on s and
S c h S AM L W O N S O N
e m ployed in coasting trade wrecked in Lisco m b harb or N
Dec 2 0
C rew s aved Value
insurance
J a m es M c Quar r ie fro m sch M oses A da s on pa ss age
L O S T O VE R B O R D
fro m Newfou n dla n d J an 2 1 J o hn M anuel fro m sch Pola r W a ve March
1 2
and J oseph S m ith fro m sch A n dre w L e zgk to n S ept 2 2 i n the Ban k
shery Tho m a s S m ith fro m sch D i ta to r March 2 0 an d S a m u e l K
Pea rc e fro m sch M a ry Sto ry O c t 1 3 On George s Capt Philip Conl ey
fro m sch S u ler o n th e pas s age fro m Grand Me nan Dec 1 9 W illia m
Martin fro m sch Hyp m o n o ff Milk I slan d N o v 1 8

L O S T O VQR B O A R D B Y C O L L I S I O N
Tho m as K
irby fro m s ch R a er in c o l
lis i o n with sch Ele tri F l a s /z in April 3 W illis Bate m a n fro m sch E dwa rd
E
W ebster in collision with sch f L er e wa r d on the B anks i n May 3 Nel so n
M Doan e an d W illia m Post fro m s ch S a r a /z C Py le in collisi o n with an
u nknown bark o ff Thacher s Islan d J un e 1
C S I Z E D I N D o m e s Alex M c G in n is fro m s ch Cen tenn ia l J an 2 0 3
J ohn Peters o n and Augu stus Peterson fr o m s ch A n drew L e zg/zto n March
2 2 3 Judson
Allen fro m sch a glzt R mp la r April 8 3 S ylvester Mitch
ell and Alb e rt E ldridge fro m sch Ossi ee Aug 2 2 3 all i n the Bank she ry
T h o m as K
ing fro m sch An nie C No rwood and J o h n D aki n fr o m sch
E llen H Powers Dec 1 9 i n the shore sh e ry
L O S T I N D o w ns Ang us M c K
e n z i e an d Allen Grant fro m
s ch j o k n S
Presson Feb 1 8 and W illia m Tate an d Charles R ussell fro m sch j osie M
C a l d e r w o o a O c t 9 on the Banks 3 W illia m Cole an d L e m ue l Haga n fr o m
s ch M a ry F C k islzo l m on L a Have Bank Dec 1 9
Ca p t H A Bearse of the coasting sch oo n er Ha ttie 1V Go v e wa s k n o cked
o verboard an d dr o wne d in New L ondon harbo r Dec 2
.

m gg

'

c c

'

AP

8 79

This was the m o s t disastrous year e ver expe rienced in the Gl o ucester sh
eries s o far as los s o f l ife i s c o ncerned alth o ugh the nu m be r o f ves s el s los t
,

FISHERM EN S

78

B O OK

O WN

was less th an in 1 8 7 3 In 1 8 7 9 2 4 9 Gl ouces ter sherm en sailed fro m p o r t

n ever to return
T h e nu m b e r of v e ss e l s lost was 2 9
O f these 1 5 were
l ost in the t e rribl e gale of Feb 2 0 and 2 1 1 3 on G e orges and 2 on the
B anks l e aving 5 7 widows and 1 4 0 fath e rl e ss children to b e wail t h e ir los s
T h is t e rribl e cala m ity appeal e d forcibly to the sy m pathies of th e be n e vol e n t
an d contributions for the reli e f of the destitute w e re re c e iv e d fro m all part s
of the lan d to the a m ount of
4 vess e ls an d 3 7 lives w e re los t
in an O ctobe r gal e
The loss of to n n age in 1 8 79 was
Value
Insurance
B e sides the loss e s in the F e bruary gale duri n g the year 5 v e ss e l s
wer e lost in th e Bank sh e ry 3 in the m acker e l sh e ry 2 on freighting voy
a g e s and 1 each s u i d i n
sh
ore
shing
baiting
an
d
on
H
ave
Bank
a
L
q
g
Th e losses in the February gale were as fol lows :
.

Sch

BAN K
S

T HE

O N

D W I N C D O L L IV E R
to n s ow n ed by W a l en
Alle n
aba n don e d Fe b 2 6 Crew tak e n o ff Value
in suranc e
S c h GW E N D O L E N
ton s o wned by Cunn ingha m
Th o m pson
Value
insurance
Cre w list Zadock H awkins m ast e r ;
L y m an H Morey steward 3 E dward L andry R ichard Hurley Al e x Mc
Ke n z ie J ohn M c Kay Michae l Don aho e W illiam N e lso n Augustus Crow
ell J ohn M c G u ir e J a m es C alwell Da n iel M c D o n ald W illia m Chute W il
lia m C W ilson
O N GE O R GE S
E

Co
AN NI E H O O P E R 6 9 2 7 ton s owned by B Maddock s

m
e
m
a
V al ue
in
s
ran
ce
Crew
list
Patrick
Fol
y
aster
S
u
3
3
u e l S h an o steward ; J os e ph S m ith David Hoga n M anuel S m ith S t e ph e n
H all e y J ackson Clark Fit z E O akes Michael H art W illia m Fishe r alia s
An derson P e te r P e terson
ton s owned by R owe Jordan Value
S c h ANNI E L I N W O O D
in sura n c e
Crew list Th o m as Co n n e ll m aster ; Patrick
n owles Daniel D M orrison J ohn S ilva Frank F e r
O B r i e n Frederic J K
r is J o h n S m ith J ohn L awrence Angu s M c D o n al d August Mitch e ll an d
o n e m a n whose n a m e is unknown
to n s own ed by George Norwood
S c h G E O R G E B L O R I NG
Value
insurance
Crew list George W Lane m a s
So n
Lane brother to m aster ; R e uben H E llis Morris R il e y
t e r 3 J oseph M
A m brose T h e b e d o J a m es M Boyn to n G eorge W hit m an Ja m es W hite
George Yates E dward P Townsend
ton s owne d by Cun n ingh a m
Tho m pson
S c h JAC O B BAC O N

m
e
Value
e
in
surance
Crew
list
Ch
ri
s
tian
An
d
rson
ast
r;
3
R ichard Carr o ll J a m e s Powers Charle s F o x alias J oh n son Patrick S ulli
Sch

'

B O OK

O WN

FISHERM EN S

79

J a m e s Bowie Con rad C ar le so n Frank W hit e J ohn S her m an E dward

F J a m eson J ohn W ilson and Hugh H e r man st e ward
ton s ow n ed by S m ith O ak es Value
S c h J O H N D O VE
3

in suranc e
Crew list L e wis C a l i s t e m ast e r 3 Alex G ir r io r J oh n
C oughlin Th e o philus V Port e r S a m u e l W e st W illia m D e lroy J os e ph
E n os B e nj a m i n Decost e C h arl e s Ca m pbell an d E d ward an d Be n j a m i n
L e v a n ge brot h ers
ton s own ed by D avid L o w
C0
S c h J O S H U A S S ANB O R N

Valu e
insurance
Crew list Georg e Gray m ast e r ; W i l
lia m Cart e r J ohn H H ol m es Michael A llen E dward W alton J ohn J W i l
lia m s J a m e s Burg e R olan d D Blodgett B e rtra m Bla k e J o h n A H oward
Charl e s C lah e r ty
t o ns owned by D C
H Babson
S c h L O TTI E F BAB S O N
Value
insurance
Cr e w list S e ward R e y n olds m ast e r ;
R obert R e yn olds brother to m aster ; J ohn Graves Lore n z o C h ut e J oh n
Batson Dani e l Tatton G e orge Pooler S a m uel Tho m pson J o s e ph Boone
J a m e s B o s h e y an d Fred H all st e ward
tons own e d by An dre w L e ighton Val
S c h MA R Y CA R LI S L E
in suranc e
Cre w li st J oseph S cott m ast e r ; J oh n L
ue
Ingersoll R alph I rving Philip Vibert Cyrus Young W illia m Merchan t
i n n o n G e orge
Al e x Cogill O liver Tho m pson Alex M c M a s te r Pet e r M c K
Matth e ws
S c h MA R Y L O W
tons o wned by D avid Low
C o Value
in suran c e
C r e w list J a m e s F Dunt o n m ast e r ; J oh n
Tarr 3 P h illi p p e D e v e aux E lkan ah Nason Ari e l P Burnha m Paul Theba
d e au J os e ph K
ing Fr e d K
e nniston
Frank S ilva J oseph W hite Pete r
J e nnison
E FFI E
S c h MA U D
ton s own ed by W illard G Pool Value
insuranc e
Crew list J oh n M c l s aac m aster ; Michael
M c l s a ac his brother J os e ph Nowlan th e ir brother i h law 3 E dward Gordon
R ol and M c D o n a l d All e n M c D o n al d of E ast Boston ; Jose p h R og e rs Jos e p h
M c A s k e l l 3 E dward S h e ar m an the l att e r s brother i h law ; Andrew S winson
N e al B e aton W illia m M c M a s te r W illia m Fra z i e r R od e ric S teele
S c h M O R NING S TA R
tons own e d by J ose p h O Proct e r J r
Valu e
insuranc e
C re w lis t J oh n B S p anks m ast e r ;
David B Gor m an W illia m W S h e lton Anton e Av e n e y David J o n e s F
H S ti m p son J ohn Black J a m e s R oberts Charles Ib e y Mich a e l Muldoon
S c h O TI S D DANA
tons own e d by P e tti n g e ll
Cun n ingh a m

Valu e
e
in
suranc
Cr
e
w
list
W illia m W illoug h by m ast e r ;
3
Arc h ibald M c C a th e r e n Bol e y Bushey J ohn G a rv e y G eorge C S t e arns
C h arl e s N e therwood Jo h n Atwood Fred e ric H il l Paul A Pet e rson an d
Charl e s Mason st e ward

van,

F I S H E R M E ZV S

80

B O OK

O WN

Sch

QU E E N

SEA

ton s own ed by An drew L e ighton Val ue

insuranc e
Cre w list Charl e s W il so n m aster 3 Nicholas
M Tho m ps o n P e te r Tru m bull A W Pet e rson O l of J e n s e n N e ils H a n
s on Ax e l O lssen J oh n A n derson W il lia m Brown August Pet e rson
.

TH E R L O S S E S

ER
I DA E BA K
ton s ow n ed by George Norwood
So n
l ost o n W e stern Bank in A pril Value
in sura n c e
Cr e w
list M H Ad am s m aster 3 J ohn B e n son R obert M c I n ie s Joseph M c D o n~
ald G e orge Maj or Frank O scar W illia m T L ong Ch arles J ohn son C h arle s
W hit e Joh n M c N a i r Hugh M c C o r m ac k J o h n J e r r i wa
S c h W I LLIA M TH O M P S O N
ton s own e d by Cun n ingha m 8:
Tho m pson lost on a Bank h a lib u t in g tri p in April Valu e
in su r
anc e
Cr e w list Christian O ls e n m ast e r ; D e n n is T h e l n i n g Chas
Ande rson C h r e s t e n J ohn son S a m u e l Nordahl Joh n P J ohnson A n drew
H an son Martin S o d e r s t r u m C arl L e we au Martin An derson alias J oh nso n
J ulius M an gu s o n E lias Fladen Martin J ohn son an d Ch arles S O lsen
brother of t h e m aster
ton s o w n ed by W illia m M c D o n a ld an d
S c h N H PH I L L I P S
Valu e
in suranc e
o th e rs lost on B a n qu e r e a u in O ctob e r
C rew list W ill ia m M c D o n ald m aster ; J ohn W elch J ohn M c K
in n o n A l
bio n Bowden J oh n M c D o n a ld C h arles Crawle r N e al M c D o n a ld Micha e l
M c I n n i s J ohn S t e el e John and R ichard Tobin brothers Dun can M c l s a a c
C lifton Tho m pson
AY
ton s owned by W illia m Parson s
S c h HA R V E Y C M AC K
Valu e
C o lost on a Bank c o d s h i n g trip in O ctober
2 d
3 1m

urance
Cr
e
w
list
Frank Nolan m ast e r 3 George H olly W H
s
Bartl e tt W illia m Higgins Ch arl e s W Hun t E v e r e tt C a m pb e ll Augustu s
C a m pbell Frank C rowell Frank Hobbs and a young m a n n a m e d M orton
tons ow n e d by C unning h a m 8:
S c h AN D R E W L E IGHT O N
Tho m pson lost o n La H av e Bank in O ctob e r Val ue
insuranc e
Cr e w list O scar W Ald e n m ast e r ; Andre w M c D o n a ld S a m uel
Grassy O scar W istar Frank N e lson Martin H ogan Charl e s B e rg Martin
S t r ahan Adolph Nelson Frank V e a n e a u Frank Flak e J oh n B o u d r o u t
Andre w O lsen H e nry J ohn son
tons own e d by R ow e
J ordan
S c h C ITY O F GL O U C E S T E R
boun d on a Bank trip lost o ff Chath a m J une 1 C r e w saved Valu e
insuranc e
t o n s o wn e d by Capt J e ss e L e wis lost
S c h ALI C E M L E W I S
i n th e S outh e rn m ack e re l sh e ry at To wns e n d I nl e t A p ril 1 4 Cre w sav e d
Valu e
insuran ce
t o ns owned by David L o w
los t
Co
S c h GE O R G E S L O W

Sch

'

F I S HE R M E ZV S

O WN

BOO

81

in the S outhe rn m acke rel shery nea r Town send I n l et May

C rew
s av e d Value
in surance
t o ns owned by W illia m Parson s
S c h CA R R I E F B U T L E R
wr e ck e d a t R u s tico O c t 3 1 Crew saved Value
insuranc e
'

BAI L E Y
t o ns owned by Hardy Broth e rs and othe rs
abandon e d at S e a on passage fro m Do m inica for Bost o n Nov 2 2 Cre w
r escued Value
insurance
tons owne d by David L o w C o wrecked n ea r
S c h T R E NT O N
Cre w saved Valu e
insurance $5 0 0
D e er Isl and May 1 1
S on s an d e m ployed i n
ton s owned by B Ha s kell
S c h CAD E T
the s quid she ry wrecked at L a n gla id N
Aug 1 4 Crew saved Val
insurance
ue
tons owned by S ylvan us S m ith wrecked at R ye
S c h R IVAL
Beach in the W inter s hore s h e ry Feb 2 4 Crew saved Value
in suranc e
to n s own ed by W o n s o n Brother s
L ING W AV E
S c h S PA R K
wreck e d in the bait she ry o n S hovelful S hoal May 1 5 Crew sav e d
Value
in surance

T
V
B
Joh n Clancy kn o cked overboard fro m sch S R La n e
E
R
R
D
O
LOS O
F e b 8 and Michael O M a l le y fe ll ov e rboard fro m sch Edwa rd A Ho rto n
D ani e l M c D o ug al washed overboard
F e b 1 9 in W inter shore sh e ry
fro m sch
Cla rk about 7 0 m il e s o ff Highl an d Light March 6 George
Hun son j u m p e d ov e rboard fro m sch j a mes to wn in th e harbor April 1 6
Micha e l Tobi n washed fro m bows p rit of sch j o k n S m i tk Aug 2 9 o n
Georg e s
C P S I Z E D I N D o m e s Charl es an d Cl arence Myers brothers fro m sch
O eanus in W inter shore sh e ry J an 2 8 Andre w J o h nson fro m sch I/ Vi l
lia m H Oakes in Fe bruary 3 George R yan fro m sch I Vill ia m H Foye
March 2 3 Lewis Tho m pson Gordon S cott and W illia m Nick e rson fro m
sch Herbert M Ro ers March 1 0 3 J am e s M c D o n al d G e orge P e rkins D a
vid B Tinker and Jos e p h Gosl in fro m sch Ha ttie S Cla rk an d Tho m a s
W illia m s of sch Ern es t F No woo d March 2 5 ( whil e going ashore at Blis s
H arbor N B ) 3 David Morrison fro m sch M a ry E C k is k o l m in August ;
John and Malco m M c C lo u d an d Ja m e s P u b lic o v e r fro m sch La u ra M l s o n
R obert M c D o n a ld and J os e ph Ch is
D e c 2 6 3 al l in t h e Bank sheri e s
h ol m fro m sch [ {zgk
y e r on J e ff rey s Dec 1

N
e
I
o
m
W illia m Andre ws and Nicholas Colberg fro m sch A l
LO S T
D
s
i c e G W o ns o n J an 2 9 3 John O ls e n and Ch arl e s Hanson fro m sch A n drew
L e zgk to n March 1 8 3 Arthur Her man and Tho m as Davidson fro m sch G a tk
erer March 3 1 all on th e Banks
Sch

F I S HE R M E N

82

B O OK

O WN

880

value d at
an d
schooners and 3 b oats o f a to n n age of
i n sured for
were lost this y e a r The n u m ber of lives lost wa s 5 2
1 schoo n er was lost i n the Bank halibut shery 1 i n the W i n ter shore s h
ery 1 o n Georges an d 1 o n C ashe s 1 shing boat was l ost o n E astern
Poi n t 1 o n the coast o f M ai n e a n d 1 was r u n dow n a n d sunk i n Ipswich Bay
to n s ow n ed by G eorge N orwood
Sch A N N I E C N O RWO O D
V alue
i n sura n ce
S o n lost o n C ashe s M arch 2 3
C rew
list J oseph M Hurst m aster ; J osep h Garrett W illiam Isaac W illiam
F a r d y D a v id R oberts Patrick N eal J ames A n derso n G eorge C ra wf ord
W illiam Holl a n d C harles Higgi n s Tho m as O r n e L awre n ce N elso n E d
ward W W ilso n C harles A r m s t ro n g
to n s o w n ed by D C
H B ab
S c h N A TH A N I E L W E B S T E R
lost on a Ba n k h a lib u ti n g trip i n N ovembe r V alue
in sur
so n

ance
re
list
w
R obert C Gra n t m aster ; Hector M c I s a ac C has
C
Ben n ett C harles Hubley J oh n Fra z ier J a m es Gra n t Isaiah Horto n J oh n
M c D o n a ld John Peoples D o m i n ick M c I s a ac J oh n I W ilso n J oh n M c
M ulle n S ilas M c L e ll a n a n d a M r Jacobs
to n s ow n ed by S ylva n us S mith sprung
S c h O C E A N BE L L E
aleak a n d sa n k o n Georges M arch 2 6 C rew take n o ff V alue
insura n ce
IN G
to n s ow n e d by C apt J oh n K
i ng
S c h W I N IF R E D J K
wrecked i n the W i n ter shore shery at Brace s C ove Feb 3 C re w saved
V alue
i n sura n ce
Boat B E E
to n s ow n ed by W illia m Tarr lost o n E aste rn Poi n t
V alue $3 0 0 ; i n sura n ce $2 0 0
N o v 19
C re w saved
Boat H A R P
tons ow n ed by W illiam N M ace a n d W illiam P D e n
M arch 2 7 C re w sa v ed U n i n sured
n i s l o s t o n Gree n Isla n d M e
Boat I T E L L Y E
to n s ow n ed by George J Tarr C o run down
V alue
n o i n sura n ce
a n d sunk i n Bosto n Bay O c t 2 7
L O S T O V E R O R D E mery Hooper wa shed from foreboom of sch S e t/z
S to c r i age o n G ra n d Ba n k i n M arch Fra n k W ill ia m s fell overboard from
sch E L R o we A pril 1 7 C apt D a n iel R owe 2 d k n ocked overboard in
Bosto n Bay from sch f mm e j u /i a (by collisio n) M ay 1 2 E dward D ay
washed overboard fro m sch F r e d e r i c G am i ng f r o n the Ba n ks S ept 9 ;
Tho m as A n derso n washe d overboard from sch E p e s T a r r o n Gra n d Bank
4

BA

I qo v 7
S
C

AP I D
.

D o w ns

Patrick H arrigan a n d A lle n M c G in n is from sch

n
m
n
R
m
n d a n d J erry
A ug us ta
illia
M
alloy
Joh
ay
o
a
W
;
3
J
S i m m o n s fro m sch P ly m o u t/z R o c k J a n 7 S tephe n J oh n so n a n d A ugustus
He n drickson fro m sch [ m a c A C ap m a Feb 1 1 C a p t J a m es N ic k e r s o n
ZE

I N

F I S HE R M E N

O WN

B O O

83

J ames D owni n g fro m sch B e lle r op k o n i n F eb ruary ; A ugustus A nde r

all in the Bank she ries
! A S to r y A ug 1 0
s o n from sch D o w?
D I E D I N D u nn G eorge N e ls o n from sch P o l a r W o w o n B a n qu e r e au
M arch 2 8
M atthe w M c D o n a ld a n d Joseph M erchan t
L O S T I N D O R I E S I N T HE FO G
from sch D a v i d A S to r y o n the Ba n ks i n February ; J oh n Higgi n s a n d
D avid M c D o n a ld from sch M a r i o n on W este r n Ba n k M arch 2 8 J o seph
C o ffee a n d C harles E S e e b lo o m from sch E p e s T o r r o n W es t ern Ba n k
A pri l 1 8 ; W il liam Geary a n d J oh n L andry from sch S o uy l o r C o lf a x o n
th e Ba n ks A ug 2 1
a nd

1 88 1

vessels a n d 5 6 lives were lost this year The loss of to n n age wa s

I n sura n ce
Besides these losses th e
V alue
to n s burthe n
A N S O N S TI M S O N of R ockport a n e schoo n er of
belo ngi n g to the Pige on Hill Gra n ite C ompa n y was wrecked o n Briga n tin e
S hoal bar N J J a n 6 on the passage from S a n D o m i ngo for N e w York
her m aster C apt A lbio n S lo m a n havi n g died at sea a n d the crew o f six :
m e n bei n g dow n with chills a n d feve r leavi n g o n ly the m ate a n d cook t o
work the vessel The G louces t er losses were : 4 i n the Ba n k sheries 1
the shore a n d 1 i n the mackereli ng sheries a n d 1 e n gage d in coasti n g as
fol lows :
tons o w n ed by W illiam Pars o n s 2 d
S c h C A R R I E S D A GL E
V alue
i n sura n ce
C o lost o n W ester n Ba n k A pril 1 5
C rew list R ichard R ichardso n master ; J oh n F D eveau C A Bergma n
Je ffrey Bushey Tho m as M ilford E dward Jed rey J ohn M c D o n a ld A s ah e l l
i n ch E li Thibadeau Hugh York C ole m a n J e n n i n gs
L a n dro George W K
S c h G U Y C UN N I N GH A M
to n s ow n ed by C u n n i n gham
Tho m pso n lost o n G ra n d Ba n k i n A ug ust or S eptembe r V alue
i n sura n ce
C rew list D aniel O B r i e n master ; Joh n C Ha n so n
Fra n k S h i v r ie J oh n Proctor N ie l W alke r C harles Joh n so n J oh n Bur n s
A n drew N elso n Peter Peterso n A n d rew S e r r e s te n He n ry C ushi n g L o c:
M c Qu a r r i e C has Basto n
to n s o wn ed by M r W illi a m J N ours e
Sch C L A R A B W A R R E N
wrecked n ear C atch Harbor N S A ug 8 while re tur n i ng from a Ban k
trip C rew saved V alue
S c h TH R E S H E R
to n s o w n ed by D aniel A lle n 8: S o n e n gaged }
i n the Ba n k sheries stra n ded a n d bur n e d at C ape S able S ept 2 4
C re w
i n sura n ce
sa we d V al ue
W reck sold for $3 6
S c h H IG H F L Y E R
to n s ow n ed by Be n j ami n L o w wrecked at
C arver s Harbor M e wit h a cargo of fro z e n herri n g on board J a n 1 0
C rew saved
V alue
i n sur ance
8

,.

,,

'

F I S HE R M E N

84

VA N

o WN

B O O

K
.

G UA R D
to n s ow n ed by E d ward C o n tillo n S amuel G
Pool a n d W illiam H G ard n er e n gaged in n e tc o d s h in g i n Ipswic h Bay
wrec k ed o ff R ye Beach M arch 1 9 C re w saved V alue
i n su r
a n ce $9 0 0
S c h L I Z Z I E KC L A R K
ton s o wn ed by C lark
S omes bou n d
S outh o n a m acke reli ng trip capsi z ed a n d su n k about twenty miles southeas t
o f Bar n egat M arch 2 5 C rew saved V alue
i n sura n ce
L IN
S c h L A D Y FR A N K
to n s ow n ed by C apt E lias O lso n and
e n gaged i n freighti n g pa v i n g s t o n e s y s u n k o ff S ta n wood s Poi n t i n A n n i
W reck sol d for $ 1 5 0
s qua m river July 1 1

E
R
L O ST O V R O
D Joh n W hite washed ove rboard from sch W ill ie M
S te ve n s a n d J oh n W esto n fro m sch M a r t/2a C i n J a n uary ; J oh n R oper
from m ai n boom of sch L iz z i e Feb 2 a n d W illia m R iley washed overboard
ing Feb 2 2
C apt R o bert E hler of sch C a r tnage caught
from sch O c e a n K
by foot rope o n m ai n boo m a n d draw n overboard o ff M o n hega n N o v 2 7
all in the Ba n k sheries C apt Horace M erry from m ai n boo m of sch
G e o r ge P E a s t o ff the Isle a u Haute A pril 1 a n d M ichael S a m pso n washed
o verboard fro m s c h M a r y E D a n ie ls A pril 2 6 i n the G eorges shery
E dward N icke rso n fell overboard from sch H a ttie 1V R e e d i n Portla n d
harbor July 2 1 i n the m ackerel shery John A J oh n so n from sch H er
m a n B a bs o n in S eptembe r o n the retur n trip from Gree nl a n d
W illiam
R oo n ey cook o f sch A d d ie E m m a fell overboard in the Bay of F u n dy
Sch

BA

C AP I D
.

o v

D 0 R 1E s C

harle s Bel l from sch B e lle r op/i o n on Ba n que

reau J a n 2 8 E lias a n d Peter L a n dry brothe rs fr om sch F le u r d e L is
n atte m pti n g to cross N e wb u r p o r t bar M arch 1 6
shore
shi
i
Be
a
ng
n
y
)
j
(
L ewis D ulo n g
m inO Ha r a a n d W illiam L Gra n t from sch M at M arch 8
W e bs te r S a n oo r n J u n e 2 3 ; Joh n Guth ri e
a n d C h arle s R ich ards fro m sch
e n n edy from sch Z e n o oi a A ug 2 ; G eorge M S igs wo r th
a n d L aughli n K
fro m sch Vie to r A u g 1 2 J oh n Frost from sch P ly m o u t/i R o ok N o v 1 2
W a t /i n s e tt i n N ovember ; all o n G ra n d Ba n k
e n n o n fro m sch
A lbert M c K
J oseph A ve n ue in N ove m be r a n d He n ry Burke J oh n Hayes A rchie M c
D on ald a n d Bar n ard Gle n n D e c 2 3 from sch S m uggle r e n gaged i n the
s hore sheries
C apt W arre n G uptill of G loucester m aste r of sch E ll a of Bo s to n was
l ost with th at vessel o n the pass age fro m Bosto n for Ba r acoa i n S epte m ber
H e n gaged for so m e ftee n years
W illia m Harriso n C ard of N ewcastle N
in the Gloucester sheries was mate of the E l l a R obert S wai n wa s los t
o verboard fro m sch
O r ie n t of G loucester o n the passage fro m Baracoa fo r
N e w York i n J a n uary
S ZE

I N

'

F I S HE R M E N

B O OK

O WN

T A B L E O F L O S S E S FO R 5 2 YE A R S

I
1 83 2
1 8 33
18 34
1 83 6
18 3 7
18 38
1 83 9
1 84 0
18 4 1
1 84 2
18 4 3
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1 84 7
184 9
1 85 0
1 85 1
185 2
185 3
185 4
185 5
185 6
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1 8 59
1 86 0
1 8 61
186 2
1 8 63
18 64
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186 6
186 7
18 68
1 8 69
18 70
18 71
18 7 2
1 8 73
18 74
1 8 75
18 7 6
1 8 77
1 8 78
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1 88 1

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7

FI S H E R M E N

86

O WN

BOO

W e l c o m e Ho m e
RO

MA N

CE

I N

BY M

FI S

H E R MA N
C

S L I FE

You will n ot be a n gry d e ar J a n ie if I leave to night ? Th ere s n o way

o ut of it for me I c a n go with a light enough heart if only you ll tell m e

you do n o t m i n d
I do mi n d
N ay I l l n o t be angry D a vid only gr ieved deeply grieved
for you k n ow I had counted o n your bei n g h ere the 3 d
The sweet voice faltered here ; the blue eyes that had bee n so laughter
clear an d bright an hour since grew blurred with bitter tears u n der the
lo n g curled ha z el lashes
The 3 d W ed n esday is the day we wedded six years ag o D avid ; you
rem ember how o fte n we have said we would spe n d that day together h ere in

o ur own home

A y J a n et but y o u would n ot h ave me shirk a trust ? D avid C olburn s

clear soul looked through h is shi n i n g e yes as he spoke these words O n e
could see that his res o lve was xed : the re woul d b e n o more fal teri n g n o w
for h im
The shi n g schoo n er S n o w B i r d leave s port to nigh t her o wn
e r s do n ot believe the m aster Bradley t o be tru sty a n d they wa n t a m an
o n board who c a n le n d a ha n d thwart a n y evil designs o n their property
o r eve n take com m a n d if n eed be That m an whom th ey select i n c o n

N o w J a n et shall I go ? You say the word

d e n ce is I

F I S HE R M E N

o WN

B O O

87

olburn looke d his young wife steadily in th e face O n e could

s e e that he had smal l doubt what that word would be
I say the word ? I have this to say God love thee and keep thee dea r

A y ! and He will ! He wil l !

D avid wherever thou art
S h e put he r faithful arms about his neck her truthful eyes looked i n to his
But n o w tell m e in plain wo rds you are n o t a n gry ; say j ust t h e word s

an d I ll go with a lighte r he art J ane t

A gain that stro n g sure smile
N o t a n gry ; n o ! I n eve r shall be a n gry with you D avid s o lo n g as I

k now you are doi ng right A n d n o w she we nt o n afte r a m o me n t s paus e

n o w let us g o and see D olly D ora an d D avie

A n hour l ate r D avid C olburn had bade good bye with

G o d bless thee
t o his wife a n d his three darling l ittl e o n e s a n d his wife s triu m pha n t God
keep thee my husba n d stil l sounded soothi n gly in his e ars as h e walke d
down to the wh arf where th e waiti ng schoo n e r S n o w B i r d lay

a
n
J
ane
t
fo
r
al
l
he
r
brav
words
he
r
sure
faith
for all he r stern
n
d
e
d
A

h
e
rinciple
carrie
d
a
sore
heart
that
night
we
nt
about
her
duties
cal
m
S
p
D avid was go n e
They had counted o n l ivi n g
1y but he r ste p was slo w
their weddi n g day over agai n togethe r t o make that o n e day s pe rfect hap
in
their
newly
built
cottage
give
all
its
swee
ts
to
the
m
o
v
r
again
i
n
i
n
e
e
s
s
p
talk and lovi n g memory but n o w D avid was go n e !
S h e was k n eeli n g at dusk o n the hearth toasti n g bread fo r the childre n s
supper S udde n ly a he avy step sounde d from th e walk the n came a quick
knock a n d the door was ung rudely O pe n

H o ! J a n et J a n e t C olburn ! A r e ye there ?
W ith a startle d cry t h e young frightened wife spra n g up le tting he r toast
i n g fork and he r bread fal l back upo n the re

Ke n n eth Foste r ! s h e exclaimed falli n g back a step as the light fell on

a n d revealed he r visitor s face
A y it is I ! Your m e mory is good Jane t j ust as m i n e 15
A n d you a r e
I ca m e to s e e h o w you look in widow s te ars You ll m ake a
al l alo n e
The re s m a n y a m an wil l be seeki n g for your ha n d whe n
n e wido w J a n et

The wido w C ol burn s h a n d !

th e year s out
The fair face of the liste n ing woma n had gr o wn deadly white dur i n g t h e
utteri n g of this m a n s wild words S h e held he r childre n tigh t to he r gath
e ri n g stre n gth from their soft touch as s h e a n sw e red he r voice t o o was
ge ntle if weak
I am alone he re with m y childre n as you se e M r Foste r M y husba n d
left me t o night I ask you to leav e me till h e com e s back ; you c a n say

wh at you wish to him the n

i
Til l h e c o me s back !
Ke n n e th F oste r repe ate d h e r wo rds an d the n
D avid C

F I S HE E M E N

88

he

O WN

B O O

broke i n to a l oud a n d b rutal laugh

D o you k n o w wh en your husban d
will come back to you M istres s C olburn ? I t will be whe n you have n ished
this life a n d go n e i n to a di ffere n t world There will be other seas and other
skies other m e n a n d other wome n about you in the w o rl d where you will

m eet D avid C olburn a n d you wil l h ave to wait lo n g !

The you n g wife s m iled sere n ely through the cal m pallor of her face

W herever he may be it wil l be well with him you m ay be sure o f th a t

she said

E ven if it be at the botto m of the sea ? retorted K

enn eth
W ell
well M istress J a n e t I bide m y t i m e You refused me o n ce when I asked

you to be my wife be sure I sh all n o t ask you n o w whe n you are a widow !
Before she could i n terrupt h i m h e wen t o n in a wild whirl of ragi n g words
W h o was it se n t your h usba n d out i n that craft ? The O w n ers ay ! but
I m oved th em to it
I t was my work a n d if some n e m orni n g the cre w
wa k e to n d the m selves si n ki n g with a wild sea r ushi n g 1n an d n o hel p

near why that will be m y work too !

W a s the m a n m a d that he should say this thi n g ? W h a t wa s it h e meant ?
W a s it truth had he m eant to scuttle the vessel o r was it o n ly a th reat ?

M ost likely o n ly that a threat to frighten her her a helpl ess lo n ely wom an

S h e poi n ted to the door

You h ave forgotte n G od ! was her gra n d
r eply
M y husb and is in the h a n ds o f O n e wh om even the seas obey

G o d will watch over him

N o w go !
He smiled a wicked s m ile
I wish you a good eve n i n g M istress C o l
bur n M ea n w h ile y o ur bread is burn i n g You h ad better take it up f o r

you k n ow you ca n t bur n your bread a n d e at it too

He shut the door a n d we n t out i n to the clear n ight ; too cl ear a n d calm
a n d swee t for such a m an as h e to e n j oy walki n g a m o n g its v i n e s a n d mo d
di n g owers looki n g up i n to its blue heave n to the far mystery of i t s stars
M ea n while sh e wh o was left in th e little co n secrated home holdi n g t h e
darli n g heads of her childre n to her breast watched a n d waited a n d praye d
through l o n ely hours
If th at m a n s story were true but n o ! it was n o t

true i t was a th reat a t r u m p e d u p story prompted by j ealous rage

the ve ry storms are k ind t o the e they pass the e
0 D avid ! she cried

by n o t harmi n g o n e so ki n d a n d good
But she watched the sea the cl ouds the heave n s as sh e h ad never don e
before S h e waited for n ews that came n o t : an d the n a m or n i n g cam e
whe n she awoke to n d the rai n pouri n g th e wi n d teari n g th e sea plungi n g
a n d the black sky wracked with stormy clouds

D avid
she m oa n ed falli n g o n her k n ees D avid where art th o u ? O

my husba n d wil l the sea take thee leavi n g m e u n comforted ?

But the sea had n o an swe r for her T h e husband o n wh o m she calle d

F I S HE R M E N

B O OK

O WN

89

far away N o t drown ed ; ah n o ! N o t buried u n der a n y m ou n tain

wave cold food for shes He had see n lo n ely hours n ight a n d day whe n
at h i s work his tho u ghts were with his dear o n es left at home i n his dreams
too h e was ever with the m
H is co m rades chided him for his l ack of
sociability ; he h ad n o heart for m irth His greatest pleasure was i n t h e
readi n g of h is Bible a n d i n si n gi n g the te n der so n gs J a n et loved Thos e
so n gs were always te n der always telli n g of love a n d hom e For there h av e
bee n so m e stirri n g se a so n gs written written by me n who were n ever o n
the sea but they are n o t the so n gs sailors si n g The se a beate n ho m esick
sailor does n o t tur n to A L ife on the O cean W ave for co n so l atio n whe n
h e thi n ks of the faces he leaves behi n d the curtai n of the home wi n dow
T h e s e a t h e s e a t h e O p e n se a !
I am w he re I w o u ld e v e r b e ;
wa s

are

Il

are

Il
f

are

a!

r id e

o a m i n g b u r s t i n g t id e
O n th e e r c e
are heartless mocke ry a n u n mea n i n g gibberish t o the m a n wh o h as fought
for very life with death behi n d him i n the sleet a n d hail a n d crashi n g ic e
F o r h i m the homely bal lad of W appi n g
o n G eorges or in the polar seas
tells a dearer story M olly who says she l l be true an d
O l d S tairs
promises

e
s
m
e
n
a
n
I ll d d yo u r gro g to o I ll m ake
Y o u r b re e c h
is the dearest sweeth eart and her blue eyes sh ine across the n igh t a n d storm
M ea n wh ile J anet watched a n d prayed W ith her childre n she brave d
the wi n d a n d storm a n d we n t to the water side to be n ear ni i n S h e
s tretched her arms out a n d her hot tears fel l o n the rocks where she sto o d
S pare him ! he love d you always he h as trusted
O sea ! she sobbed

y o u i n your wildest a n ger in your darkest moods ; spare h im n o w !

Bye a n d by e came ru m ors brought by an ol d sherma n of a schoo n e r
drifti n g at the m ercy of the stor m a disable d craft which the gale pre
ve n ted re n deri n g assista n ce a n d whe n it was over she wa s n o t to be see n
a n d it was doubtful if she ever re tur n ed to port
Bye an d bye othe r n ews ca m e that it was the S n o w B i r d but there wer e
good m e n o n board of he r a n d there was h O p e that she might yet be heard
fro m
A n d Ja n et heard
0 G od pity the tortured hearts of woman at such
ti m es as these S h e we nt from she r m a n to sherma n as they got into
port They tur n ed away shiveri n g from her sad eyes
W a s there n o way to help those drow n i n g m e n out there ? C ould n o th
i n g be do n e ? M ust they stand idle watchi n g while vesse l a n d m e n we n t

?
do wn before their eyes
Poor wife ! A n d there were others to o o ther hearts tre m bling o th e r
o ve

0 h

w
,

o ve

to

F I S HE R M E N

O WN

O O

K
.

y e s O f wo m e n weepi n g other l ips of wives and daughters calli n g o n dear

n a m es
The night came on with a gale and the l ast th at J anet s aw or heard was
that the vessel supp o sed to be the S no w B i r d had bee n blown o ff a n d was
drifti n g out of sight
S he s doomed ! an ol d sherm a n said tur n ing away from the darke n ing

view
S he l l g o down ! there s n o help for it
J a n et heard ; s h e l o oked about he r with a sickly pite ou s sm ile as though
aski n g for help for her o wn m ise ry ; then she fell down in a lifeless heap
o n the wet sto n es
Ki n dly ha n ds lifted her u p an d stro n g arms bore he r ho m e O n her be d
she lay for lo ng hours he r childre n by he r side S h e lay in a sort of stupor
she s aw the bla z e of the re sh e heard voices a n d footsteps co m i n g an d
g o i n g through the n ight But her mind was t o rpid s h e o nly reali z ed o n e
fe ar that D avid was los t a n d she
H e cal led me a widow she rambled on feebly
He said I was a
wido w W h at is a widow ? Is it a woman whose heart is broke n ? The n

I am o n e ! O h !
S h e put her han d to h er brow a n d then a merciful sleep ca m e o ver her
an d she dreamed a sweet dream that D avid had retur n ed
e

awoke ! T h e storm had cleared away a n d the mor n i n g sun was steal
i n to t h e be d room windo w S o me o n e said the S n o w B i r d had j ust

She
i ng

FI S H E R M E ZV S

B O O

O WN

c o me to anch o r Her heart gave o n e happy rebou n d an d she arose an d

s oo n dressed herself a n d the childre n a n d l ooki n g out s a w the wel l k n o wn
vessel swi ng i n g at her a n chor o ff the Poi n t with her m ainsail swayi n g i n
the ligh t m orn i n g bree z e S h e also saw a well known fo rm r o wi n g ash o r e
in a dory which some ki n d neighbor had te n dered him the use of
G raspi n g the baby i n he r arms with the other little on e by h er side an d
D avie ru n ning o n ahead she haste n s d o wn the pathway to th e beach t o
meet her husban d for it was he ! I t seemed to her th at he h ad really com e

back fro m a n othe r world He cries o ut J a n et my wife ! my good wife !

Hi s
A n d then she k n e w that it was no dream for she was in his arms
dear face was pressed close to hers and sh e was so happy

G od is good ; here are wife

D avid my husba n d ! an d he a n swered

?
W hat more can I wan t
a n d childre n
A n d they walked up to the little cottage this un ited family a n d D avid
e xpl ai n ed how the C aptai n a n d part of the crew put int o an o ut O f the way
port a n d sold most of the trip and nearly all the moveable a r t icles o n th e
vessel a n d pocketed the mo n ey and deca m ped h o w he in pursua n ce t o
in struction s from the ow n er the n took possession and sta r ted home h o w
whe n twen ty four hours out from port duri n g a fresh bree z e they foun d h e r
l eaki n g badly ; how the leak i n creased as the storm grew worse an d it
see m ed as if they must go to the bottom h ow his faithful men pumped an d
str o ve t o stop the leak a n d when it seemed as if their efforts were fruitless
a n d they mus t disappear beneat h the seethi n g waters they fou n d three hole s
which had bee n bored through the vesse l s bottom a n d had bee n partially
lled with a substa n ce which th e action of the water had set free h ow thes e
h o les were stopped a nd the stau n ch vessel being freed from the water was
herself agai n and they got her safely into por t
The plot had bee n revealed to K
e n neth F oster and he was h o pi n g that
it would be successful and whe n he fou n d that it was n o t a n d D avid C o l

n
h e left the t o wn and neve r returned
ur
had
come
back
His cowardly
b
heart failed him h e c o u ld n ot l ook ho n est D avi d C olbur n a n d his faithfu l
wife i n the face afte r what h ad tra n spired
A n d D avid was wel l remembered by the o w
ners of the S n o w B ir d They
r ecko n e d rightly
W ithout his e fforts the vessel would have bee n l o st
They therefore gave him a bil l of sale of o n e third o f her a n d reme m bered
th e crew with a handsome sum and D avid f o r m any years pursued his cal l
ing i n this vessel maki n g good retur n s
A n d J anet was o n e o f t h e happiest little w o me n i n all th e t o wn
,

F I S HE R M E N

O WN

B O O

K
.

Th e Fi sh e r B o y in th e S t o r m
-

Th e above spirited picture illustrates a narrative give n by a n E n glish

sherma n A t that time h e resided i n o n e of the shi n g tow n s o n that
coast an d the lad fourtee n years of age the o n ly s o n of his wido wed m other
got so well used to m a n agi n g his father s boat that i n the eve n t of n o t
bei n g able t o get a n y o n e to acco m pa n y h im he would i n pleasan t weather
r u n o ff o n the grounds alo n e a n d catch his fare of sh
O n e day h e started out with the rest of the boats an d ru n n i n g o ff farthe r
than most of them succee de d i n catchi n g an extra fare Just as he was
about getti n g ready to r u n in a terri bl e st orm s u d d e n ly c a m e o n The othe r
boats bei n g n earer i n ran for the la n d a n d escaped the worst of it but he
poor fellow havi n g to ge t u n derway alo n e was exposed to the ful l fury of
the storm A n xious eyes watched his co m i n g a n d so m e of the sh ermen
volu n teered to go out after h i m
Th e little fellow lost his hat but n o t his
c o urage W ith a fair wi n d he kept he r wel l before it m i n di n g wel l h is
hel m as his father h ad taugh t h im The light n i ng s livid ashes a n d t h e
roar of the thu n der were n o t calcul ated to m ak e his situatio n ve ry agree
able but he heeded the m n o t a n d carried her bravely i n cleari n g the bar
and ru n n i n g he r safely up to the la n di n g place Here he was met by h is
a nxious mother wh o cl as p e d her darl i n g to her breast th a n ki n g G od for his
s af e return
.

'

F I S HE R M E N

B O O

O WN

93

Halibut Fishing Am ong th e I c e Fl o e s

BY

CO LL N S

I t is n o t u n usual after a W i n te r of exception al severi ty for large m asse s

of el d ice to drift across the easter n shi n g ba n ks especially B an qu e r e a u
This was especial ly th e case i n the S pri n gs of 1 8 7 5
a n d the Gra n d Ba n k
a n d 1 8 7 6 whe n for several weeks a l arge portio n of the shi n g grou n ds
freque n ted by th e h alibut shermen was i n accessible t o them M a n y si n gu
l ar adve n tures were experie n ced by th e crews of the ice beleaguered vessel s
which still fo rm the subj ect of conversatio n amo n g the sh erme n T h e
i n co n ve n ie n ce and peril which was felt very severely at rst by the s h e r
m e n was however m ore than cou n terbala n ced
for there can be n o ques
tio n but what these oes of drifti n g ice haste n ed the discove r y of the D eep
W ate r halibut grounds which h ave since that time yielded such a rich har
vest A t a n y rate the practice of shi n g i n deep water o n the Ba n ks by
the h alibut eet dates from the time a n d circu m sta n ces wh ich are he r e
described though o n e or t wo vessel s h ad made previous trials
The write r was i n the sch H o wa r d i n the S pri n g of 1 8 75 a n d th e accoun t
here give n of eve n ts con n ected with the appeara n ce of the immense ice o e
and also of icebergs upon the G ran d Ba n k is pri n cipally take n from a
l etter describi n g some of the i n cide n ts of that occas i on
W e were detai n ed fro m saili n g on our secon d trip that wi n ter ( 1 8 7 4 5 )
by easterly wi n ds for two weeks or m ore an d whe n we reached the G ra n d
Bank about the middle of M arch th e whol e of the Ba n k n orth of lat 4 4
deg 2 5 m in N was covered with heavy m asses of eld ice A bout th e
time we arrived on the grou n d the sh left probably bei n g drive n by th e
ice oes which slowly moved southward reachi n g at o n e ti m e as far sout h
as l at 4 3 deg 4 0 m i n N in the middle of th e Ba n k a n d causi n g the s h
e rm e n much anxiety a n d more or less l oss of gear by u n expectedly drifti n g
o n their a n chored vessels duri n g the n ight O n o n e occasio n a nu m ber of
vessels tried to skirt the ice a n d get ar o u n d it so as to reach the northwes t
part of the Ba n k but towards n ight of the day o n which the atte m pt wa s
made a n ortheast gale a n d heavy sn owstorm came o n an d we all l ay t o
un der the lee of the ice which made the sea quite smooth The next d ay
we fou n d the o e had bee n drive n so far S o uth by the gale that we did n o t
again atte m pt to get by to the north west of it but eight vessels havi n g m e t
together at the southern edge of the ice all of the skippers we n t o n board
o f the sch A ugu s ta f f j o nn s o n t o talk ove r the situatio n A f t e r deliberating
,

F I S HE R M E N

94

O WN

B O O

K
.

awh ile e ach retur n ed to his own vessel an d wh ile s o me o f us ran t o th e

southward others l aid by waiti n g for t h e ice to recede to the n orthward
W e ran dow n to l at 4 3 deg 3 0 m in N a n d lo n g 5 0 deg 3 0 min W but
coul d n d n o sh W e we r e there some days before the weather per m itted
us to try an d af ter we h auled our gear we got u n derway with a southerly
wi n d a n d r a n for the weste r n edge of the Ba n k inte n ding to strike it north
o f l at 4 4 deg N
A careful lookout for ic e was kept
That eve n i n g we
s poke the sch E d w in C D o ll i v e r at a n chor i n seve n ty fath o m s a n d lay by
her for th e n ight The n ext m orni n g we m ade sail spo k e the D o ll ive r agai n
a n d also the schs C ne s te r R L a w r e n ce a n d R e s tl e s s
The rst two were lyi n g
at a n chor in sixty to seve n ty fathom s of water a n d t h e R e s tle s s l ay i n forty
n ine fathoms N either of them caught a n y halibut
The ice driven by the south erly wi n d had at this tim e drifte d bac k t o
ab out 4 5 deg N
lat a n d we worked to the westward i n co m pa n y with sev
e ral other sch o o n ers am ong which were the R e s tl e s s E d w i n C D o l l i v e r
A lf r e d W a le n I V 17 R /zi l l ip s a n d f o nn S P r e ss o n ; all of them setting traw l s
under sail in the day a n d a n chori n g a n d setti n g their gear at night I n thi s
m a n n e r the eet beat slowly to the wes tward agai n st a m oderate bree z e for
s everal days
tryi n g for sh in wate r varyi n g from forty eight to seve n ty
f athoms in depth b u t catchi n g n othi n g
The water was so i n te n sely col d
that t h e fr o z en baits o n the trawls would scarcely th aw whe n set i n fty
fathoms of water or less an d we were almost forced to believe that the s h
h ad all been drive n e n tirely o ff of the Bank by the gre at ice eld a n d t h e
s traggli n g icebergs
The latter were o ccasi o n ally see n in th e deep wate r
o ff the edge of the Bank
O n e day we passed by a large berg about a third of a m ile distan t from
it O n o n e e n d of it a sharp pin n acle rese m bl i n g t h e spire of a church
r a n up to a heigh t of seve n ty v e or eighty fee t
the middle was quite lo w
bu t the other e n d rose i n a bunch or hummock about twe n ty feet ab ove t h e
water The su n light playi n g o n this huge m ass of ice throwi n g lights a n d
Shado ws here a n d there causing th e peaks to glitter a n d gleam for a m o
men t the n darke n to a gree n ish tint a n d its co n sta n tly cha n gi n g aspect as
we sailed by it m ade it an i n teresti n g a n d i m pressive sight
But t h e
thought that it or some of its fellows might drive down on us so m e foggy
a n d wi n dy n ight whe n we were at a n chor caused us to I o o k upo n it with a
Sense of d read an d apprehension i n stead of t h e admiratio n we might h av e
*
felt in watchi n g such a n object u n de r di ffere n t circumsta n ces

n
a
the
last
day
of
M
arch
we
al
l
se
t
our
trawl
s
as
usu
l
some of the ves
O
,

l ate r i t w as a c o m m o n o c c u r r e n c e f o r th e h alib u t c at c h e r s t o sh i ft
p o s i t i o n t o av o id c o m i ng i n c o lli s i o n w it h i c e be r gs O n s o m e o c c as i o n s t h e v e s se l s
o blig e d to m o v e a s h o r t di s tan c e t w o o r t hr e e t i m e s i n o n e n ig ht
4"

A f e w we e k

hi

e r

w e re

F I S HE R M E N

B O O

O WN

95

but n o sh were caught by a n y

s els bei n g at anchor a n d o thers u n der sail
of the
eet a n d before dark all of the sch oo n ers which h ad bee n at a n chor
got u n derway The wi n d was n orth n ortheast b lo wm g a fresh bree z e a n d
k n owi n g the ice was n o t far o ff i n a n ortherly directio n n o o n e would hav e
cared to re m ai n a n chored eve n h ad there been gre ater i n duceme n t to d o
so W e were the n on n early the extre m e northwest pe ak of the Gra n d
Ba n k a n d the ques t ion was where to go n ext for I do n o t thi n k it occurred
to a n y o n e the n to try i n deeper water than we had previously set i n S c h
E d w i n C D o l l i ve r we n t back to the eastward agai n but o thers of the eet
hu n g arou n d speaki n g with eac h othe r the skippers evide n tly u n certai n in
what directio n t o stee r
H avi n g spoke n the sch C a r r ie P M o r to n which came drivi n g al o n g fr o m
the eastward just at dark a n d learned that n o sh had bee n caught by the
vessels farther east I decided to hold our grou n d til l mor n i n g W e
accordi n gly hove to alo n gside of the A lf r e d W a le n which was also lyi n g to
A s day broke on the followi n g m or n i n g ( A ll F ools D ay) we saw a schoo n er
at a n chor a n d r a n dow n to he r i n compa n y with the W a le n F i n di n g the
a n chored vessel was the R e s tles s we hove to a n d C aptai n Thompso n a n d I
each of us a ccompanie d by three or f o ur m e n of our re spective crews we nt
*
aboard of her for a gam
with the skippe r and c r e w S h e wa s a n chored
in eighty three fatho m s of water a n d her cre w were j ust setti n g their trawl s
whe n we ran dow n to he r The skipper of the R e s tle ss said h e broke out
his anchor t h e eve ni n g before a n d le t her drif t u n til the l atter part of t h e
night whe n n di ng deep wa te r he let it go agai n W e stayed o n board of
the R e s tle s s u n til some of he r dorie s retur n ed from hauli n g about 1 0 A M
whe n seei n g t h at they were getti n g fair shi n g o n the gear th at was i n t h e
deepest wate r we bot h retur n e d to our o wn vessels an d set under sail o ut
side of the R e s tle s s
W e were i n o n e hu n dre d and fteen fathoms which wa s the n though t to
be a great depth to s h i n but the I V ale n we n t still farther out i n o n e hun
dred a n d thirty ve fathom s W e caught abo u t
pou n ds of halibut o n
a short set a n d a n chored ; a n d the h i m as I afte rwards lear n ed got
pou n ds or more a n d also ca m e to a n chor I n the m e a n time s c h s ]o /zn
S P r e s s o n W i l l i a m T M e r e /i a n t L izz ie K C l a r k of Gloucester a n d t h e
G e o r ge P e a bo dy of S ale m m a d e their appeara n ce o n the sce n e of actio n 1
a n d a n chored at n o great distance to the n orthwest a n d south e ast of us
The L izz ie K C l a r k h ad a fair berth ( about t wo miles ) to the n ort h n or t h
-

'

by e X wh al e m a n o n sh i n g v e ss e l s ) s ign i fyi ng a
(
c h at b e t we e n t h e m as t e r s an d c r e ws o f diff e r e n t v e s s e l s
S o m e t i m e s a t e te a te t e b e t we e n

c h u m s o n t h e s am e v e ss e l i s c a ll e d
i
a
n
g mm
g
TO ur p o s i t i o n was 44 d e g 4 5 m i n N l at i t u d e an d 5 3 d 3 5 3 m i n W l o n g i t u d e
*A

t e m i n u se

am o n g

hl

an d

a em en

FI S HE R M E N

6
9

B O OK

O WN

west The aftern o on was n e with a moderate a n d decreasing n orthe as t

n owi n g
wi n d a n d curre n t setti n g to the n ort h west or n orth n orthwest K
full wel l that the rst vessel arrivi n g home wit h a trip would be likely to
strike a high m arke t a n d of course wishi n g to be the rst we set twe n ty
skates of tra wl the whole stri n g i n the eve n i n g n o t drea m i n g that the r e
was a n y I ce I n a southerly directio n fro m us
The n ext mor n i n g was n e a n d cal m but cool W e h ad our bre ak fast

before daylight a n d j ust as day was breaki n g a n ice gli n was n ot ice d i n
the southe r n boa rd a n d whe n it grew l ighte r a n i m m e n se eld of ice could
be see n drifti n g to ward us with the curre n t which still r a n n orth n orth west
O f course the rs t th i n g to be t h ought of was to get our gear if possible or
at least as m u c h of it as we could W e hoiste d the do rie s out a n d started
at o n ce O n e of the crew h ad had a fai n ti n g t the e ve n i n g before which
m ade h i m quite ill a n d I was therefore obliged to go i n a do r y i n his ste ad
Before le avi ng the vessel I gave the m e n orde rs to get all the gear they
could a n d if the ice ca m e o n the m to cut a n d go aboard The trawl that
we we n t to h aul was o ff the starboard quarter four poi n ts abaft the beam
W e p u lled for the outer e n d a n d o n reachi n g i t bega n to h aul as though
o ur lives depe n de d o n our e fforts
W e succeeded i n getti n g a s k ate a n d a half of trawl about 5 0 0 fathom s
i n the boat whe n we saw the ag i n the riggi n g of our schoo n er which we
k n ew was a sig n al for us to retur n to the vessel as the ice was n eari n g her
fast W e i n sta ntly cut the trawl took our oars a n d pulled with al l our
might to reach the vessel before the ice did A n othe r dory which was n ear
us started about the same ti m e a n d we bot h m e t the ice about six hu n dre d
feet aster n of our schoo n er W he n the ice passed the vessel the m e n o n
board had the prese n ce of m i n d to throw a buoy to which a li n e was fast
o e
This buoy we got h ol d of
e n ed o n one of the leeward cakes of the
a n d m ade it fas t to the b o w of the head dory securi n g the b o w of the other
boat close to the ster n of the fro n t o n e The curre n t was ru n n i ng at least
t wo k n ots a n d the buoy li n e bei n g u n de r the ice n ear the buoy we h ad a
hard struggle for some time to m ake a n y progress toward the vessel a n d to
get the li n e o n top of the ice The men on the vessel held a strai n o n the
li n e while we j umped out of the h ead dory o n to the ice someti m es hauli n g
the boats over t h e larger cakes a n d agai n sh ovi n g the s m aller pieces cle ar
of the dories a n d li n e The ice wa s broke n i n to sec tio n s of al l si z es from
a piece of a f e w pounds weight to o n e fty feet i n dia m eter a n d six to te n
feet thick I n this m a n n er we worked tugged a n d pulled n eve r resti n g for
a m o m e n t u ntil at last we h ad the li n e clear a n d above the ice whe n it
beca m e a co m paratively easy m atte r to reach the vessel
A f t er getti n g o n deck we fou n d o n e of the G e o r ge P ea Oo dy s an d o n e of
,

F I S HE R M E N

O WN

BOO

97

the W i llia m T M e r ek a n t s dories aboard of o ur vessel wh ile o n e o f our

dories which h ad held o n to the trawl too l o n g had to seek a refuge o n
board of the L iz z ie K C la r k A fte r our dories were taken in we h ad a bet
ter cha n ce to vie w the sce n e whic h ce rtai n ly h ad a decidedly arctic appear
a n ce A s far as the eye could exte n d from aloft I n a southe r n a n d e a stern
directio n a n al m ost u n broke n m ass of d rifti n g eld ice was all that coul d
be see n Here a n d there ho wever a small streak or po n d of water adde d
a little diversity to the o ther wise m o n oto n ous appeara n ce of the fro z e n
oce a n
A ll of the fore n oo n a n d the rst ho u rs of the afternoon the ice kep t drift
ing by us bei n g carried alo n g wit h t h e curre n t But our a n chor held fast
thoug h the strai n was great o n our cable as the he avy m asses of ice came
up agai n st the bows a n d we n t gri n di ng gritti n g a n d groa n i n g alo n g the v e s
sel s side A fter a while a moderately si z e d ope n space was see n ahead
a n d as it approache d us the m e n belo n gi n g t o the P e a k o dy and Al e r e k a n t
a n xiously watched it bei ng ve ry desirous to reach their respective vesse l s
which were n o t far o ff I n this they succeeded
A m oderate bree z e spra n g up i n the after n oon and the L izz ie K C l a r k
getti n g i n to o n e of the clear streaks go t u n der way a n d worke d up abre ast
of us whe n she forced her way through the ice passing close alo n gside
droppi n g our dory which ca m e aboard all right
M eanwhile we had hove short o n our cable and seei n g a n open p la c e t o
wi n d ward were a l l ready to break out our a n chor as soo n as the O pe n i n g
ca m e n ear e n ough to us W e waite d o n ly a short time before we got u n de r
way after which we stood back a n d fort h alo n g the weathe r edge o f t h e
ice watchi n g for the tra wl buoys to make their appeara n ce a n d as fast a s
they did se n t a dory to haul the trawl
This area of clear water wa s of considerable exte n t a n d si n c e the curre n t
did not r u n so swiftly as before we had a very good cha n ce to work H o w
eve r the ice was dow n on us agai n before we got al l the gear but t h e m e n
stuck to it a n d as there was a n e saili ng bree z e the vessel coul d force
her way through the o e quite well I t wa s n i n e o clock in the eve n i n g
whe n the last dory ca m e aboardthe others h ad n i shed haul i n g their gear
before dark The ice was all aro u n d this b oat duri n g the eve n i n g but we
kept n ear to her though it required close calculatio n to keep the r u n of h e r
The m e n i n her go t the whole of their gear a n d n o twi th
i n the dark n ess
sta n di n g the u n favorabl e appeara n ce of thi n gs in the m or n i n g we lost o n ly
o n e skate of trawl
W he n at last all ha n ds were safely o n board a n d we
were seated at the sup per table the i n cide n ts a n d a n xie ties of the day b e
came the subj ects of a n a n i m ated co n versatio n a n d each o n e had a yar n t o
S pi n in rel ation to his experie n ce duri n g the d a
y

'

F I S HE R M E N

8
9

O WN

BOO

In the mea n time the crews of the other vessels h ad n o t been idle f o r
taki n g adva n tage of a n y favorable circumsta n ce they had e n deavored lik e
o urselves to haul their trawl s Three of the A lf r e d W e le n s cre w had a
n arro w escape from what promised m uch su ff ering if n o t death They we re
Ph ilip M ercha n t W illia m F u r le y a n d Tho m as O lse n W he n the area of
clear wate r th at I have before spoke n of ca m e a l o n g they started out to
get their trawl the vessel stil l remai n i n g at a n chor They were caught in
the ice an d alth o ugh they held o n to the trawl which was the o n ly th i n g
they c o ul d do the o e carried them adrift and their chan ces to reach their
vessel again were l ooki n g sli m whe n l ate i n the aft e rn o on the L izz ie K
C l a r k spoke the W a l e n an d the skipper of the latter requested C aptain

M urphy ( as h is M urphy s vesse l was u n der sail) to go to their assista n ce

The C l a r k i m mediately kept o ff but as she had to force h er way throug h
the ice it was j ust growi n g d a rk whe n she reached the drifti n g boat a n d
past n i n e o clock when she got back to the W a le n The dory was n early
three miles from the W a le n whe n picked up a n d such a timely rescue m ust
h ave been gratefully appreciated by m e n fatigued hu n gry an d chilled to t h e
m arrow
A fter the C l a r k reached the W a l en she m ade fast to the stern of the l at
ter with a l o n g warp for the n ig h t the o n ly i n sta n ce of one vessel lyi n g fast
to ano t her o n the G ra n d Ba n k I eve r k n e w of a n d I thi n k the o n ly o n e on
*
record
W e kept u n d e r sail duri n g t h e n ight succeedi n g the day of which I h ave
bee n writi n g a n d held our positi o n by obse rvi n g the ridi n g lights of th e
othe r vessel s The followi n g mor n i ng we a n chored W e had foggy weather
after this for the th ree days we stayed there w h ich m ade tra wli ng so m e what
dangerous for alt h oug h the m ai n o e had passe d by detached pieces a n d
lo n g n arro w s tr eaks of ice kept co m i ng alo ng a n d ofte n times whe n t h e
d ories were caught to lee ward of these the m e n h ad great di f culty i n wor k
Freque n tly the boats had to be haule d
i n g their way through or over the m
over the ice for a distance of o n e or two hu n dred yards This trouble was
i n creased by the de n se n ess of t he fog which shut out from vie w al l but th e
ne arest obj ects a n d t h e sher m a n leaving the side of his vessel fel t th at
the thick mist whic h hung like a pal l over the face of the sea ren dere d h i s
task more pe r ilous a n d u n ce r tai n t h a n ever before hidi ng as it might a va s t
o e of ice which would carry him away wit h it to drift helplessly u n til h e
succum b ed to cold a n d hu nge r Fortu n at e ly ho wever n o m o re serious a d
ve n ture occurre d tha n that already me n tio n ed thoug h the m e n compris in g
the cre ws of the e n tire eet did n o t hesitate to bra v e the u n kn o wn pe ri l s
i n cide n t to the occasio n
,

'

*T h e

ic e m

de

th

w ate r as sm o o th as

ill p o n d

F I S HE R M E N

O WN

B O OK

99

of the vessel s secured good fares of halibut a n d some m ade l arg e

s tocks The rough experie n ce of s o me of the ee t i n the ice was appare n t
o n their retur n home whe n it coul d be see n that the pl a n ki n g at t h e water s
edge was badly cha fe d a n d cut i n so m e cases n ecessitati n g repairs
A fu n n y i n cide n t occurred o n e eve n i n g o n board of our vessel duri n g t h e
f o g mull to which allusio n has bee n made whe n a m an of u n doubted pl uck
S ometime duri n g
a n d hardihood literally got scared a t his own shadow
the day the fog had lifted for a short time disclosi n g to our view a n u m be r
of F re n ch brigs a n d barques slowly worki ng their way al o n g the ice towards
The fog soo n shut dow n agai n a n d the m oo n less a n d starless
S t Pierre
Havi n g obtai n ed a good catch o f halibut i n
n ight wa s as black as pitch
the after n oo n we we re busily e n gaged i n dressi n g the m u n til quite l ate i n
the eve n i n g O wi n g to the dark n ess a light had to be held for e ach scrub
ga n g so that the scrubber coul d be sure that the sh were properly
clea n ed I was holdi n g the la n tern for o n e ga n g sta n di n g i n board a n d
close to the scrubber who busily employed i n his work stood i n a stoopin g
positio n faci n g aft S udde n ly h e s tr a ig h t e n e d up a n d ( possibly with th e
Fre n ch vessel s i n m i n d) cast a quick l ook o ut o n the port side i n to the
de n se fog upo n which his shado w reected from the light behi n d him
stood out like a huge dark spectre
Keep o ff ! keep o ff ! he s h outed
with a voice like a S te n tor while the hearty laugh of the rest of the party
im m ediately follo wed his last cry W e k n ew at o n ce what he had see n and
he co m prehe n ded the situatio n too as soo n as he had a cha n ce to thi n k

?
so m e o n e asked
W h at are you haili n g your shado w for T o m
D id you
thi n k it was goi n g to r u n you dow n ?
M y God ! he excl ai m ed i n reply
I thought it was a F re n ch m a n a n d it see m ed to me that the j ibboo m was
goi n g to be run dow n my throa t
A ll

'

F I S HE R / M E N

100

O WN

B O O

K
.

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to

b ar qu e s

ns

av e

67
80
58
33
70
53
84
57
53
73
62
76
68
52
70

1 101 to n s ,

av e

am e .

N
N
N
O
O

au t

O
O
O
O

ns.

il u s
i ag ara
il e

hi

59
66
55
64
73
67
68
66

Qu e e n

c e an

c o ne e
o

r e go n

ri

o n

zi m b o
PPeiln n sylv an i a
ot

62
68
67
71
70
59
49
6O
62
43
5 0
24
75
67
60
35
71
61
60
76
67

ro

P h
PP i
P id
PPri

o n tas

o ca

t o m ac
r e m um
e nt
re s
r nc e to n
o te c t o

r
p r
d i
li

R ang e
R ea e
R e w ng
R e a nc e
R c mon
R i o d e l N o te
e
R
Ro e t
uc e
R o c awa
R o m eo
Rom
Sa a

r ag e

ippl
b r
k

Br

2 75 to

to n s ,

; 166 s c o o n e s ,
ag e t o n n ag e , 73 %

To

ave

ns

ra

b i

ll

S a r a E we
S c e nc e
S ig n a l
S i ste r s
Sp en
o pe
S ta o f
S t L aw e n c e
S uc c e ss
S w am s c o tt
S w an
T a s m an
T eo
T o n
T
e e S st e s
T e
T a ve se
T e m o nt
T e n to n

l did
r
r
p
li

h ry
hh r r i

ib r
r r
r
r
Un io n

V an
V c to
V g n

i ry
ir i
Watc hm an
Wa ve
W ave
We l c o m e R e t u r n
W m P D o lli v e r

W m

Yo

e nn

r k to wn
l ps

2 s oo
; 12 r g s , 2273 to n s , av e r ag e
e 60% to n s
T o ta v e s s e s , 184 ; t o nnag e ,

1 28

these 1 8 4 vessels o w n e d i n Gloucester 3 2 years ago although several

are doubtless still in existe n ce O nly o n e the L ucy A n n is still ow n ed her e
The L ucy A n n is
to n s n e w measurement was built in E ssex i n 1 8 4 9
a n d is owned by M r S a m uel Haskel l
V ery m a n y of the re aders of this v o lum e will pe ru se the above list with
ple asure as the recalling of the n ames of these vessels will awake n m a n y

ple asi n g re m i n isce n c es whe n some o f them were the crack vesse ls of their
day and the trips they m ade and the associati o n s c o n nected therewith wil l
recall the past with all its weal th of associatio n s con n ecte d with the sheries
of that period
Of

T HE

P HA N T O M

A L e ge n d

BY
Th e

t id e

co

i n an d

es

th

t id e

N OR

f C ap e A

AN

g o e s o ut ,

B O AT

G UN N

nn

SON

i ly x d f o r a t h re e m o n th s c r u i s e
He s ail e d aw a y f o r t h e s h i ng b an k s
ce

r o ll e r s b re ak o n t h e h arb o r b ar
A n d u p f ro m t h e di s t an c e c o m e s a s a il
F o r m e n m u s t w o r k an d w o m e n m u s t w e e p
G l e am i g Wh it e n e ath th e m o rn ing st ar
M e n m us t w o r k f o r t h e i r d a ily b r e ad ;
F i sh ing t ac kl e an d b o at s o n de c k
O n e m o n th o u t all w e ll o n b o ar d
R u n n i n g r i gg i n g b e l ay e d an d t r i m ;
S p o k e by t h e D ar t o f M arbl e h e ad
R aki n g s p ar s t i s n o b att e r e d w r e c k
o n t h s r o ll e d o n an d n e v e r a w o r d ;
M
S a ili n g o ut i n t h e di s t an c e d i m
S i x m o n th s t w e l v e m o n t h s o n t h e d ay
T h at n i s h e d t h e y e a r w as a r u m o r h e ar d
I t d r aw s n o t n e ar t h o u g h t h e w i n d i s f a i r ;
O f t h e A li c e M a rr i n t h e o ut e r b ay
T h e sh e e t s ar e f re e b u t i t c o m e s n o t n i g h
B u t h an g s a p o i n t o n t h e m o r n i ng ai r
o at s p u t o u t b u t t h e y d r e w n o t n e a r ;
B
A pi c t u r e d s a il tw i x t t h e e ar t h an d s k y
S l o w ly s il e n t ly o n sh e s t e e re d ;
S kipp r A c k m an l h o ! w h at c h e e r ?
F i s h e r m an t e l l m e wh y y o n d e r b o at
S h e h ad v an i sh e d an d di s app e ar e d
S ail s an d n o n e a r e r c o m e s t o sh o r e ;
N o r i n t h e di st an c e g ro w s r e m o te
E ve r as r o ll s t h e y e ar ar o u n d
N o t a r ippl e h e r h o w b r e a k s o e r
Bri ng i ng ag ain h e r s ailin g d ay
R i se s h e r h u l l f r o m t h e d e p t h s p r o fo un d
S t r an g e r I r e c k o n y o u are n t h e r e l o n g
Man y a y e ar h as h e r p e n n an t e w
A n d s l o w ly c r u i s e s t h e o u te r b ay
O l d i s t h e s t o r y a w o r n o u t s o n g
N o t a w o r d o f h e r m a s t e r s f at e
B u t h e r d e c k i s t r o d by n o m o r t al c r e w
O n ly a g li m m e r o f s ail an d s p ar ;
L o o k a m o m e n t an d s e e t h e am e
N o t a w o r d o f h e r c r e w o r m at e
G l e am ing W h ite o ve r m ast an d sp ar
T h i s i s t h e g ho s t o f th e A li c e M arr
e r e ! t ak e m y g l as s y o u c an r e ad t h e n am e
ill
t
s h e w at c h e d d o w n t h e p e ac e f u l b ay
S
Un d e r h e r s t arn t i s t h e A li c e M arr
S t ill h e r y e s c an n e d e ac h g at h e r i n g c l o u d
Y e ar s r e c e d e d a n d wo rn an d g r a y
A li c e M arr w as a fa i r y o u n g g i r l

He r we ddi n g d re ss w as h e r f u h r l s h r o u d
L o n g ag o i n G l o s te r t w n ;
R ippli g r i n g l e t s an d s u n n y c u r l
T h i s i s n o m yt h o f th e p o e t s p e n
R ar e r e d lip s an d a c h e e k o f b r o wn
T h i s i s n o m i r ag e u p o n t h e bl as t
T h e b o at i s t h e r e ju s t t h e s am e as w h e n
T h at w as A li c e t h e sh e r s p r id e ;
M i n e o wn e ye s s aw i n th e S u m m e r p ast
L o v e r s s o ug ht h e r f ro m n e ar an d f ar ;
S h e w as Jo h n A c k m an s p r o m i s e d b r id e
O n ly t h e e y e o f f ai t h c a n s e e
He n am e d h i s v e s se l t h e A l i c e M ar r

y
bli
d
e
d
n
e n d thi s in brie f
e
e
a
r
s
E
Wh at i s h o lde n fr o m y o u o r m e
T h ar s n o th i n g s art i n st r an ge r i n li f e ;
W e r e g o n e t o m o r r o w t h o u g h h e r e t o d ay
I s s e e n by o t h e r s w h o h av e b e li e f
A n o t h e r v y a e sh e w o u ld b e h i s w i fe
S t ill i n t h e m o rn i n g c o ld an d g r a y
A t l e as t s o I v e h e ar d th e g o s s ip s s ay
G azi ng afar t h e s e a to s c an
L o o ki n g o u t fr o m t h e s h e l t r e d b ay
Po rk p o t ato e s an d h ard tac k sto w e d
W ate r i n b arr e l s an d w at e r in t an ks
S e e t h e p h an t o m w h i c h h au n t s C ap e A nn
A

nd

th

F I S HE R M E N

O WN B

O O

AW
A T r awling T r ip
BY WA
HI

M D
O

EL

O F TR

L E R

O F

882

1 03

LTE R

i
s
s
r o l ic
r
d
P
o
o
e
F
Us e
p
a nd

H a u li ng tk e T r a w ls
n

nco m m o n

C a nso

at

and

LL

tk e B is /t i ng G

r o un d s

S e tti ng

W k a t W e F i n d i n T /ze m C k a ngi ng B

P u tti ng I

n c id e n t

or

er

t/z

a i t.

us imagi n e o urselves o n b oard a trawler well outside and sh api n g a

c o urse E
S for C ape S able a distance of t wo hu n dre d a n d ftee n m iles
The li n es which co m pose a trawl are m ade of cotto n a n d are in le n gth s
o f fty fatho m s about the si z e of a lead pe n cil a n d tarred to re n der the m
m o re durable They are attached at equal dista n ces to a buoy li n e a n d are
coiled in tubs o r our barrels c u t dow n an d exte n d to about three hu n dre d

fathoms for each tub E ach dory wil l set about four to six tubs so that
it for m s a pretty lo n g stri n g wh e n exte n ded i n o n e directio n F o r halibut
catchi n g the hooks are attach ed at a dista n ce of two a n d a half fatho m s
apart throughout the whole le n gth of the trawl but fo r c o d s h i n g the hook s
are pl aced a fathom apart The shi n g is do n e i n dories a n d t wo m e n go

n
r
u
each
dory
vessel
s
crew
co
sists
o
f
fourtee
n
all
tol
d
twelve m e n
n
O
i

cook a n d skippe r or captai n M uch gear is n ecessary besides the trawl

itself v i z buoys buoy li n es a n chors ags etc But you will get a bette r

idea of al l this when we c o me to make a se t by accompanyi n g o ne o f th e

dories yourself
L et

F I S HE R M E N

104

B O O

O WN

K
.

M e anwhil e tak e a l ook at th e h ol d It is divided o ff int o pe ns or com

I n a fres h
p ar t m e n ts in which is st o w e d t h e salt n e cessa r y to cure th e sh
h alibut catch e r thes e pe n s would be stowed with ic e inst e ad o f salt
N o w j ust step on deck agai n
Here is somethi n g that will i n tere st y o u
D o you s e e that spl ashing far away on t h e h ori z on ? That is a scho o l of
porp o is e s and they ar e coming this way I ll tak e th e h arpoo n a n d go o u t
o n t h e b o wsp r i t a n d should th e y cross our bows t r
my
luck
I
m
n
ot
ve
ry
y
e xpert with this weap o n but it m ay s e r v e t o kil l tim e agreeably if n ot a
porpois e Here they c o me l au n ching thems e lv e s alo n g with da z z l i n g r a
id
i
h
t
n
e
migh
t
cal
l
them
very
incarn
atio
n o f vitality a n d action
O
t
e
p
y
I s o metim e s thi n k wh e n I s e e the m e vidently e n j oying life so i n te n sely
l a u n ching th e ms e lv e s through t h e air by th o s e m ag n ic e n t twe n ty a n d thirty
feet boun ds chasing a n d raci n g o n e a n o th e r wit h l ightning actio n that i t
is their way of expre ssi n g their gratitude for b e i n g pe rmitted to i n habit suc h
a beautiful world of wat e rs a n d for be i n g so admirably adapted to enj oy i t
W ha n g ! I mi ss ed th at o n e ! Quick ! haul i n the sl ack lin e an d give m e
o u t th e har p o on again
W e a r e in th e midst o f t h e school n o w
W hi z !
agai n
Pay out the sl ack li n e and heav e th e
I v e struck o n e this tim e
h elm d o wn ! D o n t chec k him till t h e vessel s way is stopp ed or h e wil l
There h e comes al o n gside disput
N o w you may try him
s n ap t h e li n e
i n g eve r y i n ch an d making some wicked plu n ges
W e wil l get a run n ing
bowli n e ov e r his tail and h aul him aboard There he comes in Ho w h e
l a s h e s th e deck e very n e rv e quive ring with rage a n d exciteme n t
The bree z e h as freshe n ed W e have left C ape S able behi n d and ar e
b ooming along t h e N ova S cotia shore at a good rat e
W e shall so o n b e i n
T h e bait thi s
C anso wh e re we shall probably take what bait we require
time will consist o f he rring These are tak e n by the residen t sherm e n in
n ets and br o ught alo n gside the vessel a n d sol d at s o much per hu n dred o r
b arrel It is more e xciting work wh e n we catch our o wn bait especially if
that b a it happen s to be squid
I shal l n ot say much of the inevitable frolic we get up o n t h e n igh t
befo re leavi n g for t h e Ban k s W hat pretty girls we ge t i n tr o duced t o
A n d h e re lest th e better halves of the m arried po r tion o f my co m pagn o n s
de voyage should become j ealous let me say that I saw n o impr o pe r i r t s
tio n s going on o n their part N o t o n e of th e benedicts u n der m y eye dance d
more than twice with th e sam e you n g lady A n old familiar j ust d roppe d
i n sugge sts I might possibly myself hav e be e n to o m uch e n grossed to ob
serve all that was passi n g a rou n d m e It is a base insi n uation an d w e re
he not a privil e ged characte r I s hould fre e z ingly poi n t him t o t h e door
L e avi n g all these O pen questio n s behind l et u s consider ourselves o n th e
shi n g grounds H aving decid e d o n making a set we round to a n d a n cho r
i n about f o rty fathoms o f wat e r T h e h o o k s bei n g baited up an d all ready
.

F I S HE R M E N

B O OK

O WN

19

the dories are rigged out and th e tubs of trawl buoys buoy lines a n chors
e tc
are put i n to them A s each dory gets ready she is rowe d out in he r
regular place whic h has bee n drawn for by lo t and the work o f setti n g th e
trawls commences E ach takes a di ffere nt directio n from the vessel Thus
the vessel fo rm s the centre a n d the trawls form radii of a circl e bei n g se t
with a buoy and anchor at each e n d A good ag is placed o n the buoy at
th e outer e n d which exte n ds about a m ile and a half fr o m the vessel an d
the do r ies the n r o w ab o ard and t h e trawls are l eft out till the foll o wi n g
m o rn i n g
A t daylight al l h a n ds are called out to breakfast immediately after whic h
the dories are hoisted out a n d r o w to the ends of their trawls bei n g guide d
by the ags whe n it is clear ; but whe n it is thick an d foggy which most
frequently happe n s n ding the outer buoy is a m atte r of much difcul ty
and the dories freque n tly lose themselves Howeve r bei n g cle ar it is a ll
pla n e saili n g to d ay There is some rival ry bet wee n the dories as to which
o n e shall bri n g most the sh or get do n e rs t ; but as the re ade r is to ac
company us we wil l proceed le isurely so as to exami n e al l t h e curios tha t
co m e up
W e ve taken hold o f the buoy then an d h avi n g shipped the r o l ler i n t h e
bows commence h a uling away A t last the a n chor heaves in sight afte r
what you think a l o n g haul and here on the rst hook is a good c o d s h
but I do n t s e e muc h more comi n g al o n g There again is a haddoc k
Take notice of those teeth marks about him A hal ibut h as bee n e n deavor
S e e what a scared look he has ! W he n hauli n g tra wl s
i n g to swallow him
I s o metimes like n the expressio n of di ff e re n t sh to their counte rparts o n
terra r m a Thus the haddock bears a strong resembla n ce to the sheep o r
lamb Their large i n n ocen t eyes seem to look up appeali n gly as they com e
up alo n gside the do r y They accept their fate too with sheepish resig n a
tio n and scarcely ever stir afte r bei ng sl atted o ff the hook into the do r y
They are the prey of almost eve ry othe r sh that swims a n d altogether
mus t have a ve ry hot tim e of it i n deed down there
W hat have we co m i n g here ? A roc k which is per fectly ho n ey combed
Pe rfo r ate d so re and dr ill e d w ith ho l e s
This work is acco m plished by a species of bori n g bivalve whose ge n e ric
name I am u n able to give but if you could desce n d a n d take a sub m ari n e
stroll you would scarcely n d a rock but was i n the sa m e state whe reve r
these curious fellows are found C urled i n to so m e of these hole s a n d clus
t e r e d arou n d the rock i n fa n tastic shapes you observe n u m erous sa n dy
tubes These are i n habited by curious worms k n ow n to the n aturalist as
a n n elids They are widely distributed al l over the shi n g ba n ks whereve r
th e b o tt o m can be m ad e available for buildi n g their cells
There are vari
-

10

F I S HE R M E N

O WN

B O O

K
.

ous species O n e k i n d does n o t build a c e ll at all an d is k n own as th e

n aked an n elid
But s t O p ! I feel a h alibut tugging away belo w There he heaves i n sight
Keep steady i n the dory while I ge t m y gaff i n his head a n d do n o t be
alarmed whe n I heel the cra n k li t tl e craft over to take the big fellow i n
A fter I get his head o n the gu n wale he slides i n to the bottom of the b o at
as easily as if he were helpi n g himself in
I c a n see t wo or three c o d s h co m i ng al o n g n ext O n e of the m is a large
o ne L ook h o w l a z ily that f ty pou n der rol ls up alo n gside He see m s to
accept the situatio n as if he had bee n expecti n g it If he could speak he
m ight give mouth ( what a m outh ! ) to the followi n g :
Here I co m e W hi p
out your ga ff and help m e aboard without a n y fuss I ve bee n looki n g for
this a lo n g time past I put all my a ff airs i n order whe n I reached forty
pou n ds weight a n d have been ready to full my desti ny at a ny ti m e si n ce
H o w di ffere n tly does that s n apper or you n g c o d s h appear to act
He
darts about as far as the hook wil l allo w and seems to h ave vitality e n o ugh
for a do z e n years t o come A fte r h e i s u n hooked he utters about a n d
won t h e resigned i n a n y pl ace but seems to protest to the last agai n st the
fate which cu t s him o ff i n the pride of his youth A n d who c a n believe but
his view is the sou n d est if it were practicable to le t him alone ?
But wh at h ave we here ? A s I l i ve it s a turbot You wil l m ake a deli
W e do n o t save the m for m arket
c i o u s m eal fro m this fello w I ll warra n t
there bei n g appa r e ntly little de m a n d for them i n the S tates If I were a
gourm an d an d had the mea n s wherewith to gratify my appetite I would
o ff er his weight i n silver for one of these paragons of all that is delicate and
rich amo n g sh avors
Passi n g over numerous c o d s h an d an occasional halibut we haul al o ng
till we co m e to a co m parative stra n ger o n the Gra n d Ba n k would that he

n
n
m
h ad been a stra n ger o n Georges a n d so e other Ba ks I ve shed o
a
If you woul d cultivate a n gelic patie n ce or h aply sou n d the depth
d o g s h
o f wicked n ess to which it woul d be possible to goad you go out o n W ester n
G eorges i n D o g( s h ) days a n d haul a trawl of o n e thousa n d hooks with a
W hichever course you adopt if you succeed i n
d o g s h o n every hook
ghti n g it out o n that li n e to the e n d will h ave brought you to the extrem e
limits of good n ess or to the borde r of Hades Their ski n is so rough that
before you have u n ho oke d fty the prob ability is that your thumb a n d n ge r
will be getti n g r a w to say n othi n g of the dexterity with which the gree n
e yed wretch comes back after havi n g his ja w hauled h alf out with the hook
a n d swi m s arou n d as if to i n timate that you h ave bee n exhausti n g your p a
t i e n c e or your passio n o n him without disturbi n g his equilibrium in the
l east
The trawl is comi n g up from a ledge n o w as you may see by the pretty
'

F I S HE R M E N

O WN

B O O

10

dimi n utive sprays of coral attached to some of the hooks You will observe
f o ur or ve varieties but I h ave neve r yet been fortun ate e n o ugh to h aul up
a n y of the ki n d valuable i n co m merce
Here s a queer looki n g obj ect comi n g a sh skel eto n I t is a c o d s h
with n othi n g but the skin a n d bo n es left He has been e ate n si n ce he go t
o n that hoo k; as clea n as a wh istle n o t a grai n of esh left if you d give a
guin ea for it L ittle i n sects that we call s a n d e a s have accomplished this
There m ust be myriads of them because i n a couple of hours they will
o r spe aki n g
r educe a large c o d s h to the state i n which we n d this o n e
m athematical ly to h is si m plest ter m s The sh poor fel low must feel ve ry
much like Gulliver whe n attacked by the L illiputia n army They re t oo
m any for him

Thus we go o n to the e n d of the trawl where we break out th e a n chor

a n d haul it up together with t h e buoy li n e a n d buoy rowi n g t o th e vessel
T h ese we dress dow n a n d as the aggr e
a n d pitchi n g our sh o n deck
gate catch is n o t large we hea v e up the a n chor a n d sh ift a f e w m iles away
whe re we bri n g to agai n bait up the trawls a n d the n are do n e for the
n ight till daylight doth appear
This time we ge t better shi n g a n d all
the dories get a load
S uch a n one h appe n ed t o
S o m etimes a n u n co m mo n i n cide n t takes pl ace
th e writer a short time si n ce W e were i n our dory h auli n g away i n the
m ost u n suspecti n g ma n n er whe n a whale without th e slightest previous
n otice ca m e righ t up u n der the dory gave a s n ort wh ich startled us as
though it had bee n a n earthquake a n d i n a m o me nt we were sl idi n g o ff the
b ack of the m o n ster h alf capsi z ed L uckily we both m a n aged to grab the
upper gu n wale a n d save d her from goi n g wholly ove r co m i n g o ff with n o
worse da m age tha n bei n g swa m ped with wate r a n d losi n g half our sh
O n foggy days a hor n is blow n at freque n t i n terval s duri n g the time th e
dories are haul i n g trawls to e n able the m to j udge O f the whereabouts of the
vessel But witha l dories freque n tly l ose themselves a n d row about for
m a n y hours without n di n g their vessels a n d i n such cases they are ofte n
picked up by passi n g vessels after e n d ur i n g great privatio n s M a n y a
thrilli n g story might be told of n arrow escapes from perils such as th ese by
o ur sher m e n who follow up Ba n k shi n gco n ti n uously
W he n the bait gets exhausted o r becomes too stale for the sh to relish
it we proceed to N ewfou n dla n d to procure a n othe r supply O n s u ch occa
sio n s we so m etimes ha ve m a n y leisure days and to beguile time we arra n ge
a da n ce o n shore which is kept up from dark till daylight
.

'

'

F I S HE R M E ZV S

108

M A S S AC HUS E T T S M AC

O WN

E RE L
K

B O O

K
.

C AT C H FO R 74 YE A R S

184 5
1809
18 10
1 8 11
1 8 12
1 8 13
18 14
18 15
18 16
18 17
1 8 18
18 19
1 8 20
1 82 1
18 22
18 23
18 24
18 25
18 26
18 27
18 28
1 8 29
183 0
183 1
1 832
1 833
1834
1835
1 8 36
183 7
1838
1839
1840
184 1
184 2
1843
1844

184 6
184 7
184 8
1 84 9
185 0
1 85 1
18 5 2
1 85 3
1854

46
n o ne

6
no n e

91
no ne

1 23
1 15
154
109
2 17

1 85 6
1 85 7
185 8

186 1
1 86 2
18 63
186 4
1865
1 866
18 6 7
1 8 68
1 86 9
1 870
18 7 1
18 72
18 78
18 74
18 75
1 8 76
18 77
1 8 78
18 79
1880
188 1

105 J X 7
1444 2 26
15 5
25 2
3
25 6 ,Y

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bbl s th e am o un t
eet
T h e c at c h o f t h e G l o u c e s te r e e t i n 188 1 w as
c atc h o f o u r
i ns p e c te d o n ly
bbl s 1880 c at c h
bbl s
,

F I S HE R M E J V S

O O

O WN B

Th e Fo r tune B ay R iot

10

treaty o f W ashington opened the way to a satisfact o ry s e ttlemen t of

the A labam a C lai m s so far as this cou n try was co n cer n ed G reat Britai n
bei n g called upon to pay over a h a n dsome sum for the depredatio n s of h e r
cruisers upo n A merica n commerce duri n g the W ar of the R ebe llio n Bu t
t h e Treaty co n tai n ed provisio n s co n cer n i n g the F ishe ries which have n o t
r e s u l t e d e s satisfactorily either to our o wn gove rn me n t or t o th e depe nde n
cies o f Great Britai n Un der these provision s the A me rica n m arket was
throw n O pe n to the products of provi n cial shermen free of duty thu s
bri n gi ng their catch into active competition with ours while A merican s h
e r me n were permitted to sh in provincial waters o n equal te r ms with Brit
ish subj ects as they claim to their great detrimen t an d loss The F ishe r y
n tai n ed a clause providi n g for a C ommissio n
r
of
the
Treaty
also
co
v
i
n
s
o
s
o
p
to sit at Halifax a n d determi n e h o w much if a n ythi n g the U nited S tate s
S hould pay for t h e valuable p r ivileges v o uch safed her sherme n over a n d
above the value of the freed o m of her m arkets to provi n cial caugh t sh
T h e C o m m is s io n m e t and heard evide n ce o n both sides an d decided th at
the U n ited S tates sh o uld pay the sum of
an amou n t as t h e
A merican s claim and believe l arger than the total value o f al l the sh take n
o r to be taken by A merican sherme n within provi n cial waters duri n g t h e
twelve years that the Treaty is likely t o remain in force Th e m o ney was
however paid without c o ntroversy
The sherme n of N ewfou n dland were espe cially restive u n der wha t they
r egarded as the cedi n g away of their rights by the impe rial gover n men t
They looked upon the shore herri n g she ry of their isla n d as pecul iarly
their o wn property It was their pri n cipal sourc e o f reve n ue o n whic h
themselves a n d their families were depe n de n t for bread a n d if this she ry
was taken away from them o r its value destroyed starvatio n woul d star e
them in the face A ccord in gly when a l a r ge A m e r ic an eet appe ared upo n
their coast i n the W inter of 1 8 7 7 8 with improved apparatus for the ca tc h
i n g of herring i n stead o f purchasing a supply of the n ative sh e rme n a s
had previously bee n the practice they were greatly i n ce nsed an d resolve d
to defe n d what they fel t to be their rights
T h e Gloucester ee t arrived in F ortu n e Bay about th e middle of D ecem
ber and waited u n til the rst wee k i n Ja n uary for the herring to strike i n
Th ey were provided with sei n es an d prepared to catch or buy sh as c i r
c u m s t a n c e s might warra n t
T h e eet comprised twenty tw o r s t cl ass ves
s els as foll o ws :
The

'

F I S HE R M E N

1 10

S c k o o ne r

O WN

te r e r

ar

C li

or

ze r

H u m phrey C A lle n
W ale n
A llen
Peter S m ith
W illiam B C oombs
D e n n is
A ye r
Plu m er a n d Frie n d
Brow n S eavey C o
J orda n
R owe
J a m es M a n seld
S ons
W ale n
A lle n
J oh n F W o n s o n C o
J oh n F W o n s o n
CO
Brow n S eavey C o
Gard n e r a n d Poole
George D e n n is
Co
H ardy A lle n
Bro
S a m uel L a n e
J oh n L o w
Joh n P e w S o n
J oh n Pew S o n
A n drew L eighto n
W m Parso n s 2 d
Co

K
Ow

Bo n a n z a
Bu n ke r H il l
C harles C W arre n
C rest of the W a v e
E d ward E W ebste r
F A S m ith
F red P F r y e
H erbert M R ogers
H ereward
I saac R ich
J oh n W Bray
L i z z ie
N amari
M ary M
E
ie
M aud
M aud B W etherell
M oro C astle
M oses A dams
n owlto n
M ose s K
N e w E n gland
O n tario
W ildre
W illiam E M c D o n ald
.

B O O

The herri n g s truck i n t o F o r tu n e Bay o n S u n day J a n 6 1 8 78 i n such

quantities that a f e w h ours sei n i n g woul d h ave su fced to lo ad the en tir e
ee t The s c h s N e w E ngl a n d C apt Peter M c A u le y a n d O n ta r i o C apt
J ohn D ago j oi n e d a n d set their seine s m aki n g a double sei n e about
feet lo n g a n d 1 5 0 fee t deep which soon lled with herri ng the catch bei n g
e stimated at fully
barrels This with th e operatio n s of the other
G loucester scho o n ers m adde n ed the N ewfou n dla n d sherme n who h ad
gathered i n the vici n ity to the number of t wo hu n dre d or m ore a n d they
com m e n ced to put o ff i n boats maki n g warlike de m o n stratio n s a n d usi n g
threate n i n g la n guage a n d com m a n di n g the A merican sher m en to desist
from shing The sei n es of the O n ta r i o a n d M w E ngla n d were sei z ed by
th e mob the sh let out a n d the sei n es torn i n pieces a n d carrie d a way
The rioters next tur n ed their atte n tio n to the sch M o s e s A d a m s C apt
S olo m on J acobs whose sei n e h ad bee n se t an d lle d a n d whose cre w were
busily engage d i n scoopi n g t h e herri n g i n to boats a n d transferri n g the m to
their vessel Three separate atte m pts were made to sei z e this seine b u t
C apt J acobs a n d his crew were provide d wi t h loaded revolvers a n d by
threateni n g to sho o t the rst man who dared to i n terfere with them suc
c e e d e d i n kee i n g the mob at b ay until a partial cargo had bee n secured
p
whe n the N ewfou ndlanders tripped the sei n e and al lowed the re m ai n der of
th e herri n g to escape H ad they bee n al lowed to co n ti n ue shing they
could have l o aded thei r v e ssel a n d helped i n supplyi ng othe rs
.

F I S HE R M E N

B O O

O WN

1 1 1

the eveni n g the rioters h ad a j ubilee blowi n g horn s ri n g gf ms a n d

shouti n g as if celebrati n g a victory This was take n as an i n dication tha t
the same course would be pursued if further atte m pts were made to sh a n d
the other vesse l s were deterred fro m m aki n g the atte m pt N ext day t h e
herr i n g struck off shore a n d n di n g it di fcult to purchase cargoes the ee t
soo n set sail for home mostly i n ballast although a portion of the ee t se
cured partial cargoes m ostly by purch ase
i n July a similar occurrence o n a sm al le r scal e
The followi n g year
took place in A s p e y Bay C ape Breto n The schs B ay S ta te C apt Good
win a n d C a d e t C apt A n derso n arrived at A s p e y Bay Ju n e 2 0 to await t h e
schooli ng of the squid whe n they proposed to e n gage i n sei n i n g operations
They were told by the i n habita n ts that they would n o t be allowe d to se t
their sei n es but co n ti n ued to await the appe ara n ce of the sh hopi n g th a t
the y would n o t be i n terfered with The squid struck i n J uly 8 t h b ut t h e
threats of the local sherme n were so se rious a n d deter m i n e d that t h e
A merica n s were o bliged to refrai n fro m shi n g a n d co m e home without fares
A u g 1 6 1 8 79 sch H o w a r d H o lbr o o k C apt D a n iel M c F ay d e n of this
port while abse n t o n a Ba n k trip put i n to Tri n ity Bay N F for the pur
pose of sei n i ng bait C apt M c F ay d e n W a s opposed by some thirty N e w
f o u n d l an d e r s who threate n ed to destroy his sei n e a n d dories if he atte m pte d
to sh the spokes m a n of the party o n e C oope r declari n g that n o o n e
should s e t a sei n e for squid withi n three m iles of the shore a n d live to haul i t
O n the 4 t h of A ugust 1 8 8 0 as the sch M o r o C a s tle C apt L ore n B N ass
of this port was lyi n g i n C o n ception Bay for the purpose of purchasi n g
squid to co m ple t e a Ba n k voyage so m e of the crew threw over j igs a n d com
m e n c e d to catch a f e w squid ove r the side of the vessel duri n g the abse n c e
of the skipper They were see n from the shore a n d a n a n gry crowd of n a
tive sher m e n put o ff sei z e d the schoo n er raised he r a n chor hoisted the
m ainsail a n d j ib a n d came n ear getti n g her ashore upo n the rocks S eei n g
the da n ger she was i n th e mob took their departure leavi n g the vesse l
in the ha n ds of the crew Th e sch Vi c to r C apt Joseph Bowie was also
co m pelled by superior n umbers to reli n quish shi n g fo r squid at the sam e
ti m e u n der threats of havi n g the cable cut allowi n g the schoo n er to drift
E ff orts were also m ade o n t wo occasio n s i n A ugust to pre
o n the rocks
ve n t sch M a r tk a C C apt C harle s M arti n fro m taki n g s quid but C apt
M arti n put a bold face o n the m atter retur n i n g threat for threat a n d took
what squid he wa n ted without m olestatio n
S c h M in n es o ta of Provi n cetow n was also preve n ted from taki n g bait in
the S u m m er of 1 8 8 0 A t this ti m e n egotiatio n s were i n progress to secure
i n de m n ity for the out r ages upo n A m erica n sher m e n with a prospect of
N ewfou n dla n d havi n g to pay the bills a n d the local authorities felt that i t
was ti m e so m ethi n g was do n e to show that such lawlessness was n o t sa n c
I

F I S HE R M E N

1 12

O WN

B 0O

K
.

by th o se i n authority A ccordi n gly ne y o un g l a d s we r e a r r e s te d f o r

t]
: r o w i ng s to n e s a t th e c r e w of th e [ M i n ne s o ta w h i le th ey w e r e e ng age d i n ta k i ng
ba it a n d four of the m were co n victed a n d ned
E arly in 1 8 7 8 e ff o rts were m ade to secure compensation for the l o sses o f
A merica n sherme n i n co n seque n ce o f the u n lawful acts o f British subj ects
O n e excuse after an o ther was offered i n j ustication of th e c o urs e pursue d
by the riotous sherme n but no n e of them could sta n d against the pl ai n
l a n guage of the Tre aty as i n terpreted by the evi d e n ce in troduced befor e
the Halifax C om m issio n which gave our sherm e n a n u n doubted right to
sh as they pleased i n the provi n cial waters The n egotiatio n s were pro
l o n ged u n til the S ummer of 1 8 8 1 whe n the U n ite d S tates received from
G reat Britai n t h e sum o f
which was accepted i n full for all cl aim s
to date o n the part of A m erica n citi z e n s agai n st the gover n m e n t of G reat
Britai n O n the r o th of July a portio n of this sum was disbursed am ong
the F ortune Bay eet of 1 8 7 8 leavi n g the losses at A s pe y an d C onception
Bays for future co n sideratio n Th e Fortu n e Bay e et put in clai m s to cover
the actual expe n ses o f the voyages i n cluding charte r money o utts port
charges sea m o n s wages etc a n d the probable prots of the trips had
they bee n all o wed to secure cargoes based upon the prots of prece di n g
years The l atte r item wa s disal l o wed a n d payme n t was made o n the basis
o f the actual expe n ses less value of cargo secured with seve n tee n a n d o n e
h alf per ce n t i n terest or at the rate of ve per ce n t per a n n um
The followi n g is a l ist of the claims prese n ted with the amou n ts actually
disbursed i n settlemen t there of
t io

ne

B
B

o o ne r

za
ill
un ke r
C h ar l e s 0 W ar r e n
C r e s t o f t h e W av e
E d war d E We b st e r
F A S m it h
F r e d P F rye
e r b e r t M R o ge r s
e re w ar d
I s a ac R i c h
Jo hn W B r ay
N am ar i
L izzi e
M ar y M
M au d E i e
M au d B We the re ll
M o r o C a st l e
Mo se s A d am s
Mo s e s Kn o w l to n
N e w E n g l an d
O n t ar i o
W ild r e
W illi am E M c D o n ald

o n an

H
H

c tua l

cp e n s e s .

Va l u e

f C ar go

C lai m

a y m e n t.

FL S HE R M E A S

I mpo r t anc e

of

O WN

B O O

1 13

Fish Cultur e

afte r day this w o nderful e nterprise is meeti n g with greater a n d great

The fact of reproducing sh articially is based upon
e r e n courageme n t
the practical exp e rie nces of a F re n chm an n early a ce n tury ago and although
its success proved largely beyo n d his expectatio n s the w o rld remai n ed as
m any people do t o d ay skeptical as to th e feasibil ity of the expe ri m ents
A s in al l other i m portant eve n ts discove red by accide n t scie n ce was essen
tial to the thorough illustration in the m atter o f sh culture The adva n ce s
m ade within the last half ce n tury are simply bewilde ring The broo k tro ut
was rst propagated by articial means n o w eve n salt water shes i n clud
ing lobsters a n d oyste rs are destined to yield to the m a n ipulatio n of m a n
a n d have their numbe r i n crease d beyo n d t h e l imits of calculation
N ecessity the ad m itted moth e r o f inve n tio n should h ave pro m pte d the
E uropea n scientists to make the greatest e ff o r ts ye t the facts are it is t o
those o f our you n g republic to whom the ho n ors have bee n awarde d for t h e
gre at work though surrou n ded by a n abu n da n ce U n der the skilful d i r e c
tio n of Prof S F Baird the world ren o wn e d S eth Gree n a n d o thers the
propagation of sh a n d i n ven tio n s pertai n i n g thereto have won for these
H atch
g e n tleme n n otoriety u n equalled by a n y pisciculturists of the world
eries tra n sporti n g i m pl e m e n ts accli m ati z i n g of sh s h way s an d the like
h ave bee n perfected i n the U n ited S tate s to such a degree that the E uropean
F ish C o n gress held a year ago in G e rma n y awarded their m ost valuable
z es to gentleme n of our cou n try
ri
Th e S tate Fish C om m issioners hav e
p
D ay

1 1

F I S HE R M E N

B O OK

O WN

secon ded their n atio n al o ffi cial brethre n by u n tiri n g e n ergy an d skill which
bri n gs them u n der honorable n otice by their c o la bar a t e ur s abroad The
M c D o n a l d s h way is a m o n u m e n t wh ich will perpetuate the n ame o f its
inve n tor E uge n e Blackford of N e w York has his n ame e n graved upon t h e
historical records of sh wit h the L u tja n u s B l a c kf o r d i i ; so m ight be e n um
crate d every o n e of these ge n tlemen who without oth er co n sideratio n than
the true ma n ly se n se of duty ha v e labored to protect a n d i n cre ase the s h
supply of our cou n try Prof Geck of W urz burg G erma n y a n oted s c ie n
t is t is n o w co m pili n g a book upo n this in teresti n g subj ect a n d h as wisely
placed h imself i n correspo n de n ce with our N atio n al a n d S tate F ish C o m mis
s i o n e r s with a view of getti n g rel iable data a n d i n for m ation which has bee n
derived from their relative experie n ces This is o n e of m a n y insta n ces com
n ta r
m
A
l
i
m
e
to
erican

s
h
culturists
but
whe
n
their
prese
t
e
orts
will
n
ff
p
y
have bee n m atured by m aterial resul ts more of them will come pouri n g i n
M uch has ye t to be do n e to develop the pla n s of i n creased sh c ul ture
The legisl atures of the several S tates must m ake liberal appropriatio n s t h e
pe ople are to be educated to the i m porta n ce of the e n terprise a n d the n t h e
whole world will marvel at what has a n d ca n be do n e O ysters which
form so large a part of our food supply must be articial ly propagate d
S cie n tists are already occupyi n gthemselves about it a n d o n e o r t wo hav e
even devised apparatus for testi n g the subj ect W he n this is m ade p r a c t i
cabl e with what is bei n g do n e to wards the i n crease i n the supply of sh a
fu n d of wealth will have bee n O pe n ed far greate r than the gol d elds of
O n ly a f e w years ago Germa n carp were i n troduce d
A ustralia or C al ifor n ia
i n to the U n ited S tates yet at prese n t their produce wo uld represe n t edible
sh to the exte n t of m a n y to n s I n less tha n t e n years the whol e cou n try
wil l be stocked with the m
This wil l m aterially lesse n the existi n g va n dal
ism practiced in our l akes a n d s tream s co n seque n tly assisti n g n ature in t h e
i n crease of sh in the m
,

F I S HE R M E N

O WN

B O OK

Th e Fi sh e r i e s in th e O l de n

BY
U pon

1 1

T im e

visiti n g ol d G louceste r my n ative pl ace rece n tly I was forcib ly

remi n ded by way of co n trast of th e ways a n d m e a n s by which th e busi n ess
was carried o n i n the ye ars lo n g l o n g ago the d ays of our fathe rs a n d
gra n dfathers a n d even dow n to the ti m e of m y o wn boyhood s re m e m bra n ce
Th e Gra n d Ba n k cod she ry was co n sidered the heavy busi n ess i n these
ol d days This was varied so m ewhat by occasio n al trips to L abrador Bay
The pursui t of m ackerel as a specialty had the n hardly c o m
C hal e ur etc
m e n c e d a n d the curi n g a n d s m oki n g of hal ibut for the trade was u n k n own
The crews of the Ba n kers woul d so m eti m es bri n g home a f e w e tc h e d f o r
fa m ily use th at were cured i n the s m oke of the cabi n
Fitti n g away for the Ba n ks was usually atte n ded to alo n g i n M arch an d
duri n g A pril they were wel l o n their way to their desti n atio n ; T wo trips
or fares ge n eral ly occupie d the se aso n a Fal l fare was so m etimes un der
take n but for this the cha n ces were n o t co n sidered favorable by reaso n of
bad we ather for shi n g a n d the e qu i n octial gales The old salts would
someti m es tell of i n te n di n g to partake of their C hrist m as di n n er before ge t
t i n g u p a n chor for ho m e but I thi n k that this feat was n ever acco m plished

at a n y rate hardly ever

I t was the custo m to keep coun t o f the n u m ber of sh caught a n d a fare
of thirty to forty thousa n d or e n ough to eat all their salt was co n sidere d
fair luck A n expert could esti m ate very n early the amou n t a give n n u m
ber of sh would weigh o ff whe n thoroughly cured
The sh were all caugh t ove r the rail
I reme m ber of heari n g it sai d
that F re n ch vessels were so m eti m es m e t with o n the Ba n ks that were s h
O n the arrival of a Ba n ke r the rst m ove was to ascertai n
i n g with trawl s
the n u m ber of sh caught by haili n g fro m t h e rocks back of the old Fort
washi n g
a n d after co m i n g to a n chor i n the i n n e r harbor co m m e n ced the
out
The
fra m e or raft of ti m ber loosely boarde d over a n d
arou n d the sides wa s m ade fast alo n gside i n to this the sh were throw n
a n d the pick l e a n d u n dissolved sal t washe d o ff the n ce take n to the shore
i n boats they were p i led i n water house
upo n a stratu m of brush s h a v
i n gs etc A fter re m ai n i n g i n this co n ditio n a week or m ore to al low th e
superuous m oisture to drai n o ff they were tra n sferred to t h e akes where
with careful te n di n g they were cured a n d thorough ly dried for m arket for
e ig n or do m estic
,

1 1

F I S HE R M E N

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shipme n t t o th e W es t I n dies the S pa n ish mai n a n d othe r foreign

ports the sh were packed u n der a powerful screw press u re in large casks
There were times after
m ade for the purpose k n ow n as sh h ogsheads

the cl ose of our R ev o lutio n a n d while E urope was i n vol ved i n N ap o le o n s

wars that sh fou n d a ready m arket an d a h igh price on the co n ti n en t
They were i n great de m and for arm y supp lies I have heard of sh bei n g
sold there at such ti m es for a Fre n ch crow n
apiece
The shi n g vessel s were so m eti m es e m pl oyed i n W i n te r voyages to for
eig h ports carryi n g th e procee ds of their S u m m er s work return i n g with
cargoes of foreig n produce a n d m oney M a n y of the sherm e n would ship
for t heir W i n ter s voyage a n d thus e m ploy their ti m e for the year rou n d
I h ave heard U n cle S am D a y a vetera n h a n d li n e r tel l of goi n g to t h e
Ba n ks in th e S pri n g a n d S u m m er worki n g a while at shoemaki n g i n th e
to Bilboa i n th e W i n ter I t was thus that in a d
F al l a n d goi n g a wig e
ditio n t o their shi ng e xperie n ce they beca m e expert a n d able sea m e n that
could h a n d reef a n d steer on board a m an o f war with the sa m e facili ty
as they could h aul a li n e ove r the rail The sturdy sherm e n of G lo u c e s
ter Beverly M arbleh ead a n d al l a lo n g shore h ave bee n well represe n te d
i n our n avy in the ti m e of their c o u n try s n eed
Fo

F I S HE R M E N

S alm on Fi shi ng

o WN

outh
O r e gon

th e M

at

of

B 0O

th e

C ol

1 I

mbi a Rive r ,

The seaso n of th e sa lm on sheries o f the C olumbia river commences in

The sh are take n i n tide wate r by
A pril a n d is ove r by the e n d of J uly
n ets a n d traps in i m m e n se qua n tities as they asce n d the rive r fresh from
the oce an They are cured fresh in o n e a n d t wo p o u n d ca n s an d cured
by p i ckle i n barrel s an d half barrels The C olu m bia sal m on is very fat
avor S al m on shi n g is also carried on at th e
a n d o f peculiarly n e
m ouths of the R ogue U m pqua C oquille a n d N e h a le m rivers whe re th e
catches however se rve pri n cipally to supply the home co n su m ptio n
The sal m o n pack o n the Pacic coast duri n g the past seaso n 1 8 8 1 ha s
bee n the l argest ever k n own The foll o wi n g from the S an F ra n cisc o
J our n al of C o m merce are the particulars C olu m bia R iver
cases
do ; S acra m e n to R i v er ( Fall )
do ;
S acrame n to R iver ( S pri ng)

n
m
do ; iscella eous o utside rivers
do ; total
F rase r R iver
cases The total pack for the past four years has been as follows
1 88 1
cases ; 1 8 8 0
do ; 1 8 7 9
do ; 1 8 7 8
do I t is thus see n that 1 8 8 1 leaves all other years far in the shade bei n g
n early 2 7 per ce n t higher tha n that of 1 8 8 0 the greatest previous year
The rst white m e n as we lear n fro m the A s t o r ia n who shed i n th e
C o lumbia river to the exte n t of m aki n g a busi n ess of it were Italia n s who
-

1 1

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'

supplied the little market dem an d at Portla n d duri n g the r u n an d salte d

dow n a few kegs for W i n ter use I n 1 8 6 4 M r W illiam Hume a practical
sherma n starte d a ca n n ery on the S acra m e n to river C alifor n ia a n d did a
protable busi n ess but heari n g that the C h in o c k or C olumbi a river sal m on
were of bette r quality tha n the sh of th e S acra m e n to ca m e up in t h e
He at o n ce secured a site at E agle C li ff o n
S pri n g of 1 8 6 6 to i n vestigate
the W ashi n gton Territory side of the river put up a s m a l l buildi n g brough t
applia n ces a n d skilled men fro m his establish m e n t on the S acra m e n to a n d

cases of four do z e n o n e pou n d ca n s each

that seaso n 1 8 6 6 put u p
H is
I n this work he employe d forty perso n s t e n of who m were sherme n
success i n catchi n g a n d packi n g the sh a n d h is subseque n t protable sale
of the pack e n couraged h i m a n d his part n er ( M r Hapgood of C alifor n ia )
to double their facilities a n d the n ext seaso n they put u p
cases I n
Hu m e who had bee n a S harer i n the origi n al ve n ture drew
1 8 6 7 George W
o ut a n d put up a ca n n ery of h is o wn packi n g
cases The n ext year
W illia m Hume a n d H apgood a n d G eorge Hu m e co n ti n ued in the busi n ess
a n d C apt J oh n W est of W estport put up a ca n n ery the total pack of t h e
three establish m ents bei n g
cases The n ext seaso n R D Hume
b ro ther of W illia m a n d G eorge set u p a ca n n e ry at C athl amet a n d from

8
6
that year 1 9 the busi n ess h as grow n rapidly u n til n o w whe n sal m on
packi n g is the largest i n dustry save wheat g rowi n g in the N orthwest when
m ore sal mo n is put up o n the C ol u m bia river tha n i n all other localities in
the world
The following table showi n g the number of cases packe d each year the
correspo n di n g price of ca n n ed salmo n an d the cost of sh o n the river will
illustrate the progress a n d cha n ges which sixtee n years h ave m ade
,

T o ta l P
8 66
1 867
1 8 68
1 8 69
1 8 70
1 871
1 8 72
1 8 73
1 8 74
18
75
18 6
7
1 8 7
7
18 8
7
1 8 79
1 880
1 8 81

r o d u c t.

C o st
1

'

F is k

5
S

ce n ts
( C

2 0

'

2 0

00

F I S HE R M E N

B O OK

O WN

1 19

Betwee n C ape D isappoi n t m e n t an d the C ascades there are thirty v e can

A t each of
n i n g establish m e n ts and m ore tha n a do z e n shi n g stations
these poi n ts there are houses of various ki n ds ca n n eries lled with e xp e n
sive a pplia n ces etc etc T e n stea m boats a n d tugs ow n ed by the ca n n ers
R
r u n as te n ders a n d o n e large boat is r u n duri n g the seaso n by the O
There are
shi n g boats an d n ets on th e
N C o m erely to carry sh
river The total value of al l prope rty e n gaged i n the s al m o n busi n ess is
above
the largest i n dividual i n terest bei n g that of W il liam
Hu m e
F ishi n g boats cost $2 5 0 each a n d n ets fro m $3 0 0 t o
The boats a r e
$4 0 0 each A boat will last te n years with ordi n ary usage
of Port O rford cedar a n d oak with copper faste n i n gs a n d are m ade by
builders at A storia F ormerly al l boats were m ade at S a n Fra n cisco but t h e
A storia m erch a n ts do bette r a n d cheaper work a n d so h ave mo n opoli z e d
the busi n ess M ore t h an fty boats were buil t here this S u m m er They
are ge n erally 2 4 feet lo n g 2 6 i n ches d eep a n d 6 fee t 6 i n ches bea m sharp
at both e n ds n arrowl y decked o n the e n ds a n d sides fur n ished with ce n ter
boards a n d c a n be rowed or sailed as the wi n ds serve They are m agn i
ce n t sea boats run easily a n d will c a r yy about four to n s
The n u m be r of m e n directly e m ploye d i n the shi n g business duri n g the
busy seaso n is about
of whom
are C hi n ese It is i m possible to
give exact gures because the gure s co n ti n ually ch a n ge but these esti
m ates are based upo n careful i n quiry a n d are approximately correct I n
the actual work o i shi n g about 2 5 0 0 wh ite m e n were e n gaged from A pril

A
1
ugust
four m o n ths Half of these are m asters of boats a n d the
1 to
other half assista n ts or pullers I n depe n de n t sher m e n who o wn their
boats a n d n ets a n d sell their catch to the can n eries receive 6 0 or 6 2 % cents
per sh A s a rule however the ca n n eries o wn the outts for the use of
which the sher m a n gives o n e third of his catch receivi n g o n ly 4 0 cents
per sh from the ca n n e r y E ach sher m a n e m ploys a n d makes ter m s with
his o wn boat puller the usual rate for this service bei n g a share in the
catch about the equivale n t of $7 0 per m o n th O n e hu n dred dollars per
mo n th after charges for boat a n d n e t and pay o f boat puller are deducted
is co n sidered o n ly a fair retur n to the s li e r in a n a 11 d the average is rathe r
above tha n below this esti m ate O n ly white m e n e n gage in shi n g the
greater proportio n however bei n g Italia n s Fi n s a n d ot h er foreig n ers me n
without fa m ilies who co m e to the river from S a n F rancisco only duri n g th e
shi n g seaso n
I n the ca n n erie s all the respo n sible pl aces are lled by white m e n whos e
pay ra n ges fro m $5 0 to $ 1 5 0 per m o n th the average bei n g about $6 5
A bout o n e thousa n d m e n are so e m ployed
The greater part of the i n side
work is do n e by C hi n a m e n whose average pay is $ 1 per day a n d b o ard
F our thousa n d are employed o n the river
-

'

F I S HE R M E N

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On th e B e ac h in

O O

K
.

S tor m ,

I s a suggest i ve picture wel l calculated to awake n th e sym pathies The

wo m e n are the wives of she rme n who are o ff o n the waste of waters seek
N ight is fast
i n g to m ake the harbor in th e viole n ce of the S um m er gale
s ettli n g down over the sce n e a n d amid the gatheri n g dark n ess the wo m e n
with hearts ful l of dread apprehe n sio n s watch th e little b o ats as they breast
th e waves far out o n the seethi n g waters eve r and a n on e n cour agi n g th e
ears with his ar m s ful l of wood to pile it on a n d
a ctive little fellow who ap p
thus keep th e re bur n i n g brigh tly as a beacon ligh t to g uide thei r loved
o n e s to s afety wh e n the n ight shuts dow n They h eed n o t the p i erc i n g
wi n ds n o t the fury of the b 1asts their hearts are out there with l oved o n es
The n and th e n
a n d their prayer is th at they m ay s afely reach t h e harb o r
o nly can they feel at r est
.

F I S HE R M E I V S

O WN

ar r

B O O

12 1

ow E sc ape fr o m Founde r ing

apt Joseph R y an left Glouce ste r N o v 1 2 1 88 0

with a favori n g b ree ze an d had a mag n ice n t r u n m aki n g the passage t o
G rand M e n a n a dista n ce o f two hu n dred a n d twe n ty ve m iles i n the r e
m a r k ab ly short ti me of e ighteen h o urs
A fte r proc uri n g a s u pply of b a i t
she procee de d to H alifax whe re she arri ve d o n S u n day eve n i n g a n d taki n g
a supply of ice o n bo ard the n ext day put to se a again o n Tuesd ay eve n i n g
1 th
n S aturday o n e se t
a n d arrive d o n S t Peter s Ba n k o n F r iday t h e
O
9
o f the trawls w
a s m ade t h e o n ly se t duri n g the trip a n d n di n g n o sh t h e
v essel was got u n derway a n d move d farthe r to the eastward
N 0 othe r 0 p
n g he avily al l the whi l e a n d
r
u
n
i
it
was
bl
owi
was
prese
nte
d
to
sh
o
t
t
as
p
y
M o n day th e 2 2 d at about four o clock i n the afte r n oo n the schoo n e r the n
havi n g about thre e hu n dre d fathom s of ni ne i n ch cabl e out i n ni n e ty ve
fatho m s of wate r she struck ad rift S h e was give n ano the r hu n dred fath
o m s of cable which failed to bri n g he r u p t h e n orthwe st wi n d blowi n g so
furiously a n d the tide ru n n i n g so stro n g that she oated he r cable a n d a h
chor a n d drifte d before th e wi n d a n d tide The Sig n al lights coul d n o t b e
kept b u r n i n g a great while at a ti m e i n such a gale but everythi n g was made
as s n ug as possible a n d leavi n g the re gul ar watch of t wo m e n o n de ck t h e
rest of the crew retire d six be i n g quarte re d i n t h e cabi n a n d six i n the fore
c astle
A bout half past two o cl ock o n t h e m o rn i n g of Tuesday t h e 2 3 d n di n g
that the cabl e n ee d ed parceli n g o n e of t h e watch we n t belo w to call th e
captai n leavi n g o n ly o n e m an L ym an M urray o n deck Just at this time
t h e vesse l was st r uck by a tre m e n dous sea k n ocki n g her dow n with he r
m asts leve l in t h e water
M urray saw th e sea co m i n g and ru n n i ng to t h e
Sch

a v id

S to r y , C

F I S HE R M E N

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O WN

B O OKI

leeward of th e fore m ast clu n g to the ir o n arou n d the stovepipe wh ich was
attached to the deck where he was fou n d i n se n sibl e whe n the rest of the
crew were abl e to get o n deck with his leg broke n a n d spli n ters of the
shattered spars drive n through his boot a n d i n to the leg The house a n d
forecastle co m pa n io n ways were stove a n d a ood of water pouri n g i n to th e
cabi n a n d forecastl e preve n ted the egress of the m en wh o were i m priso n ed
the r e O n e m a n succeeded i n getti n g out of the cabi n a n d walked alo n g
o n the side of the h ouse holdi n g o n to the weather rail
Fortu n ately in
about a m i n ute a n d a half the vessel wore rou n d a n d righted an d the rest
of the crew were released fro m their duress wh e n a sce n e of desolatio n m e t
their ga z e
I n capsi z i n g the cable h a d parted i n volvi n g the loss of four hu n dred an d
ftee n fath o m s t h ereof with a n a n chor the fore boom was brok e n i n to two

pieces a n d th e fore ga ff i n to three a piece of the latter bei n g fo u n d forward

of the fore m as t a n d a n other portio n across the bowsprit the sig n al ligh t
was in pieces at the fore m ast head the saddle a n d all the apparatus arou n d
the m ast was destroyed ; the foresail was badly split a n d the ridi n g s ail
b l ow n away ; the schoo n er s six dorie s were washed away or s m ashed to
pieces o n the deck ; a n d the gurry pe n s a n d everyth i n g m ovable o n deck
was destroyed Below th e res a n d lights were exti n guished by th e water
all th e O pe n stores a n d cooki n g gear were d estroyed a n d the beddi n g a n d
clothi n g of the crew co m pletel y s o aked A s soo n as possible steps were
take n to clear aw ay the wreck two of the m e n se tti n g their wou n ded com
pa n io n s l eg whil e th e others were cleari n g the deck A n atte m pt was m ade
to l ay her to which was i n e ff ectual as they could n o t bal a n ce reef th e m ai n
sail a n d she was r u n before the wi n d for abou t four h ours W h ile thus
ru n n i n g she was boarded by a n other though smaller sea a n d C apt R yan
h ad a n arrow escape fro m bei n g washed overboard savi n g himself by cli n g
The weathe r was ve ry severe a n d wit h
i n g to a reef poi n t i n the foresail
n o opportu n ity to dry thei r cloth es the crew h ad a hard t i m e of it for the
e n sui n g week while e n deavori n g to m ake a port They arrived at C a n so
at n oo n o n W ed n esday D e c I st where they l a n ded their i n jured ship m ate
a n d after m aki n g a few n ecessary repairs proceeded to Halifax a n d the n ce
home
,

'

F I S I I E R J II E N

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123

Hamm e r he ad S h ar k Th e S h ar k
~

The above eng r avi ng illustrates a specie

The head is flat with the orbits extending
m anner exible a n d d oubled on tl
r ight a n gl es and to a greater
these l ateral processes are
that this stra nge form of
s o me d i pter o us i n
whose eyes are at
the he
an d h

but standing o u t a t

nd

s tat e s
a n d only i n
c b m te
a pod crus tac e an s
n ou t is truncated s o th a t

al ike above and bel ow com

tern al b asal ri d ge a n d a i i i e s ial
u s a le n gth of twelve feet o r
m ore a n d is gra y ish above with head n early b l ack and whitish bel o w the
iris is yell o w ; the rst d orsal i s high triangul ar falcate and tow ard th e
up per part o f the back the sec o nd smaller a n d nea r the tail I t is found i n
,

124

F I S HE R M E N

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the M editerra n e a n a n d i n th e warm seas o f m ost pa r ts of the glob e esp e

c i ally o f the E ast I n dies a n d ge n erally in deep wate r
T h e c o mmo n spe
cies of A m erica betwee n M assachusetts and Bra z il o n ce co n sidered the
Z m a lle m h as been described by D r S t orer as the Z a r c u a ta ; it attai n s a
le n gth of eleve n or twelve feet a n d is much dreaded by sher m e n
The shark s mouth is o n e of the most formidable m ea n s of destructio n we
k n o w of a mong ani m al s an ywhere I t is o n the u n de r side of the head
so m e dista n ce back of the e n d of the s n out a n d crescen t sh aped T h e
t eeth are i n three to seven close c r e s c e n t r i c parallel rows the l argest a n d
o ldest o n es i n fro n t the s m al ler ones behi n d that is fu r ther i n side the
S ome sharks have more th a n two hundred of these teeth
m outh
They
are three cornered exceedi n gly thin a n d sh arp poi n ted a n d in so m e cases
h ave saw edges W hen the m outh is wide open they sta n d erect al m ost
protrude from the lip but whe n it is closed they lie dow n at out of the
way W hen those in the fron t row wear o ut or break o ff th e next r o w b e
h i n d is gradually push ed forward to take their pl ace
The sh ark thus h as
reserves of teeth wh ich operated by the tough a n d exceedi n gly muscular
m echa n ism of the J aws are able to bite through a n ythi n g especially si n ce
th e bite is n early always accompa n ied by a rolli n g or wre n chi n g m oveme n t
which causes the teeth to act l ike a s aw a n d thus cut thr o ugh the quicker
F o r some of th e sh arks i n t h e S outh seas it would o n ly be a m oderate
m outhful to take half a man s body i n a n d clip h i m o ff at the waist
N ev
e r t h e le s s we believe fewer persons h ave lost their live s by sharks tha n we
ge n erally suppose though m a n y n arrow escapes are co n stan tly h appe n i n g
A veteran N e w York sher m an says
S h ark shi n g pays a n d it s great
fun for a gree n h an d The busi n ess is carri e d o n pri n cipally for the oi l
an d n s A big place for them is the W hite S e a and agai n i n Icel a n d
The sh arks they ge t there are from thirty to fty fee t lo n g S ometimes they
r u n i n ar o und the Gra n d Ba n k an d are caught
A bout four barrels of oil is
th e average fr o m a good si z e d fellow
M y shark shi n g was al l do n e n ear
N e w S myr n a F lorida
S ome sharks would give half a b a r r e l of oil but they
were ge n erally under fteen feet W e usually hired from ftee n to twen ty
darkies to do the pulling an d h auli n g and ca m pe d out duri ng the m o n ths
o f July A ugust an d S epte m be r mo v i n g up a n d down whe n ever the biti n g
wa s poor
W e carried our pots a n d thi n gs al o n g a n d tried out the l ivers
a n d shippe d the oil by a smack up to F er n a n din a where it was al l bough t
by o n e m a n I don t k n ow wh at he d i d with it S ome said he sold it for
c o d liver oil
W e used a regular hook a n d l i n e o n ly it was a rope a n d t h e
h ook was a foot lo n g and m ad e fast to the li n e by a three foot chai n F is h
bait was the best W e kept about twe n ty of these li n es over al l the tim e
a t regul ar i n tervals alo n g wherever the water deepe n ed quick from the
S ometimes they fool over
s h o re
A ll th e li n es wer e about fty yards long
,

F I S HE R M E ZV S

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BOO

12

the bait but ge nerally a big shark will nose it once or twice an d then suc k
it up a n d m ove o ff swallowi n g the bait as he goes Y o u wa n t to give him
about fteen feet of rope an d when he haul s the li n e taut al l j erk togethe r

The n the work comme n ces fun some people call it A s soo n as he feel s
the h o ok he m akes a big rush that wil l ofte n start ten or ftee n m e n a n d
I ve see n ve j erked righ t i n to th e wate r o n the start Up a n d dow n he
goes someti m es j u m pi n g i n to th e air and tryi n g to sh ake out the hook a n d
some old fellows will swim right for y o u and t ry t o bite the li n e I n I n dia
they catch the sharks fo r their n s a n d se n d them to C hi n a where they

m ake the m i n to s oup

I n a n i n teresti n g article o n shark shi n g in F ra n k L eslie s Illustrated
capacity of so m e of these sea wo n ders is
N ewspaper we learn that the
e normous The writer caught o n e at Tortugas F la that weighe d about
I
t
was
a
white
shark
a n d for a l o n g time had l ived a rou n d
o o pou n ds
g
the slaughter hou se locate d o n the edge of the cha n n el ; I t took about
twe n ty m e n to get h im i n ulti m ately I n the sto m ach was fou n d the skul l
a n d h o r n s of a steer that h ad bee n thrown over the day before three hoofs
besides a h eteroge n eous m ass of old rope seaweed a n d two or three ol d tin
ca n s that perhaps retai n ed so m e of th e meats that had bee n packe d i n
th em The j aw was saved I t had eight rows of serrated teeth a n d tted
o ver a m an s body easily I t is n ow i n the M useum o f N atural H istory
The fossil sharks of the terti ary period grew to an enormous
C e n tral P ark
le n gth exceedi ng 1 5 0 fee t A t C harlesto n S C their teeth are fou n d bur
i e d i n vast qua n tities so m e measuri n g seve n i n ches i n l e n gth
A horse a n d
cart could easily have d rive n i n to the m o uths of these mo n sters that wer e
tting represe n tatives of the age of expa n si o n in which they lived
,

N O M O RE S EA

BY
W

d in h an d th at d ay
B e side th e c al m blu e se a
T h e s m ili ng s u n li t s e a ;
w at e r s m u r m u r e d at o u r fe e t
w o r ld w as fa i r an d li fe w as s w e e t
ho u r s spe d by o n pin io n s e e t
He t o ld h i s l o v e f o r m e !

w and e re d

an

Th e

Th e

l o n e I w alk th e sh o r e to n ight
Be side th e sto r m y se a
T h e w ildly t o s s i n g s e a ;
T h e w ate r y w as te i s o n e v as t g r ave ;

sw e e

pi ng su rf ! 0 m e an i ng w av e !
o ff d r e a r y s u n l e s s c ave
What f ar
Ke e p s b ac k m y l o ve fro m m e ?

Th e

Th
,

t de s

com e

in , th

ut n e ve

rm o r e

th

ide s g o

o ut ,

e se a,

re st l e s s c kl e s e a
B rings b ac k m y l o ve Y e t h an d i n h an d
I kn o w m y l o v e and I sh all st an d
S o m e bli ss fu l d ay i n t h at f ai r l an d
W he re t h e r e i s n o m o r e s e a l
Th e

F I S HE B M E N

12

B O OK

O WN

Fi sh e r m en s S upe r stitio ns
w C O L L IN S
BY J

Th at there is m ore or less supers titious feel i n g in al l sea m e n fro m th e

humblest sher boy to the rear admiral is appare n t to every o n e who h as
h ad a n opport un ity to observe the peculiarities of seafari n g m e n The fact

that sea m e n an d especially sher m e n see m to be more depe n de n t on luck

than al m ost a n y oth er class of m e n a n d that they are co n sta n tly m eeti n g
with eve n ts calculate d t o excite superstitious feeli n gs i n the credulous is
without doubt the cause of their believi n g i n ome n s sig n s etc to a certain
exte n t
But are shermen much more superstitious than other people a m o n g
whom they m i ngle whe n on shore or eve n to go farther th an th at some

who m ove i n the highest circles ?

M ost writers o n the sheries have discussed the credulity of the s h e r
m e n a n d n o doubt ma n y peopl e have co m e to thi n k that i n this respect
*
they di ffer fro m the m aj ority of m anki n d Perl ey writi n g of the sh er m a n
of the Bay of Fu n dy says :
He wil l u n dertake n othi n g of co n seque n ce
upo n a Friday a n d c a n prove by a hu n dred i n cide n ts h o w i n fallible are the
sig n s a n d ome n s which he believes i n He thi n ks to die in his bed True
it is th at he has bee n overse t 3 that his boat loaded with sh to the g u n
n el h as su n k u n der h i m a n d that a vessel has run over h i m 3 but he is stil l

3
He believes i n witche s
alive a n d was n o t born t o be drown ed
a n d d reams
Gra n ti ng that sherme n are credulous it by n o mea n s follows that they
are peculiar in this respect 3 or that they are the o n ly o n es who bel ieve

that comi n g eve n ts cast their shadows before

The thrifty N e w E n gla n d
housewife looks with u nspeakable dread on a broke n looki n g gl ass predict
i n g seve n years h ard luck 3 expects a stra n ger when she drops her dish
cloth o n the oor 3 tells he r d aughte r if the l atter upsets a chair ac c id e n

tally You wo n t get m arried this year 3 a n d so o n a a

A n excelle n t authority S abi n e T writi n g of the A m erica n sher m a n s ays :
It is said that h e is credulous a n d superstitious A d m it that K
idd s
m o n ey h as bee n dug for i n every dark n ook of the coast or talked about
i n every r u ddy for a ce n tury an d a h alf a n d that horseshoes are n ailed upo n
th e masts of shi n g vessel s t o keep o ff witches 3 what the n ? I s e the
,

*M

rL o

H P rl y
.

r e nz o

bi n e

Sa

p o rt o n th e F i sh e r i e s o f N
R e p o r t o n F ish e ri e s o f th e

Br

A m

i k

u n sw c

r i c an S e as

185 1

185 3 ,

383

FISHERM EN S

B O OK

0 WW

12

?
follies

who has bee n or still is gu il ty of the sam e

He adds in
a foot n ote :
I n 1 8 2 5 the D uchess de Berri visited a wateri n g place i n
S e a water a n d sh wh ich were afte r
F ra n ce a n d i n dulged i n sea bathi n g
wards take n from the spot were articles of i m me n se value and s o ld at
e n or m ous prices In deed those perso n s who could n o t purchase a wh ol e
sh gladly possessed the m selves of a few s c a le s or a n ! The water where
the royal perso n had bee n washed whe n bottled a n d off ered for s ale was
k n ow n as Berri wi n e
W ell m ay S abi n e ask
Have sher m e n i n a n y
age bee n gu ilty of greater folly th a n th ese fashio n able people of Fra n ce ?
A m o n g the N e w E n gl a n d sherm e n the superstitious belief i n the various
sig n s a n d o m e n s that will be spoke n of farthe r o n is by n o mea n s u n iver
s al O n the co n trary ma n y of the most i n tellige n t pay little atte n tio n to
A mo n g the superstitio n s of the N e w
wh at th ey cal l old wome n s yar n s
E n gla n d sher m e n m ay be me n tio n ed the fol lowi n g :
F i r s t A belief i n lucky a n d u n lucky saili n g days A lmost from tim e
i m m emorial Friday has bee n co n sidered a n ill ome n ed day u pon which to
begi n a voyage N o r has th is belief bee n co n n e d to sherme n alo n e but
has bee n share d i n co m m o n by all sea m en A t prese n t little regard is paid
This is
what are called u n lucky sail i n g days b y t h e G loucester sherme n
n o doubt due i n a degree at least to the sharp co m petitio n that has spru n g
u p amo n g the sher m e n a n d it is not an u n usual sight whe n a n e Friday
co m es after a period of bad weather to see a large eet spread their s n owy
ca n vas a n d sail away for the shi n g grou n ds
Th at the begi n n i n g of a voyage o n Friday has bee n fol lowed by both
good a n d ill results i n a n e qually great nu m be r of case s m ight easily be
show n I c a n relate two opposite in sta n ces out of m y o wn experie n ce as
doubtless could ma n y others
I n the S pri n g of 1 8 6 4 I started o n a c o d s h i n g trip to C ashes saili n g o n
This trip though n o t disastrous was a n eve n tful one a n d did not
F riday
prove so successful as circumsta n ces h ad led us to expect O n o n e occ a
sio n duri n g the trip h a v i n g to take the place i n a dory of o n e of the crew
who was sick I we n t astray in the f o g a n d was o u t several hours the o n ly
occurre n ce of that ki n d that ever h appe n ed to m e A n other day the vesse l
caught r e i n the forecastle duri n g the cook s abse n ce a n d while the rest of
us were busy dressi n g sh The rst k n owledge we h ad of it was the burs t
The re had m ade such
i n g of fla m es out of the forward co m pa n io n way
progress that we succeeded i n subdui n g it o n ly with the greatest di f cul ty
O n e night t h e man o n watch i n tryi n g
a n d at co n siderable perso n al risk

to cha nge th e n e t swi n g to which was attached a ga n g of herri n g nets

l ost his hold of the rope an d away we n t the whole lot drifti n g o ff with the
tide Pro m pt actio n o n our part saved the n ets though it was not l ooked
upo n as a particul arly lu ky i n cident to h ave to tur n o ut at m id n ight and
o nly o n e

F I S H E R M E ZV S

128

O WN

BOO

start o ff half nak ed to search for the drifti n g p roperty But t o cr o wn all
a big school of d o g s h struck on the s h in g grou n d and drove all other
kinds of sh away re n dering useless al l further atte m pts to co m plete our
trip A s might have bee n expected the m ore credulous ascribed thes e u n
fortu n ate i n cidents to h avi n g s ailed o n F riday
O n a n other o ccasio n I bega n m y year s work upon a Friday early in J a n

uary a n d it so h appe n ed that we left home on the same u n lucky day

every trip but o n e duri n g the whole year A s we were successful in al l i n
sta n ces our crew ca m e to thi n k th at Friday was a lu ky saili n g day

S eco n d A belief in Jo n ahs

A J o n ah m ay be someth i n g a n im at e o r
ina n imate or even the resul t of the actio n s or acciden ts of perso n s 3 i n fact
al most eve rythi n g that is supposed to bri n g ill luck is called a Jo n ah Thus
a vessel k n ow n to be u n fortu n ate is said to be a Jo n ah 3 it is ofte n di f cul t
to obtai n a crew of good m e n for her if m e n are scarce alth ough she may
be well adapted for the bus i n ess m which she is e n gaged E qual troubl e is
also someti m es experience d by expert sher m e n i n securi n g a berth on
board of a shi n g vessel because they possess the unenviable reputation of
bei n g a J o n ah O f this I will speak further o n
A s to the vessels it occasio n ally h appe n s curiously e n ough that so m e of
them m eet with ill fo rtune for several years i n succession a n d under suc h
circu m sta n ces that to believers the evide n ce of their be i n g J o n ahs is as

stro n g as pr o ofs of Holy W rit

I recall a si n g ular circu m s ta n ce of th is ki n d with the particul ars of which
I was fa m iliar at the ti m e they occurred S everal years ago a n e w vesse l
was br o ught to Gloucester fro m the port where she was built S h e was
of the largest class e m ployed i n the s h e r i e s a beauty i n m odel a n d rig
a n d the skipper
wh o was a you n g m a n a n d pa r t ow n er n aturally fel t a
commendable pride i n the n e schoo n er which he co m ma n ded O n e day
however while this vessel was bei n g tted for her rst trip a n acquai n ta n ce

of the captai n said to him I m sorry you h ave had that vessel built
I have k n o wn the m a n wh o
W he n asked for his reaso n s he co n ti n ued
built her to lau n ch m ore tha n twe n ty schoo n ers duri n g the past f e w years
a n d n o n e of the m eve r made a dollar for their ow n e rs while f e w of the m
h ave live d more tha n two or three years bei n g either wrecked o n the shore
or f o u n dered at sea
S tra n ge to s ay that for th e n i n etee n m o n
ths t h e

rst skipper sailed i n her there was n ae l uck aboot the house
This was
exceedi n gly tryi n g to o n e who h ad pre v iously bee n fortu n ate a n d who fel t
a pride i n his professio n F i n ally beco m i n g disgusted a n d so m ewhat dis
hearte n ed by h i s ill success a n d u n requited l abors he sold out his share of
the vesse l a n d left her al m ost co n vi n ced that what h ad bee n told him by
his frie n d was not ve ry far from th e truth
The sad sequel remains to be t o ld The sch oo ner n o t yet tw o years
,

'

'

I
S
B

HE R M E N

B O OK

O WN

12

ol d was l o st at sea o n her n ext voyage The captai n an d t wo o f the cre w

were drowned an d the sur vivors after e n duri n g much su ff eri n g while lashe d
to the wreck were n ally taken o ff a n d retur n ed home to tell the particulars
of this ill fate d episode

ro
the
day
she
rst
sailed
out
of
Gloucester
harb
or
looki n g l ik e a
F m

z
yacht with a crowd of ca n vas spread to the b ree e to the ti m e she lay
a helpless a n d dis m a n tled wreck o n the bosom of the storm swept A tlantic
she was co n ti n ually meeti n g with ill fo r tu n e
n m ore marvell o us o n es could be rel ate d
uite
as
stra
n
ge
tales
nay
eve
Q
of the good or ill fortu n e of i n dividuals a n d the varyi n g experie n ces of dif
f e r e n t persons ofte n form the topic of co n versatio n o n b o ard the shi n g
vessel s
Tha n k good n ess the superstitious belief in m e n bei n g J o n ahs ofte n meets
with a rebu ff so severe as to hi n der it from beco m i n g a n ythi n g like a ge n
eral o n e ! I was prese n t o n ce whe n o n e skipper e n quired of a n other n o d
di n g his head at the sa m e ti m e i n the directio n of a m a n who was at work

n
th
e
vessel
A r e you goi n g to carry that m a n ? R eceivi n g an a ff i r m
o
ative reply he co n ti n ued You won t ge t any sh the n ; he s a regular
Jo n a h
The reply wa s Jo n ah or n o J o n ah h e goes this trip a n yway
A s the trip i n question was a successful o n e n othi n g m ore was heard abou t
the m a n bei ng a Jo n ah though to tell the truth he had bee n so co n sidere d
by m a ny of h is associates
A y o u n g m an wh o has
A n other si m ilar i n sta n ce may be me n tioned
s ailed from G loucester several years h a d for a while rathe r hard fortu n e
of the m uch to b e shu n n e d J o n ahs
a n d it was whispered that he was o n e
N othi n g else could be said agai n st h i m si n ce he was an excelle n t s h e r
But he is a
m an dari n g e n ergetic a n d withal a pleasa n t shipm ate
J o n ah l the cred u lo u s exclai m ed whe n ever the vessel he sailed i n faile d t o
make a good trip H is luck cha n ged howeve r after a time a n d th ereafter
those who previously had fel t much oppose d to bei n g ship m ates with hi m
were glad to sail i n the s a m e vessel that he did M eeti n g with him n o t
lo n g ago I was pleased to lear n that he was e n j oyi n g better fortu n e than
for m erly I n reply to my e n quiries as to his prese n t s uccess he said :
I t do n t m ake a n y
W herever I have bee n this year I have bee n lucky
di ffere n ce n o w what vessel I go i n I al ways get a good trip the sh are

s u r e to l a th e r e
O n e c a n re adily i m agi n e h o w gratifyi n g such a cha n g e
m ust be to a perso n who previously had m e t with u n deserved ill fortu n e
But it ofte n happe n s that so m e poor fellow h as a streak of h ard luck
really asto n ishi n g so much so i n deed that it is n o t wo n derful that after a
while his acquai n ta n ces co m e to have superstitious feel i n gs about h i m
It
m atter s n o t how m uch h e m ay ch a n ge fro m vessel to vessel h is luck follows
h i m an d the stra n gest o f all is that the v essels which are u n fortun ate whil e
.

F I S HE R M E N

30

0 W V BOO

he is in the m m eet with excelle n t success at oth er ti m es A ll old shermen

I k n ew a circu m sta n ce of this ki n d th at occurred a
c a n tel l such i n cide n ts
few years ago
A you n g m a n e n gaged i n the haddock sher y secured a berth with o n e of
the s m artest skippers who sails from Gloucester But n otwithsta n di n g the
fact that every possible e ff ort was put forth poor results followed a n d th e
mo n ths of N ove m ber and D ece m be r wore away th e crew i n the m ea n time
not shari n g more tha n $2 5 to a m an E verybody felt discouraged A t this
ti m e however the you n g m a n of whom I a m speaki n g a n d who it was s aid
was o n e of the u n lucky o n es left the vessel a n d shipped i n a n other O n
the n ext trip t h e vessel he had left shared $2 0 fro m o n ly t wo days shi n g
a n d o n succeedi n g trips did eve n better tha n that m aki n g a n excelle n t
B ut the seco n d vessel i n which the m a n shipped ( though
W i n ter s work
co m m a n ded by o n e of the m ost expert skippers ) faile d to get a share of sh
after he j oi n e d her a n d the sa m e result was m e t with by this u n fortu n ate
i n dividual i n a third vessel which he j oi n ed duri n g the W i n ter The m ys t e
rio n s part of it was th at i n each of the three cases the vessels which m e t
with poor success whil e he was i n the m did m uch better tha n a n average
duri n g the rest of the seaso n W hat wo n der is there that i n the light of
such experie n ces sherm e n are i n cli n ed to be so m ewhat superstitious ?
S o m e sher m e n believe that a valise whe n carried o n board a vessel is
a J o n ah Probably this belief is l argely due to the prej udic e fel t agai n st
car r yi n g such a n u n sea m a n like article o n a shi n g trip
O pi n io n s di ff er as to whether certain other thi n gs are Jo n ahs or n ot
A mo n g those bel ieved to be s uch by a f e w perso n s m ay be m e n ti o n ed vio
li n s checker boards toy boats a bucke t sitti ng o n deck partly full of wate r
soaki n g m ackerel i n a bucket etc etc
The accidents an d actio n s of m embers of the crew that are suppose d t o
bri n g il l success or t o be foreru n n ers of such are droppi n g a h atch i n the
hold tur n i n g a h atch botto m up breaki n g a looki n g gla s s drivi n g n ails o n

S u n d ay a n d letti n g the splices o f a cable s top i n the hawse pipe whe n the
vessel is a n chori n g on the shi n g ground
A s to other beliefs it m ay be said that al l sherme n whistle for a bree z e
whe n i t is cal m a n d so m e occasio n ally stick a k n if e i n the after side of the
m ai n m ast to bri n g a fair wi n d A bee or a s m all la n d bird co m i n g o n board
i t is supposed will bri n g good luck while ill fortu n e wil l follo w the lighti n g
of a h awk owl or crow o n the riggi n g of a vessel I t is believed that a
s m art blow o n the head of a sh that has j ust bee n separate d fro m the body
will kill the l atter which still retai n s m uscular motio n A hook which h as
.

so

hi
.

Som
T

e o

hi
l

ng e se

kipp e rs m ake a p r ac t i c e o f d r i vi ng n ail s o n S u n d ay i f t h e y h av e n e e d t o d o

p e r h ap s d o n e as m u c h t o an ta o n iz e t h e b e li e f i n i ts b e i ng u n l u c ky as f o r an y

f th
is,
.

e s

F I S HE

KM E ZV S

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B O OK

31

bee n stuck in the h a n d is im m ediately th rust i n to a piece of pin e so t h at the

wou n d will n ot be sore J ust h o w a n d why the blow on the sh s head
sh ould have a n y e ffect on the body from which it h as bee n previously torn
a n d why sticki n g the poi n t of a hook i n to a piece of wood shoul
d m ake any
di ffere n ce i n the heali n g of a wou n d are subj ects for the cu riously i n cli n ed
to i n vestigate I t is perhaps h ardly n ecessary to m e n tio n the belief in
horseshoes wardi n g o ff witches etc as a m o n g the superstitio n s p e c u l ia r t o
sherme n si n ce the belief i n the e ff icacy of these obj ects to preve n t ill for
n
tu e is n o w see m i n gly recog n i z ed i n t h e highest society if o n e is al lowed to
j udge by the gilded horseshoes co n spicuously displayed i n the parlors of the
fashio n able
T h e e ar t h h as b u bbl e s as th e w at e r h as an d t h e se ar e o f t h e m
;
S h a k e sp e a r e
,

The above e n gravi ng gives a capital vie w of the old Fort an d G louceste r
18
Harbor in 3 7 The Grand Ba n ker a n d pi n key lyi ng at a n ch or l ook as
n
c
atural as a n be There is a vast differe n ce in the appeara n ce of the old
Fort property of t o d ay from that of forty v e years ago n e Th e n it had but
o ne
n
buildi g besides the rui n s of the F ort n o w it is covered with dwelli n gs
an d
storehouses a n d its e n tire water fro n t co n verted i n to n e wharves
,
m n
for i g one o f the m o st valuable pieces of property i n the city
.

F I S HE R M E N

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B O OK

of

G l o uc e st e r

C omme r c e

Fo r e ign

G loucester after Bosto n h as m ore foreign arrivals than a ny other seaport

i n M assachusetts ! W hil e S alem a n d N ewburyport h ave h ardly a square
rigged vessel arrive in their harbors for a year Gloucester h as so m eti m es a
eet of ve or six i n port at o n e ti m e Through the ki n d n ess of C ollecto r
B abso n we are e n abled to give the followi n g statistics :
For the year e n di n g D e c 3 1 1 8 8 1 there arrived at the port of G lo u c e s
ter I ship 1 8 barks 2 brigs a n d 1 8 2 schoo n ers from foreig n ports 2 7
ships b arks brigs a n d schoo n ers arrived from C adi z Trapa n i a n d other
s alt ports Gloucester h as beco m e al m ost the headquarters for th e sal t trad e
of the sheries 1 2 6 cargoes of lumbe r sh wood a n d potatoes were r e
c e i v e d at this port last ye ar fro m N ewfou n dla n d N ova S cotia N e w B ru n s
wick a n d other cou n tries A bout
w o rth of m ercha n dise was im
n worth here at least
orted
at
th
e
foreign
valuatio
By
these
p
gures it wil l be see n that beside s its great shi n g in t erests a n d its bei n g
the great c e n tre of sh distributio n for the U n ited S tates G loucester h a s
quite a respectabl e foreig n commerce Gl ouceste r ow n s
to n s m ore
shippi n g th a n S ale m M arblehead Beverly a n d N e wb u r yp o r t co m bined
B u t while Glo u ceste r has 4 73 vessel s n o t one square rigged vessel is ow n ed
h ere while i n 1 8 2 8 f tyfour years ago Gloucester h a d 2 9 foreig n arrivals
with one quarter
a n d collected duties o n goods to the am ou n t of
p art of its prese n t t o n n age
,

F I S HE R M E N

BOO

O WN

33

C omi g i to Por t

Fi sh e r m e n
F r o m M e Ho m e

til e F

ly /z

l o l lze

It is a lively sce n e dow n at s o me o f our wh arves i n the bree z y d ays o f

m idwi n ter to wit n e ss o n e or m ore of the Ba n kers or G eorge sme n round the
P o i n t a n d co m e gayly up the harbor S ometimes they are mi n us a spar or
sail an d are al l battere d or ice d up the crew h avi n g had a hard time freei n g
the bows an d riggi n g from the fro z e n spray which i n a bitter col d day hard
e n s as soo n as it strikes a n d piles itself up o n the overburde n ed craft with
ama z i n g quick n ess The n the safety of the vessel a n d her m a n agemen t
thr o ugh the cold seethi n g waters re n der it an i m pe rative n ecessi ty that the
ice be dislodged a n d a cold cheerless task it is which the sherman has
forced upo n him S hort spells of this ice pou n di n g with the thermomete r
be lo w z ero is all that m e n c a n e n dure a n d they are freque n tly relieved al l
h a n ds taki n g their tur n a n d maki n g the best of a n u n welco m e duty But
s n ug in the harbor a n chor down sails furl ed pipes lighted with the catch
sold the crew have a little resti n g spell The n t h e vesse l is hauled alo n g
side the wharf of some of the fresh sh buyers the hatches ope n ed a n d out
from the depth s below are hoisted the m a m m oth halibut direct from the ice
h ouse where they are kep t as sweet a n d fresh as whe n rst caugh t Up
they co m e in pairs a n d someti m es i n triplets accordi n g to their si z e a n d
ofte n ti m es a mo n ster weighi n g two hu n dred pou n ds a n d upwards will sh o w
h is n ose above deck a n d be slowly l a n ded o n the wharf V isio n s of n ice
fried or b aked halibut tickle the palate as the sh are thus la n d ed A fter
their heads are take n o ff a n d the sh thoroughly clea n sed a n d packed in
boxes the last thi n g do n e ere they are n ailed up is to ll their n apes with
crushed ice which i n sures their preservatio n a n d o ff they are shipped by rail
,

F I S HE R M E N

1 34

B O OK

O WN

o r steamer to B o sto n N e w York Phil adelphia L o well and o ther large cities
where they n d ready sales The c o d s h a r e discharged mostly at the
wharves of the vessel owners where th ey are decapitated a n d the n salted in
butts a n d whe n su f cie n tly salt are tra n sferre d to the akes for a given
time an d dried Then they nd their way the most of the m i n these d ays
to the ski n n i n g lofts where n imble n gers divest them of ski n a n d bo n es
a n d the solid pieces of sh ha n dsome as c an be are packed i n boxes from
te n to two hu n dred pounds each which n d th eir way from the wareh ouses
o f our en terprisi n g sh producers to all sectio n s of this cou n try The trade
is si m ply i m me n se an d co n sta n tly on the i n crease for the praise of the
G loucester bo n eless cod is abroad i n the land an d dealers a n d co n sumers
dem a n d it from headquarters direct from rs t ha n ds
W h o w o ul d h ave thought from the smal l begi n n i n g in th e putti n g up of
b o n el ess c o d s h of o n ly a f e w years si n ce that such large resu lts wo uld
fol low ? A n d n o w that sh is packe d i n such clean attractive pack ages th e
atte n tion of co n sumers is drawn toward it The old obj ection t o strippi n g
The clea n
a n d clea n i n g a n d purchasi n g s o much waste is heard n o more
sh ready for a salt sh din n er or sh balls is n o w for sale by al l r s t c l a s s
grocers in the cou n try a n d the Gloucester bran ds of which there are sev
e ral hundred each large purchaser h avi n g his private bra n ds are pri n ted
i n delibly o n the boxes S ome of these brands are v ery handsome an d add
much t o the attractive n ess o f th e packages
The rst m a n M r G eorge H S m ith we thin k it was who put up sh in
th is way never drea m ed that this act of his woul d revolutioni z e the en tire
sh trade but so it has proved ! The old sh dealers co n servative as they
h ad a right to be saw n ot the cloud which was risi n g but kept in the old
cha n nels of shippi n g whole sh u n til their customers de m a n ded of them
the b o n e less sh i n boxes A n d the n they gave way to the i n evitable
There was n o help for it E ither adopt the n e w m ode or lose the busi n ess
altogether A n d they e n tered i n to the busi n ess with the same e n ergy which
characteri z ed their o t her tra n sactio n s a n d we h ave t o day here in old
Gloucester a busi n ess which is n o w o n l y i n its i nfa n cy a busi n ess which
will keep the eet busy wh ic h will t ake all the sh they c a n catch at re m u
n e r at iv e prices a busi n ess which will k eep Glouceste r i n the fro n t as a s h
i n g port a n d fur n ish occupatio n for her people
It s lively al l through from the ti m e the vessel leav e s the h arbor u n til
she arrives o n the grou n d a n d from the catchi n g of the sh to the dressi n g
the n the salti n g a n d dryi n g bo n i n g a n d ski n n i n g shippi n g a n d n ally t h e
serv i n g up of the toothso m e dish o n the table with drawn butter a n d egg
sauce o r the good old fashio n ed pork scraps with beets a n d p o tatoes
,

F I S HE R M E N

B O OK

O WN

13

Th e R e g att a

The above has the tru e sa l t wate r av o r a n d cause s the blo o d t o c o urs e
through the vein s with quicke n e d motio n The ee t of yachts are o ff fo r

the race saili n g with a start shee t each o n e doi n g her best to lead H o w
they y ove r the water which is n ot ve ry rough although there s e em s t o b e
a pre tty dece nt bree z e to waft them alo n g
I t is i n deed a pretty sight and the yach ts m a n s life is replete with plea s
ure as h e c ruise s alo n g th e coast during t h e S umme r time coming t o a n ch or
i n the harbors and rive rs an d participating in al l th e pleasures pertai n i n g
theret o There i s a deep love for it i n he re n t in m a n y he a r ts To such t h e
Their e nj oy m en t is t o sai l
s e a has a t tractio n s o f which they n ever tire
o e r t h e waters fre e as t h e birds of the air 3 to inhal e the se a bree z e i n a l l
its freshne ss and h e alt h gi v i n g powers ; to j oin with othe rs in the exciti n g
regatta 3 t o crowd o n sail a n d rush through the waters doi n g their be st t o
secure t h e pri z e a n d wr n a good n ame for the ir boat which they l o v e most
i n te n sely 3 an d wh o se g o od points they strive so hard t o bri n g o ut o n such
o ccasi o ns
A w e t s h e e t an d a o w i ng se a
A Wi n d th at fo ll o w s f as t
T h at fi ll s t h e w h i t e an d ru s t li ng s a il
A n d b e n ds t h e g a ll ant m as t
,

F I S HE R M E N

6
3

A N

ight

CO

in B o st o n B ay

BY A B

B O OK

O WN

L ORD

e
li
l
o
r
e
n
c
e
M
o
e
m
be
v
U
;
T h u s s p o k e a yo u n g s h e r m an a s h e s t e pp e d o n th e s h o r e ;
W e r an o ff y e st e r d ay n o o n t o s e t o u r t r aw l
T h i n ki n g t o b e h o m e l o n g e r e n i g h t f all ;
B u t t h e w i n d s tr uc k n o r vve st an d did h e av ily bl o w
A c c o m p an i e d w i t h s q u all s o f r a i n s l e e t an d s n o w
W e t hr e e r e e fe d o u r m ai n s a il e x p e c t i n g a h ar d be at
F r o m o u r jib to o k t h e bo n n e t an d t r i m m e d d o w n t h e s h e e t ;
r e e fe d t h e f o r e s a il an d r o ll e d i t u p s n u g
W e d o u bl e
We ll kn o w i n g jib an d m ai n s ail w e r e al l sh e c o u ld l u g ;
T h e d o r i e s w e r e l a sh e d d o w n s e c u r e an d c o m p ac t
T h e n w e g av e h e r a g o o d fu ll d o w n h e l m an d t ac k e d
T h o u gh t h e s e a w as r un n i n g h e av y s h e did n o t m i s s t ay
A n d so o n w e w e r e c l o s e h au l e d st an di n g u p Bo s t o n B ay
I t w as f as t gr o w i ng c o ld w i th t h e w i n d st ill i nc re as i n g ;
B u t o u r t w e n t y t o n bo at w as s t e adily fo r e r e a c h i n g ;
Qu i t e fast m a de t h e i c e fr o m s p ra y t h at s h e d h e av e
A s t h r o ug h t h e tu r bu l e n t w ate r s h e r w ay sh e w o u ld c l e ave
T h e m an at t h e w h e e l an d t h e l o o k o ut as w e ll
E v e r y h al f h o u r w e r e g i v e n a s p e ll ;
F o r t h o s e w h o v e be at u p i n a W i n t e r s n o r w e s t b re e ze
Kn o w full w e ll h o w qui c k ly th e h e lm s m an w ill fr e e ze
S o t h e n i g h t w e r e aw ay t ill p ast fo ur o c l o c k
Wh e n u n de r t h e l e e w e m a d e a l f W a y R o c k
T h e w at e r n o w s m o o t h o ur po s i t i o n m a de c l e ar
W e g av e h e r t h e fo r e s a ilo ff sh e We n t like a d e e r
F o r N o rm an s W o e R o c k w e no w s h a p e d o u r c o ur s e
T h e wi n d be i n g m o r e w e st e r ly an d li g ht e r i n fo r c e ;
I n d u e se aso n w e h e ar d t h e de e p s u ll e n r o ar
O f t h e se as as t h e y br o k e o n t h e M a n o l i a s h o r e ;
A f e w m i nu t e s l at e r a s t h r o ugh t h e w at e r w e pl o ug h
T h e r o c k s h o w s i t se l f u po n t h e po r t b o w
O u r h e ar t s w e r e m a de li g h t as o u t o f d ange r w e p ass e d
A t l e ast f o r t h e p r e se n t an d w e r e n e ar h o m e at l ast
Pass in g T e n Po u n d I sl an d we sho o t i nto t h e c o v e
Go v e
A n d d o wn g o e s th e an c h o r o f t h e W
R i g h t p r o u d ar e w e o f th e s t au n c h lit t l e b o at
W h i c h t h r o u g h so t e r r ibl e a n ight ke pt u s s afe ly ao at
L e t t h o se w h o e at sh an d g r o w l at t h e p r i c e
T ake a t r ip o ff s h o r e s h o v e l s n o w an d p o u n d i c e
O n e g o o d s h aki n g u p i n o ld B o s t o n B ay

n
a
e
s
d f ul t w i t h sh e r m n p ay
A n d t h e y ll ne r m o re

Y e s ! w e h ad

a r o ug

igh t

yo u

ay

F I S HB B M E ZV S

T r uthf ul
Of

T o ug /z T i m e s , N
r a ti ve s ,

e r m en

Pooa

ar r ow

P e r ilo u s P

W /zi l e i rz P

O t/te r jVo te wo r

7 72l

13

yD ig
t/ y H pp i

p es D is a s te r s P l u e

sca

o s i ti o n s , a u o
u r s uit

BOO

S t ar t ling Acc ounts

and

O WN

C a l l ing

o n

B r i t/ i n g N

s,

ar

g s to to e F is k

eu u

Two of the crew of sch M a r

oberts
a t/20 72 of this port G e orge M
R
.

of Yarmouth N S a n d J ames A usti n of L ive rpool N

left that vessel
o n Grand Bank at half past four on the after n oon of O c t
1
7 8 7 4 to visit
S
their trawls
oon after it com me n ced to bree z e up a n d a thick fog shut
in
A dory i n which were t wo of the crew was paid out from the vesse l to
n
their assista ce but the warp proved too short a n d the fog became so thick
n
that they soo lost sight of each other They could hear the shouts of
their compa n io n s but all e ff orts to reach them proved u n availi n g I t soon
m
n
n n
co me ced rai i g a n d the two men made up their mi n ds to d o the bes t
,

F I S HE R M E N

38

B O OK

O WN

F ortu n ately

there were three trawl tubs o n board a n d two of these were

m ade fast to the pai n ter of the dory an d did m ost excelle n t service as
dro gues keepi n g her head to the sea The n igh t passed drearily a n d they
were glad e n ough whe n mor n i n g daw n ed but the fog stil l co n ti n ued to e n
v e l o p the m
a n d they co n cluded to row to the westward
It cleared up
occasio n al ly but they s a w n o vessel an d n ight ca m e o n agai n The next
day was also foggy a n d they laid to the drogue al l day d rift i n g to the east
ward Took watch a n d watch this n igh t i n hopes to catch a gl i m pse of
so m e light from a passi n g vessel b u t their hopes were disappoi n ted I t
rai n ed duri n g the n igh t a n d they were fortu n ate e n ough to catch a good
supply of water i n their re m ai n i n g tub 3 of this they dra n k spari n gly a n d it
served to appease the fearful pa n gs of thirst a n d hu n ger O n the third d ay
t h ey rowed to the n orthwest i n h opes to get i n to the track of t h e steamers
Th e fog still co n ti n ued a n d n o vessel was see n a n d they passed a n othe r
n i ht i n s u spe n se
The m e n were by this time getti n g disc o uraged m ore
g
especially M r A u sti n who had co n tracted a se v ere col d the rst n ight out
a n d was troubled with such severe shaki ng of his li m bs that he could n o t
sleep The m or n i n g of the fourth day was clear a n d it co n ti n ued moderate
through the day This gave th e m courage a n d although quite weak they
r o wed to the westward keepi n g a n a n xious l ookou t for som e welcome sail
a n d doi n g their best to keep up each other s courage
A sh ark came al o n g
side duri n g the day a n d they e n de avored to catch h im as they would
gl adly h ave partake n o f a n ythi n g eatable but we re u n successful W hen
the s u n we n t dow n that n ight the poor fel lows fel t their hearts si n k within
the m a n d th ey thought their cha n ces of bei n g picked u p were rath er slim
R oberts was e n abled to pass so m e of the weary hours i n sleep but this boo n
for the m ost par t was de n ied his co m pa n io n The fth d ay was foggy a n d
they rowed a couple of hours but fel t so use d up that they gave up pulli n g
n ight dragged its slow hours alo n g
a n d a n other drear
The
sixth
day
they
y
let t h e dory drift S a w the s u n o n ce or twice but n o sig n s of a n y vessel 3
The seve n th
a n d th e n ight shut down again bri n gi n g sad forebodi n gs
day was foggy yet stra n ge to say their courage again revived They had
d ra n k spari n gly of th e water an d it seemed to satisfy the hu n gry feeli n g t o
a great exte n t a n d rowi n g some three miles to th e n orthward they put th e
tubs out a n d let the dory drift
Their lo n gi n gs to be rescued from th at ope n boat can be imagi n ed but
not d escribed The su n we n t dow n for the eighth time and still n o sig n s
of relief They watched eagerly through the early eve n i n g hours a n d knew
full well they could n o t hold out a great while lo nger They talked of their
c ha n ces as m e n will talk when in the face o f a commo n da n ger a n d both
were of opi n i o n that they cou l d n o t survive a n other twe n ty four hours
They the n l ay down and b o th men in the silent depths o f their he arts
,

F I S HE B M E N

B O OK

O WN

13

prayed most ferve nt ly that they migh t be picked up before m or n i n g S oon

after R oberts thought he heard the n o ise of a stea m er a n d raised his head
above the side of the dory J oy u n speakable ! there were a steamer s light s
n ot fty yards dista n t The do r y had bee n see n from he r deck a n d t h e
shouts of the m e n were soon a n swered R obe r ts was e n able d to get o n
board without help but it required the assista n ce o f two of the stea m er s
crew to get A ustin o n board It proved to be the ocea n stea m er G r e e c e
a n d the m e n were ki n dly cared for by her captai n and o ffi cers a n d by care
ful n ursi n g were well nigh recovered upon her arrival i n N e w York Upo n
l e avi n g the stea m er the m e n were prese n ted with twen ty dollars each a gift
fro m her offi cers an d passe n gers
A ve ry si n gul ar circu m sta n ce co n n ected with this a ff air is that at n ine
o clock that eve n i n g the C aptai n of the stea m er altered h is course half a
poi n t to the n orthward If he had n ot do n e so he would have go n e s o far
to the southward as n ot to have see n the do ry a n d in al l probability the
tw o m e n would have perished A ki n d Pr o vide n ce had ordered it other
wise their prayers were heard an d from the da n gers which surr o unded
them they were retur n ed t o their f r ie n ds
.

'

MA

K BL E

UM A

I n

J uly

J ohn C o m o o ne of t h e
c r ew of sch M agi c of this port caught a smal l halibut on the Bank o n
which h e took a notion to cut his i n itial s an d threw the sh overboard n o t
expecti n g to see h im agai n I n 1 8 7 4 he shipped in sch M a r y B D a n ie ls
a n d while h auli n g his trawl o n Gra n d Ba n k discovered to h i s great sur
prise the ide n tical halibut h e had marked so m e eight m onths before T h e
h alibut was o n ex h ibitio n at the wharf of the N e w E n gl an d Fish C ompa n y
The initials were plain ly discernible although the sh had gr o wn co n side r
ably since they were cut This is n o sh story but a ve ritable fact an d
the circumsta n ce is certai n ly a most remarkable o ne
A mo n g the halibut l a n ded by sch C ne s te r R L a w r e n ee i n M ay 1 8 75 was

3
one with the n ame L y n ch cut thereon Th e h alibut had gr o wn c o n s id
e r ab ly si n c e th e carvi n g O peration which from the appeara n ce o f the scars
had been do n e about a year The letters wer e s o me six inches in le n gth
an d very clearly dened
I n February 1 8 7 6 while dressi n g sh at the G loucester F ish C o mpany s
wh arf a plai n gol d ri n g was take n from the pau n ch of a c o d s h I t was

brought to th e C ape A n n A dvertise r sa n ctum by M r W illiam E A n sell

a n d had the appearance of h avi n g been i n the keepi n g of the sh for som e
ti m e T h e mark 1 8 Ksign ifyi n g the quality of the gold was plai n ly dis
c e r n i b le on the i n side of the ri n g
The que ry is h o w came th e fi sh in pos
sessio n of it an d who was the owner ?
I n M arch 1 8 7 7 G eorg e H a r vey o n e o f the crew o f sch R e bec c a B a r tle tt
E

RC

ST

N CES

8 73 ,

"

B O OK

O WN

FISHERM EN S

140

o f this p o rt o n her trip to G eorges hauled up a c o d s h which upo n bei n g

dressed there was fou n d i n t h e paun c h a wal let in a fair state of preser v a
U n fortun ately for th e sher m a n there was n o mo n ey i n it 3 but there
t io n
was a n old letter an d a h orse car ticket The w r iti n g o n the letter was so
badly obliterated that it coul d n ot be read therefore n o clue as to the ow n er
o f the wallet coul d be obtai n ed
I n Ja n ua r y 1 8 8 0 sch B e ss ie W S o m e s C apt Hodgdo n fro m the Ba n k s
brought in a twenty pou n d halibut i n the ski n of which were pl ai n ly visible
the i n itial s a n d date W E M c D
I t is supposed that whe n a
y o ung fellow he visited t h e sch W i ll ia m E M c D o n a ld a n d was set at lib
e r ty beari n g the above i n scriptio n
,

GE TT IN G
T R I P U N D E R D I F F I C U L T I E s S c h a g/zt T e mp l a r C apt
M ichael M c D o n a ld wh ic h ar r iv e d from G ran d Ba n k Feb 2 0 1 8 7 4 had a
t o ugh time of it 3 but the plucky captain was deter m i n ed to get a trip a n d
he did so bri n gi n g i n
p o unds of halib u t which stocked
He
left port J a n 1 0 and arrived on W ester n Ba n k the 1 3 t h where they e n c o u n
Fi n di n g sh scarce he de
t e r e d a severe gale an d broke the m ai n boom
M ost of the crew did n t relish saili n g
t e r m i n e d to go to the Gra n d Ba n k
a th ousa n d m iles from home with a broke n m ai n boo m ; but the captai n was
inexible a n d they starte d with a ten k n ot bree z e un der a foresail o n ly
A rri v i n g o n t h e
O n the passage the f o resail j ibed over breaki n g the ga ff
Ba n k the 2 0 t h they set their trawls A severe gale came o n i n the n igh t
whe n the vessel shipped a sea a n d smashed all the dories This was a n other
s troke of ill luck,as what was the use of the trawls without a n y dories in
which to get them ? C apt M c D o n a ld however was n o t the m a n t o be dis
hearte n ed H e h ad come for a trip of sh and a trip he was goi n g t o
h ave if withi n t h e po wer of m orta l m an to get it Taki n g the re m ai n s of
U n fortu n ately he had n o
o n e of th e dories he used it to repair the others
n ails suitable for the work 3 but this diffi culty was obviated by heati n g some
board nails thereby re n deri ng them pliable It blew a livi n g gale of wi n d
most of the time 3 but du r i n g the lulls of ftee n days there were opportu n i
ties to set the trawls several times and this gave him his trip
A fter hauling up the a n chors to start for h ome h avi n g n o im m ediate use
for the stocks he sawed them in two usi n g them to sh the m ai n boom
and was thus en abled t o carry the mai n sail whe n n eeded O n the r o t h of
F ebruary while o ff the Gulf o f S t L awre n ce j ust to the eastward of S abl e
Isla n d they were struck by a hurrica n e shippi n g a se a which agai n s m ashe d
th e dorie s a n d threatened to swamp the vessel 3 but she ca m e out of it
ha n dsomely an d br o ught her plucky captain an d crew safe to port
.

'

F I S HE R M E N

U KY L I

A AI

B O OK

O WN

14 1

G E T S FI E T E E N H N D R E D D O L L R S S A L
V GE
O u the after n o o n of J u n e 1 2 1 8 7 5 sch A dd is o n C e n te r was r un
down while at a n chor on C ashes duri n g a thick fog by b rig S a r a }; M L o r
S h e struck her with great force pressi n g h e r u n de r
i ng of Yarm o uth N S
water a n d the crew n aturally supposi n g that sh e was si n ki n g lost n o ti m e
in getti n g on board the brig and were carried i n to P o rtl a n d S h e was
boarded by a n u m ber of vessels the m asters of which co n s idered it i m p o s
sible to get her i n to port A n d they were n o t to bl am e for so thi n ki n g as
she h ad a big hole i n her stern through which the water was m aki n g rap
idly an d it was appare n t that she would soo n go dow n
O n M o n day 1 4 th i n st she was sighted by C apt George W hitmore of
boun d fo r Boston He had as cre w two boys
s c h E l le n of E llsworth M e
only L etti n g his o wn vessel d rift they boarded the C e n te r in their boat
I t was the n two O clock i n the
a n d he co n ceived the idea of savi n g her
after n oo n an d he i m m ediately com m e n ced operati o n s C utti n g a large
piece of duck out of the mai n sail he con trived by dint o f much i n ge n uity to
n ail it over the hole To do this required co n siderabl e exertio n especially
the n aili n g under water ; but h e stuck to the j ob with a tenacity which k n ew
n o such word as fail a n d after severa l hours o f unremitti n g exertio n which
will be u n derstood by a n y o n e k n owi n g the n ature of such a task he h ad
the satisfactio n of seeing it accomplished G etti n g sail on her he we n t o n
board his o wn vessel an d gave i n structions to the two lads how to run fo r
Portla n d a n d the n return ed alo n e t o the C e n te r
G ivi n g the vessel a heel
so as to relieve the damaged part as m uch as possible h e cut th e cable a n d
shaped his course for Portl a n d foll owed by the E ll e n A n e little bree z e
spra n g up a n d the water in the vessel rushi n g forward brought th e stern
o ut of t h e water which e ffectually prevented her taki n g in a n y m ore Th i s
O perated m uch i n his fav o r as she was then tw o thir d s ful l of water a n d
u n less the leak had been stopped she would h ave kept aoat but a short
time l o nger He r a n all night a n d reached po r t W ed n esday noon
M r Horatio Babso n one of the ow n e rs of the C e n te r upo n heari n g of he r
arrival immediately we nt to Portl a n d an d at o n ce a cceded to C apt W h it
more s de m a n d of $ 1 5 0 0 salvage in behalf of the Gloucester Fishi n g I n s ur
a n ce C o m pa n y of this city an d the N aumkeag ofce o f S alem at which
the vessel wa s i n sured I t was a plucky j ob throughout

PL

TT L E

PT

<

M YS T E R I O S L o ss o r T wo O F T HE C R E W O F S C H F R E D E R I c G E R R I N G
T wo of the crew of sch F r e d e r ic G e r r in
C apt E dward M orris
R
r
J
g j
W illiam N orto n a n d A lbert S u lk e y left the vessel i n their do r y o n the af
t e r n o o n of M o n day Feb 2 8 1 8 7 6 for the purpose of h auli n g their trawls
I t was very moderate at the time a n d others of the crew als o left in do r ie s
f o r the same purp o se A fter they had been abse n t s o me twe n ty mi n utes
.

F I S HE

42

KM E ZV S

BOO

O WN

apt M orris as is h is custom keepi n g watch of the dories saw that t h e

o n e i n which N orton a n d S u lk e
n g without a n
were
seemed
to
be
drifti
y
y
e ffort bei n g made to reach the buoy whithe r she was bou n d S oon he s a w
o n e of the other dories pulli n g for her with al l speed and the n he suppose d
that somethi n g was wr o n g The o ther dory i n due time reach ed the vessel
h avi n g i n to w th e drifti n g dory a n d reported they had fou n d her adrift a n d
n ei t he r of the men were o n board
The trawl gear was i n the dory t h e
same as when they started she had shipped n o water a n d the cause of th e
drown i ng o f th e men was a mystery which could n ot be solved O n e pai r
of oars was picked up in the wate r This i n deed is a ve ry mysterious a f
fair and without preceden t a n d n o t h eory h as ever yet bee n O ff ered which
t h rows an y ligh t thereon They were both good frie n ds a n d were spoke n
o f as r s t cl ass shermen N orton having bee n with C apt M orris for fou r
years There was no squall to throw them out of the dory The o n ly sup
positio n which has a n y fe asibility is that o n e of them accide n tally fel l ove r
board a n d the other i n attempti n g t o save hi m lost his life both goi n g down
togethe r They were b o th married men about thirty years o f age an d res
ide n ts of this ci ty
C

T WE N

YF U
O

AY

S IN

T HE

CE

S chs f l e r e w a r a , Pen n ingt o n ,

and

at

which left th is p o rt f o r N ewfou n dl a n d for a load of fro z e n

herri n g i n D ece m ber 1 8 7 5 got fro z e n in while on the ho m eward passage
Got clear
Fe b 9 1 8 7 6 i n F ortune Bay an d th ere rem ai n ed eleve n d ays
the 1 9 th a n d we n t in to the ice again the sam e day an d rem ai n ed th ere un til
M arch 3 S chs S C N oy e s Hateld of N e wb u r y p o r t a nd C na r les A
R op es of C amde n M e were also in the same predicame n t
C apt Pe n n i n g
to n m ade a d rawi n g of the sce n e i n which the four vessel s are visible l o cked
i n the ic e a n d the crews of th e H e r e wa r d a n d R a ttle r busily e n gaged i n
getting some provisio n s from the S C N oy e s wh ich lay at a dista n ce o f
three m iles The ice was so r o ugh that they were oblige d to carry the our
in bags a n d the me n with these bags o n their backs a n d the captain with
the empty barrel t o put it i n whe n it reached the vessel m ade a lively sce n e
I t was a tedious experie n ce for all ha n ds a n d gl ad e nough were they to ge t
clear o f their icy bonds F ortun ate it was that the N oy e s could supply th e m
wi t h our otherwis e the men would have su ff ered for this necessary of life

tle r

Ph e r so

n,

P I C KE D U P A To ngli Ti m e of [ t S c h C o r n e l i u s S to k e m whic h
arrive d at this port M ay 2 3 1 8 7 6 from N ewf ou n dla n d brough t i n t wo
F re n chme n J ohn Bouche a n d A dolph C rochu who were picked up in a
do r y in the G ulf of S t L awrence o n the 1 6 th inst They were lost from
their vessel o n B an qu e r e au whil e atte ndi n g their trawls and exp o se d to a
v i o l e nt gale t h e sea bre a ki ng o ve r them and t h e weathe r be ing ve r y c o l d
M

EN

F I S HE R M E N

0 WN

B O OK

43

nvel o pi n g them in ice F o r seven days they were exp o sed to the severity
of the weather without food or dri n k a n d when take n o ff were both i n an
exhausted condition a n d n ear the gates of death from hu n ger an d exposure
O n e of the me n was badly fro z en but both recovere d fr o m the e ff ects O f
their exposure

O ST

IN

T HE

Fo

E ge t D ay s w i t/c o n t F o o d
r

W a te r

or

D uring t h e

years 1 8 75 a n d 1 8 7 6 there were numerous cases of sherme n getti n g sepa

rated from their vessels in co n seque n ce of thick fog setti n g i n while at their
trawls most of whom were picked up withi n a day or two before they h ad
su ff ered greatly fro m hu n ger or thirst I n o n e i n sta n ce two men were out
six days before they were rescued Patrick O N e il an d F ra n k M iller of sch
T n ao l C a in of this port in O ctober 1 8 7 5 3 but n eve r have we recorded an
insta n ce where m e n have been eight days with o ut food o r wate r as was the
case of C apt W illia m Hi n es a n d J ohn F oster of sch E Oe n B P o i /l ips of
this port the particulars of which are as follows
O n the 1 8 th of M ay 1 8 7 6 the t wo m e n left their vessel on Gra n d Ba n k
early in the m or n i n g to h aul their trawl I t was n o t very thick at the ti m e
but shortly after a de n se fog shut i n a n d they were u n able to n d their way
back They drifted arou n d all that day a n d night occasionally rowi n g a
l ittle but did n o t succeed i n n di ng any traces of the schoo n er O n the
followi n g day the fog co n ti n ued as thick as ever an d C apt Hi n es thi n ki n g
the vessel might be fou n d by steeri n g i n a westerly course headed their do r y
i n th at directio n 3 but i n stead of goi n g toward la n d they o n ly got farthe r
out to sea Fo r seve n days a n d n ights they co n ti n ued to drift a n d r o w at
i n tervals the fog co n ti n ui n g ve r y de n se Their su ff eri n gs for wa n t of food
a n d dri n k were most excruciati n g and bei n g thi n ly clothe d they su ffere d
co n siderably fro m the chilly wi n d which swept ove r them m ost of the ti m e
O n the m or n i n g of the eighth day the fog lifted a n d much to t h e j oy of th e
famishi n g m e n who had n o w scarcely stre n gth to m ove they discovered a
bark i n the dista n ce Both were so weak that they could h ardly do a ny
thi n g to attract atte n tio n except by rappi n g o n the gu n wale of the dory
Kn owing that it was their last h ope of safety they roused themselves t o
re n ewed e ff ort took to their oars a n d after rowi n g a couple of hours were
discovered by those o n board the bark which hove to a n d about h alfpast
eleve n that n ight they c am e up with her S h e prove d to be the N orwegia n
bark C o l le c to r C apt Holstei n bou n d for the Provi n ces C apt Hi n es was
able to get o n board the vessel without assista n ce but Foster was perfectly
helpless a n d had to be l ifted o n board They received the ki n dest treat
me n t fro m the captai n a n d crew an d by careful n ursi n g soon bega n to r e
c u p e r a te
They h ad drifted o n e hundred a n d sixty m iles from the Ba n k
when rescued The bark arrived at D alhousie o n the the sth of J u n e a n d
,

FI S H E B M E ZV S

44

BOO

O WN

the followi n g day the me n were take n ashore a n d sent t o S t J ohn by th e

N orwegia n co n sul at that place he kindly payi n g their expe n ses
A fte r
stoppi n g i n S t John a few days with s o me of their frie n ds they were pro
v i d e d with free passes for Boston a n d arrived ho m e in due seaso n
3 and i n
ti m e both m e n recovered from the terrible e ff ects of their protracted expos
ur e
wh ich cam e so near causi n g the m to die of starvatio n on the water a
fate which o n e fairly shudders to conte m pl ate
o n

T E R R I BL E

I S AS T

E R

s s of

S en
.

Ki tti

P o r t Af u lgr

ao e,

w i l l:

s
e
r
s
s
n
n
}
;
r
e
e
a
s
e
B
o
u
d
t
e
i
s
t
n
e
i
n
t
n
i
e
N
i
P
o
C
t
o
E
a
e
F
i
S ix ty t
g
y
g g
i ttie , co m m
E s c ap e of a e e P e r s o n s c o W e r e a n H o u r L a te S c h
-

s / ce r

ar r o

a n ded
by C apt J ames F o r r e s t al l her ow n er left Port M ulgrave S unday A pril 2
1 8 7 6 bou n d for Bosto n a n d there is n o doubt but that she fou n dere d i n t h e
seve r e gale of the 4 t h i n st carryi n g with he r sixty three perso n s belo n gi n g
i n Port M ulgrave a n d vici n i ty but wh o were ide n tied with Gloucester as
they followe d shi n g from this port duri n g six mo n ths of th e year a n d h ad
m a n y relatives a n d frie n ds i n this city wh o were a n xiously expecti n g their
arrival The followi n g is the list of the passe n gers as n early as could b e
obtai n ed :
F r o m H a r o r B o u c /ze J oh n L e v a n gy Hubert L e v a n gy E d ward D ecost
Frederick L e v a n gy B e n Fougere M ichael Pebri n e He n ry Be n oit Joh n
Paro Jerry F o uge r e L ucia n L e v a n gy E Fo u ge r e (Jack s son ) Joh n K
ing
uge r e
E
D
m
D
Pete
s
F
dward
ecost
idow
To
s
ecost
s o n) L
o
s o n) J O S
W
(
(
D avid L e v a n gy N e d Bouchy Be n Bre a n Be n B e lf o u n t a i n L ewis Bouchy
.

F I S HE R M E M S

B O OK

O WN

45

Je ffrey Bouchy M ichael O ldel d W m O ldeld Fougere ( E phrai m s s o n )

D a n iel M c D o n a ld ( A lla n s s o n ) M rs J oh n O B r ie n a n d three children S a
rah M c D o n a ld ( A llan s daughter) A ugusta Fougere J oh n M c D o n a ld (A ll an
J oh n s s o n ) R ory M c D o n a l d ( D o n ald s s o n lighthouse ) W m Fo r r e s t al l
m
illia
s
W
so n)
(

M arti n D oyle N D ecost Jos D ec o st W m C r i tte n

F r o m S te ep C r e e k
d e n ( H ugh s s o n ) J oh n D W helan

i
l
O
r
W illia m M aguire
F r o m P i r a te f a O

W m C ritte n de n E dward R yan R ory M c D o n a l d

F r o m P o r t M u lg r a ve
G e orge L o n gu i l l Ja m es Perki n s A lex Perki n s J O H a n d le y Peter F o r
estall A rch M c D o n a ld

R oderick M c D o n al d M c M i lla n s Poi n t 3 Joh n M c

n
r
e
t
o
e
a
B
r
F om C p
E a c h r e n Gle n dale 3 Joh n M c D o n a ld do 3 D a n iel M c D o n a ld M c M i lla n s
Poi n t 3 Ja m e s M c D o n a ld W hycocomagh 3 Joh n O H a n d le y Judique 3 A lex
M c D o n a ld do 3 R upert G R oss Port Hood 3 W m J oh n so n do 3 A lex
eeper J u
M c I n n i s n ear Hawkesbury ; Joh n C ass do 3 J oh n M c D o n a ld K
dique 3 Joh n D M c K
i n n o n do 3 D a n ie l M c E a c h r e n J udique 3 He n ry S imp
s o n M a n chester
The crew co n sisted of C apt J a m es F o r r e s t all C apt J oh n M arti n J ame s
M arti n D a n iel M c D o n al d
The sch K
i ttie was b u ilt in L u n e n b e r g and was ow n ed by C apt J ame s
F o r r e s t all of A uld s C ove S trait of C a n so an d was about te n ye ars O l d
The abo v e list is as correct as can possibly be got 3 there may be o n e or
The t o tal i n cludi n g passe n gers an d
t wo that have n o t bee n O btai n ed
cre w was sixty eight
There were three pers o n s v iz W illiam M c D o n ald a n d N eil M c D o n a ld
brothers a n d A n gus M c D o n a l d who were co m i n g o n this vessel but were
A ll their cl othi n g was o n board a n d
a n hour late the vessel h avi n g sailed
they ca m e by la n d Their being behi n dha n d o n this occasio n was the
m ea n s of preservi n g t heir lives

'

M A KA B

P I

E
W
S
C
P
The crew of th e
A
E
sch D a n ie l A B u r n na m of this port had a si n gular a n d w o n de rful e xp e r i
e n ce W hile lyi n g to o ff S able I sla n d o n the eve n i n g of J a n 1 0 1 8 77 the
schoo n er was struck by a heavy sea wh ich tur n ed her completely ove r t h e
m asts gi v i n g way while S h e was u n der water
O f her crew of thirtee n me n
all but o n e were below when the vessel capsi z ed 3 a n d the rapidity of the
e n tire tra n sactio n which did n o t allow time for the vessel to ll prove d
their sal v atio n They were thrown from the oor to the ceili n g whe n the
schoo n er was bottom up a n d im m ediately to the oor again as she righ ted
O n co m i n g o n deck the m a n who had bee n o n the lookout wa s fou n d ha n g
i n g over the side by a portion of the gear a n d was speedily hauled o n
R

L E

E R

E N C E

A N D

RRO

F I S HB B M B N

146

B O OK

O WN

b o ard The crew remained on th e wreck on which they got some smal l
canvas a n d were headi n g for the l a n d as best they could whe n fortu n ately
they e n cou n tered the m ail stea m e r A u s tr i a n who t o o k t h e m o ff a n d l a n ded
the m at S t J oh ns N F
.

AP

E SC
E T w o F i s /ze r m e n
C ap s ize d in a D o r y C a ugnt 5y (2
r a w ! H o o k F o r tu n a te R e sc u e Two of the crew of sch
C e n te n n i a l , Peter

RRO

S ca n la n

an d

G e o rge S tickli n g were capsi z ed i n a dory on t h e shi n g grounds

M ay 2 1 1 8 7 7 an d had a narrow escape from a wate r y grave They had
co m pleted the h auli n g of their trawl s a n d were ready to ret u rn to the vessel
whe n a sea boarded a n d su n k the dory but she soo n capsi z ed a n d ca m e up
again a n d the m e n succeeded i n getti n g hold o f her S ca n lan at the bo w
I n go i n g over th e hook of o n e of the trawls
a n d S tickli n g at the ster n
ca u ght in th e leg of S tickl i n g a n d he was co m pelled to bear his o wn weigh t
a n d that of th e trawl which h e was e n abled to do by fortu n ately securi n g a
foothol d i n the ster n becket of the dory But the co m bi n ed weigh t of m an
an d li n e kept the u n fortun ate m a n n early u n der water th e greater part of
the time a n d his positio n wa s o n e of extre m e discomfort a n d peril S can
l an was m ore fortu n ately situated h avi n g n o e n cu m bra n ce exept h is cloth
i n g a n d the forward part of the frail craft was kept well out of water by
the weight at th e stern 3 yet his position was far fro m e n viable cli n gi n g to
an overtur n ed dory u po n a wide expan se of surgi n g waters A fter bei n g
th us exposed for about a quarter of an hour they were disc o vered by the
m e n in a n other dory who wer e retur n ing to the vessel wh o at o n ce went to
their rescue S tickli n g was nearly exhausted a n d i n pulli n g h im i n the
h ook was broken o ff i n his leg a n d on reaching the vessel it was fou n d n e c
essary to cut it out m aki n g a n u gly wou n d He must h ave bee n possessed
of re m arkabl e powers of e n dura n ce to m ai n tai n the positio n u n til assista n ce
arrived a n d his escape fro m death m ay well be co n sidered as very n arrow
,

SIx TO

RE

TO

BO

DR

K P AF A
LO

E E

HE R A

GS

PO

U DI
N

CE

N C

LL

S
N I G HT A

O R

O FF
.

LT

IS L

AD
N

A N D

T o ngli Ti m e

ar

m
be
re
embered by a terrible squall quick ly
3
p
J
fol lowe d by i n te n se cold a n d a heavy n orthwest gale J u st previous to the
s qual l the little boat H op e of this port a trie short of six to n s burthe n wa s
to th e southward of Brow n s Ba n k some eigh t m iles O ff the C ape S h e was
co m m a n ded by C apt A n tho n y T F ra n cis an d there was a cre w of t wo
The m e n h ad
m e n J ohn C o n ley a n d J oseph A da m s maki n g thre e i n all
j ust bee n picki n g their trawls a n d had a dory load of sh a n d trawl li n es
a n d seei n g the squall co m i n g m ade all possibl e h aste to get on board the
boat This they succeeded in doi n g j ust in time 3 but it was so rough that
the dory collided with the boat k n o cki n g o ff a piece of he r rail a n d came
r ow

sca

an

8 7 8 , will

a nd

HE R

F I S HE R M E N

B O OK

O WN

47

near staving a h o le through her F i n di n g they could n o t to w the heavily

l ade n do r y they were obliged to cut her adrift a n d she soo n capsi z ed a n d
dory a n d co n te n ts proved a total loss The squal l had by this time co m e
u pon the m i n all its fury 3 but the little craft behaved well and they got
her up u n de r the lee of S al t Isl a n d a n d ca m e to a n chor 3 but the a n chor
would n o t hold and co m me n ced draggi n g carry i n g them o ff to s e a A fter
draggi n g so m e four miles it n ally held 3 but it was so rough a n d the wi n d
ahead th at they dare d not attempt to ge t u n derway so they hu n g to it de
Th e cold was so i n te n se that the wate r
t e r m i n e d to take their cha n ces
shipped o n deck fro z e almost as soo n as it struck threate n i n g to si n k th e
little craft a n d this da n ger was most to be dreaded W he n m e n s lives are
i n the bala n ce however t hey wil l acc o m plish almost i n credible tasks a n d
so it proved i n the case of these poor fellows N otwithsta n di n g the cold
wi n ds which pierced the m like a k n ife n otwithsta n di n g the showers of f r e e z
i ng cold spray which co n sta n tly broke over the m there they stood at their

n
n
posts beati ng ice the livelo g ight a n ight which non e of them will ever
forge t a n d by their al m ost superhu m a n e ff orts they kept their little craft
aoat an d the next after n oon brought her safely i n to port
.

P
I
T
IM
Friday after n oo n J an 4 1 8 7 8 t wo young m e n of
E
S
ER LO
A
R iverdale n amed G eorge S ta n wood J r a n d Fred A L ewis we n t out s h
i n g i n Ipswich Bay in a dory a n d at n oo n time j ust before th e storm c a me
The s n owstorm ca m e dow n upo n them so thick that
o n starte d to pull i n
they could n ot see and to their best j udgme n t they pulled for A n n isquam
light I t was a tough pull a n d to add to their perils their dory spra n g
aleak requiri ng the utmost exertio n s of o n e of the m e n t o keep her free
with a bucket while the other pulled Thus passe d the afte r n oo n until ve
o clock whe n the dory drove ashore o n C o f n s Beach just this side of the
L oaf where she wa s dashed i n pieces the m e n wet a n d well n igh exhausted
succeedi n g in m aki n g a l a n di n g through the surf They the n dragge d
th emselves al o n g as best they could to the house of M r G ard n er W He r
rick where they were ki n dly rece i ved their wa n ts at t e n ded to a n d h ospita
bly e n tertai n ed for the n ight I n the m ea n ti m e their frie n ds at ho m e were
fearful that they were lost This a n xiety was dispelled i n the m or n i n g wh e n
a messe nger was dispatched assuri n g the a n xious frie n ds of thei r safety
.

B O S T O N F I S H I N G S C H O O N E R S c h L i ttl e K
a te of S outh Bos
to n s for m erly of this port e n gaged i n the h addock shery we n t
to n
ashore O ff D uxbury i n the gale of Thursday J a n 1 0 1 8 7 8 a n d became a
total l oss O f he r crew of th irtee n m e n not o n e escaped A ll were resi
de n ts O f S outh Bosto n al l related by blood or marriage four bei ng brothers
S eve n of the m were married leavi n g that n u m ber of widows a n d twenty o n e
L

O SS

o r

F I S HE R M E N

4s

O WN

BOO

fatherless childre n as the fruits of this sad disaster The father of the fou r
bro thers m e n tio n ed a n aged m a n n a m ed O we n Hi n es was i n deed terribly
a fflicted His wife died ve weeks previous a n d o n ly o n e crippled s o n was
left h im of a fa m ily which a f e w days before was ful l of health a n d prom i se
Th e vessel too was his a n d all the property he posse s sed was bou n d up i n
her A short ti m e previous he was offered $ 1 5 0 0 for the schoo n er but as it
fur n ished a m ea n s of livelihood to his fa m ily as well as t o hi m self h e r e f u s e d
to part with it Ther e was n o i n sura n ce o n the vessel co n seque n tly what
represe n ted the savi n gs of a lifeti m e disappeared i n a m o m e n t a n d with it
we n t every o n e wh ose stro n g h a n ds should h ave supporte d the old m a n s
tre m bli n g steps toward the grave
.

AP

T e r r i le
C O D F i ne Ve s s e ls W r e c k e d
H o w tne S u r v i vo r s
t
h
r i ll i n
ce
n
es o
D
e
a
of
tne M e n o n tlce P o w w o w T
S
g
f
we r e R e s c ue d The n ight of the 2 d a n d the m or n i n g of the 3 d of J a n uary ,
T HE

S TO

O FF

were terrible for those u n lucky m ari n ers wh o fou n d the m selves i n a
Five ves
b e i n g drive n o n the treacherous sa n ds of C ape C o d
s n o ws t o r m
sels were lost Fro m the largest two n o t a soul was saved 3 every m an
fro m the captai n s down t o the deck boys was buried be nea th the col d
1

8 78 ,

F I S HE R M E N

B O OK

O WN

14

waters A fe w bodies were recovered but the maj ority sleep in watery
graves

The su fferings o f the cre w of the ill fated P o w w o w of Provi n cetown wer e
frightful The hour of 4 A M fou n d them d rifti n g helplessly to the le e
shore o f W e lle e t W ith the hope of checki n g their drift they a n ch ored
b u t the chai n of their l arger a n chor parte d a n d the vessel dragged th e
s m aller o n e as if it had bee n a pou n d weight The n as the te m p e s t lu lle d

Hoist the j ib shouted the captai n a n d we ll r u n her through the surf

W ith great di fculty the sail was partially hoisted a n d the vessel s head
swu n g towards the l a n d But al as ! she struck in the outer breakers The
great billows broke over her a n d in a n i n sta n t S h e lled A sig n al of dis
S e t the kerosen e a r e
tress was ligh ted but was soo n exti n guished

ordered C apt C aton 3 we must let the statio n m e n k n ow we are here

This was do n e Tha n k heave n a n an sweri n g sig n al was heard a n d in the
course of a half hour they discer n ed a horse a n d cart movi n g to wards the m
alo n g the beach beari n g a large box con tai n i n g the pate n t rescue g u n A
lo n g hour crept by but there ca m e n o other sig n s of succor Their hopes
fell S o cold were they that it was with difculty they clu n g to the riggi n g
~
D re n c h ed every m o m e n t with icy wate r they were soo n be n umbed
O ne
huge fellow with the muscles of a Hercules was three ti m es washed away
fro m the vessel Twice h e r e ga i n e d his hold but the third time his stre n gth
failed a n d he sa n k to rise n o m ore A s the drea r y mor n i n g passed t wo
others gave up the struggle a n d releasi n g their grasp were swept away
O n e poor boy n a m ed Ja m es D o wn li n g whose h ome was i n Bosto n suc
I ca n t sta n d it a n y l o n ger C aptai n said he I
c u m b e d to the cold
W he n l ast see n by the surv ivors he was lyi n g i n the le e
a m goi n g to die
scu p pers his head ha n gi n g listlessly to o n e side his hair m atted with ice
a n d his ar m s clutchi n g i n their death grip a coil of fro z e n rope
A n d at
l ast the captai n whispered hoarsely G o o d bye boys I sh all t r y for t h e
shore M ay God keep m e for m y poor wife s sake
A dory was go t over
the side but was crushed i n a n i n sta n t C apt C ato n the n tore O ff the cabin
skylight a n d heavi n g it overboard spra n g after it H is support wa s soon
wre n ched fro m his grasp but he struggled m a n fully He reached the shore 3
twice h e stood erect o n the sa n d but the u n dertow wa s too po werful a n d
he was draw n u n der the surf The t e n m e n who re m ai n ed o n the vesse l
we re desti n ed to be saved A fter daylight the L ife S avi n g S tation men wh o
had previously bee n devoti n g their e n ergies to the vai n atte m pt o f rescui n g
the crew of the other wreck arrived The rs t ti m e th e y r e d the mortar
the bal l with the li n e attached fell over the spri n g stay but t h e m e n were s o
chilled with cold that it was i m possible to get it A fter several trials h o w
ever th e li n e fell where they could reach it A t 1 0 A M they were al l
ashore and were te n derly cared for at the Hu m a n e House
,

'

F I S HE R M E N

BOO

O WN

P E R I L O S E X P E R I E N C E S A lle n M agi n n is O f sch C e n te n n ia l was drow n ed

H is co m pa n io n
b y the capsi z i n g of a dory o n Gra n d Ba n k J an 2 0 1 8 78
i n the do ry J oh n M c L e o d s ucceeded i n getti n g o n the bottom of the frai l
craft but this a ff orded a very i n secure hold a n d while al l the other dories
bel o n gi n g to the vessel were provided wit h beckets faste n ed to the plugs
for cases of such emerge n cy this particular o n e was n o t t h us fur n ished
M c L e o d retai n e d his hold as best he could bei n g sometimes washed o ff
u n t il seei n g a h alibut kil ler aoat a short dista n ce away he swam o ff a n d
s ecured it a n d pou n di n g out the plug was able to th rust o n e of his n ge rs
th rough the hole i n the bottom of the dory a n d thus m ai n tai n his hold I n
th is m a n n e r cha n gi n g fro m o n e n ger to a n other he hel d his o wn with
great di f culty for about two hours whe n his crie s were heard by so m e c o m
pa n io n s i n a n othe r dory who rowed to his assista n ce a n d took h i m O ff i n a n
S everal of his n gers were badly chafed a n d it is
e xh austed c o n ditio n
doubtful if he could h ave hel d o n m uch lo n ger
i n g a n d C harles Hu bble y of sch A n n ie C N o r
N 0 v 6 1 8 7 8 Tho m as K
wo o d o n a n O ff shore c o d s h i ng trip were out i n their dories whe n a s qual l
came on and the dory capsi z ed so sudde n ly as to thro w them te n fee t fro m
her They m a n aged to swi m to the over t ur n ed dory an d to ge t upo n h er
botto m but K
i ng was greatly exhausted an d soo n succu m bed H u bb le y
s ucceeded i n mai n tai n i n g his positio n by getti n g a nger i n the plug hole
h olding o n for two hours u n til hi s n ger was n early cut o ff when he was
take n o ff by sch B u t/ze rf o r d B H ay e s greatly exhausted
.

A H appy S u rp r is e

and A u
gustus A rmstro n g t wo of the crew of sch M a r y F C nis no l m O f th is port
left that vessel duri n g a fog M ay 9 1 8 78 to atte n d to their trawls o n W est
They got out of heari n g of t h e fog h or n a n d we re u n able to n d
e r n Ba n k
their vessel A fter rowi n g for twe n ty four hours they fell i n with a Fre n ch
shi n g vessel a n d were take n on board where they re m ai n ed t wo days
T h ey were subseque n tly tra n sferred to sch Vik i ng a n d arri v ed ho m e t h e
day before the C nis no l m a n d were the rst to b a il that vessel as she ca m e
up the harbor with her ag at h a lf m a s t i n toke n of their l oss The ag
wa s speedily ying from the mast head in r e jO I c m g at their deliverance and
t h eir ship m ates co n gratulated them heartily on their fortu n ate escape
L

O ST

A N D

FO

N D

lexa n de r

ac

hen

HA R D P
Y
of the cre w of sch I d a A T /zu r l o w
M e n a m ed A lex S M orise a n d Thomas T Goodwi n we re
o f E astport
l ost fro m that vessel in M ay 1 8 78 while at te n di n g to thei r trawls i n a dory
a n d after an exposure of eighty t wo hours without co m pass food or water
by m aki n g a peril o us voyage of o n e hu n dred a n d twe n ty m iles succeeded
i n landing through fearful breakers forty ve miles east of H alifax
A

LL
.

IN

DO

TWO
.

HE R M E N

FI S

B O OK

O WN

51

F riday J a n 4 1 8 7 8 a seve re storm cam e o n dur

A P E R I L O S N I G HT
i n g the after n o o n a n d m ost of the L a n esville dory eet arrived i n ere it
became very severe A t su n do wn there was great a n xiety fel t for the safety
of S ylva n us C L a n e a n d L ore n z o Gri f n who h ad n o t arrived S a d were
th e hearts o n the shore as the cold wi n d ble w its tf u l blasts a n d the bli n d
It was a tough n ight to be expose d in
i n g s n owstorm rag ed i n al l its fury
an O pe n dory o n the rough waters of Ipswich Bay a n d so these sherme n
fou n d it They coul d not make a ny head way to the port which they wishe d
to gai n so they drifted to leeward h avi n g hard work to keep their craft
a o at S oo n they heard the breakers o n the be ach toward Ipswich a n d
their o n ly cha n ce was to throw their a n chor an d it held the m in eigh t fath
oms of water There they waited for the wi n d to cha n ge kn owi n g full wel l
their fate if the a n chor parted I t did n o t part although several times they
shipped heavy seas n e arly lli n g their dory with water which they baile d
o ut with a bucket Fortu n ately the wi n d cha nged a n d the wor n out s h e r
me n rowed ho m e arrivi n g at m id n ight where they were received by thei r
l oved ones with tha n kful hearts
-

U HE P I

8 1 8 79 sch A lf r e d W a le n C apt Patric k

O N e a l was co m i n g ho m e fro m Brown s Ba n k a n d while r e e li n g the m ain
sail the vessel took a rol l to wi n dward a n d o n e of the crew R ichard C o s
tillo who was o n the e n d of the boom lost his balance an d we n t o verboard
A fter m aking four attempts to catch the l og li n e he succeede d i n grasping
it The vessel was goi n g ni n e m iles an hour wit h a heavy sea ru n n i n g an d
he was dragged u n der water The vessel was put up i n the wind and t h e
u n fortu n ate man was some three hu n dred feet o ff still cli n gi ng fo r dear l ife
to the log li n e a n d swashed up and down by the heavy seas re n de ri n g h is
position extre m ely dangerous He felt the pulli n g of the men o n the li n e
th e force of which pulled h i m u n de r water and he could n o t re m ai n on t h e
surface He was hauled as h ear as he coul d judge so m e sixty feet whe n
he gave up all hopes of bei n g saved as he did n o t c o m e to the surface u n
til he was hauled u n der the quarter of the ve ssel whe n the m e n go t i n to a
dory a n d getti n g a rope about him got him o n board the vessel where
after lo n g a n d repeate d e ff orts they succeeded in resuscitati n g him He
never has recovered from his fearful experie n ce havi n g raise d a gre at deal
o f blood and has n o t bee n able to do much work s i n ce
A RO

ER

Fe b

E N CE

UN

ORT

UA
N

I PP E R The captain and ow n er of a sm all schoo n e r

SK

TE

at Portl a n d had hard l uck of it He had shed o n Georges seve n tee n years
a n d i n the S pri n g of 1 8 8 0 co n cluded he would sell his little home i n G l o u c
ester pay O ff the m o rtgage an d wit h the proceeds go to Boothbay a n d l iv e
quietly A fter wards in G l o ucester he acciden tally l o st his right i n dex n
.

FI S HE R M E N

152

O WN

BOO

ger He lifted the m ortgage by selli n g his h ouse and had

left
This mo n ey he put in an envelope a n d the e n velope in an i n side pocket
He set sail for B o othbay with his family i n his vessel and on S aturday
S ept 3 when o ff C ape E li z abeth as he leaned over the rail t o pul l i n a
rope the e n vel ope fell from his pocket i n to th e water and as $ 1 5 0 of th e
m o n ey was i n silver it s ank before his eyes
.

M E R C Y O F T H E S E S F i ve D ay s w i t/t o u t F o o d o r D r in k J oh n
W h i t l aw an d S amuel O r gr o v e two of the crew of shi n g sch E d wa r d A
H o r to n of this port l eft that vessel o n G ra n d Ba n k Thursday July 1 1 8 8 0
for the purpose of hauli n g their trawls A fter loadi n g thei r dory th ey fou n d
themselves u n able to return to their vessel o n accou n t O f a heavy fog hav
A fte r
i n g shut in an d r o wed aimlessly away i n the hope of n di n g succor
undergoi n g great exposure a n d hardships on the foll owing Tuesday th ey
e ffected a lan ding upon the coast of N e wfou n dland greatly reduced a n d
a l m ost in a dying co n dition from their enforced absti n e n ce from food a n d
d ri n k They were ki n dly treated an d were forwarded t o S t J ohns N F ,
where t h ey arrived on the eve n i n g o f J uly 9
A

T HE

AHF

xp o s UR E O N T H E F I S H I N G G R O N D S S c h P o la r W a r/ e
C apt Jerome M c D o n al d was on B a n qu e r e au M arch 2 4 th 1 8 8 0 whe n t h e
wi n d sudde n ly shifted a n d it set in extremely cold while six of her dories
were out The v essel got u n derway a n d fou n d ve of the dories without
di f culty but the othe r co n tai n i n g G eorge N el so n a n d C harles R ay r e
til m or n i n g These m e n h ad hauled up a n d rowed
m ai n ed u n discovered un
away fro m the vessel i n stead of towards her They soon discovered thei r
m istake as a stro n g light was set i n the riggi n g of the vessel and they r e
They threw overboard their sh a n d
m ained withi n sigh t of it al l n ight
gear but were u n able to m ake h eadway a gai n st the wi n d a n d sea to the
vessel The next day they were see n by the Crew who wen t to their suc
N elso n was dead h avi n g died
W hen fou n d a t three O clock P M
cor
from the exp o sure at ab out n i n e A M He was an A ustria n a n ative of
T r ic at e about twen ty three years of ag e a n d had followed shi n g fro m this
p o rt for some time He was buried at sea M arch 3 0 He was spoke n of
as of a very delicate constitutio n weighi n g ab o ut o n e hundred a n d te n
pou n ds a n d notwithsta n di n g the co n ti n ued cheeri n g up and entreaties by
his co m panio n to c o n ti n ue rowi n g a n d they would surely be saved t h e
poor fellow was so utterly exhausted that h e could n ot m ake fu r ther e ff o r t s
a n d succu m bed to the terrible cold a n d exposure
DE

RO

'

C AU

HI H S H U D

E
E
E
I f the fi shermen would o n ly
H
D
D
T
C
A
take the precaution t o p lace a j ug o f water and some h ard bread in their

IO

F I S HE R M E N

B O OK

0 WN

53

d ories it would oftentimes save m uch su ffe ring a n d perhaps life I t is ful l
ti m e that masters a n d ow n ers of shi n g vessels i n terested the m se lves i n this
m atter a nd i n sisted that it should be done The expe n se a n d trouble is but
trii n g c o mpared with the be n ets which migh t follow a n d it should be
am o n g the duties required of sherme n each trip to see th at every dory was
pr o vided with the where with al to sustai n life whe n lost i n the fog or d rive n
out of sight of their vessel as is freque n tly the case There is n o excus e
for the sherme n if they fail to comply with this S imple duty a n d we trust
t h at they wi ll heed this advice a n d provide a remedy for o n e cause of dan
ger a n d su ff e ri n g attendi n g the busi n ess
.

F IV

D AY A D I F
S

I N

DO

IT H O UT

FO

J a m es M c G

O D

r a th

an d

M ichael C ole m an left sch P r o c te r B r o tne r s o n W e stern Ba n k M arch 1 8

to atte n d to their trawls and a gale spri n ging up were u n able to r e
1 88 0
turn to the vessel A fter d rifti n g about at the m ercy of the wi n d a n d waves
for ve days without food or water drove ashore at S able Island o n the
The weathe r was i n te n sely cold an d their suff eri n gs
e ve n i n g of the 2 2 d
a n d M c G r a t h h ad both feet badly
e xtre m e while they were in the dory
fro zen W he n take n out of the d o ry they we re u n able to walk an d had t o
be carrie d o n the shou l de r s of the me n statio n e d o n the isla n d to aid wrecked
people They were taken to the hospital a n d bei n g suf cie n tly recovered
were take n to Halifax by the D o m i n io n G over n me n t steame r l Ve we l d
The C olemans as it w o uld appear were n o t bor n to be drowne d O n
F e b 1 5 1 8 79 C harles C ole man was capsi z e d o n the Ba n ks i n a d o ry from
sch C o m m o n w e a l t/z a n d with his compa n io n S wee n y M c K
clu n g to
e n z ie
the dory s b o ttom for an hour a n d a half with such desperati o n as to le ave
the i mpri n ts of their n ge rs in the wood C ole m a n slipped from his hold
three time s a n d three times his c o mrade b attled the wave s to rescue him
a n d he was so exhausted when take n o n board the vessel that it took three
hours to bri n g him to consciousness M ichael C olema n whose seco n d n a r
r o w escape is n arrated above was lost i n a dory with H C hoate A lle n from
sch A d d is o n G P r o c te r J u n e 2 9 1 8 7 9 o n S t Peter s Bank a n d after sub
s isti n g o n sm al l pieces of r a w h alibut for four days a n d rowi n g o n e hundred
and sixty miles they we re pic k e d up by a L o ckeport N S schoo n e r
,

'

'

HI PW

REC

KA N

O SS

O F

I FE G

a ll a nt

by

es c ue

G l o uc e s te r B is /t i ng

C r e w S c h L a u r a S ay w a r a C apt James M oore arrived from a Georges

trip S ept 1 4 1 8 8 0 bri n gi n g the captai n J ohn C W i n cheste r an d m ate

Tho m as L ewis of sch M aggi e B l a nc ne of D igby N S fo r Barbadoe s with
a load o f lumber an d potatoes bei n g accompanied by the ow n er of the ves
sel M r W esley KR ice who desig n ed selli n g the vessel o n her arrival at
the W est I ndies The M aggie Bla n che se t sail S unday S ept 5 a n d every
.

F I S HE R M E N

54

B O OK

O WN

thing wen t well u n til W ed n esday the 8 th at ab out te n o clock A M whe n

she e n cou n tered a stro n g gale fro m th e east southeast with a heavy sea ac
co m pa n ied by rai n a n d squalls D uri n g th e gale the schoon er was hove o n
he r beam ends shifti n g the cargo i n he r hold an d l aid dead i n the wate r
under a th ree reefed foresail T h e wi n d v eeri n g to the n ortheast causi n g
a heavy cross sea a n e ff ort was made to take i n the reefed foresail with t h e
desig n of j ettisoni n g the d eck lo ad and while furli n g the sail a se a ran in
to leeward a n d capsi z ed the vessel A bout eight o clock Thursd ay morn
i n g th e cargo h avi n g washed out the mai n mast broke o ff at the deck an d
th e vessel righted full of water The ow n er M r R ice was drow n ed i n h is
cabi n his body washing o ut a n d th e o ffi cers a n d crew four in n umber
we re conned to the deck al l below be ing ful l of water Two of them
W illiam V roo m one of the crew a n d A ugustus Theodore ( col ored ) t h e
cook were washed overb o ard an d drow n ed an d the captai n a n d mate l ashe d
th emselves to the deck A brig passed quite n ear them and they sig n alled
her by eve r y mean s within their power but without a vail an d she kept on
her course O n S aturday m or n i n g th e r 1 t h about seve n o clock the wrec k
was d escried by s ch L a u r a S ay wa r d lyi ng a t anchor o n the n ortheastern
part of G eorges and C apt M oore at o n ce comme n ced m aki n g arra n ge m e n t s
to go to her assista n ce The W i n dl ass was m a n n ed a n d an attempt m ad e
to raise the a n chor but there was a heavy cross sea run ning a n d but littl e
progress coul d b e m ade i n that directio n Fi n d i n g that t h e wreck was fas t
si n ki ng a n d that prompt m easures must be take n C apt M oore ordered hi s
cabl e cut h avi n g awhole stri n g out a n d a dory was lau n ched a n d m a n n ed
by two of the cre w D ean C rockett a n d J ames L o rd wh o went to the wreck
an d took o ff the s u ff eri n g m e n
Th ese men C rockett a n d L ord were subseque n tly the recipie n ts of t wo
m ag n ice n t stem wi n di n g watches from the C a n adia n Gove rn m e n t through
H o n E dward Thor n to n Bri t ish M i n ister at W ash i n gton in r e cog n ition of
th e ir huma n e a n d galla n t exe r tions in savi n g life

TO

UH

P I

C h arles L u n t

Paul N els o n o f sch W a ld o

I r v i ng haddock catchi n g o ff shore left the vessel W ednesday D e c 2 9
to visit their trawls and were unable afte r wards to nd trace of t h e
vessel a n d those o n board could n o t n d the m en They started to r o w
for the la n d but were blow n o ff Thursday after n oo n ab out two o cl ock
after havi n g bee n exposed in their frail craft to the severe sn o w squal l an d
terrible cold which followed a n d whe n as n ear as they could ju d ge they
were about thi r ty ve m iles from Bosto n light they saw a steamer a n d rowed
i n her track
I t proved to be t h e ocean stea m er S a r d in ia n on the passag e
fro m Boston to E n gla n d via H al ifax I t ca m e alo n gside the d o ry a sailor
g o t down an d bent a lin e t o e ach o f th e m e n as they w e r e s o e xh auste d
A

ER

EN C E

an d

F I S HE R M E N

B O OK

O WN

55

they coul d n o t help the m selves an d they were hoisted on deck They were
s o m uch exhausted from exposure hard work and wan t of food th at they
could have survived but a short ti m e l o n ge r Their hands a n d feet were
badly frostbitte n a n d their su ff e ri n gs i n describabl e D uri n g the heavy gal e
of W ed n esday nigh t they kept their d o ry s head to the sea by mea n s of a
drogue m ade fro m their shi n g tackle and trawl tub They were take n in
charge by the A merican consul at Halifax and se nt h ome
.

S c h L izz ie K
o ss O F S C H L I Z Z I E K C
C l a r k C apt A mbrose M elanson left p o rt M arch 2 2 1 8 8 1 bou n d S outh o n
a m ackerel trip an d capsi z ed and sunk about twe n ty miles southeast of
Bar n egat o n the 2 5 t h The weather was r o ugh from the start but o n t h e
2 5 t h the sea was comparatively calm and at one o clock i n the after n oon
al l ha n ds except the hel m s m an were bel ow putti n g the seines and gear i n
orde r The vessel was u n der full sail and headi n g west one half n orth
wh e n she was sudde n ly struck by a squal l an d capsi z ed C apt M el a n son
rushed upo n deck a n d hove the wheel dow n but she was to o far o ver t o
obey the helm a n d he sei z ed a n axe an d ran forward to cut the fore sheets
but bei ng u n able to reach them got into the m ai n riggi n g and severed t h e
h alyards A t this ti m e th e ice pe n s gave way an d their conte n ts shifti n g
prevented the schoo n e r from righti n g Both c o m pa n io n ways were ope n
and the water ru shed dow n l li n g the h o ld The crew reached the dec k
with co n siderable dif culty and o n e of their numbe r E dward R ya n t h e
rst to follow C apt M ela n son o n deck was washed overboard The others
cli m bed upo n the weather side an d cutti n g adrift the seine boat l ashed b e
twee n the m asts a n d riggi n g got her aoat h alf lled with wate r They
picked up R ya n and were scarcely a hundred feet away from th e scho o ne r
whe n she sank A fter oati n g about for half an hour they were picked up
n i c k e r bo c k e r
an d
by Pilot Boat N o 3 S eve n were put on board the tug K
taken to N e w York and seve n were taken t o the sam e p o rt in the brig
M a r y F i nk from M ata n z as

RT C

UA
L

T HE

O F

RS

K
.

P I C KE D U P A DR I FT
t
r
G
eorge
w
h
n
an
d
s
A H u m a ne S l u
a
e
S
r
o
a
m
t
p
J ohn K
erry two of the crew of sch G e o r ge S B o u twe l l C apt G orma n of
this port left that vessel o n W ester n Bank t o set their trawls A ug 1 r 8 8 1
a n d were lost in the fog
A fter bei n g adrift for eighteen hours without food
or dri n k they were picked up by the coal lade n steamship W il to n of and f o r
H artlepool E n g fro m Philadelphia S ighti n g a vessel in the dista n ce
which proved t o be the schoo n er to whic h they belo n ged the captai n of t h e
s teamer we n t some t e n miles out of his course to put them on board i n stead
O f taking them across the A t la n tic
A fter the m e n were picked up ther e
was a thick fog for three or four days and they pr o bably would h ave per
i s h e d but fo r the timely succo r
.

F I S HE R M E N

156

AP I D

B O OK

O WN

B N KS S e ize d 5y a S k a r k W /ze n S u cco r W a s a t H a n d

S c h Vic to r C apt J oh n E S igs wo r th arrived from a W ester n Ba n k trip
A u g 1 6 1 8 8 1 an d reported a sad accide n t on the Ba n ks on t h e 1 2 th r e
s a lti n g i n the horrible death of o ne of her crew George M S igs wo r th a
b rother of the skipper You n g S igswo r th an d a compa n io n n a m ed D avid
A R aym o n d had bee n out to set their trawls an d while returni n g to th e
vessel a tub i n the after part of th e do ry i n terferi n g with their rowi n g they
h auled in their oars to change its p o sitio n J ust then a heavy sea struck
a n d capsi z e d the dory thr o wi n g its o ccupa n ts i n to the water
S igs wo r th
kept aoat by mea n s o f an o ar hel d under his breast a n d th e air ll i ng his
oil j acket and his compa n i o n succeeded in getti n g upon the bottom of t h e
dory a n d holdi n g o n by the stern becket S igs wo r th m ade his way toward s
the d o ry a n d h ad j ust reached out his ha n d to take th at of R aym o n d which
was exte n ded to aid him when a huge sh ark m ade its appearance a n d sei z
i ng the u n fortun ate m an disappeare d with its prey who was n o t see n agai n
He was a young m an of g o od characte r about twe nty seven and a half years
O f age unm arried a n ative of Pri n ce E d ward I sla n d a n d h ad foll o we d s h
i n g from Gloucester f o r several ye ars
C

S ZE

T HE

O N

W E S C P E S c h D a vy C r o c k e tt while on C ashes in S eptember

1 8 8 1 r a n o ve r her seine boat contai n i n g eleve n m e n and they had a lively
time to save themselves They were o verh auli n g the sei n e taki n g it o n
board the boat whe n the cook who with anothe r m an wa s left o n the ves
sel e n deav o red to bring he r al o n gside the boat but m ade a miscalculatio n

i n lu f n g an d she struck the boat amidships S eve n of the m e n man

aged to cli n g t o the boat 3 on e C hristie Joh n son swam for th e d o ry ; a n d
A G E i s e n e r D ighto n S imo n s a n d W iley H avener happe n ed t o be go o d
swimmers and succeeded i n getti n g h o ld of the vessel s fe n ders
N

RRO

R N G

DEED

A pril

T wo G l o u ce s te r

a r i ne r s

R is k

T k e i r L i ves to R
,

es c u e

lbert F F itch o n e of the crew of sch S ta r of

tk e E a s t was washed overboard while d ressi n g sh o n Brown s Ba n k
He
was fortunate in catchi n g hold o f a shifting plank which had washe d ove r
board o n which he succeeded in keepi n g aoat fo r an hour and te n m inute s
before being picked up It was blowing a heavy gal e from the n o rthwes t
with a stro n g tide ru n ni n g to leeward a n d a n y attempt to go to his rescu e
was fraught with great peril But u n mi n dful of the serious risk M ichael
D oyle and J oseph Hacke tt j umped into an old dory an d started away b e
f o re t h e win d an d sea to rescue their imperille d comrade A fter they go t
him o n board of their frail boat they fou n d it absolutely impossible to return
to their vessel but succeeded i n boardi n g sch j o s ep k O which was als o
lying at a n ch o r o n th e Bank I t t oo k s o m e thre e h o urs o f c o nstant labo r
a

o m r a de

1 88 1

F I S HE R M E N

BOO

O WN

57

afte r arrivi n g o n board the j o sep k O t o resuscitate F itch an d the three m e n

re m ai n ed o n board the l atter vessel from S u n day night u n til Tuesd ay after
n oo n whe n the S ta r of tk e E a s t was sig n alled a n d r a n down and took the
I t was a n oble deed an d as such we herewith record it i n
m e n o n board

th e F i s h e r m e n s O wn Book
.

A
N
E
T
W
N
P
N
B
I
O
S c h T k r es k e r C apt A n d rew
O
C
at this port from the Banks M ay 1 7 1 88 1 rep o rted on th e out
e n z ie
M cK
ward passage A pril 2 2 d l at
lon
falli n g i n with C apt E J e a r y
They
a n d cre w of ve m e n belongi n g to sch F l o r a of a n d fr o m S t Pierre
were I n a n O pen boat a n d h ad bee n exposed to the ele m ents e ight days a n d
were on all o wa n ce of o n e biscuit daily each The F lo r a was bou n d to S yd
E verythi n g
ney for coal had g o t caught in the ice spru n g aleak a n d su n k
was do n e for the comfort of the su ff erers a n d they were la n ded at S t Pierre
C apt J e a r y testied his a ppreciation of t h e k i n d t rea t me n t received by
giving C apt M c e n z ie a writte n acknowledgmen t of the same expressi n g
h eartfel t gratitude
R

E SC

O F

RE

AY

T H R E E N I G H T S A D R I FT I N
D O R Y W I T H O T FO O D
en n edy left sch B e l le r op k o n on G ra n d Bank
A ngus C hisholm a n d W illiam K
The fog shutti n g down they succeede d
A pril 1 5 1 8 8 1 to visit their trawls
i n getti n g o n board of sch S o lo m o n P o o le W he n the fog l ifted they mad e
an othe r start but were soon e n veloped in the misty h a z e from whose perils
i ng
they escaped a secon d tim e by boardi n g sch O c e a n K
N othing dau n ted
as soo n as it lighted up a l ittle they m ade a third attempt t o nd their

trawls F rom that time their experien ce was the oft told tale
A stray
u po n th e high seas e n compassed by a dense fog wi th n othi n g to guide their
course an d destitute of food they rowed a n d rowed and rowed i n their wel l
To their discomfo rts from e x pOs u r e
n igh h opeless quest for a frie n dly sail
in th eir frail boat their labor at the o ars and their weari n g anxiety as t o
their possible fate were s o o n added the pa n gs of hu n ge r These they en
d e av o r e d to palliate by eating pieces of r a w sh bu t their sto m achs rej ected
the unwo n ted a n d unsuitable food Fortu n ately they were supplie d with a
quart bottle of fresh water which was carefully husbanded a n d which did
much to sustain and cheer them on their weary rou n d O n ly a quart of wa
ter ! yet for the ti m e to them thei r most valuable possessio n co m pared with
wh ich all the glitt e r i ng we a lt h of the world woul d have been valueless For
four dreary days a n d three long nights their lives were o n e co n sta n t mo n ot
o ny of desol atio n o f fruitless l ongi n g an d u n fullled hopes Fi n ally A pril
1
they
were
picked
up
by
the
bark
apt
fro
V
n
t
ll
m
n
M
u
o
o
l
k
e
M
L
c
C
C
o
9
y
d o n d e r r y for Ba lti m ore a n d kindly treated
The bark l a n ded them at
D el aware Breakwater whence they were furnished a free passage home ar
r ivi n g M ay 3
FO

A N D

B I S HB

8
5

KM B M S O W N B O OK
V YA
V I A E A D C h arles B
.

FIS H IN G
H O M E FR O M
N GL N
O
GE
e r a n so n a n d
W illiam D o us e y t wo of t h e cre w of shing sch N o ti c e of this port left their
vessel o n Gra n d Ba n k A ug 2 3 1 8 8 1 for the purpose of visiti n g their trawl s
a n d becomi n g involved in the fog failed to nd their way back
They were
without provisions but the seco n d day adrift cam e across a trawl from
wh ich they took t wo h alibut to appe ase their hu n ger A fte r drifti n g about
for three days and four n ights they were picked up by the N orwegia n bark
T a n c r e d bou n d from the W est I n dies for L iverpool E ng a n d i n due tim e
were landed at the l atte r port where they were take n in charge by th e
A merican consul who supplied the m with clothi n g and other necessaries
a n d secured them passage to Boston on a schoo n er a n d they arrived h o m e
about the m iddl e of O ctobe r
.

H R D T IM E O F I T A l/ M glzt in a D o r y w itk tk o O a r s G o ne F riday

morn ing J an 2 7 1 8 8 2 sch E m m a S O s ie r of this port was about fou r
miles southwest of the Isles of S hoals S oon after it came up squal ly a n d
she picked up her dories al l but one whi ch was ma n n e d by John W Gas
kell about a mile a n d a h alf to the l eeward It was easy for h im t o see t h e
vessel but n ot so fo r those o n board to see him as he pitched up a n d down
o n the heavy seas
C apt O sier did eve rything in his power to n d t h e
missi n g man but al l e ff orts to get the buoy marks i n the h e avy squall were
u n availi n g G askel l co n cludi n g that h is best cha n ce for getti n g o n board
was to r o w let go the lee buoy o n to which he was holdi n g a n d st arted
W hen he h ad got about h alf way to the schoo n er she kept o ff a n d he m ad e
up his mi n d that there was a h ard pull for him ere he could reach the la n d
o r be pic ke d up by some vessel A bout eleven o clock a heavy sea struck
the dory breaking the forward thwart n early lli n g her The oars were
washe d overboard and there he was i n a heavy sea with n o oars wi th
which to help h imself He at o n ce made a drogue of his n ets addi n g a
do z e n bricks an d l ay quite comfortable to it until th ree P M whe n it m od
c rated a n d he comme n ced paddli n g with the da m aged thwart m aki n g ve ry
good progress and keepi n g himself comfortably warm with th e exercise a l
though i t was hard work
being e n tirely exhausted he cam e
At 7 P M
to an chor abreast H alibut Poi n t Here he passed the n ight which was
cold and u n comfortable a n d the h o urs seemed lo n g a n d dreary A t sun
rise S aturday morning he was glad to see the shi ng boat P i n af o r e com e
o ut of R o ckport harbor and paddli n g toward he r was cordially received
and after partaking of a good breakfast he proceeded with them to the shing
grou n ds arrivi n g back in season to take the afternoo n trai n home Gas
kell s ha n ds were badly blistered an d his ngers fro z e n but he so o n r e c o v
e red from the e ff ects of the exposur e
His arrival h o me cause d grea t
rej oici ng as it was feared that he was dr o wn e d
A

F I S HE R M E N

Th e Fr e nchm an s S t e w,

BY D I

B O OK

O WN

and

59

i guste d I r i shm e n

th e D s

KS KYL I G H T

a pleasa n t eve n i n g i n the S u m me r o f 1 8 6

the sch C la r a F F r ie n d
ca m e saili n g i n to Gl oucester harbor h avi n g o n board i n additio n to her reg
whom we will call L ouis D O n e n ight
u l ar crew a you n g Fre n ch m an
while layi n g at a n chor o n the Ba n k he had left his o wn vessel a n d swa m o n
board the F r ie n d which also lay anchored about a mile dis t an t from the
H e could not speak a word of E n glish at that
F re n ch bark he h ad left
ti m e but by l anguage of sig n s which is u n de rstood by all m e n he succeed
ed in m aki n g the A merican sher m e n aware of his desi r e to visit the Un i t e d
S tates an d they cheerfully acceded to his wishes assuring h i m th at they
wo ul d take him home with them
O n a r r i v m g I n port the F r ie n d was h auled i n to the wharf a n d wel l secured
a n d it bei n g S aturday n ight all he r crew we n t home to stay over S u n day
le avi n g the Fre n ch m a n alo n e o n board
The followi n g mor n i n g L ouis was out bright an d early a n d h avi n g eate n
a hasty bre akfast took a strol l arou n d the wharve s to look at the vessels
a n d al so to to get an idea of the pl ace which he now saw for the rst time
D uri n g his wa n deri n gs ab o ut he saw a pe t cat on the wharf at wh ich the
v essel l ay a n d pussy with trusti n g co n de n ce came ru n n i n g up to him a n d
bega n purri n g a n d rubbi ng herself agai n st h is leg N o w t his was a most
u n f ortu n ate thi n g for the cat ; she took the same risk of destructio n th at is
take n by the u n wary whale which ve n tures i n side of R ace Poi n t or the
sch ool of m ac k erel that co m es ippi n g alo n g n ear C ape A n n A s the eage r
F re n ch m a n took the u n s u specti n g feli n e up i n his ar m s brigh t visio n s of a
del icious soup da n ced before h is imagination
N ow for a fresh mess
he
m e n tally exclai m ed

O h m y ! ugh ! the cruel nasty thi n g ! exclai m s some fair reader as

she pictures to herself her favorite Tabby i n the grasp of such a remorse
less cat destroyer
But L ouis k n ew n oth i n g a n d care d less about the prej udices of the A n gl o
S axo n race i n r egard to th e place which t h e cat should occupy i n do m estic
eco n o m y H e had tra m ped the s u n bur n t plai n s of M exico as a soldier
served a te rm o n a m a n o f war a n d lastly d i n ed o ff salt g rub an d skate
ch owders i n the forecastle of a Fre n ch shi n g vessel, a n d h ad lo ng before
t h is got o v er being fastidious therefore he was n o way loath to i n dulge in
the luxury of a cat stew the pri n cipal i ngredie n t for which he had so e asily
O

F I S HE R M E N

60

B O OR

O WN

secured I t is n o t necessary to spea k here of the m o d us ope r a n d i of prepa r

i n g the stew 3 su ffi ce it to say that in due course of time it was ready
W hile this was tra n spiri n g a marke t boat ma n n e d by a crew of hardy
Irishme n ca m e i n the harbor a n d hauled al ongside of the wharf at which
the F r ie n d l ay I t was n o w n ear n oo n a n d the olfactorie s of the n e w
co m ers we re greatly refreshed by the smell of t h e sav o ry stew which was
the n in process of cooki n g
L ouis bei n g socially i n cl i n ed soo n made t h e acquainta n c e of the boat s
crew a n d with true F re n c h polite n ess i n vited the m in broke n E n glish t o
partake of his di n n er This wa s an O pportu n ity for a g o od fee d n o t t o
be n eglected a n d soo n the party o f six or eight we re seated at the tabl e
a n d busily e m ployed i n gratifyi n g their appetite the stew bei n g highly ap
r e c i a t e d an d praised by al l the i n vited guests wh o i n n ocently supposed it
p
was m ade of chicke n s o r som e s ort of ga m e

Be dad th at s a fo i n e ste w L arry m e b y said o ne of the sherme n t o

his shipmate after di n n er a n d while they were lli n g an d lighti n g thei r
dudee n s for a s c h m o k e
Yer right there M ike but phat wa s it made of I d like ter k n ow ? D i v i l

t h e bit c a n I tell phat ki n d of a bird it was

S ay me b y address i n g the F re n ch
S ure it s aisy e n ough ter n d ou t
phat ki n d O f a bird did yer m ake that soup of
m an
N o w L o uis th o ugh he comprehe n ded the mea n ing of the questio n coul d
not a n swer it i n E n glish 3 therefore he did the n ext best thi n g that is
quickly stepped i n to the forehold an d brought out the bird s ski n which
he displ ayed to the ama z e m ent a n d disgust of his visi tors
Ho wly mither ! o n e excl aimed as he caught sig ht o f the ski n a n d t h e
species of a n i m al which had gured as the basis of the soup was made a p
pare n t to h i m

D ear J a s u s ! shoute d an othe r grabbi n g his dudee n i n his h a n d an d

tur n i n g pale 3 the dirty h ay th e n has bee n feedi ng us with a cat
A rush was n o w made for the deck a n d n ever perhaps was see n a group
of m e n more t h oroughly de m orali z ed a n d sicke n ed than these n o w u n happy
Irish m e n E ach o n e see m ed as i n te n t o n getti n g rid of his di n n er as he
had bee n to eat it while poor L ouis the i n n oce n t cause O f al l this trouble
looked o n i n wo n der n o t clearly co m prehe n di n g the situation a n d hardly
k n owi n g what to expect
It is n o t n ecessary to describe the closi n g sce n e more I n detail si n ce the
I m agi n atio n c a n b e s t ll up the picture I t is safe to say however that the
Fre n ch m a n s cat s t e w h as n ever bee n forgotte n by a n y of those wh o partook
of it th e particulars of which as related above were told the write r some
years l ater by the pri n cipal actor L ouis himself
.

'

F I S HE R M E N

[ T HE

Do r

DO R

y Voyage r

BO

O WN

161

Ac r o ss th e Atl anti c

The fact that three Gloucester built dories have successfully crosse d the
ocea n in rece n t years makes it t ti n g that so m e refere n ce shoul d be m a de
to suc h voyagi n g i n The F is h e r m e n s O wn Book
A little boat of t e n to n s burthe n is said to h ave co m e to A merica from
the mother cou n try i n the colo n ial days while of the e et of C olumbus i n
n d were of l ess tha n forty ton s
1 4 2 two were o n ly half decked over
a
9
bur t he n
The r s t m a n to cross the A tl a n tic al o n e was C apt Josiah S hackford a
Ports m outh N H seama n wh o sailed from Bordeaux Fra n ce i n 1 7 8 6 i n
a cutter buil t sloop of f te e n to n s acco m pa n ied o n ly by a dog a n d afte r
a passage of thirty v e days arrived safely at S uri n a m S out h A m erica
Ju n e 1 5 1 8 6 4 C apt J oh n D o n ova n sailed fro m N e w York for L o n do n
i n a brig rigged yawl boat called the Vi s i o n put i n to Bosto n July 5 leak i n g
repaired a n d set sail agai n was spoke n July 2 0 an d supplied with provis
io n s by a n ocea n stea m er a n d was n ever after wards heard fro m
The Vis i o n
was 1 6 feet keel 4 ft 1 0 i n bea m 2 ft 9 i n deep and h ad m asts 1 9 ft
high spreadi n g 5 0 yards of ca n vas
The famous little R e d W k i te a n d B l ue sailed from N e w York J uly 9 1 8 6 6
and m ade the trip to L o n do n in thirty eight days the shortest ti m e k n own
to dory voyagers S h e was 2 4 ft lo n g 5 % ft bea m drawi n g 1 8 i n che s
of water forward a n d 2 0 i n ches aft an d was S hip rigge d spreadi n g 6 5 yards
-

F I S HE R M E N

62

B O O

O WN

K
.

o f canvas Her crew consiste d o f C apt J o hn N H udson F rancis E Fitc h

a n d a smal l poodle
A bout the sa m e tim e a t e n ton shing b o at is said to h ave m ade the pas
s age fro m Pe n z a n ce t o A ustralia
I n 1 8 6 7 the N o np a r e il a life raft constructe d of three rubber cylinders 2 5
ft lo n g a n d schooner rigged sailed from Bosto n J u n e 4 a n d made the pas
sage to S outh ampto n in fty o n e days S h e h ad three men o n board C apt
M ikes G eorge M iller an d He n ry L awson
The sa m e m o n th t h e j o k n T F o r d a schoo n er rigged b o at 2 5 ft l o n g
saile d fro m Balti m ore with t wo men on board but capsi z ed o ff waterford
o n the coast o f Irela n d
The captain was dro wn ed but th e other m a n was
rescued by a passi n g ve ssel
T k e C i ty of R ag u s a S l oop rigged 1 9 ft lo n g 6 % ft wide a n d 5 % ft deep
m a n n ed by a n A ustria n n a m ed P r i m n ai z a n d a n E n glish m an n amed Hay
ter m ade the passage fro m L iverpool to Bosto n in n i n e ty e igh t days i n t h e
The followi n g year she made the passage from N e w York
S u m m e r of 1 8 7 0
to Queenstow n i n forty days
A lfred J oh n se n a Gloucester she r m an of D a n ish birth was the rst
H is dory the C e n
m a n to cross the ocea n u n acco m pa n ied even by a dog
Gi ff ord a n d was 1 6 ft
te n n i a l was buil t i n this city by M essrs Higgi n s
keel 2 0 ft ove r all 5 % ft wide a n d 2 % ft deep decked over with the
j ibs
e xception of a s t a n di n g room a n d hatchway sloop rigged with t wo
The C e n te nn ia l sailed from Gloucester Ju n e 1 5
m ai n sail a n d square sail
1 8 7 6 touched at Barri n gto n N
S sailed agai n J u n e 2 5 a n d arrived safely
at L iverpool E n gla n d A ug 2 1 sixty seven days from G loucester Joh n se n
was a close calculator a n d his log gave evide n ce that he followed the ge n
eral route O f steamship travel A u g 2 his boat was capsi z ed by a h eavy
sea but he ma n aged to right her S oo n after a huge shark appeared alo n g
side which he frighte n ed away with a k n ife faste n ed to a pole
A n other dory the B r i ttle C ap t M adiso n attempted to m ake the voyage
fro m N e w York to L iverpool i n the S u m m er of 1 8 7 6 an d was last heard
from i n lat 4 2 lo n g 4 6 where she was spoke n by the ship B e e tk o ve n The
B r i ttl e wa s 1 6 ft keel cli n ker built S loop rigged a n d decked ove r with a
small hatchway a m idships
The rst wom a n to cross the A tl a n tic in a dory made the perilous passage
in 1 8 77
O n M ay 2 8 of that year C apt a n d M rs Tho m as C rapo set sail
fro m N e w Bedford i n a boat
ft lo n g
ft wide a n d
ft d eep
n a m ed [ Vo w B e df o r d S h e had t wo masts 1 8 a n d 1 7 ft high respectively
S h e m ade the passage without accide n t reachi n g
with leg
O f m u t t o n sails
M ount s Bay near Pe n z a n ce i n forty n i n e days C apt C rapo is n o w ( 1 8 8 2 )
m aster of sch : A d e l i a F e l i c ia of N e w Bedford
.

F I S HE R M E N

O WN

BOO

16

The N a u til us cam e next S h e was als o built by M essrs Higgin s

G if
ford an d was a l ap streaked d o ry 1 5 ft keel 1 9 ft o ver all 6 ft 7 i n wid e
S h e was ma n n ed by W illiam A a n d A s a W A ndrews
a n d 2 ft 3 i n deep
brothers of Beverly gra n dso n s of the late Z ebulo n A ndrews of E ssex an d
s ailed from S outh Bosto n J un e 7 1 8 78 Put into Beverly a n d sailed again
Ju n e 1 2 m ade Bishop s R ock L ighth o use i n the E n glish C ha n n el July 2 8
put i n t o M ullion C ove J uly 3 1 and arrived at Havre France A u g 8
.

Ju

DO R

NA

UT I L U S

M I D -O C E A N

1N

apt
and
M
rs
L
ewis
G
Goldsmith
sailed
from
Bost
o
n
fo r
79
E n gl a n d in the Un c le S a m a boat 1 8 ft over all 6 ft 4 in beam and 3 ft
2 i n deep
They were obliged t o put back saile d again Ju n e 5 put i n t o
Ju n e 1 6 arrived at Halifax N
J u n e 2 0 touched at
C ape Isla n d N
July 4 an d S yd n ey C B July 7 arrived at S t J oh n s N F
C a n so N
A ug 7 set sail agai n A ug 1 1 were disabled in a gale A u g 1 6 an d wer e
take n o ff by a passi ng ship A u g 1 9 a n d l ande d at N e w York
C apt He n r y O tto of B a l t im o f e had a boat built the s ame year fo r th e
purpose of m aking a v o yage to L iverp o ol a n d Hamburg a n d back S h e
was 1 8 f t l ong 6 ft bea m 2 5 i n deep an d cat rigged but the voyag e was
probably aban do n ed as we have seen n o accoun t o f C apt O tt o embarki n g
from p o rt
C apt Herbert F Burril l of F almouth an d A ndrew R C o an of N antuc k et
set sail from Boston J uly 9 1 8 79 for a voyage to A ustralia a n d thenc e to
S an F ra n cisc o i n the G o l d e n G a te a boat 1 9 ft lo n g 5 ft 4 i n wide a n d 2
ft 6 in deep schoo n e r rigged a n d spreadi n g 7 5 yards of canvas A fte r
meeti n g with many misadve n tures they l a n ded at a little shi n g village on
t h e c o ast o f Bra z il and wer e sen t h o m e by the A merican C onsul at Bahia
n

T HE

1, 18

F I S H E R M E ZV S

64

O WN

B O O

K
.

The same yea r a sea tramp sailed from N e w York to B o st o n in a

cockle shell about the s i z e of a cof n bei n g forty n i n e days o n the pass ag e
Two Boston architects cruised from L ondon to C o n stan ti nopl e in a te n ton
yacht n ame d D o r i a n
The last G loucester buil t dory t o cross th e A tl an tic was the L i ttle W e s te r n
also built by M essrs Higgi n s
G i fford S h e was 1 6 ft 7 i n over all 1 3
ft 6 i n keel 6 ft 8 i n beam a n d 2 ft 6 i n deep cli n ker buil t cutte r rigged
M a n n ed by George S Thomas and Fred
a n d spread 5 1 yards of canvas
S h e sailed from G loucester Ju n e 1 2 1 8 8 0 a n d arrived at C owes
N o rman
J uly 2 8 forty six days from Gloucester S h e saile d from L o n do n J une 1 4
o n the return trip arrived at Port M echa n C
B A ug 2 8 at Halifax
1 88 1
S ept 2 and at Gloucester S ept 1 5 bei n g the only o n e of the G lo u c
N
e ster buil t dories to make the ocea n passage both ways
The last successful ve n ture i n this li n e was m ade by th e C i ty of B a t/z a
dory 1 4 f t l o n g 5 ft wide 2 1 in deep decked over a n d sloop rigged buil t
at Georgetown M e S h e was m an n ed by Joh n Tray n or Ivar O lse n and a
kitte n sailed from Bath M e July 5 1 8 8 1 put into Trespassey N F
sailed again ar r ived at F alm o u t h E n gl and A u g 2 4 fty days fro m Bath
a n d proceede d t o H avre
A n o ther boat was buil t for an ocean v e n tu r e l as t year but we have see n
n o accou n t o f her v o yage S h e was 1 9 ft keel 5 ft be am 1 3 i n draught
brig rigged a n d was to sail from N e w York m an ned by C h arles M oo re an d
Be n j am i n R adfo rd Her nam e was
11

F I S HE R M E N

r o m R ep o r t
F
[

L ife

on

B o ar d

B O OK

O WN

C o m m is si o ne r

F is k

a nd

M ack e r e l
M ack e r e l atc h
with th e Pur se S e ine

65

er

C atchi g
n

B Y

or

R E

E R

IC K

we g i a n C o m m i s s i o n e r t o th e C e n te n n i a l E

L L E N

xh

i bi t i o n

at

P h i l a d e lp h i a

fter havi n g waited so m e t i me fo r an oppo rtu n ity to go t o sea to witness

the busi n ess out there I succeeded in getti n g a promise of a pl ace o n board
I t was an o ld vessel but
th e sch W i ll i a m S B a k e r C aptai n A KPearce
a good sailer a n d the captai n was recomme n ded to m e as a n experie n ced
e n l ighte n ed a n d ge n erous m a n who would take much i n terest i n co m mu n i
cati n g to me all the i n fo rm atio n he could give He had carrie d o n the
herri n g shi n g at L abrador halibut shi n g o ff the west coast of Gree n la n d
an d was now determi n e d t o prosecute m ackere l shi n g i n the sea north of
B o ston
L ate on a rainy eveni n g I was I nformed that the vessel was n o w ready t o
sail i n Gloucester Harbor a n d th at I could come o n board N eithe r t h e
weather n o r the vessel particularly i n vited one out in th e dark foggy n ight
But afte r bei n g show n a tolerably good bu n k aster n where besides myself
four of the crew h ad quarters I soo n fou n d m yself adj uste d a n d a n xious to
get u n der sail E arly i n the m or n i n g we cast loose a n d the vessel h aule d
But the wi n d was still ; we could m ake n o headway
o u t i n to the cha n n el
W hile we waited for the wi n d a portio n of the crew passed away the ti m e
by taki ng a bath a n d swim mi n g out i n to the deep Their i n vitatio n to m e
to swim a race with them I was i n the n otio n of accepti n g when the sig n al
A l l ca m e o n board took o ff
wa s give n to m ake sail a n d get u n der way
their swimmi n g clothes put on dry clothes a n d caught hold at the a n chor
breaki n g a n d later at the hauli n g out so that it was a pleasure to see them
The brutal executio n of discipli n e so ofte n ce n sured o n A me rica n me rcha n t
ships did n o t exist o n board here The whole crew were n ative A merica n s
active a n d experie n ced sherme n They associated with o n e a n other with
good will eati n g at a co m m o n table to us all a n d carried o n their work
with mutual satisfactio n N either beer n o r whisky is fou n d on board 3 but
warm co ffee a n d tea c a n be had fro m ve l n the mor n i n g to six o clock in
I n other respects the victuals we re good a n d n ourishi n g c o n
t h e eve n i n g
s isti n g mostly of beef pork all ki n ds of fresh sh di ff ere n t ki n ds of pie a n d
puddi n g s o metimes vegetables with eggs occasionally 3 i n sho rt about as
A

F I S HE R M E ZV S

66

O WN

B O O

K
.

in a frugal mu n icipal family i n N or way T h e men were n ot hired bu t h ad

h alf the weight or a half sh are of the pr o ts which were calculated after t h e
were ded u ct e d The cook who
e xpenses of salti n g packing barrel s & c
b esides t h e usual work in catchi n g had t o prepare th e meals got beside s
for his part
per month The trip j ust ended had bee n made in thre e
net per m a n which
weeks a n d had yielde d a prot of a littl e o ve r
is con sidered a very good trip Th e crew in herri n g shi n g o n the con
They ship at
to
per month fo r
t r a r y is generally hired
to
for able bodied sherm e n
boys ;
A f te r bei n g u n der sail a couple of days we s a w a whole eet of m ackere l
schooners There were between eighty a n d n i n ety sail some of whic h had
m ade a light catch W e passed some steamers which carried o n me n hade n
shi n g an d which went i n to port eve ry eve n i n g to u n load These vessel s
were quite rec o g n i z able by this that they had two me n o n the lookout i n
the cr o ss trees on the foremast an d the rest in boats prepared for shi n g
A mo n g other sail we passe d al so an O l d fashi o ned F re n ch rigged vessel
n
n
hich
carrie
d
m
ackerel
shi
g
with
trolli
g lines 3 the vesse l was belaye d
n
o
w
A crew of t e n men stood to leeward a n d each
an d wen t before t h e wind
m an with at least t wo han d li n es which he i n cessantly cast o ut a n d haule d

Th e
i n while tw o m e n ground bait ( in a ha n d mill) and threw out chum
catch was p o or a n d the mode of catchi n g itself most she rme n had given up
f o r capture with purse sei n es which have superseded al l o the r i m plements
W hile crossing back a n d forth we o fte n s a w m zic k e r e l schools playi n g i n
the water but they va n ished sudde n ly T h e f o lks to ld me that o n e coul d
smell mackerel as wel l as me n hade n whe n the large schools of sh were i n
the water I entert ained doubt of t h e truth of the i n formati o n but in th e
followi n g week I became perfectly convinced o f its authe n ticity E arly o n e
mor n i n g o n e of the cre w said that he smel t menhade n an d we n t im m ediate
A half hour later we s a w a
1y aloft on t h e f o re m ast to discover the sch oo l
w
a
it
l
arge
mackerel
hast
s
I
n
h
chool
playi
g
n
e
surface
of
the
water
e
t
n
o
s
3
e verythi n g wa s mad e ready 3 the purse sei n e which l ay on the afte r h atc h
c o iled up i n a bundl e and we t with bri n e ( to preven t rotti n g) wa s quickly
u n g down i n th e seine boat which was kept co n sta n tly i n to w 3 n ext tw o

small b o ats set o ut s o called dories at bott o m ed light rowi n g boats

h alf sjoegt e an d half lighter These are said to be t h e best s h i n gboats

k n own W hen all was ready I leaped down into the boat a n d away it
went A fter a half h o ur s rowi n g the sei n e boss foun d that th e time h ad
co m e to r o w in o n a large sch o ol which played quite delightfully I n th re e
m i n utes the sei n e o f about 2 5 0 fathoms was rowed out a n d cast in a circle
ur s e d a n d i n it
arou n d the school A fter te n mi n utes more the sei n e was n
they esti m ated th at they h ad caught 3 0 0 barrels of mackerel A dory was
se nt with a message o n board t h e s cho o ner which was man age d by th e cap
.

F L S HE R M E N

O WN

BOO

67

tain an d a small boy 3 after a little m a n o euvering the schoo n er sailed cl os e

to the sei n e g o t a portion of the cork li n e on board so that the catch was
brought between the vessel s side a n d the sei n e boat A l arge dip n e t with
tackle a n d a long ha n dle wa s made ready a n d i n a f e w mi n utes the livi n g
The captured sh
m acke rel were thr o w n upon th e deck by the half b arrel
i n the sei n e beca m e i n the m ea n time very uneasy and ru shed from o n e
side o f the sei n e to the othe r 3 sudde n ly the sei n e burst i n m any places 3
they sought to h aul in the sei n e both i n the boats an d o n board a n d afte r
m uch trouble they succeeded in retai n i n g a n d heavi n g o n board a total of
about 5 0 barrels The rest of the m ackerel escaped through th e l arge hol e s
i n t h e s e in e
A s soo n as the catch was secured o n board they to o k i n al l sail an d b e
gan o n the preservatio n of the mackerel W ith smal l dip nets the sh were
thrown in a square trough a n d fro m this as they were cut and washed they
were assorted accordi n g to si z e The sh was split or cut i n the belly
about as cod which are manufactured i n to split sh W hile spri n kli n g the m
with salt they give the m so m e slight cuts i n the back to m ake the esh swel l
and give the sh a fatter and fulle r appearance Th is is a trick which both
the sellers an d buyers u n derstan d Twelve men are engage d at a time with
the salti n g wh ile t h e rem aining t wo m en exami n e a n d repair the sei n e I n
F o r eve r y
t h e space of t wo an d a half hours 4 7 barrels stood ready salted
four barrels of sh was required one barrel of L iverpo o l sal t the packi n g
bei n g done later on shore
The n ext m or n i n g at 6 o clock we were again in the b oats m ade a n e w
cast but caught nothi n g A t 8 o clock we were agai n out wen t half way
rou n d with the sein e whe n the whole sch ool sank to the bottom W e caught
n othi n g The mackerel were wild a n d shy played a little at the surface of
the water but va n ished quickly t o emerge agai n farthe r away The mack
e r e l scho o ls were very large this day ; f o r as far as we could see o n al l sides
they were playi n g o n the surface of the water W e made n o catch n o t wi th

sta n di n g The captain s atte m pt to e n tice the school with chum also
failed A t 1 1 o clock we again m ade a cast but took only eight mackerel
A t 2 o cl o ck P M
we made th e f o u r th cast a n d got a couple of barrels 3
at 4 o clock a n other cast and took 1 0 barrels but small mackerel 3 a n d at
6 o clock we made a n other but got almost n othi n g save small sh
This
was a laborious day 3 but n otwithsta n di n g we were the n ext day at
in
the m or n i n g again in the boat mad e a cast but simulta n eously the schoo l
tur n ed arou n d an d made their escape W e s a w ma n y schools also this day
a n d at
we were again o n the way after o n e This time we were suc
c e s sf u l
They estimated the catch in the sei n e at 4 0 0 to 5 0 0 barre ls They
were very l arge and fat m ackere l A fter some trouble the vessel sailed t o
us got a porti o n of the sei n e on b o ard and the taki n g in th e sh was about
-

'

F I S HE R M E N

68

O WN

B O OK
.

begi n But the sh were ve r y uneasy i n th e sei n e 3 sunk to the bott o m

with such force th at th e boat was o n the poi n t of capsi z i n g although we
placed eight m en on th e other gu n wal e to cou n terbalan c e the mackerel A t
o n e time all wen t smoothly e n ough to h aul i n o n the sei n e an d m ake t h e
purse s m aller and sm aller to pre v e n t t h e fra n tic r ushi n g of th e mackerel
But sudde n ly th ey sa n k agai n to the b o tto m caree n ed the bo at over so that
we took i n a quan tity of water W e were scarcely re ady to pl ace o u rselve s
o n the other gun wale whe n we fel t that the boat sudde n ly righted itself a n d
l ay still
The most k n e w what h ad h appe n ed 3 it was th at the m ackere l
succeeded i n breaki n g th e ol d sei n e Through a l arge hol e w h ich beca m e
l arger a n d l arger ab o ut the wh ole school escaped 3 a n d although we in al l
h aste haul ed i n on th e fragm e n ts a n d tri e d to form a n e w purse we s u c
c e e d e d i n savi n g n o t m ore tha n 5 i n th e wh ol e 5 0 0 barrels
At
we set sail for t h e n earest po rt ; it was co n sidered u seless to a t
tempt to me n d the m ore tha n half wo m o ut s ei n e A fter a day s quick s ail
I n the harbor lay a schoone r
i n g we reach e d B o o thbay in th e e ve n i n g
j ust arrived which was lled to the rail with fresh caugh t m acke rel T h e
crew worked t h e wh o le n ight in prese rvi n g them W ith resig n atio n o u r
Had we h ad a b e tter s e i n e we would a lso h ave had
c rew sa w this work
r emunerativ e night w o rk i n salti n g s o me hu n dr e d s of barrel s O f m acker e l
The n ext m o r n i n g I left th e vessel to return t o Gl o ucester by steamer a n d
r ailroad
to

F I S HE R M E J V S

Th e M e r r

rr
M
e
,

BY A B
CO

Th e n i t

r ah

l au gh

!h

and s
a!

hu
Mi
o

t,

e ar e

Th e

d o wn

go e s

s un

Pi
M hg
F
hi
Th w

as

we

LO R D

re w i n o il e d c l o t h e s an x i o us ly w ai t
F o r a c h an c e to we t t h e tw i n e

fro m th e fo re m ast
A s c h o o l ! a sc h o o l !
he ad
I s th e l o o k o u t s e x c i t i ng c all ;
O n th e w e at h e r b o w ! i t s s h o wi ng r e d

an
a
a
i
f
i
t
l
r
e
ll
t
s
s
o
m
a
C
r s
y
g
C o m e d o w n fr o m a l o ft ! h au l u p th e b o at !
O u t w i t h t h e d o r y t u m bl e u p h e r e c o o k !
Wo r k li ve ly l ad sy e s c as t h e r o ff
P ull o ut an d we l l h ave a l o o k
o ld ! w ay e n o u g h ; ah
t h e re t h e y r i s e
Go o d sh ! I sho u ld say t he y we r e ne ;
N o w g e n t ly s t art h e r ah e ad m y b o y s
Qu i c k s e i ne m as t e r g i ve t he m t w i n e !
P ul l hard m y m e n ! n o w be n d yo u r b ac ks !
L i ve ly ! o v e r w i t h t h e c o r k s m y fr i e n d ;
T h at s w a y e n o ug ht ak e o n y o ur c ar s
P as s a l o n g t h e d o r y s e n d ;
Ju m p to th e pu rse lin e o ne an d all
G i ve a l o ng stro n g an d a ste ady p u ll ;
T h e r i n gs a r e u p y e s t ak e t h e m o n ;

o
e
e
e
e
B y J v ! I b li v sh e s f u ll
A n d s o i t p r o v e d o f n um b e r tw o s
R ig ht c h e e r ily did w e b a il
T ill t h e s kipp e r c r i e s
We v e g o t e n o u g h
S h e s f u ll f r o m r ail t o r a il
A ll n i g h t w e w o r k e d at s pli t an d gi b
N e xt d ay t h e y w e r e s a l te d d o wn
A s t h e s u n san k lo w i n t h e ru ddy w e st
W e m ad e s ail f o r G l o uc e s te r t o w n
c

as te

urse i s l aid ;
th e pip e s ar e l i t
e
at c
s se t
A n d a g am e o f c ar d s i s pl ay e d ;
e

on

C atcher s

69

o nt

or

r o un

BOO

M ack e r e l

He r

Hu r

b o u n d f o r t h e c o ast o f a n e ;
O u r h o ld i s w e ll st o r e d w i t h s a l t an d f o o d
I n t h e b o at w e ve a n e n e w s e i n e
W

O WN

an o ur c o

liv e ly l ad h as a so n g to s in g ;
Un c l e B e n h as a y ar n t o s pi n ;
S o pl e as an t ly p as s e s th e t i m e aw ay
T ill e igh t b e ll s w h e n al l turn i n

pt th e l o n e ly w atc h o n de c k
Who se m e asu re d t r am p i s he ar d
A s s m o o t h ly o e r t h e w at e r s ki m s
O ur v e sse l like a w ild s e a b ir d
E

xce

pi e s t h e e e t t h e y ar e d e ad ahe ad
H
A nd r igh t l u st ily d o e s h e s h o ut
T o t h e s kipp e r wh o n e rv o u s ly w al k s
de c k
Y e s y e s t h e b o at s ar e o u t
,

th

As

all

sh e

li fe o n th e sc h o o n e r s d e c k
pl o ugh s t h r o t h e s p arklin g b ri ne ;

is

e es

b re ak o f d ay th e sun p e e p s up
T h e m o r n i ng s c l e ar an d c o o l
A l o ft t h e l o o ko u t m a ke s h i s w ay
T o s i gh t t h e e ar ly s c h o o l

I t is

F I S HE R M E N

O WN B

S aving th e

BY D I
O

C ble
a

KS KYL I G H T

O O

K
.

of th e chief da n gers to which a v e ssel at an ch o r on th e Ba n ks is l ia

ble is that of havi n g a n other vessel drift across h er b o w duri ng a gale I f
this should happe n th e re is little probability o f either o f them escap i n g d e

s truction
W e had such a n e xpe rience in t h e
gully between B an qu e r e au
a n d S able Island on t h e 2 d of J un e
n
The
wi
d
which
had
blown
1
8
3
77
fresh all day i n creased t o wards su n set an d there was a sh arp co m bi n g se a
r un n m g
W e paid out al l our cable a n d cleared up thi n gs on deck
J us t
a s it was growi n g dark I saw the L iz z i e which was lyi n g directly ahead
o f u s break adrift a n d fall O ff br o adside to the wi n d and se a
A t rst I thought her crew woul d heave in h er cabl e and set sail t o clear
us but as she kept drifti n g an d h ad n o riding light up I was reluctantly
f o rced to the conclusion that th e watch o n board of h e r was asl eep If that
was th e case t h e on ly t h i n g t o d o i n order to avoid a collision was to cut
our cable and go adrift too unless we could sheer our vessel aw ay from her
path T h e tid e was run n ing to leeward s o that we h ad some co m m a n d
therefore statio n e d a t t h e
o ver our vessel with th e h elm 3 on e m an was
wheel ready for a ction 3 the j ib was cut l o o s e and a r O pe take n from th e
c l ew to eac h b o w so that we coul d sheer the vessel either way as th e cas e
s hould dema n d
W hen the drifti n g vessel was ab o ut t wo hu n dred feet dis
tant she was d r ivi n g right athwart our h awse so that our j ib boom poi n te d
s traight between he r masts
W e had previously red o ur gun several times 3
but as there was n o sign of life on b o ard of her the mo m en t t o try our pl an
had arrived W hile I stood ready with the axe to cut the cable in case of
a failure the wheel was quickly put hard a starboard
t h e jib run up and
hauled well over o n the starboard b o w so th at it caught aback and our ves
sel sl owly sheered to po r t while we held our breath in suspens e The m a
n oe u v r e succeeded ve ry wel l indeed for we passed arou n d he r ste m
with

n
o ut striki g I t was a cl ose sh ave though for her m ain boom cl eared our
riggi n g by o n ly a f e w feet The quiet n ess a n d g o od o rder that our crew
h ad observed while danger threate n ed a n d discipline was n ecessary were
now broke n by a ge n eral yell which brought the other crew o n deck bare
headed and stocki n g footed to rece i ve from my j ustly i ndigna n t men som e
r emarks a n d advice that were certainly forcible if not polit e
But we saved
o ur cable and as a c o n seque n ce c o uld c o n tinue shing an d therefo re fel t
thankful that n o thing w o rs e had happened
ne

F I S HE R M E N

O DE L

OF

B O OK

O WN

GEO RGE S

AN

T r ip t o G e o r g e s
BY WA
HI

B o un d S o u n d ings L i ve ly W o r k

H o m e wa r d B o un d
r
d
a
e
G oo F

LL

A S umm e r

LTE R

u l l ing i n

ik e C o d

H a l ik ut

a nd

our bait is iced and we are al l ready for a start you had better j ump
W e hoist m ai n sail a n d foresail trip th e
o n b o ard a n d tak e a trip with us
anchor ll away the j ib a n d sta n d out of Gloucester H arb o r Th at l ittl e
isl a n d with the lighthouse on it which we are leaving on the port or left
h an d side is Ten Poun d Isla n d o utside of wh ich is the o ute r a n chorage
a n d stil l beyon d is E astern Poi n t also o n the port ha n d on which you o b
se r ve is a n other lighthouse To the westward of us the l and stretch es away
to S ale m a n d M arble h ead N o w turn a n d look at the sce n e we are leavi n g
Beautiful is it n o t ? The city of Gloucester is stretched out like a pa n ora
ma
The C ity Hall a n oble buildi n g a n d the church steeples are the m ost
pro m i n e n t features 3 n o t forgetti n g the Pavilio n Hotel o n the beach T h e
innumerabl e shi n g schoo n ers standi n g i n all directions with their s n o w
white cotton sails give a n a n i m ation to the sce n e not ofte n equalled
A way
o n the starboard quarter you may catch glimpses of the high road to M ag
n olia and S alem
A n d n o w with a fresheni n g bree z e the sun dippi n g to the westward an d
the land gradually fadi n g behind us we are bowli n g o ff with o ur head east
s o utheast f o r G e o rges
There l l be sh o n deck befo re t o morrow n ight if
A

FI S HE R M E N

O WN

B O O

K
.

fav o rs u s that is , if y o u don t turn out t o

the wi n d hol ds g oo d and fo r tun e

be a Jo n ah ! Fisherme n are pret ty supe rstitious and h av e a great belief in
Jo n ahs S houl d it unfortunately happe n t h at we do n ot make a good trip
this time bei n g a gree n h a n d you will surely be dubbed a Jo n ah However
greenhorns are ge nerally assumed to b e lucky till the co n tra r y is pr o ved 3
which will explain to you the s ua vi te r i n m o d o with which they seem to treat
you But there is the cook blowing his whistle to call us to supp e r ; s o we

wil l go dow n and m ake a square m eal an d then prepare fo r a nap

Hallo there ! rouse out o ld boy ; d o you calcul ate o n sleepi n g all day ?
T h e whistle went for breakfast lo n g si n ce a n d the old co o k wil l be cleari n g

the table O ff if you do n t soon put i n a n appeara n ce

M ake a good break
fast an d n o sign s of the la n dsman s m alady yet
G lad to hear it 3 you re

quit e a Troj an
W e have carried a spa n king bree z e al l night and have com e about sixty
ve miles si n ce we started S uppose we rou n d her t o a n d get a cast of th e
lead 3 o n e hundred and twe n ty fathom s of li n e out a n d n o bottom W e ll
stand along a while lon ger M eanwhile I l l rig a li n e for you to sh wit h
W e use t wo hooks to each l i n e with a s n o od of about o n e an d a half fath
oms to each h o ok dependi n g from the botto m of the lead Havi n g got a
basket of bait up fro m the hold we ll take a n other sou n d 3 seventy v e fath
o ms hard bottom 3 we ll have a t ry here l ads D own go the l i n e s a n d
bye an d bye Tom com m e n ces haul ing
W hat have you got o n Tom ? A

s n apper ( a small c o d s h ) I guess I ve got something smal l o n too

They re too small here to pay us so we ll go furthe r for a eld M y o lf ac
tories info r m m e th at the cook is progressi n g favorably ; s o we will hav e
di n n er befo re sou n di n g agai n I don t wa n t to m ak e any invidious remarks
but t h e sea air seems t o act magically o n our appetites N o w for a n othe r
By J ove ! that jerk was fro m n o
s ou n d 3 sixty fathoms that s better
smal l sh There he s m ells arou n d agai n A h a ! I ve captured you this

time o ld boy
Hallo ! Tom Har r y D ick all hauli n g as if for a wage r
Bear a ha n d boys a n d heave that a n chor o ff the b o w before she drifts away
L e t her hav e
fro m th e school
W e re on sh this ti m e a n d n o mistake
There ! we are all s n ug
a go o d scope of cable a n d furl the sails
A n d n ow ge n tle reader whoever you may be for whom I rigged th at li n e
you may take the next berth al o n gside of me and t r y your l uck Heav e
over your snoods with the b aited hook rst a n d the n the lead taking care
that the snoods g o dow n clear as o n that depe n ds whether you haul up o n e
sh o r a pair H o l d the li n e i n check a little as it ru n s down or the tid e
will run it o u t in a bite and it will f o ul the other l i n es co m ing up with sh
o n them 3 and the n you l l get a n ything but blessi n gs D irectly you feel
y o ur lead st r ike bottom haul back a little so as to leave the hooks da n g
l ing at o r ne ar th e b o tt o m
That s ve r y well 3 watch th e rest and y o u l l
,

F I S HE R M E N

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73

s oo n get i n itiated There ! you h ave got a bite an d a good o n e t oo 3 h aul

s teadily away y o u ll nd sixty fathoms a lo n g h aul but th at won t troubl e
you after a day or s o He s alo n gside take him aboard with the gaff I v e
got a pair comi n g too Th at wo n t do however 3 your ha n ds will s oo n ge t
t o rn a n d scratched if you try to u n hook the sh befo re k illi n g him H it
h i m on th e head with a short stick th e rst thing afte r you g e t h i m on deck
There s a k n ack to o in unhooki n g 3 see h o w e asy it comes t o me a twis t
Faster a n d faster the sh begin to c o me 3
a n d a j erk a n d it s al l done
e ve r ybody w o rki n g like beave rs 3 the sh hooking themselves as fast as t h e
lines reach the bott o m W hat a sce n e o f a n imation ! S o me ga f n g in sh
others killi n g some unh ooki n g and others again cleari n g a foul H s s
h s s see your li n es ! By J ove ! m y boy you ve got a halibut on
E asy
no w
That sh i s worth a v e d o llar bill to you if you get him up Ther e
he s n ubs give him line do n t h o l d him too h ard or he will break t h e
gear H e is begi n n i n g t o stay his dow n ward course hold h i m N o w h e

n
n
h
ru s up ; take in the li e sma r t ly or h e m ay u nhook himself H s s s s
he s taki n g a n other dow n ward dive and m aking the l i n e smoke again S ta n d
by to haul him away as h e tire s U p he ru n s agai n K
eep him wel l in
,

b an d

sta n d by with gaff s here two or t h ree han ds There h e h eaves

in sight A one hu n dred a n d fty pou n der at least S tick the g aff s i n h is
hea d an d be sure to ge t a good hold N o w the n yeo ! heave h o ! all to
gether ! up with his at l ordship S lap oh ! he falls o n deck an d such a
ou n deri n g thrashi n g time of it you n ever s aw Hit him a tap or two with
the killer j ust ove r the n ose That quiets him N o w ge t him away clea r
O f the gear a n d heave your lucky l in e over again
no

w3

F I S HE R M E N

74

B O OK

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Thus we g o ti l l n ea r n igh tfall when we h aul i n line s and dress the s h

Two ga n gs form t o dress down one o n e ach side o f the vesse l
s ecured
ff
o
n
e
pitches
the
sh
al
o
ng
in
to
the
tub
for
dressing
the
xt
cuts
n
m
a
;
O ne
the he ad an d slits the sh down the bel ly 3 a third takes o ut the gut and

deposit s the liver in a ba sket by his s ide ; while a fourth spl its the s h
and takes out the backbo n e 3 an d fro m his h an d it goes in t o a tub of wate r
and the n ce int o the hold of the s alte r The halibut are then gutted and p ut
i nto th e ice house a s they have t o be kept fresh W e ve got t o d ay abou t

d
pound s weight of halibut and
p o und s weight of c o s
a ve ry
good day s work considering it was din ner ti m e when we struck sh A
week of this shi n g an d we s hal l use up all our bait 3 b u t then it is se l d o m
sh stay in one place s o long in S u m m e r ti m e
I t is n ow te n days since we got o n the Bank and although we did n o t

keep the rst s chool r o und u s m ore than three or fou r days we have bee n
f o rt unate e nough to st rike the m again s ince and have m ade a rousing trip
af ter al l about
pounds weight of sa l t c o d s h and
pound weight s
o f halibut The crew will m ake about fty dol lars apiece o n an aver age
n o t a bad f ort night s work
As the win d is fair I think we m ay put he r
he ad for Gloucester Things don t always go s o s m oothly as they have thi s
trip h o wever 3 a n d so m eti m e s we beat about fo r day s with o u t m ee ting wit h
anythin g
,

F I S HE R / M E N

Ro b s

B O OK

O WN

F ir st Cruis e

BY

75

'

I t wa s an event o f i m p o rtance when J oh n W ayne bough t the P zl l zls with

the accu m ulated savings of m any years an d began to go m aste r of h is own
vess e l He and hi s wife Marge ry h ad discuss e d the m atte r m any ti m es an d
w e ighe d t h e pros and cons carefully b e fore the purchase was co m plet e d
And whe n t h e bargain wa s fully concluded and the P lzzl l zs wa s brought
round to th e little cove b e fore t h e cottage door the r epairing and paintin g
and outtting of the P zl l zs was a t o pic of e v e r fresh a n d al l absorbing i n
t e r e s t to J oh n and Marge ry an d R o b an d littl e R a n 3 an d the she rm e n at
the c o v e an d all the boys in the r e gion rou n dabout ca m e by tw os an d
threes to critically inspect an d co m m e n t o n J oh n W ayn e s c r aft

Proudest of all was R o b

Father 11 go s kippe r n o w he re m arked g l ee
I l l tel l yo u what I shall be skippe r a good part of the ti m e
f ully
wh e n I play with the cov e b o ys that is if I play with t h e m any m ore n ow
I think I a m big e n o ugh to l e ave s chool an d go c o ok Can t I g o father ?
I shall b e thirtee n n ext S p ring y o u know an d I have g o t t o the R u l e o f

Three in arith m etic

J ohn W ayne thought h oweve r it w o uld be wi s er f or R o b to k eep o n a t
hi s ciphering awhile long e r an d when t h e long S u m m e r vacation ca m e h e
But he m us t
s hould go t wo o r three trips an d see h o w h e liked shing
l earn a little about cooking rst And with that R o b had t o be c o nte n t
Did ever the w e eks o f a t e r m of s choo l before s tretch out s o en dl e ssly ?
L ong b e for e vacation ca m e R o b had b e co m e quite an adept in the m akin g
o f bread an d m olas s e s short cake and i n the pre paratio n of various dishe s
adapted to the menu of a Galilee sherm an But as an e n d co m e s to al l
terrestrial th ing s tedious howsoev e r th e y m ay be so there ca m e a blissful
day wh e n R o b danc e d ho m e with his books too h appy to walk soberly n o w
that the vacation had re ally co m e An d for o n ce he was in great luck 3 fo r
the P zll zlr was in and would be ready to s ail fo r th e shin g groun d the r s t
o f t h e following week
W hat a p e rfect S u m m er m orning it wa s whe n R o b p r o udly sailed away o n
his rst cruise j ust as t h e rays of the ri s i ng sun illu m ined the sparkling sea
Margery fondly looked aft e r her boy so gaily swinging his hat and he r hus
ban d standing at the till e r til l she coul d distinguis h the m n o long e r an d
then she watche d the P zl/zs till it was a m ere sp e ck o n the blue waters o f
the bay And when she turn ed to her m orn ing task s h o w s till an d lo nely

'

'

'

F I S H E R M E ZV S

6
7

G E TT N G

T HE

P HI L L I s

RE

O WN

A DY

FO R

B O OK
.

T HE

SEA SO N

s WOR

K
.

F I S HE R M E N

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77

the h o u s e see m ed n ow that he r n oisy boy wa s no l onge r in i t L itt l e R a n

was still qui e tly sle e ping an d it would be perhap s tw o or th ree hours before
he would wake and wan t hi s breakfast Marg e ry sat d o wn to do a f e w row s
o n he r net but the still ness was so oppressive that it presen tly beca m e n u
bearable and she aros e and we nt out to work awhile in h e r ga rden i n the
d e wy freshness and coolness of th e m orn ing
W he r e is W o b
Bye a n d bye she heard R an s v o ice at th e ope n wind o w
he ask e d
Don t you r e m e m be r he ca rrie d
R o b has g o ne with papa i n the P lzzl l zir
his clothes aboard last night ? He g o t up very early an d w e nt away wh il e

you were fast asleep

I want W o b l wa s the r esp o n s e with a gush o f tear s
M arge ry s heart echoed the cry as s he w e n t i n t o con so l e he r little o ne
an d to get h im his breakfast of br e ad and m ilk The day was l ong for
M arge r y and long for little R a n who m issed his play m ate An d when he

went to bed he asked W ill W o b t u rn in the night ? An d in t h e m o rn in g

the rst question was W il l W o b t u m t o day ? An d the question s we re

daily asked m orn in g and n igh t during R ob s absence
T h e days we nt by o ne afte r anothe r til l a fortnight had passed an d i t
An d Marge r y s itting at her ne t or chat
wa s ti m e to l o o k for the P iaf/123
ting wi t h s o m e neighb or who h ad co m e in often looke d out o n the bay
hoping to catch a gli m pse of a white sail th at was deare r to he r than all the
o th e r white sails itting to and fro on the broad blue se a
The re ca m e a day when the S u m m e r sun shone e rc e ly dow n o n a parche d
ea r th All the m orning there was an o m inous stil l ness in the a r r There
was no note of bird o r soun d of insect and e ve n th e waters for onc e s e e m e d
W he n Marge ry had nished her m idday
h ushed into absolute silence
m eal s he wen t to the doo r and s e nt a sw e e p ing glance over the darkening

waters S h e s aw a sail yes it was t h e s ail she longe d to see B u t wh at

a lurid light lled the air an d what threatening clouds were piling up i n

she sighed
0 if th e y w e r e but h e r e
great m asses towards t h e z enith
T h e stor m brok e long before the craft M arge ry s e y e s so e ag e rly watche d
could reach a hav e n How the lightning ashed and the thunder roared
an d the wind swept round the little house o n t h e headlan d ! How the rain
poure d in a blinding she e t that shut o ut fro m Marge ry s s ight the v e ss e l o n
the tossing b il lo ws o f th e bay ! S h e dre w back fro m the window an d clasp
i n g closely R a n in he r a r m s sh e waited fo r the power of the te m pest to be
s p e n t Hours passed by b u t s till the win d blew a gale and t h e rain fe ll i n
torrents when the shade s of n ight gathered an d darkn ess c o ve re d t h e face
o f t h e m ighty de e p
A s leeples s nigh t it wa s fo r Marge ry W ayn e and whe n day daw n e d
t h o ugh the rain had ce as ed t o fa l l a t urbulen t s t orm y s e a wa s s til l l as hed
.

'

"

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FI S HE R M E N

8
7

B O OK

O WN

v e xed b y the wind An d as it grew l igh te r n o t a s ai l was to b e s ee n o n

the bay W here wa s the
an d he r c r ew ?
I t was n early n o o n whe n o n e of the cov e boy s burs t o pen the c o ttag e
door an d cri e d out abruptly They ve found the n a m e of the P /t i/Zzls ove r

there on the r ocks an d they re bringing it up h e re

Pale and speechle s s M a rge r y s ank into the n e a rest s ea t R an fe l t th a t

s o m ethin g had happened

W hat i s it ? he asked 3 I s W o b t u m m in an d
m y faver

cried hi s m othe r your fathe r wi ll n eve r c o m e

O R an o l d R a n o l d
h o m e any m ore an d R o b will n ever co m e back to us I
The sign was brought u p and l aid on the grass plo t befor e the doo r
Yes it was the ve ry sig n that J ohn W ayne had painted with such patie n t
and loving care I n what fe arful m o m en t wa s it wrench e d fro m its h ol d
an d wh ere n o w were the ti m bers of the
scattered an d where al as l

was the brave crew ?

I t wa s a gol d e n S u m m er aftern o o n an d
O n e t wo three days went by
M ar
th e s e a wa s as g e n tle an d pl acid as if it h ad never been stor m tosse d
gery pal e an d listl e ss sat slowly d r awing h e r n ettin g needle i n and o u t
through the m eshes of he r net S h e wa s stunn e d I t was n ot possibl e y e t
to think of the future an d s o s h e wen t o n doing m echanically as sh e h ad
done R a n rosy di m pled and dewy ey e d scarc e ly awake fro m his afte r
His l o ng silenc e attracte d
n oon nap stood looking out of the cottage door
Margery s atte n tion S h e turn ed her head wearily to see what he wa s d o in g
W hat is R an n ie looking at ? s h e asked i n d iff e r e n ly

My f av e r s boat said the littl e o n e sturdily

My fave r is tu m m i n

so m e m o re and W o b too ! I sees e m m y o wn self

Marge r y s hea r t gave a great throb Anoth e r in stan t and s he s to od besid e
Did her eye s d e c e ive her or wa s it a phant o m craft tha t was ro un d
R an
?
the
h
e
adl
and
and
sailin
g
so
n
oiselessly
in
to
the
little
cove
W as it
m g
r eally h e r husband giving directions to his c r e w and R o b hi m self wavi n g
hi s hat as j oyously as wh e n h e sailed away or w e re he r sen ses leaving her
Ah yes s h e n o tes n o w with a sob of relief that the na m e i s g one fr o m
th e b o w but the vess e l otherwise see m s as staunch as eve r
The P izi l l is had been blown o ff shore and so m ewha t strained but h ad
received no other inj ury save the l oss of h e r na m e which had b e e n in s e
curely fastene d an d which the capricious waves m ust was h up o n the c o ve
r ocks an d so cause Margery W ayn e such days an d n ights of anguish Th e
v essel itself h ad bee n in a s afe harbor befor e dark on t h e night of the s t o r m
He h ad be e n al l about the c i ty
R o b had co m e h o m e i n high feath e r
with his fathe r while the P /zzZZzs was lyi ng win d bound Hi s fathe r h ad
f o un d a good mar ket for his sh and R o b had take n part o f h is earnings to
b uy fo r hi m s e lf a four bladed kn ife an d f o r R an a m os t w o nderful gun
an d

'

'

'

B I S HB B M B N

O WN

BOO

79

at c o uld b e half cocked and wh o lly cocked and that w o ul d m ake a gre at
n oise
R o b went three trips that S u m m er and he was quite a hero a m ong the
c o ve boys whe n he wen t back to school in the Fall His knife was the
en vy an d ad m iration of all the other boys and ofte n while he wa s busy carv
i ng elder into fanciful shapes he was won t to hol d forth t o an eage r audi
e nce h is n ar r ative i n variably co m m encing W h e n I we n t m y rst trip i n
the
th

L o st

in th e Fo g

I n the preceding pages are giv e n m an y instances of sherm e n l o st in the

fog o n th e Banks and of great su ff e ri ngs caus e d thereby fro m hunger and
exposure T h e above engraving did n ot r e ach us in s e ason t o be placed
in that c h apter so we ins e rt it h e re I t illustrate s an in stance where tw o
poor fe llows are thus ad rift on the wid e e x p an s e of waters O n e is stan d
ing up p ointing s e e m ingly at so m e slight obj e ct which m ay be di m ly di s
cern e d to which the att e ntion of his co m panion who h a s stopped rowing
and is anxiously looking is dire ct e d O r it m ay be that they a r e holding a
consul tation as to which d ie r c tio n it woul d be b e st to p ull in order to m ee t
with so m e vessel or fall in with the land and thus e scap e the perils which
surround the m I t is a perilous position to b e placed in especially withou t
food or drink and we do earn e s tly h O p e that each d ory while o n th e g r o und s
will in future be well provided with these i m porta n t a rt icle s
,

F I S HE R M E ZV S

1 80

C r ipp l e d

on
BY

Ho me Str e tch

th e
D

B O OK

O WN

I C K KY I G HT
S

No b ranch o f the shery is so unc e rtain as to the r eturn s as that fo r

h alibut
O n e V es s el m ay get a high price for her sh whil e a second a
few days or hours later by s triking an overstocked m arket m ay receiv e not
m ore than half as m uch
A s the success of t h e trip theref o r e d e pends ve r y
m uch on the rapidity o f th e h o m eward pass age s ail is cr o wd e d on ev e n to
th e point of extre m e dange r and the h o m e stretch frequen tly beco m e s
the m ost exciting part of t h e whole trip de m anding the best sea m an ship
and skill on the part of the skipper and crew
Fisherm en as a class take esp e cial prid e in th e sea going qualities of the
v essel they sail in and estee m m ost highly her ability to car r y a cro wd of
s ail in a fresh bre e z e This particular pride is ofte n m ore forcibly exhib
i te d perhaps recklessly s o by the m e n co m p o sing the cr e ws than by th e
s kippers since upon the l att e r re st s the responsibility I t is so m eti m es
quite a m using to overh e ar so m e of th e re m arks of the m e n on deck in r e

l ation to carrying sail

I tel l yer what tis say s one to his watch m ate

the old critter s sti ff s a church

Yes replies the other the old gal
I do n t b e li e ve the m th e y
c a n wear her m uslin bout 8 long 5 any of e m
blow so m uch ab o ut can stand it m uch longe r 3 n o t if th e old m an s a m ind

to lug it on her
This d e sire to l ug it on her is express e d too whe n
th e little schooner is probably buried al l unde r water o n the le e side and
O n m or e than o n e occasi o n
t h e spars an d sail s are strain e d to the ut m ost
I hav e m yself b are ly e s caped evil con sequence s fro m carrying a taut
r ag when ho m eward bound
O n e night in March 1 8 78 we left th e Grand Bank j ust at the c o m m ence
,

F I S HE R M E N

B O OK

O WN

181

e n t o f a s o utheast s t o rm which rapidly augm ented in fury Ab o ut 3

o cl o ck in the m orning al l ha n ds we re called t o take in the staysail afte r
This work
which t h e dorie s were turned botto m up and lashed securely
whe n all but m yse lf and the watch we nt bel ow
o ccupie d about an h o ur
The night was intens e ly dark an d al l that it was possible to see was the
s parkle of the s p ray as i t e w fro m t h e bo w a n d the lu m inous phosph o re s
ce n t track b e hind our ve ss e l as with h e r shee ts we ll o ff she r ush e d through
the water s and the darkn e ss like a great black wing e d spectre A half hou r
later I again call e d all hands : G e t o n your oil clothes and stand by the
halyards is t h e orde r Hardly had this b e e n done when a squall struck
us al m ost with t h e force of a thun derbol t Feeling the ves sel settling I
L e t h e r co m e to
and to his watch
s houted to t h e m a n at the wh e e l
At t h e sa m e ti m e I sprang to the
L e t go t h e m ain p e ak halyards
m at e
m ain th r oat halyards an d tried to ge t th e m cl e ar but could n ot owing t o
the darkness and the fact that th e y were not belay e d as usual In the
m eanti m e our l ittle v e ssel ca m e n e ar going to the botto m for s h e wa s unde r
wat e r fro m her cat he ad to th e ta ffrail on the lee side W he n t h e m a n at
t h e wh e e l rs t heard m y or d er he put the hel m d o wn but nding the ve s
s el wa s going so lo w kept h e r o ff again ( t hinking that the safe r thing to do)
at the sa m e ti m e cli m bing o n top of t h e wheel box to ge t out o f the wate r
H is watch m ate though oate d o ff h is fe et o n t h e le e sid e le t the peak hal
yards go by the run This reduced t h e sail con siderably an d the rst fury

of the squall being past th e old boat shook o ff part of the wate r and
s till running at an appalling rate kept aoat until we could shorte n s ail
s till m ore
O n anothe r occasion in t h e S pring o f 1 8 7 6 while r u nning fo r ho m e i n a
s p rawle d out by heavy seas twice in one
n ortheast gale our v e ss e l was
day being knock e d down so that h e r sails w e re i n the wate r and t h e lee
T h e nigh t preceding t h e day on whic h we were
s ide c o m pl e tely buried
kn o cked down we had a tussle with t h e ice i m m e nse o e s of which i n the
S pri ng of 1 8 7 6 wer e drive n by a successio n of n orthe rly winds n early to
W e were run ning unde r a doubl e r e efe d
t h e edge of the Gulf S trea m
all the sail we could
m ainsail whole f o resail an d j ib ( wit h t h e bonn e t out)
s tagger un de r wh e n a little aft e r m idn ight the watc h shout e d down the
co m panion way : Hear the news there belo w ! rouse out h e re s ic e close
aboard ! I t n e e ded no second cal l to bring us out for all re ali z e d the dan
e r of m e eting with ice whil e runni ng at such a rat e
if
the
vessel
struck
a
3
g
heavy pi e ce h e r bows woul d b e crushed in lik e an egg sh e ll As for m y
and j u m ping in to the rigging
s e lf I h urried o n d e ck in m y shirt sleeves
cli m b e d far e nough above deck t o get a good view and clung ther e fo r
n e arly t wo hour s d irecting t h e wheels m an how to steer to avoid co m ing in
contact with either the o e or straggling piece s of ice The latter which

'

FISHERM EN S

82

B O OK

O WN

w ere o f va ri o u s si z e s were re ally the m o st dang e rous si n ce they co u l d n o t

be seen s o quickly It was bright m oon light however which was m uch i n
o u r favo r an d by taking in the for e sail we reduc e d the s peed of the v e ssel
s o that we passed safely by hundreds of isol ated ice cakes any o n e of
which would have kn ocked i n our vessel s bo w h ad she struck it W ith t h e
wind blowing a northeas t gal e an d swe e ping down fr o m such a va s t body of
pack ice as lay to windward t h e air was k e e n and biting as m ay easily be
*
w
e
e
ur
ised
and
when
at
l
ast
h
ad
clear
d
the
l
ast
of
lolly
ice
which
m
th e
s
an d the increasing m otio n
o e
s tru ng o u t to the l e e ward of the m ain
o f t h e v e s s el gave e vid e nce of O pen water t o windward I crawled down o u t
o f the rigging but was s o thoroughly chilled through that I could scarcely
s tan d
As there was possible danger o f m eeting m ore ice a nd the wind h ad i n
cr e ase d s o m ewhat I conclud e d n o t to s e t the fo resail before d aylight
W hen we cl e ared the ice we were n early a hundre d m iles s o uth of the
l atitude of S abl e Island an d were th e refore o bliged t o s teer W N W
which bro u ght us al m ost in t h e trough o f the sea H avi n g warm ed m yself
and ord er ed the watch to call m e if t h ere wer e any indications of ice or

incre ase in wind I tur n e d in The sea increased ve ry m uch toward s

m orning and a little aft e r daybreak we were tripp e d an d kn o ck e d down 3
the m ainb oo m went under n early to the m ast parting the boo m tackle 3 o n e
m an in the forecastle was thrown fro m a weather into a le e bunk and
an oth e r who was lyi ng in a berth on the le e side was scalded by t h e c o n
ten ts of the c o ffe e pot which ca m e tu m bling on top of h im fro m the s tove
o n t h e opposite side A l together th e re was quite a m ixing up of th ings
but al m ost before we had a chance to reali z e the situation the v e ssel wa s
back on her botto m and t e aring al ong on her c o urs e again Not caring
how e v e r to repeat t h e p e rfor m ance if we could avoid it we set a double
reefe d foresail took in the m ain sail an d b e nt the riding sail in its stead
U nder this canvas we ke p t along on o u r cours e t h o u gh such was the
danger of being sprawled out again that I staid on d e ck all day directing
the m an at t h e wh e el how to stee r to escape th e ugly cross seas that quite
frequently ca m e along It was anything but pl e asant to be sure to r u n a
vessel un der such circu m stanc e s but n e v e rth e less we k e pt her going
s winging o ff al m ost b e fore it so m e ti m e s an d hauling to o n our course agai n
when a chance o ffered I n this way we went along safe ly until about s u n
d own when being very hung r y I wen t below fo r a lunch rst giving the
W atch her s harp 3 swing h e r o ff quick if
m a n at the wheel the order to
'

L lly i
o

ce

i s th

e n am e

gi

ve

t an c e t o l e e w ar d o f e ld i c e
an d o f
e i ng o f s m a ll s i z e
w ar d f as te r th an h e av y i c e

n t o t h e n e i c e w h i c h ge n e r al ly e x te nd s to a gr e ate r o r l e ss d is
It is fo rm e d by th e grin din to ge th e r o f t h e l ar ge r p ie ce s an d
co ur s e co m p ar at iv e ly l i tt l e u n de r w ate r us ually dri fts to I c e
'

F I S HE R M E N

B O OK

O WN

1 83

s ee a b ad one c o m ing a nd l et he r take it s te m to

I had scarce l y
s eated m yself o n the weather s ide of the forecastle table with a pi e ce o f
bre ad in o ne hand and a m ug of te a in the o ther when the vessel was
thrown co m plet e ly o n he r bea m en ds Dropping whateve r I held I sprang
f o r the co m p an i on way the instant I felt her going over But the wate r
rushing over the top of the co m panion doors m e t m e as I gained the top
of the ste p s and as the vessel was at that ti m e lying at on her side the
prospect of her righting again before she lled looked rather dubious
There was a stro ng probability too that the m an at the wheel had b e e n
washed ov e rboard o r inj ured and if such was the case the vesse l ( shoul d
she right) would be i n d ah ge r of broaching to and having another se a
sweep over her Fortunat e ly as in the m orning she soo n straightene d up
again an d I j u m ped out on deck an d ran for the wheel B y the ti m e I
r eached the m ain h atch though it took scarcely an instan t the win d s truck
into the s ails an d the vessel sta rting ahead with a rush drew herself o ut
fro m beneath the wate r un der which she was buried fro m the m ai n m as t aft
an d which went dashing and S p l ashing out over the stern and both rails a s

o ur
old boat on c e m ore rose buoya n t on top of the waves S o far unde r

m
ater
had
the
stern
been
that
the
wheels
an
six
footer
was en tirely
a
w
s ub m erged whe n the vessel righted though he stood o n his feet stil l re tain
i n g his g rip of the wheel 3 the m e n in the cabin were ne arly s m othe re d by
s tea m an d gas which was drive n fro m the cabin stove by a strea m of water
which ran down the stove pipe on to the burning coal Barefooted b are
headed an d panting for breath they were glad en o ugh t o get o ut o n top o f
the h o use where they m ight ge t the fresh air
Although we had m e t with little or n o da m age fro m being sprawled o u t
twice it was nevertheless a little m ore th an we had adve rtised for so we
h o ve to for a few hours until the m oon rose when the s e a having gone
down so m ewhat we started agai n on the ho m e stre tch

E ternal vigilance is the p ric e of liberty

it has been wel l s aid an d the
fo regoing will sho w that the success and safe ty of the winte r sher m an de
m ands al m ost as great watchful ness and circu m spectio n sin ce th e incide nt s
m e ntioned above are only two o f hundreds that m ight be rel ated

u
o
y

if

y cro s s se a wh i ch wo u l d b e l i ke ly t o re ak a
n o th in g w o r s e h app e n e d

*A

sh ar p an d

e av

r d an d s we e p th e d e ck

oa

FI S HE R M E N

1 84

B O OK

O WN

Th e De c e mb e r G ale s

of

1876

The gal es which s wept o ver the shing banks on the 9 th and 1 6 th of De
m
e
e
were
terric
Al
l
who
w
r
exposed
to
the
and
returne
d
6
1
r
8
m
b
e

c
7
to port a ffi rm ed that in all thei r experi e nce n o thing was ever e n counte r e d
which would co m pare with th e e r c e n e s s of the win ds an d the wave s an d
the n arrow chances which beset th e eet expos e d to their fury Herewit h
These gale s
we publish the accounts of ou r in terviews with the skippers
s wallowed up ten ve ssel s an d n in etyeigh t m e n were buried beneath the
treacherous billows the ful l pa rticulars of which wil l b e fo un d under the
appropriate headi n g
.

P I

A UG U S T

AH

[ J

C ap ta i n

Capt
George
A
J
ohnson
of
sch
e
n
s
L
M
a
f
P r e m o m tzm z a n d S a ve : a
i
m
m
h
t
l
ft
on
the
of
Dece
ber
f
o
r
ho
e
u
u
r
e
a
n
e
B
a
n
e
m
so
/
O
I
f
s
t
a
u
u
7
A g
q
j
m e to ancho r
o
cl
o
ck
ca
h
t
ncountered
the
gale
the
night
of
the
A
o
n
7
E
o
thirty m il e s t o the westward of S able Isl and The wind bl e w a pe rfect hur
ri cane with an ugly sea ru n ning Parted at 1 1 o clock ; hove in the cab l e
n
o
h
r
t
cl
o
ck
on
the
orning
o
f
the
anchored
again
parted
agai
m
;
an d at 4 o
o
clock
which
stove
ve
o
clock
a
tre
endous
sea
boarded
her
at
m
9
at 7
;
dories brok e fore boo m a n d fore ga ff i n two places ; took three hundred
fath o m s of cable fro m the weather side t o leeward when J ohn M c D o n ald
R
u
n
e
n
d
a
o n e of the crew got caught in the coil
r ceived severe inj uries
her fro m 1 0 o clock A M to 2 o clock P M when th e st o rm abated an d
put on sail for ho m e W a s in S helbu r n e N S 1 7 th an d on the m ornin g
o f the i 8 th s aw a disabled brig ab o ut thirty m i les o ff S eal Islan d A barque
was nea r by an d C apt J o h n s o n c o ncl u ded that s he w o uld give all n eede d
E

ER
'

SCH

O F

E N CE

O HN s o N

er

'

F I S HE R M E N

B O OK

O WN

18

assi s tance Th e n a strong i m pressi o n ca m e over the cap t ai n t o b o ard the

brig and he could not shak e it o ff He was extre m ely desirous to keep o n
his pas s age ho m e but the i m pression weighed on his m ind He fel t un e asy
Go on board the brig ! was the m andate plainly giv e n and he coul d n o t
dis pe l it Finally b e ob e ye d the pr e m onition and with four of his m e n
he boarded the brig in the dory I t proved to be the W i l d /50 m g coal l ade n
an d abandoned ( S h e afte rwards went ashore at S t John s Islan d ) Capt
Johns o n got sai l on he r and aft e r she got well o n h e r course he descri e d
an obj ect as fa r ah e ad as he could see which rese m bled a m an on a cake
o f ice He at once called attention to it an d s ignalled t o the sch o o n e r
W ith all speed they h asten e d to it in the dory an d o n drawing near wha t
was their surp rise in nding a m a n clinging to t h e botto m o f a b oat which
was painted white thus giving the appearance of an ice cake in the distance

It proved to be Mr Gottfried Frankfurt m ate of barque S e a wao a wh o with

three m e n had boarded the brig an d upon th e i r re turn the boat was cap
si z ed alongside T wo of the m e n succeeded in getting o n b oard le avin g
Frankfurt an d a sea m an n a m ed Pete r Anderson in the water Th e y both
succeeded i n clinging to the boat s botto m 3 the barque drifted away an d
ere th e m e n o n the v e ssel got their boat ready th e t wo were out of sigh t
They had cruise d around an d not succ e eding in nding the m had give n
The cold was m ost int e nse wit h a heavy sea and for two hours
t he m up
Frankfurt had m an aged to hold on to the sub m erged boat with the wate r
up to his breast the sea beating o ver h i m and the cold piercing his V ital s
I t was a terri ble s truggle fo r life an d his co m panion succu m b e d to the fe ar
ful ordeal and sl ipping o ff t h e boat disappeared beneath th e waters ! Th e
s u ff ering m an was take n o n board th e j O /zm o rz where kind hea r ts an d wil l
ing hands ad m iniste re d re s toratives and he escap e d without any seriou s
ill ness The probabilities are th at if C apt J ohnson had kept on h is course
and not heeded the pre m onition th e m a n would have been drowned as he
coul d not possibly have held on but a f e w m o m e nts longe r W h o can a c
coun t for such a pre m on itio n ? S urely it was n o t of the captain s seeking
as he was opposed to heeding it su p posing that the barqu e had rendere d
al l the n e c e ssary assistance an d he wan ted to ge t ho m e The S am e/ 00 d a r
r ived at Portland where the m ate j oined her
.

oss o r S C H D N I E L A B U R N H M
S c h D am ?
! A B u m lza m Cap t
J a m es Nickerson was caps i z ed on Gran d Bank in the gale of the r o th ca r
t ying away both m asts level with the deck
The crew re m a i ned o n th e
wreck v e days su ffering great hardships wh e n they were take n o ff by a
s tea m er and carried into S t J oh ns
T h e wreck wa s in a sinking conditio n
when the m e n were re s cued They lo s t everything an d were m ore or l e ss
inj ured fr o m expo s ure
L

F I S HE R M E N

1 86

P I

B O OK

O WN

J O HN D O V E
A T o ugiz Ti m e of 1 7 S c h f O / m
D o ve wa s exposed to the full severi ty of the gale of Dec 1 6 th an d 1 7 th o n
L a H ave Bank
O n the r 6 th on e of the cre w n a m ed Augustu s Brown fel l
o verboard but being an expert swi m m er kick e d o ff his h e avy ru bbe r boot s
and struck out bravely for the vessel R opes and tu bs were thrown o ve r
fro m the ve s s e l but the tid e was running strong an d th e curren t bore h im
away fro m the m
The cabl e was paid out until the vessel backed do wn t o
where Brown was swi m m ing an d he was taken o n b o ard after having bee n
i n the water about eight m inutes
E arly on th e m orning o f the m m a tre
m e n d o u s s ea broke over t h e ves s el sweeping the decks car r ying away t wo
c o m pan i o n ways s m ashing dory staving rail bre aking the wh e e l box de
m o l is h i ng th e cooking stove and doing othe r da m age
But for the parting
o f th e cable the vessel m ust have founder e d
O n e of the crew Maurice W i
le y was washed again st the co m pa nion way a n d had his face sever e ly cut
The D o w put into H alifax on the 2 3 d for repairs S h e had rough weather
all th e ti m e after leaving p ort being three ti m es blown o ff he r shing
gr o u nds o nce a dista n ce of so m e seven ty v e m iles
E

O F T HE

ER EN CE

P I

UT H

Sch R

was kn ocked
n ea r ly botto m upward by a heavy se a her fore m ast carried away to the
deck and l o st m a insail m ain boo m an d m ain ga ff T wo of h e r crew Chas
C o ok of L ock e port N S and J oseph Teddy of S ydn e y C B were swe p t
o ve rb o ard an d l ost The crew were o bliged to pu m p an d h a il al l n ight t o
keep her free S o m e sails were rigged an d a drogue put out They steered
fo r L iverpool N S which they reach e d afte r a dangerous passage Charles
M cK
i n n e y on e o f the c r ew wa s thrown out of his berth upon the stove
an d wa s so severely burned that he was se nt ho m e i n s ch H o w a r d
X

E R

O F T HE

E N CE

R O VE s

u t/z

r o ve s

C D O L L I V E R Capt J oh n Tho m pson fro m W estern Bank

reported the gale s as ve r y severe L ost three anchors O n the r 1 t h of
D ece m ber s aw brig L u cy in a disabled condition on the southern part of the
B ank 3 to o k o ff h er crew of eight m e n and brought the m to thi s port
The
vess e l so o n after sunk S h e was co m m anded by Capt J a m e s I rving loaded
with coal and p o tat o es an d boun d for Cuba
SCH

DW

IV

Capt F o r r is t al l while lying at an ch or on L a H av e

Ban k in the gale of the 9 th of D e ce m be r was struck by a hea v y sea which
s wept the decks s m ashed th ree do ries and sent the m adrift an d carried
away everything m oveable The vessel was h ove o n her bea m ends and
the cabin a n d for e castle lled with wate r T h e cable parted and the crew
s hifted the sal t and sh in the hold and the vessel righted The R i ver d a le
l o s t her other anchor an d cable in the gale of the r o th and wa s o bliged t o
put int o Halifax f o r repai rs
SCH

E RD

L E

B I S HB B M B N

F e ar ful E xp e r i e nc e

O WN

BOO

CO L L IN

87

B o ar d S cho one r

on

BY

Ho war d

There are f e w indeed who have never experienced it th at can form any

at an
adequate id e a of what it is to ride out a gale a regul ar s nee z er
chor in m id
ocean where even the s taunchest ocean stea m e r s are like pl ay
things of the m igh ty ele m e nt s As a rule a shing vessel rides like a se a
gull gal lantl y breasting the wave s that go seething and swishing by al though
t h e violence of the wind often m akes the little schooner tre m b le like an A u
t u m u leaf as it rises on the top of a huge wave to pl unge the next m o m e n t
down its oppo s ite side Nevertheless an unlucky sea will occasion ally
break on board and if the m an o n watch is not on the lookout fo r it h e i s
likely to be inj ured if not washed overboard But whateve r the dange r to
individual s a lo o kout m ust be kept f o r in a gal e m any m ost se rious pe ril s
t hreaten which can only be s uccessfull y m e t by ut m ost ca r e an d vigilance
I t frequently happens that afte r a l o ng day ( often eightee n o r ninetee n
hours) of fatiguing work at s hing the weary cre w with the excepti o n of the
watch tu rn in f o r the m uch needed sleep It m ay be scarcely an hou r l ate r
whe n t h e watch g o es below and giving the skipper a shake to wake n h im
s ays :
C ap n it s blowing again like great gun s and I think she need s
the re s t o f her cable 3 you d bette r tur n o ut and look at it
O f course the re
i s n o s hirking this duty and the skipp e r knowing he i s n o t call e d with ou t
g ood re ason tu m bles out o f his bunk puts o n boots and so u wester an d
goes up in the co m panion way greeted the m o m ent he thru s ts his face o u t
s ide by the ful l force o f a nor west snow squall The roa ring o f the wave s
as they go rushing by the dis m al howling o f the wi nd through the riggin g
added to the darkness of the night intensied by the blinding e ff ect of snow
and hurling spray leave n o choice but to order the watch to call e m o u t
f o r ar d
while at the sa m e ti m e the shout Co m e ! r o use o ut here we ve

got to give her the whole string wake s the heavy slu m berers in the cabi n
a n d the half asleep and th o roughly disgusted m e n crawl o n deck with m any
o bj urgations and odd but innocent re m arks

W hat kind e r weathe r d ye call this ! one grow l s o ut 3 while anothe r

excl ai m s If I had the j ob and could n t m ak e any bette r I d give up the

contract an d hire out to a farm e r

The ai r with which the closing s e n
tence is uttered plainly tell s t h at in the m ariner s esti m ati o n the lowe s t

degradati o n one could po ssibly r each would be to hire o ut to a farm e r

But this is only C heap talk an d not withstan ding the dange r fro m shippin g
s ea s the c r ew s oo n m uster around the windla s s an d s u f cie n t cable i s
,

FISHERM

88

EN S

B O OK

O WN

veered out fo r the occa s i o n often a m ounting to thre e hundred a n d fty or

four hun dr e d fath o m s if th e re is a heavy gale an d th e vess e l is i n deep
wat e r though on the shoal part of the Bank in thirty to fty fatho m s m uc h
l ess cable is requir e d
I n ordinary gal e s sherm e n ar e rarely anxious fo r their safety for like
vet e ran s o ldiers they co m e to think littl e of th e ir perils an d while the
stor m howls the vessel rolls staggers rises and plunges again , th e crew o ff
duty wil l frequently gather in the cabin and pitch in f o r a si n g and a t
such ti m es groups of four oft e n i m pr o vis e a l o w table on the cabin oor

E xcl a m ati o ns of
and h ave a ga m e o f S e ve n U p or E uchre
S win g
for his Jack
That m akes us ga m e an d the l ike are so m eti m es inte r
r up t e d by a dash of wate r dow n t h e co m panio n way which obliges every
body to scra m ble to their fe et to save the m selv e s and the preci o us card s
f r o m a wetting
But furious hurricanes often s weep acro ss the B anks with al m ost r esistle ss
fury car rying de s truction and death with th e m and appalling eve n the
s toutes t hearts
S uch wa s the te rric gale of S ept o th an d r o th 1 8 7 6 i n
which m any staunch vessel s succu m bed to the power of the win d and wave s
carry ing down with the m the hardy and daring m e n who for m ed th e ir crews

r
H
o
w
a
d
o n e of the ve ry
The write r was then i n co m m and o f the sch
f e w if n o t the only ves s e l t o h o ld on and ride o u t the gale at an cho r
The
vessel was on B a n qu e r e au and the following ext ract fro m a le tter give s t h e
princi p al incide n t s of the o ccasion :
*
O n the m orning of the 9 th of Dece m be r we m ade sail before dayligh t
an d got all r eady t o se t our trawls but by the ti m e i t was fairly light it ble w
up s m art fro m the south e ast an d began to snow W e lay by fo r awhil e
around the A n d r e w L a g/I to and he r dorie s so m e o f which were out Afte r
an hour o r two n ding the win d incr e asing fast we ran i n on the Bank u n
til we r eached a depth of sixty fatho m s where we anchored an d g o t al l
ready for a gale The southeaster blew We a r/y but was of sh o r t duration
being ab o ut what W inter southeasters general ly are
T h e nigh t of the 9 th the win d ju m p e d in t o west northwest an d toward s
m orn ing of the r o t h blew very heavy 3 so h ard indeed that fearing the rid
ing s ail would go t o pieces we hauled it do wn The riding s ail wh ich be
longed to anothe r ve s sel and which we had taken te m porarily was a n e w
o n e which h ad n o reef in it as did ou r o wn
The l atte r had bee n left
ashore as it was too old fo r a W inter trip
T h e gale increased in fury and afte r dayligh t blew extre m ely hard while
t o m ake m atters w or se the tide set out to run t o the southward hawsing
the ves s el up i n such a m a n ner that she lay al m ost in the trough o f th e s ea
,

,
.

*S e t

m ai s ai an d

jib

h ad

be e n lyin g to du ring th e p re vio us n igh t un de r

re sai l

F I S HE R M E N

B O OK

O WN

18

There was a fearful sea going too I think th e w o rst I eve r s aw ; b ut we

did not ship any heavy water b e fo re eight o clock A M Just before tha t
h our I went up in the co m panion way an d spoke to the m a n W h o h ad the
w atch and wh o was busy aft by the wh e e l box cl earing the log line o r so m e
other s m all g e a r which had been fouled up by the water washing it abou t
deck He wa s standing with h is back to the sea totally un mindful of hi s
danger As I w e n t b e low I said to h im K
e e p a good l ookout for your
self G e orge 3 k e e p your eye to wi n d a r d for there are so m e nasty seas c o m

ing along
All right skipper I ll look o ut fo r m yself he replied in a
cheerful tone His watch wa s j ust out an d the m an wh o succeeded h im wa s
n e arly ready to go o n deck as I wen t below
I h ad n ot be e n in the cabin m ore th an a m inute when a tre m en dous sea
broke on board abaft or about the m ain rigging swept aft with resistles s
force knocking the co m panion way s lide to a s though it was s tru ck with
a trip ha m m e r ripping two boards o ff of it 3 also the bait planks o ff the
hou s e 3 and last an d m ost appalling of all sweeping the unsuspecting m an
m
George
Miller
into
the
foa
ing
and
seething
waters
astern
so
far
away
a
s
)
(
to be beyond the reach of all hu m an aid A fe eling of ho rror l ike an elec
tric shock pas s ed through m e as I heard the roar of the breakin g wave s
and th e peculiar swishing soun d of the waters rushing acr o ss the deck an d
I exclai m ed to th e m a n who was standing by t h e ste p s ready to go o n deck

My God S ilas I m afraid that se a has washed George ov e rb o ar d

R e aching up S ilas sh oved the slide back an d we both s prang o n deck
But what a sigh t m e t our eyes
Mo r e than a hundred feet aster n and drift
ing with the current every m o m e nt stil l farthe r away we s aw the po o r fel
low ris e t o the surfac e struggl e for a f e w seconds and then buri e d beneat h
a huge wave disappear forever fro m m ortal sigh t whil e the shrieking and
howling winds soun ded a requie m ove r his unti m ely grave S a d indeed
wer e the faces of o u r crew when it beca m e kn ow n that we had los t a m a n
However we had but little ti m e to indulge in regrets o r sorro w fo r th e
gale which had th e n increased to a furious hurricane co m pelled us to m ake
extra end e avors for the safety of the vess e l and our o wn lives S h e haws e d
up so badly s oo n after the e v e n t j ust described that we were co m pelled t o
set the riding sail to ke e p her m ore nearly head to the sea W e reduce d

the si z e of the sail as m uch as was practicable by m aking a bag ree f i n

it This was don e by tying up the clew and l ashing the botto m hoop s t o
gether which being don e we h oisted it up a little before n in e o clock A M
S hortly aft e r the riding sail was set we had a successi o n of tre m end o usly
heavy sn ow squalls which blew with a fury I n ever s aw equal led or eve n
approached du r i n g an experience o f th irty yea r s battling with the Atl a n ti c
s tor m s 3 while the snow was so den s e that when we were in the hollow o f
a s ea the t o p o f it c o uld hardly be s ee n The H o wa r d quivered an d tre m
,

FISHERM EN S

O WN

BOO

bled like a s t r icke n do l phin as sh e struggle d with great apparen t e ffort u p

the steep side s o f the m ountain ous waves which th reate n ed to bury he r b e

E
n
m
eath
their
curling
crests
ve
with
the
s
al
l
sail
which
we
h
ad
set
a
n
m ere rag in si z eand lying ne arly head to the wind she buried her lee side
T o walk against th e blast was out of the question
nearly t o the hatches
*
and all one could do was to haul the m selves along by the life lines or cling
to the rigging for safety S h e plunged so heavily in to the wave s that th e
j ib wa s soo n wa s hed loose fro m the bowsprit W hile I was in the cabin af
te r a rope to secure it a sec o nd heavy sea boarded us breaking over t h e
port b o w cove ring our little vessel n e arly out of sigh t b e neath a deluge o f
rushing water an d ying spray W hen the m e n on deck s aw it co m ing th e y
T wo of the m who got on to the fore gaff h e ld o n
S prang fo r the rigging
The
t o th e peak halyards clinging to the ropes with t h eir hands an d legs
s ea broke s o high th at both of these m e n were nearly washed clea r of th e i r
h o l d although they were eight to ten feet abov e the deck The latte r wa s
l led with water nearly to the t o p s o f the rails co m pelling u s to knock o ff
so m e waist boards so that the vessel would clear he rself
Bet wee n the squalls we m an aged to secure the jib th o ugh it was extre m e
The squalls had the
ly ha z ardous going out on a b owsprit in such a gale
m ost terrifying appearance that I ever witnessed as they ca m e tearing dow n
fro m t o windward Blac k as nigh t and driving the white foa m before the m
t hey were an awfu l sight an d enough to strik e terror to the heart s o f those
wh o never felt a s ense of fear and wh o eve n then when death was i m m i
n ent bravely faced the stor m disdain ing to inch fro m the peril which duty
a n d self prese rvati o n called the m t o m eet
F earing the cable would part and feeling sure that the ves s el woul d be
set I s tatione d
k n o cked dow n on he r bea m en ds if she fel l o ff with any
m yself at the m ain m ast wheneve r the squalls ca m e along re ady to let the
r i d ing sail r u n d o wn if nece ss ary W he n the fourth squal l was co m ing I
t oo k m y usual position standing on th e b i t head of the f e rail with m y
right fo o t and grasping the riding sail h alyards with m y right h and W hile
I was standing in this position and in the m idst of a ur r y of ying s no w a
b all of lightning burst betwee n the m ast s an d I was knocked insen s ible to
As s oo n they could
O thers of the crew were slightly shocked
th e deck
t h e m e n who were o n dec k r a n and picked m e up thi n king I was dead and
car ried m e below
I woul d n o t speak of the inte nse suff erin g which I endu red fo r four h o ur s
,

D u i g h y g l lif li
g
l
r
fr
f r ri ggi g h
id i w
lik
Th
w
w i
+
ck t I t i r b b l th t f g
t

se

r n

ro

t ck

s ru

pe

e av
om

m en

th

ho

sa

p
m y ar m

e-

a es
o

e-

sa

r ally r ig e d by st r e tch in g o n e ach s i de o f t h e v e s

n
t o t e m ai n an d fr o m th at af t to t h e d av i t
t
as
e a b a ll o f r e an d bu r s t b e t w e e n t h e m as t s l i k e a
r a m e n r an d o wn t h e we t ro p e t o wh i c h I w as cl i ng ing an d

n e s ar e

e ne

F I S HB B M E ZV S

O WN

BOO

o
u
rs
o
f
dreadful
g
o
ny
while I was being r esuscitated were it not to
a
h
m ention the conduct o f m y m e n al l of who m showed a devoti o n an d noble
ness of spirit rarely e quall e d and n ever exc e ll e d Though in al m ost m o
m e ntary ex p e ctatio n of death the m s e lves they con tinued their e ffort s for m y
r e li e f with extraordinary z eal and coolness Fo r tu nat e ly I could speak soo n
after b e ing taken into the cabin and was thus abl e to direct what sh o uld be
don e both for m yself and for the safe ty of the vessel
W e h ad only three m ore squalls aft e r I was struck by ligh tning ; those
w e r e not so h e avy as the pre vious on es and after they w e re past the win d
soon subsid e d to an O rdin a r y gale
Aft e r r e cov e ring su ff ici e ntly to exa m ine m y inj uries I found that the light
ning h ad ploughed along m y right a r m fro m the wrist to above th e elbow
scorching it sev e r e ly 3 whil e fi ve s m aller burns were on m y right leg below
the kn e e m ostly about the ankl e
My right side was paraly z ed and I could
n o t stan d on m
fe
e t for sev e ral days
y
W e started for ho m e as s o on as t h e gale wa s o ver but h ad a long h ard
passage My burn s were so painful th at when we g o t as far as L ive rpool
N S we went in t h ere for m edical assistance and arrived ho m e the 2 3 d
o f Dece m be r
-

T HA C HE R S

IS L A N D

B Y

O M

A T ID
R

G E

t t l y c o l u m n s o n th at ro ck o u n d i s l e
T h at c ast yo u r lu r i d w arni ngs f ar o u t f o r m an y a m il e
T o w arn t h e h ar dy m ar i n e r o f t h e jagg e d ro ck s s o d r e ad
W h o safe ly i n to h arb o r y y o u r b r i ll i an t l ig h t s i s l e d
{2 f
Ho w s ad t o p art fro m o n e wh o h as p ro v e d a f r i e n d I n n e e d
0 r w av e ad i e u t o l o v i n g o n e s wh o c o m e t o s ay
G o d s p e e d 3
T h u s m u st t h e s tu rdy sh e r fe e l as h e l e ave s th e e f ar aste rn
B o u n d o ff f o r G e o rg e s s to rm y B an k p e r h ap s n e e r t o r e t u rn
aje s t i c fo r m s ! y o u r e ar y o u r l o r dly h e a d s as i f to e m h as i z e
p
T h e gr e at an d g l o r i o u s g o o d th at s d o n e by t h y t wo e r y e y e s
A n d w h e n t h e go ld e n s u n i s h i d b e h i n d B o n d s r o cky s o d
Y o u th r o w th e m f a r o u t o e r t h e s e a f r o m B o o n I s l an d t o C ap e C o d
W ith wh at an an x i o u s b e at i n g h e art h ave sh e rs w at ch e d f o r th e e
\Vh e n a l m o st h o m e fr o m t h e G r an d B an k o r
u n dy s sto rm y s e a ;
B y s ig n s l o g c o m p as s an d by ch art an d r e ck o ni n g th e y k n e w
Th at T h ac h e r s w e lco m e tw in l igh ts m u st so o n c o m e in to vi e w
W at ch i n g as o n ly m o rtal s wat ch wh e n th e y kn o w th e p o r t i s n e ar
T h t h o ld s w i t h i n i t s s a c r e d w all s al l t h e y c o n s i d e r d e ar ;
A n d w h e n at l a st th e i r e y e d t h r e s t u p o n t h y g arn i sh e d d o m e s
Th e n b ubbl e up fo u r E ng l i sh wo r ds wi fe ch i ldr e n re s t an d h o m e
Hai

TH

, ye s a e

F I S H E R / I I B ZV S

192

B O OK

O WN

F o unde r ing o f S cho o ne r Al m o n B ir d

'

7 2 r r zOle S

c e Of
S a c r g

r zngs

'

Sch

r
H

C
r
e
w
F o ur
f

C ap e A

D za P r a zlre wo r t/zy S e lf
'

am

F ar/t e r m e d

7272

of R ockl and Me for Alexandria V a loaded with pl as

t e r e ncountered a s e ver e north e ast gale o ff Monh e gan S unday ev e n ing
J an 1 1 8 8 2 At two o clock Monday m orning t h e s e a m ade a cl e an breach
o v e r he r
The vessel continued to ship heavy seas a ll doing m or e or l ess
da m age and at seven o clock A M when about half way b e twe e n Bo o n
I sland and Thach e r s Isl an d so m e thirty m iles o ff shore the afte r hatch
was stove in by a sea and the vess e l co m m e nc e d to ll and th e re was noth
ing to do but to tak e to the boat and trust to the chan c e s o f b e ing picke d
up O n e of the boats containing the on ly pair of oars had be e n wash e d
o verboard
Her crew list was as foll o ws : C A Packard m aster of R o ckl and Me 3
W illia m H Harri m an rst m ate of Prospect Me 3 Charles Chaples secon d
m ate o f R ockl and Me ; A B He nderson steward of Friendship Me
S ea m e n Allen S m all and Horace S m all br o thers of Dee r Isl e Me 3 Fred
H a m ilton and Patrick Hogan of R ockl an d M e
All were s t r ong abl e bodi e d s e a m e n e xc e pt Ho r ace S m all wh o wa s a
frail lad o f sixtee n years who had n e ve r b e e n to s e a i n W int e r ti m e and
who ran away fro m ho m e to j oin his broth e r on this voyage He h ad b e e n
struck by a heavy se a knocking h im again s t a cask breaki ng his wrist
Mr Harri m an the m ate was also inj ure d in the groin while atte m pting to
save the oars The hatch e t was l ost ov e rb o a r d in atte m pting to cut away
the j ib boo m and t h e a x e share d t h e sa m e fate while b e ing us e d to cut away
th e m ain rail to launch t h e boat which was nally got aoat an d hastily
T h e inj ured lad wa s ta k en fro m
m an ned as the vessel was fast sinking
the forecastl e and put into the boat but he had n o oil C l othing an d the re
was n o ti m e to get h i m properly d ressed A fe w bed clothes an d an old
c o at was thrown in to the boat an d about a p e e k of hard bre ad in a s m al l
barrel was put o n board with about a quart of r u m and thr e e or four quarts
of oat m eal W ate r they had not an d they were without oars o r tool s e xc e pt
a han d s aw I n about ten m inutes aft e r taking to the boat the sc h oone r
we nt to the botto m
Before l e aving the sinking craft the m ate con structed a drogue an d afte r
taking to the boa t the barrel con tain ing t h e ship bre ad wa s stove up an d
with the staves and a n e w thwart which happen e d to b e in the boat so m e
rude paddle s wer e i m provised The boat l ay to the d r ogue Monday and
A lm o n B ir d

F I S HE R M E N

B O OK

O WN

93

onday n ight Tue s day m orning a s hin g s ch oo ner was de s cried in the
distance but s h e pass e d out of sight Tuesday afternoo n a blank e t was
fast e n e d to the j ib an d the boat was und e r sail for a ti m e but at n igh t i t
bree z e d up an d fearing in their b e nu m b e d and e xhaust e d state to atte m pt
to unship the m ast an d take in sail the m ast was sawn t hrough j ust above
the thwarts The icy s p ray dash e d constantly ove r the boat free z ing as it
fell and ev e r ything was cov e r e d with a coat of icy m ail T h e d rogu e kept
the boat s head to the s e a but the wav e s con stantly delug e d her an d the
exhaust e d m e n were e m p loye d al l nigh t in baili ng T h e uncook e d oat m e al
was un e atabl e the h ard bread wa s at rs t so dry as to be swallow e d with
di f culty without wat e r and aft e rwards so wet with t h e spray as to be unt
to eat an d t h e su ff erings of the m e n fro m c o ld hung e r an d thirst w e re e x
cruciating T wo of the nu m be r Chapl e s and Hogan though warned of th e
conseque nces end e avored to slake th e ir thirst by eating s alt wat e r i c e a n d
the prese nce of t wo m aniacs was soon added to t h e other horrors of t h e s i t
The quart of r u m was carefully husban ded by ad m iniste ring a te a
u a ti o n
s poonful at a ti m e and was m ade to last until the e arly part of W e dnesd ay
evening
O n W ednesday m orning a n e w st e p was m ade t o the m ast an d the boat
s ail e d w e stward al l d ay and al l nig ht I n the aft e rno o n another schoo n e r
was sight e d b u t s h e d id not s e e t h e b o at During the n ight a h e r m ap h
r odite brig passed close by and wa s hailed wit h weake ned voices
The
cries were doubtless heard as th e brig showed a a s h light two or th ree
ti m e s in the darkn e ss but k e pt on h e r course and was soo n out of sight
Ab o ut ten o clock in the ev e ning the sixtee n yea r old boy wh o had su ffere d
greatly fr o m his brok e n wrist and in suffici e nt clothing died in hi s brother s
H e was co nsci o us within an hour of his death when he said he wa s
a rm s
and l e ft a loving m e ssage for his m other H e h ad left
n o t afraid to d i e
h o m e unbeknown to his parents who did n ot kn ow h is where abouts until
they rec e ive d the tel e graphic dispatch an nouncing his death T h e young
I rish m an Patrick Hogan di e d about an hour aft e r the boy H e had bee n
deliri o us about six hours talking constan tly about s o m et h ing to eat T h e
s econd m at e Chaples was d e lirious about twelve hours babbling i n c o h e
In his deliriu m he sei z e d the s aw and before h e coul d
r e n t ly all the ti m e
be preve n t e d sawed his hands t e rribly wit h it the blood spurting ov e r the
boat He died about thre e o clock Thursday m orning and his body was
co m m itted to t h e d e e p
At daylight on Thursday m orn ing three s hing v e ssel s were descrie d at
O n e of these p rov e d to be the sch C o r a L e e Capt
n o great distance
George A S aunders of Pigeon Cov e
Her crew con sisted of J o hn Hickey
S cott Geye r J ohn New m an J os e ph S e ars J oseph S ilva W il lia m Gran t
E dward S aunders J oseph Bu s hy J oseph W hit e J o seph Muise Charles R
M

BI SB B

19 4

KM B N

B O OK

O WN

o o dwin J a m es E Tinke r E dwa r d Gri f n an d were enga ged in s etti ng

their trawls W hen they discovered the unfortun ate m a riners they i m m e d i
ately wen t to their r escue and towed the boat to the vess e l The sight was
The m at e wh o alon e wa s able to do anything
o n e n e ver to be forgotten
I n the b o w l ay t wo d e ad bodies f ro z e n sti ff an d covered with
was st e ering
ice so that whe n the shore was re ached th e y had to be cut out of the b o a t
with a hatchet T h e captain was lyi n g in the f o rward par t o f t h e boat with
both feet fro z en ab o ve the ankles ( he had b e e n tho ro ughly drenched before
aban d o ning the vessel and had n o oil clothing excepting an oil skin coat)
an d the oth e r su rvivors were half sitting half reclin ing about the stern
H am ilton s legs were fr o z e n h alf way to his kn e e s and h e di e d on Friday
even ing The steward an d Allen S m all su ffe re d less fro m the frost an d
the m ate had the tips of h is nge rs only fro z en The boat wa s half full of
ice an d covered with blood an d presen ted a ghastly sp e ctacle
The su ff e re r s were speedily taken o n board the C o m L e a put in berth s
their clothing changed and th e ir fro z e n li m bs wrapped i n s al t The f r ien d
ly sher m e n stripped o ff th e ir o wn C lothi n g to c o ve r the fro z en sailo r s and
s o m e of the m ca m e o n shore with nothing o n but a suit of oi l C lothes Tea
water a n d r ice broth w e re ad m in istered to the rescued m e n i n s m al l quan t i
ti e s an d the vessel abandon e d her t r awl s and start e d fo r h o m e The win d
wa s light an d s h e was ne arly all day co m ing in W hen a b out e ight m ile s
o ff Capt S aunders an d t wo of his crew r o wed ashor e and m ad e p r epara
ti o ns fo r the co mf ort of the shipwrecked m e n S everal dorie s we nt out t o
m ee t the C o r a l ee and t o w her in taking o n board Drs S anborn an d Tup
per who m inistered to the wants of the suff e rers in the cabin and when th e
vessel arrived at 7 P M a tea m was waiting t o tak e the m e n to Mrs A n n
Pierce s house where th e y receiv e d the kindest attenti o n
The captain an d crew of th e C o r a L e e a r e e ntitled to m uch c r edit for
their pro m pt action De spite the re m onstra n ces of C apt Packard they ab a n
d o n e d th e ir tra wl s of a value of $ 1 8 0 an d lost their trip with a p robabl e
m
m
r
o
t
of
2 0 0 or $3 0 0 m o re
An
atte
pt
was
ade
t
o
rec
o
ve
r
the
tra
w
ls
$
p

m
but in order to d o s o it wa s necessary to locate an un arked spot two third s
o f a m ile i n l e ngth situate d forty m iles fro m shore and the search proved
un availing A s u m o f m oney wa s subscribed which pa r tially c o m pe nsate d
for this los s
a n d there was very l ittl e i n s u r
T h e A l m o n B i r d was valued at
ance on her Capt Packard wa s also a heavy loser losing his in stru m e nts
ch arts clothing gold watch and chain e tc of a value o f $6 0 0 o r $7 0 0 3 an d
after arriving ho m e he su ffered a m putation of portions of his feet
I n this sad recital of su ff e ring one thing is pro m in e nt the gen erou s o ut
p o uring of v olunteered kin dn e ss o ff ered fr o m all sides by scores of person s
e age r t o help the dist re ss ed m ariner s To m enti o n a ll the helpe rs woul d
G

,
.

FISHERM EN S O WN B O O

95

be t o cal l the ro ll o f al m ost the entire c o m m un i ty of Pige o n C ove Fir s t

of all special credit is due to the brave captain an d m e n of the C o r a L e e
who at risk and great p e rson al loss rescu e d the m e n fro m their perilou s
condition ; th e n to M rs Pierce wh o freely ope n e d her entire house to th e
wrecke d m e n an d thei r nu m erous att e ndants M rs C o r r in n a H Bishop
m ade welco m e donations of clothing to e very m a n an d add e d othe r contri
bution s 3 Mrs Levi R obinson assiste d fr e ely and nu m erous noble wo m e n
act e d as n urs e s m any w e ary hours during t h e rst n ight an d d ay All al o n g
m ost e fci e n t aid wa s r e nd e r e d by Messrs Leroy Golds m ith Joseph M
R e ed Georg e Cross E lbridg e W itha m W illia m Pike and ve ry m any o t h
No brav e r sailors n o kindlier m e n an d wo m e n than those o f Pige o n
e rs
C ove Beside al l the r e st subsc r iptio n papers w e re early passed fo r m oney
to defray the nu m erous i m m ediate expenses and the a m o unt o n bo th p a
pers reached s o m e $ 1 7 0
.

T HE

HA R B O R

B Y C AR L B URR T
H

E S

B AR
O DD

r o r b ar
I t d arts o n th e sh ip f ar o ut at se a
T h s un l igh t g l i ti n g o n sai l an d s p ar :
It te ars an d re n ds h e r w ith s av age gl e e
Wh ith e r s h e g o e s wh o kn o w s ?wh o k n o ws ? A n d l o ! a wre ck d r i ft s wi ld an d fre e
S h e c arr i s p e ar l s o f lu s tr o u s h ue
T h e s e a h as c r o ss e d t h e h ar o r b ar
C o stly fab rics fro m f ar Hin do o
h e a rs a p o te nt v o i c e f r o m a f ar :
I
t
A te n de r m ai d t o h e r l o ve r tr ue
Wh ith e r i t g o e s wh o kn o w s ?wh o kn o w s ?
T h e w i n d h as c r o s s e d th e h ar b o r b ar
R i s i n g u p o n a l an d o f p a l m s
All ar m d an d p an o p l ie d f o r W ar :
It th ro ws a wr e ck t o se a wall e d far m s
Wh it h e r it g o e s wh o k n o ws ?wh o k no ws ? A n d a l i fe l e s s m ai d t o h e r l o ve r s arm s
A

sh

ip h as cr o s s e d th e h

'

FISHERM EN S O WN B O OK

6
9

Thr e

N ine ty

Sur inam

Vo yag e s to

em a r

KOl
a

e co r

Ca p t W illia m Tucker of this city has m ade n ine

ty thr e e voyag e s to S urina m a n d has wel l earn e d
Veteran M ast e r in this bran ch of
t h e titl e of the
m ariti m e busin e ss
H e co m m enced going i n 1 8 4 3
and m ade h is l ast voyag e in 1 8 8 1 H e neve r had
occasion to call upon t h e und e rwriters for a c e n t of
da m ag e to his vess e l or cargo T h e on ly disast e rs
h e e v e r m e t with was t h e car r ying away a j ib boo m
the l oss of a m a n and a m ain top m ast Allowing
fty day s fo r an average passag e to an d fro m that
port Capt Tucker h as pass e d four thousa n d six
hundre d and fty days of his life on the water o r
n e arly M i r i am y e a r s
W h at a n e xp e rienc e h as b e en his sailing s m oothly ove r tropical s e as

n eath S u m m e r ski e s n ow an d then in tersp e rs e d with the sudd e n squal ls s o

a long t h e lo w co ast o f S outh A m erica
revalen
t
in
th
ose
latitud
s
run
ning
e
p
l ooking out for the lightship o ff the S urin a m r iver run ning in and anchor
ing o ff t h e city receiving t h e congratulation s of fri e nds visiting pla n tation s
and e nj oying the m any pl e as u re s of that country Then on t h e othe r hand
co m ing ho m e on a W in t e r s coast ex p e ri e ncing all th e h ardships con nect e d
t her e with 3 oftenti m es b e ing bl own o ff for a w e ek aft e r sighting t h e land
beating about in the bay m id stor m an d cold with anxious h ours by day
an d n ight l onging to get in to port an d co m e saf e ly to an chor
The S urina m trad e o n ce the prid e of ol d Glouc e st e r has l ong sinc e d e
art
The
e d an d there a r e but few A m e rican vess e ls n ow e ngag e d ther e in
p
o ld ca p tain s wh o w e re won t to walk th e s e str e ets and whose pre s e nc e was
so war m ly welco m e d h ave also fo r t h e m ost part gone their l ast voyage
an d fou n d a have n beyond W e call to m in d a m ong th e s e the brot h ers
F ost e r Tho m as Jere Benj a m in an d J os e p h 3 t h e S ayward broth e rs J oh n
S a m uel ; the broth e rs C enter, S olo m on an d Loa m i ; C a p ts W illia m
and
G r o v e r J a m e s R ow e S olo m on H D avis Fran cis Proct e r David S Day
J oh n Corliss W illia m H Herrick an d his son W illia m E H e rrick A v eril
R owe J o seph Proct e r E dward Babson Charles Fit z an d E b e n H iggin s
A m ong those l iving are Capts J ohn H aws o n Nehe m iah D C un n in gha m
m
o
h
Pulcife
r
Charles
A
H
o
ans
an
d
other
s
n
A
J
.

FISHERM EN S

R e c o ll e cti o ns

B B
.

Ve te r an F ish e r m an

of a
BY

B O OK

O WN

RO W N

97

he n I rst we n t t o Gl o uc e ster in 1 8 3 2 J o hn W o n s o n o f the Poin t

L u c i n d a and B e n c o
o wn e d v e s m all vess e ls v i z the C o n d e n c e
E dward W o n s o n h is s o n was m ast e r of the B e ne v o le n ce and another
o le n c e
I m ad e one trip with E d ward W o n
s o n Joh n was m ast e r o f the L u c i n d a
s on i n August 1 8 3 2 O u r c re w consisted of old Charlie W o n s o n of R ocky
Neck R e uben R ich o f Cape Cod J oseph W o n s o n and J a m es Gre e n of the
Point a nd m ys e lf W e had ba d luck so we m ade but one trip The next
yea r I wen t to Glouc e ste r hunt e d up m y old skipper who was stil l m aste r
o f the sa m e boat and wen t with h i m that season
I r e coll e ct well t h e gre at school of m ackerel that struck Middle Bank
th at y e ar S ept 2 2 d at te n o clock at n ight there w e re so m e two hundre d
s ail at anchor tw e n ty v e m iles southeast of E ast e rn Poin t light in a dead
cal m wh e n ou r skipper s ang out H e re th e y a r e boys !
At the s a m e
W e s h ed for three
m o m e n t e v e ry vess e l in t h e e e t co m m e nced the catch
days and lled e ver y thing ev e n our boat and struck on d e ck until we were
in sh kn e e d e e p Then a bree z e spr i ngi ng up we ran in and packe d out
two hundre d a n d e ighty b arrels and re turned to the Bank j ust as the wind
left us W e sh e d t h r e e days m ore wh e n th e y struck o ff as suddenly a s
they h ad co m e
Now just as I have got a range of m e m o r y overhauled and a m picking up
a f e w incidents the
Adv e rtis e r co m e s in I stop writing and o p e n the
d ear old s h eet when the rst articl e that m eets m y ey e s is
Around the
W harves of old O l d Gl o ucester Half a C e ntury Ago
in w h ich I n d m uch
th at I was fa m iliar with as vessels b e longing to S W B r o wn t h e l ap w i ng
J ohn E dgar m ast e r I Ye n r ie i ta R ef o r m e tc e t c and oth e rs b e longing t o
E p e s M e rch a nt
So n
I knew John an d Harry P e w whe n in the Vo l a nt
an d B o rn e o an d John H a m m o nd o f the B r i ll i a n t aft e r wards of the W a r r i o r
o f sa m e owners
I n April 1 8 3 7 I ca m e on the coast in t h e brig O a k of Balti m ore fro m
S m yrna for Boston
W he n on G e org e s we ran into the e e t of sh e r m e n
at anchor j ust at daybreak S poke sch F a i r A m e r i c a J ohn W o n s o n m a s
t e r wind blowing heavy fro m south southwest with s no w
Capt W o n s o n
infor m ed us in lan guage p eculiar to hi m self that h e would not h e ave up
his anchor but would sink her rst I t was generally s upposed that h e did
go down as he was n ev e r known to be spok e n afterwa r ds W e ran i n c o m
t
m
e
n
B
n
any
wi
h
the
s
ack
r
a
k
l
i
n
No
r
wood
ast
r
which
w
n
n
F
B
e
m
e
e
t
p
W

'

B I S HB B M B N

198

B O OK

O WN

down in the s a m e gale S h e was own ed by S W B r own S h e and the s ch

C a n to n ca m e out n e w th at S pri n g and wer e rivals ; th e y b o th left the Bank
at t h e sa m e ti m e an d both carried sail h e avily 3 but as both captain s w e re
m uch censured a t the ti m e for carry ing sail so heavily I will o nly say we
s aw the F r a n k l in co m e up in the wind evidently to s hake t h e snow fro m
her sails in a heavy sn ow squall aft e r which we s a w n o m ore of h e r Afte r
it C leared so m ewhat we s aw the C a n to n und e r snug sail I went to G lo u c
est e r that S u m m e r and sail e d in sch C l a r io n C apt J a m e s E lwell
S ince I l e ft Gloucest e r I have visit e d a g r eat m any ports of the worl d
and in what ev e r pl ace I found a Cape An n m a rt if i n wan t he had h alf of
m y pile if necessary an d so it would be to d ay

Farm s betwe e n th e o ld Far m L e dge an d

T h e place then call e d the
the ston e barn on ce belonging to Mr Manning al ways had a great attra e
tion for m e If I could talk with you I coul d tell you m uch o f ol d G lo u c e s
ter I used to kn ow ev e ry point of int e re st b e twee n K
ettl e C ove (n o w
M ag n olia) down to S andy Bay ( n ow R ockp o r t)
But I will n ot put any m o re thoughts on pap e r but will say in c o n c l usi o n
wh atever fat e m ay be m in e there are fri e nds i n old Gl oucest e r that I s hal l
cherish whil e I a m conscious although th e y h ave lost all kn owledge of m e
for over for ty years Th e y are still held in the s a m e e stee m as if th e y we re
frien ds of y e sterday Thos e days are re m e m bered as th e happiest o f m y
l ife an d m y last dy ing wish will be God bless and prospe r o ld Gl ouceste r
an d al l her child re n and int e rests I a m n o write r o nly an o l d worn ou t
s ail or waiting t h e word to cross over to a highe r life
I was well acquainted with E dward W o n s o n Cheste r Ma r r S r Nath a n
iel W ebst e r S r J am e s H ibbard J a m es E lwell Ben E lwel l Albert M a r
chan t S i m eon Burnha m J a m e s Marchant e ach of the elder Pe abodys A d
dison M e rchan t J a m es Pattillo and hun dreds of o th e rs Most of the ol d
stock are probably dead say Phil Priestly Capt Charl e s W ood and Capt
G e orge Brown of the sloop H e n r y whic h ran forty v e ye ars ag o as a
fr e ighter to Boston
.

'

F I S HE B M E I V S

M a ing

H rbor

in

BY

CO L L I N

B 00

O WN

S
S

Sto r m

no w

99

No incident in the passage ho m e in W inter cause s greater anxiety tha n

that of approaching the land d uring an easterly wind which is al m ost always
a stor m y o n e on our coast The sh e r m an anxious to r e ach ho m e piles o n
the canvas an d if there is suffi ci e nt win d the little schooner is drive n to he r
As long as the w e ath e r re m ain s clear all is well 3 but it frequen tly
u t m ost
happ e ns that snow stor m s co m e on suddenly j ust at that critical period w h en
the v e ssel is nearing t h e l and : The re sult of this is that she is ofte n caught
on a le e shore with a fast increasing gal e while the snow is so d e ns e that
even the m ost daring will scarcely ve nture the atte m p t to m ake the land
knowing full well that it would be al m ost m adness to do so The on ly a l
haul off an d try to keep o ff the rocks
t e r n a t ive is to co m e to anchor or
The following extr act m ay s e rve to give an idea of t h e di ffi cul ties of a p
e ve n in co mp arativ e ly m oderate w e athe r
r o a c h i ng the coast in a stor m
p
Th e se diff i culties are m uch increas e d wh e n t h e win d bl ows a gal e an d m any
th ri lling adv e ntures have been encountered in M assachusetts Bay by the
Gloucester sher m e n while e ndeavoring to m ake a h arbor
O n Thursday Jan 1 6 1 8 7 9 at four o clock in the m orning Thacher s
I slan d ligh ts were in sight fro m deck At this ti m e th e re was a sl ight bree z e
fro m the southeast but it soon died out and we lay becal m ed with th e
exceptio n of occasion al cat s paws wh ich ca m e fro m all points of the c o m
pass Th e re were indication s o f a stor m w h ich gave m e m uch uneasiness
My an ticipation s were soo n re ali z ed for it began to sno w b e fore d aylig h t
an d in a f e w m inutes the air was full of the soft feathery akes which e ff e ct
ua l ly shut out fro m view e v e ry object at a greater distanc e th an one or two
hundred fatho m s Al l hands w e re cal led out to pound the ice o ff of ou r
cable and runn i ng r i gg i ng since it is of the high est i m portance to have
everything ready for anchoring o r taking in sail w h e n a p proac h ing the lan d
e sp e cially in thick w e ath e r Al though it continued cal m during t h e early
part of the foren oon the baro m e ter fe l l ve ry rapidly giving indication s of
an approaching gal e which m igh t be exp e cted in a f e w hours 3 conse quently
I d e ter m in e d to m ake th e lan d if possible O n e of the m ost unpl e asant an d
da n ge rous positions that one can be in is to be caught on a le e shore in
W inter when an easte rly gale is acco m panied as it generally is by a
blinding snow stor m
About ten o clock in the forenoon the wind bre e z e d up fro m the southeast
an d increase d quite fast W e ran for E astern Point as nearly as I coul d
,

'

FI S H E R M E N

200

O WN B O OK

j udg e the va rious cours e s and distances which we had s teered duri n g th e
e
r
u
n
c
m
n
f
orning
in
consequen
c
of
ba
ing
winds
re
dering
it
so
ewh
at
h
e
t
e
m
tain in what direction t h e Poin t lay fro m us S oon aft e r the wind ca m e
the snow cl e ar e d up so that obj e cts coul d be se en about a m ile distant

a haddock catcher
co m ing astern an d
W e saw a shor e shing v e ssel
wishing to speak w ith h e r we h auled our sh eets aft and l et her run up o n
us S h e prov e d to b e the D a v id F L o w boun d to Gloucester h aving r u n
across fro m Cape Cod S h e ran ah e ad of us a l ittle way an d j ust b e fore
we saw the l and t h e sn ow ca m e down so t h ick that we lost sight of her
Kn owing th at we we re Cl os e in and fast approaching th e shore al l h and s
were on deck and on th e al e rt to d o any duty which circu m sta n ces m igh t
d e m and A do z e n pairs of eye s p e er e d out ahead anxiously w atching t o
catch a gli m pse of th e lan d or br e ak e rs A few m inut e s l ater the thrilling
cry of Land ho ! br e akers ah e ad ! ca m e fro m a h alf do z en at onc e an d
a lin e of white foa m and the snow cover e d shor e above it w e re indistinctly

s e e n to leeward
H a r d d o w n hard down the h e l m ! was t h e Orde r
shouted to the wheel s m a n for so close in were we that any delay in C h ang
ing t h e course of th e vess e l m ust have resul te d in piling her u p on the
r ocks As the wheel was put down and t h e v e ssel ca m e to the wind m os t
of the m e n in ob e dience to ord e rs quickly pull e d in the sheets while th e
r e st of us strained ou r eyes to m ake out so m e fa m iliar obj ect on the sh or e
whereby we m ight be c e rtain of our position
W e m ade the l a n d a littl e to t h e w e stward of Bass R ocks
W he n we r s t
s aw it we w e re ru n ning in with the sails on t h e po r t sid e t h e wind at th a t
ti m e blowing a s m art b f e e z e fro m south south e ast and as we h auled to j us t
cl e aring the surf on the shore we fortunat e ly s a w and recogn i z ed the S u m
m e r houses which are only a s h ort distance fro m the wat e r
A s soon as I
was sur e of our l and fall we tacked and ran for E ast e rn Point f o llo wm g
t h e line of br e akers al ong the shor e as near as safety per m itted
E ve ry eye
was n ow on th e watch for well known lan d m arks and soon the spray dash
ing over Brace s C ove R ock was seen and a f e w m inut e s later we wen t
s we e ping in by the Point near en ough to it to catch a m o m entary gli m pse
of the white tower of the lighthouse and to h ea r the hoarse toned f o g be ll
w h ich rang out its n otes of warning
W e could n o w laugh at the stor m and the broad g rin which appeared o n
the bron z e d fac e s of m any of our cre w and the sh rugging an d chuckling of
o th e rs gave a m ple evid e nce of th e g e n e ral f e eling of satisfaction a m ong al l
h ands
After anchoring I wen t ash ore and sold the trip of sh but as t here
were strong indications of a co m ing gal e and the wind already ble w stron g
we d e cided to le t the vessel re m ain in the stre a m until th e n e xt day Befo r e
the m e n went ho m e we let go the second anch o r and m ade all n ecessary
,

F I S HE R M E N

O WN

BOO

20 1

prep a ratio n s for th e safety of the vessel A s s o o n a s the w ork wa s c o m

we
we
t
ashore
so
m
e
going
t
o
their
boarding
houses
an
d
o
thers
o
l
n
e
e
d
t
t
p
their ho m es The increasing win d whirled an d blustered the fast fall in g
snow in a m anne r that wa s anything but pl e a s an t to the wayf a re rs wh o we re
o blige d as we were to m eet and face t h e storm
My fa m ily the m e m be rs of whic h h ad been picturing m e a s s t ru ggl i n g
with the te m pest at se a r eceived an unexpect e d an d pleasan t surprise whe n
with m y r ubber suit on an d cove red with s now I open e d the kitche n doo r

and sudde nly en tered the roo m

O n e gen e ral excl a m ati o n of
O ! father
ca m e fro m m y children as they S prang with open ar m s t o greet m e T h e
j oy of such m e e tings can however be bette r i m agine d th an desc ri bed ; s u f
c e it to say that such are the bright e st spots the oases s o t o s pe ak i n a
s h e r m an s life an d none but those who have be e n separate d unde r s i m ila r
circu m stance s fr o m th o se they love can real i z e the plea s ure o f s uch h o m e
co m ings
It scatte rs s un sh in e o e r o u r w ay
A n d t u r n s o u r t h o r ns t o r o se s ;
I t ch ang e s we ary n igh t to d y
A n d h O p e an d l o v e d i s c l o se s
.

AN

O L D B O AT

d a b o at to d ay o n t h e s h o re
Th at w i ll b e l au n ch e d o n t h e se a n o m o r e
p as s e

an d

w i th n o c o v e r in g
F o r w h o w o uld s te al s uc h a u s e l e s s th in g ?
It w as sh ape ly o n ce wh e n th e sh ip wr igh t s
h an d
Had l ai d e ach p l an k as t h e m as te r p l an n e d ;
A n d i t d an c e d f o r jo y o n t h e cu r l i n g w av e
Wh e n rs t th e se a s b ro ad b re as t i t cl av e
A n d it fe l t t h e p ul s e o f t h e w e ll t i m e d s tr o k e
Le

ft

a o ne

t r an g o n th e th o l e p in o f tu n e fu l o ak
0 f t i t h as c arr i e d h o m e t h e sp o i l
O f s h e r s t i r e d w it h n ig h t l o n g to i l ;
A n d o fte n i n S u m m e r d ay s it k n e w
T h e l au g h o f a p l e as u re s e e k in g c r e w ;
O r l au n ch e d by n igh t o n t h e bl in d in g w av e s
It h as re s cue d a l ife fr o m th e se a s dar k
g r av e s
It is u se l e ss n o w as it l ie s o n th e e ach
D rawn h igh be yo nd th e b ill o w s re ach ;
A n d n o n e o f all i t h as s e r v e d i n s tre ss
R e m e m be r i t n o w i n its l o n e l i n e ss
Th a

b atte re dth e strai gh t ke e l b e nt

s i d e l i ke a r u i n e d r am p art r e n t

Wo r n
Th e

F I S HE R M E I V S

O WN

2 02

B O OK
.

d Line Macke r e l Fishing

BY AA
I HT T

an

RO N

FO O

L G

The a m ount of m oral courage and Christian fo r titud e required for a l an ds

m an to get up out of a co m fortable bed an d struggle up on a cold wet
cheerl ess d e ck to handle cold we t l ines and colder wetter sh all for the

experienc e will n e ver be known exc e p t by those who h av e allowed the m

I t is diabolical N o w the m ainsail is
s elves to b e delud e d into t h e thi n g
I t is n ot y e t quite ligh t
u p the j ib down an d the captain is throwing bait
but we hear other m ainsails going u p all aroun d us A cold dri z z ling rain
does n ot add to the co m fort of the situation an d we stan d aroun d shivering
half asle e p with our sor e hands in our we t pockets about as de m m ed
as ever dear old M a n t ilin i s a w and all wish
m oist unco m fortable bodies
ing we were ho m e and had never heard of a m ackerel The sk ip p er how
ever is holding his lin e s over the rail with an air which C learly inti m ate s
that the slightest kind of a nibble will be quite sufcient this m orn ing to seal
t h e doo m of t h e u n fortun ate m ack
Th ere by Jove ! the captain s hauling back I told y o u s o ! S kipper s

h
i
n
o
g ot m
ah cap tain you haul back too savag e ly !
W ith th e rst m ove m e n t of the captain s a r m indicating t h e pres e nce of
sh everybody rushes m adly to the rail an d j igs are heard on all sides
plashing into the water and eag e r hands and ar m s are s tretched at their
ful l l e n gth over the side feeling anxiously for a n ibble
Sh
hish there s so m ething j ust passed m y y I felt h i m says an
Yes an d I ve got h im triu m phantly
o l d m a n standing alongside of m e
hauling in as he speaks
s houts out the n ext m a n on the other side of h i m
a ne m ackerel and s triking h i m o ff into the barrel i n the m ost approved
s tyle
Z z z z ip goes m y line through and deep into m y poor ngers as a huge
fellow rushes savage ly away with what he nds is n o t so great a pri z e as he
fondly supposed I ge t gr e atly u r r ie d m iss stroke half a do z en ti m e s i n
as m any fatho m s of line an d at length succe e d in landing m y rst sh safe
ly in m y barrel w h er e h e lies ound e ring
as
m el ancholy and m elodious
m y next n eighbor s tyles it
Daylight soon dawns and the rain which has bee n threatening very
m oistly al l night begins to pour down in d e ad e arnest 3 and as the big drops
patter in the sea the sh begin to bite furiously

S horten u p ! say s the s kipper an d we sh o rten i n ou r line s t o abou t

,

F I S HE R M E N

O WN

B 0O

2 03

eight feet fro m th e rail to the hook s when we can fo rk the m in j ust as fast

Keep you r lines clear ! is n ow the

as we can m ove our hands and arm s
E very face
word as t h e d o o m ed sh ip faster an d faster in to the barrels
E ve rybody m o ves as though
wears an e xpression of anxious d e t e r m ina t ion
he had a full se t of ve r y elastic springs within h im 3 every heart be ats loud
with e xcit e m en t and e very han d hauls in sh and th rows out b o o k s with a
m e thod 3 cool precisio n a kind of slow haste which unites the gr e atest
s peed with the ut m ost s e curity against foul li nes
T h e rain m o m en tarily increases
W e hear j ibs rattling down 3 and glane
i n g up h astily I a m surprised to n d our vess e l surrounded on al l s ide s by
the ee t which has already beco m e aware that we h ave sh al ongside
Mean ti m e the wind ris e s the sea stru ggles against the rain wh ich is e n
W e are
d e av o r i n g with its steady patt e r to quiet th e tur m oil of old ocean
al ready on o ur third barrel of sh e ach and still they co m e as fast as e ver
and the business (s port it ceased to be so m e ti m e ago) con tinues with undi
S trea m s of perspiration course down our faces
J ackets
m inished vigor
caps and even our shirts are thrown o ff to give gre ater freedo m to li m bs
that are worked to th eir ut m ost

H e llo ! where are the sh ? calls o ut so m ebody ; an d sure e nough a l l

at once the whole busin e ss co m es to a stan dstill the sh have apparen tly

shut up shop and gone ho m e for n ot the faintest n ibble does on e s h e r

m a n get
The m ack e rel which a m o m ent ago were fairly rushing on board
h ave in that m o m ent disappeared so co m pl e t e ly th at n o t a sign of one is left
The vessel n ext und e r our lee holds the m a little longer than we but they
n ally al so disappear fro m her side An d so on all aroun d us
An d n o w we h ave t i m e t o l ook around us 3 to co m pare n otes on each
o ther s success 3 t o straighten our b ackbon e s nearly brok e n and aching hor
r ib ly with c o nstantly r e aching ov e r
es
e
to
exa
ine
our
ngers
cut
to
pi
c
m
3
an d grown as sensatio n l e ss as a piece of salt j unk with the pe rpetual drag
ging of s m all lines ac ros s the m
,

F I S HE R M E N

204

S tti g
BY

B O OK

O WN

I C KS KY

S ail

Und e r

LIGH

The ter m s et unde r sail o r y ing set i m plies that the vess e l in st ea d
of b e ing anchored as is the m ost c o m m on way o n the Banks whe n trawls are
to be s e t is kept under way t h e p e r for m ance taking pl ace as follows :

If a s e t under sail is d ecid e d u p on the dep th of the water is rst a s

c e r t a i n e d by sounding where the skipper intends to set his apparatus an d
b e gin his shing He then dire cts t h e do ries to be m ade ready This set s
all hands on th e alert especially the crews of the top dories who quick ly
arrange in the m th e buoys buoy lines e tc that are required Havin g

r igged thei r black balls an d prepared the lines for run ning the dorie s
are hoisted o ver the rail where they are l e ft to hang un til the next are ready
when they are lo were d into the water D ropping af t o n the quarter they
are h e ld there while one o f the two m e n who for m the c r ew leaps in an d r e

a n op e ratio n requiring no little skill an d

the
co
ple
en
t
of
trawls
m
m
c e iv e s
condenc e in one s s e a legs when the water is at al l rough This done hi s
m at e also gets in an d the boat is paid astern the p ainter being fastened t o
the davit Meanwhile the t wo m iddle and th e b o tt o m dories are being p r e
pared and hoisted out in a si m ilar way
W hen the six dories are ready and the proper t i m e has arrived the s k ip

per shouts to one of th e m e n i n the rst boat Heave o u t your buoy !

This buoy re m e m ber m arks the positio n o f one end of the trawl for to it
i s attach e d the anchor which holds the groun d line in its pl ace As the buoy
line is runni n g out and the boat is about to be cast o ff the skipper ins t ruct s
the m e n in which directio n to r o w while setting th e trawl This is gen e r
al ly to leeward an d i n a straight line at right angles to the course of th e
v e s s el A m o m en t later the sa m e orders are give n t o the next do r y s crew
f o r setting the second trawl at a suitable distance fro m the rst and so o n

until the whole six have bee n set out S pread along in this way a gang
o f trawls will ge nerally cover t wo o r three square m iles
The act of setting the trawl is perfo r m e d in the fo llowing m an ne r
Be
fore the bu o y line i s all out one of the m e n l ifts a skate o f trawl o n t o the
afte r thwart an d attaches the end of th e trawl t o the anchor which he
throws overboard Then while h is m ate row s away he lets the t r awls go
o u t throwing hook after h o ok so that they shal l n o t beco m e f o uled
W h en

es r

th e
ar e

tti n g a h al ibu t traw l w i l l an sw e r e qu ally w e l l f o r a c o d o r

o n ly d i ff e r e n c e b e i n g t h at t h e l atte r ar e s t o w e d i n t ub s i ns te ad o f s k ate s
cl o s e r to ge th e r

T h i d c i p ti

wl
h o o ks

tr a

on o

h ad

se

d o ck

an d

th e

F I S HE R M E N

O WN

BOO

205

o ne s k ate is o u t an other i s k no t ted to it and th e pe r for m a n ce goe s o n u n ti l

al l of the trawl is disposed of W hen th e end of it is r eached it is ben t t o
t h e l ast anchor and buoy these al s o bei n g th rown the p rocess i s c o m pleted
The rs t cre w a re usually n early don e wi th their w o rk by the ti m e the v e s
s el h as le t go h e r sixth dory so she i m m ediately turns back an d pick s up thi s
and t h e othe r boats in succession This don e she lie s by u n til it is ti m e t o
h aul when the ve s sel i s run al ong fro m bu o y to buoy dropping each do ry
nea r its o wn trawl Th e holding up of an oar is a sign al th at the m e n h ave
nish e d hauling th e ir trawl or want help s e eing which the ves s el r u n s dow n
an d receives the cargo o r takes the bo at in t o w

The act of p icking up a do ry while unde r sail is a m an o euv r e requi rin g

considerable skill an d it occasion ally h appens that the b oat is s t ruck by th e
A n acciden t o f thi s
v essel a n d t h e occupants are thrown into the water
kin d h app e n e d in m y o wn experienc e in t h e S u m m er of 1 8 7 9 R un nin g
the vess e l to le eward of one of ou r dories I put the wheel down intendin g
to tack short of her an d lay t o with the j ib to win dward while s h e ca m e
al o ngside The vessel ranged fu r ther ah e ad tha n usual and stru ck the do ry
a glan cing bl o w with her h o w I should hav e righted th e wheel an d cleare d
he r but a m a n sang out th at s he was al l right and as I coul d n ot s ee h e r
m yself I supposed she was until an o ther excl ai m ed
My G o d ! she s h it

t h e dory an d there s three m e n overboard

T h e j ib had caught aback at this ti m e an d as the whee l wa s rol l ed ha r d
d own I s houted
Heave out that l e e dory as quick as y o u can and pick

R un ning to assist in getting the d o ry out I s a w tw o o f t h e

the m up
m e n cli m bing ove r the vessel s b o w
They ca m e t o help us exc l ai m ing

*
S ank s in the water 3 let s hurry up
Although we m ade al l p o ssibl e
h aste by th e ti m e the do ry was well C lear of th e vessel s side with t wo m e n
pulling th e ir ut m ost I s aw the ) ther do r y un inj u red on our we ather qua r te r

and S ank s tandin g in he r dripping wet his face strea m ing with bl o od
L ike the oth e rs he h ad atte m pt e d to ju m p and catch th e bowsp rit riggin g
but the vessel s h o w was falling and so m ething struck his head cutting a
gash m ore than an in ch long and knocking h im backward into the wate r
F ortunately he was n o t stun ned and when he rose to the surface h e grasped
the gunwale of t h e dory an d h aul e d hi m self into her Nothing daun te d by
his m ishap his rst word s to his ship m ates were : I m the p r ope r l ad t o

go h a d d o c k i n g 31 it don t bother m e m uch to be run dow n

The w o rd s
w e re uttered with a carelessn ess of t o n e and a quiet l augh that s h o wed an
utt e r disregard of such dangers
,

y o u n g m an w h o m o n acco u n t o f h i s p r o ci e n cy in sin gin g h ym ns w

e n i c k n am e d

an
S
ke y an d th i s h ad b e co m e abb re v iate d i n to S ank
t V e ss e l s e m pl o ye d i n t h e Wi n t e r h add o ck sh e r ie s al m o s t al w ay s s e t u n d e r s ai l an d th e ir
m e n ar e t h e r e fo r e m o re l i ab l e th an an y o th e r s to th is a rt i cul ar acc i de n t
p
*A

20

F I S HE B M B N

In

Fo g

O WN

B ank s

th e

on

BO

The acco m panying engraving gives

a vivid illustration of o n e of the dan
gers incid e nt to the s h e r ie s that of
being run down in the fog whil e at
anch or W e h av e h e ard of nu m erous
n arrow esca p e s fro m this dange r where
a slight d e viation fro m t h e course of
t h e vessel u nd e r sail o r a m o m ent s
delay in ch anging the position of the
v essel at anchor by
aying
out
th e c a
p
ble woul d have ad d ed an other to the
list of l ost sherm en I t is suppos e d
t h at the G ay C n n n ingk a m was run
down by a st e a m er 3 and n o d oubt
m any ot h ers of who m no tidings have
be e n h e ard h ave sh ar e d the sa m e fate
During the night a ligh t is kept in the
rigging an d fog horns are frequently bl own during the day The ut m ost
precautio n is necessary to avoid the dangers which a thick fog e nge n d e rs
and the lookout s positio n on board all vess e l s crossing the Banks as wel l
as o n board the sherm en is one of great responsibility

L ines

th e

o n

L os s

f S c h oon e r

G uy C unning h a m

M aste r C aptain Dani e

,

BY

a nd

O B r ie n

in M e m ory

'

uly th i rt y e igh ty o n e a b e au te o u s S u m m e r d ay ;
T h e s ch o o n e r s t au n ch G uy C u n n i n gh am f o r G r an d B an k s ai l e d aw ay
an n e d by a c r e w o f h ar dy m e n mo n o b r av e r e r e s e t s ai l
T o h a ul t h e tr aw l i n S u m m e r s c a l m o r m e e t t h e W intr y g al e
E igh t f e ar l e ss m e n o f t h e th i r t e e n w e r e f r e e fr o m m ar r i ag e t i e s ;
O n e s d ar l i n g b ai r n s w e r e f ar a w ay b e ne ath t h e S w e d is h s k i e s ;
A n d f o u r i n G l o uc e s te r h ad t h e i r h o m e s w i t h w i ve s a n d c h i ld re n d e ar
Wh e f o r t h e B an ks t h e y s ai l e d aw ay n o r th o u gh t t h at d e ath w as n e ar
e
N O s t o r m s ar o s e t h e s e a t o v e x ; n o an g r y b i ll o w s r o a r
D i s tu rb e d t h e s e a m e n s h o u r o f r e s t w h e n t h e d ay s t o i l w as o e r
;
E ac h m o rn th e l ad e n tr aw l s w e r e h aul e d t h e n n y tr e a s u r e s s to r e d
;
T h e t im e dr e w n i gh wh e n s afe at h o m e th e ir v e ss e l s h o ul d b e m o o r e d

Tw

as

He r

F I S HB R M E J V S

O WN

B O OK
'

20

l as ! th at s uch a p e a ce f ul s ce ne sh o uld h i de s o d re ad a f o e !
Al as ! th at n o p re cautio n c an gu ard ag ainst th e blo w !
Al as ! th at sail o rs b rave m u st d r o wn an d w iv e s an d ch i ldre n we e p
Th o ugh w in d s ar e s o ft an d se as ar e s m o o th an d c re w s th e ir v igi l s k e e p !
N o fe ar o f i ll th e i r d r e am s d i s t u rbn o d re a d o f d an g e r n e a r
B y ge nt l e b i ll o w s r o ck e d th e i r t h o u gh t s ar e w i t h t h e i r l o v e d o ne s d e ar

i
e
m
a m am m o t h h ull d r aw s n ig h
a
u
t
f
o
m
t
h
e
m
i
s
t
a
s
a
l
g
l
s
f
o
rt
h
r
O
A s h o ck ! a c r as h ! th e c r e w go d o wn w i th o n e d e s p ai r in g c r y !
At h o m e th e ir de ar o ne s watch an d wait an d wait an d wat ch i n vain ;
T h e s a i l o r h u sb a n d s d e ar ly l o v e d w i ll n e v e r c o m e ag a i n

a
a
i
t
h
e
h
e
o
i
e
e
s
r cr w t n l d
G uy e e r m anne d a sh ing b o at
s tu r d
N
N o n e b rave r th an h e r sk ipp e r b o ld e e r tro d t h e d e ck ao at
A n ag e d m o th e r m o u rn s th e so n sh e s o o n w i ll m e e t ab o v e ;
A s i s te r m o u rn s a b r o t h e r d e ar w h o se e v e r y l o o k w as l o ve ;
A w i d o w m o u rn s a h u s b an d tr u e t h e w r e ck o f p r o s p e c t s f ai r
A n d ch i ld r e n t h re e ar e l e ft b e h i n d w i t h o u t a f at h e r s c ar e
T h e v e d ay s b ab e h e l e ft b e h i n d w h e n b i dd i n g h o m e go o d b y e
W i ll n e ve r kn o w h o w gre at a l o s s th at d e adly h o u r b ro u gh t n igh
B u t G o d i s g o o d an d h e h as p o w e r t h e a l m o f p e a c e t o p o u r
0 n bl e e d i n g h e art s a n d c o m fo rt b r ing fr o m o u t h i s bo u n t e o u s s t o r e
A

F I S HE R M E N

2 08

O WN

B O OK
.

Ar o und th e W h ar ve s o f Old Gl o u c e ste r

a C e ntur y A go

H lf
a

a m es o

T /zo s e T k e n E
a nd

t/ze F l ee t

in tk e F isk e r ie s , w i tk i k e N

ng age d

S k ipp e r s

Tk e i r

a m es

o st o

we th ought o f t h e l arge and i m p o rtant shi n g int e re sts of Glouceste r

t h e curr e nt year of 1 8 8 2 wit h t h e e e t of r s t cl ass s choon e rs e m ploying
at sea an d on lan d n early six thousa n d m e n with t h e ir a nnual product ex
c e e d i n g four m illion s of dollars we had a strong d e sir e to giv e a p e n p icture
o f t h e appearance of the wharv e s an d recall to m ind th e shing owners an d
s o m e of t h e skipp e rs an d v e ss e ls which constitut e d the shing inter e st of
the town o f Gloucest e r half a c e n tury ago
To this end we h e ld pl e asan t intervi e ws with M e ssrs W illia m Babson
George M e rchan t Gorh a m Parsons E p e s W M e rchan t S teph e n J Marti n
B H Corlis s and G e orge W Plu m e r and fro m th e m hav e gain ed t h e fol
l owing facts There m ay possibly b e a f e w triing discrepancies but the
accoun t in t h e m ain will b e foun d corr e ct
In i m agination re ade r let us take a walk about the wh arves s e e wh o
was carrying on the busin e ss l ook at t h e vess e ls and h av e a C h at with so m e
of the skippers of 1 8 3 0 3 1 3 2 Co m m en cing n e a r the Fort we nd the
re m ains of a cob an d ballast wharf on t h e sit e of Messrs Cunningha m
Tho m pso n s pre m is e s th e n own e d by Gorha m Parson s an d occupi e d by
J ohn W L owe an d Jo s e ph Johnson Proct e r which was in rath e r a d ila pi
dated condition an d but littl e us e d T h e n ca m e a gr ay i n g d ock occupied
by t h e G a n e y Broth e rs wh e r e vessels w e re haul e d up for re pairs an d fo r
caulking and graving
Th e wh arf of Messrs M addocks
which o f course h as b e e n
Co
gre atly i m proved sinc e th ose d ays was then occupied by Matthew Gaff ney
an d W illia m E ll e ry wh o carried on th e shing busin e ss und e r t h e r m n a m e
o f E llery
Ga ff ney Th e ir vess e l s w e re as follows
S chs H a r vey B i r c /z
Capt J M Parson s 3 S e v o R is ing E mp i r e and I d a th e latt e r co m m and e d
by C a p t J ob R owe a nd t h e C /za r le s T h e A m az o n al so tted with th e m
and was owned by Dani e l Ga ffney
J os e ph J ohns o n Proct e r and John W L owe als o occupi e d the wha r f th e n
k n own a s M e chanics wharf n o w own e d by Messrs S wett
C o Th e ir
vessel s were : S a r a k Ta m O S /za n te r M e ta m o r a B ap /c r a tes T r i n mp k S up e
r io r
an d perhaps others
S a m uel Gilbert the n ca r rie d o n the s he rie s at th e wharf n ext to the
A

F I S HE R M E N

B O OK

O WN

20

Tow n L a n ding then and n o w kn own as Gilb e rt s wha rf o ccupied at pres

ent by Francis W Ho m a n s His e e t co m prised the P k wn ix ; E c o n o m y
Capt J onatha n Gilb e r t 3 S e a S e rp e n t C apt Natha n iel Thursto n 3 A d d is o n
A r a b ; and S k a m r o c k W illia m M arshall skipper
Ja m es Manseld
W h arf n ow o ccupie d and the busi
S ons ca m e n ext
The wha rf e xtend e d
n ess continued by succes s ors unde r the sa m e style
far out into the harbor on accoun t of t h e ats They own e d and tted
s chs S u s a n a n d E l iz a Capt E lias H Day 3 A bi ga i l Capt W illia m S h a c k e l
ford 3 A n n a n d M a r y C apt J ohn M Parsons T h e last n a m ed schoon e r
was scuttl e d insid e of R ocky N e ck during the wa r of 1 8 1 2 to pres e rve he r
fro m th e E nglish cruisers The rigging an d m at e rials were store d in t h e
b arn of th e old L o w m ansion house in Town Parish Aft e r t h e war Mr
W illia m Pew went m ast e r of he r an d in thr e e Gran d Bank tri p s i n o n e y e ar
s tock e d
without bounty and oil Thei r other vessels w e r e : D i l i
t
i
r
r rin
e
n d us tr
e
e
A
c
v
e
a
d
e
C
apt
I
G
L
Capt
Georg
e n t M a r y E l iz a be tk
;
3
y
g
g
S a m uel Curtis ; F r ie n d s /22p C apt Gorha m R i ggs ; and H o r n e t
N e xt to t h e M an s e ld s ca m e the wharf the n own e d by Zach ariah S teve n s
wh e re the R iggs Brothers subsequ e n tly carri e d on t h e shing b u sin e ss
The wharf n ow o wn e d by Charl e s H Boynton was then own e d by Charle s
L R oberts wh o had th e sch s F r a n ce s a n d E l iz a be tk M a r y and p e rh aps
o thers
I t was a s m al l wharf an d a n o t e d resort where
D r Co ff i n s adj oined this
Town M e e ting orators waxing war m with each o t h e r i n t h e discussion of
l ocal affairs would adj ourn to an d ght it out I t was the sc e n e of m any a
h otly con test e d rough an d tu m ble ght ov e r qu e stion s which agitate d t h e

f
e
and perhaps had i m
m in ds of those who we r e in t rested in town a fairs
Th e r e
b ib e d too m uch of the fa m ous N e w E ngland r u m of that period
was n o t m uch business done at this wharf as it serv e d m ore for a l an d ing
place for s m all boats Mr Gorha m Bu r nha m co m m enc e d his blacks m ith
ing busin e ss at this wharf
Next to D r C o f n s was the Cen tral W harf n ow owned by Charles H
B oynton For m any y e ars it was occupied by David Pearce who was larg e ly
engaged in the W e st I ndia trade W illia m P e arc e
S ons h ad a di s tillery
o n this wharf which was d e stroy e d in the great r e of 1 8 0
Cargoes
of
3
S urina m m olass e s were h e re lan d e d and m ad e into r u m
Th e re w e re als o
two s m all wharves adj oining owne d re s p e ctive ly by Abraha m S awyer an d
D aniel Ga ff ney
W illia m Parson s J r h ad the wh arf now owned by Ge orge S t e el e
He
o wn e d and tted schs P e a co c k
C apt Be nj a m in R owe ; H uss a /z Capt John
Blatchford 3 [ J e r a la A m a r a n tk C apt G e org e Blatchford ; M a r ine r C apt
Charles W o od 3 H e n r ie tta Capt W illia m Dolliver ; W i ll ia m Capt W illia m
B latchfo rd ; S ix B r o tk e r s and the I ll ino is
,

'

F I S HE R M E I V S

2 10

O WN

BOO

Then ca m e the wharf of Joseph S m it h i n o w pa rt of the p r oper ty o f Me s s rs

Clark
S o m es
Fr e derick G Low h ad a large wharf on the site kn ow n as the S arge n t
wh arf n o w o c c up ie d by M r J ohn G Bennett He was l argely e n gaged i n
th e wood and coal business
J ohn H o n n o r s wharf was a p orti o n of the wharf property now owne d by
Mr R obert Fears o n Duncan str e e t H e owne d an d tted schs I Vj mp /z
G l i d e F a vo r i te Ya r i c o A r ie l M y r r k and O sp r ay
W h e re t h e gas whar f n o w is was a ston e wharf occupied by M r C alvi n
S wift e ngag e d in t h e sh oil busin e ss
S arg e nt s wharf then occu p i e d t h e p re m ises n o w kn ow n as A n d r ew L eigh
ton s wharf Th e re was also a s m all wharf adj oining kn o wn as C aswel l s
wharf us e d for th e gravi n g busin e ss
The Col P e arce wharf occupi e d th e site of the wh arf p r ope rty of Michae l
This prop e rty has b e e n gre atly changed and i m proved I t
So n
W al e n
was a gre at wharf in thos e ti m es wh e r e fore ign co m m erce was carrie d o n
an d was th e sc e n e o f gre at busin e ss activity
I n Vinc e nt s Cove th e r e was a s m all wha r f the pre m ise s n ow o wned by
B F Cook I t was th e n owne d by S a m uel Casw e ll The n ca m e a little
whar f now owne d by J oh n N e lson an d Capt Israel T r ask s wha r f where
C h r e s t e n N e lson is now engag e d in busin e ss
At Vincent s Point M e ssrs Caswe l l
L eight o n car r ied o n the sherie s
Th e y owned schs O n ta r io I s
n o w k n own as W illia m H Fri e nd s wharf
m ast e r 3 L a dy of t/ze L a k e Cyru s
a a c D ay m ast e r 3 Vo l a n t Benj a m in R ow e
S tory m ast e r 3 D e c a tu r M o n r o e R o be r t R a n to u l an d a fr e ighter co m m anded
by C apt Be nj a m in Brooks of R ockport
Brown W oodbury s wh arf sinc e purchased by J o hn P e w
S o n f orm
ing one of th e ir four w h arv e s at R owe s Bank ca m e next A m ong the v e s
s e ls which th e y owned a n d tt e d w e re schs L ap w in g R ef o r m A n te lop e ;
E n te rp r ise Capt J on athan Burnha m 3 HEn r ie tta Capt Gorha m R iggs ; O l
i ve B r a n c k Capt S a m uel Dowle 3 F a l c o n a n d I n d ep e n d e n ce
W h e r e G e org e Todd s coal w h arf n o w is was at that ti m e o ccupied by
R ichard Fri e nd 8: S ons who own e d an d tte d sch s M o n tic e l l o Capt Joseph
H e rrick 3 M a r t/2a W a s /zing to n Capt Georg e W atson ; C io n Capt J oh n
Blatchford 3 L a u r e l Ca p t G e org e Blatchford 3 C o l u m bu s Capt L e m ue l
Fri e nd 3 Tk r e e S is te r s C apt J osiah Nor wood ; P r e s i d e n t Capt W illia m S
Fri e n d 3 B r a n c /z Capt S i m eon Bur n ha m ; S p le n d i d a fre ight e r C apt Fred
eric Norwood 3 F o u r S is te r s a fre ight e r co m m and e d by Capt S i m e on Bu r n
h am 3 E m e r a ld C apt J a m e s Norwood 3 an d O l i n d a
E p e s M e rchant
S o n carried o n business at the wha rf n o w own e d by
T h e vessels th e y owned and tted w e r e the W a sp Capt
S ylvanus S m ith
Charles M e rchant 3 E m bl e m C apt E lish a S m ith 3 O r o n tes Capt Hen ry
.

F I S HE R M E I V S

O WN B O O

2 1 1

Me r ch a n t ; B r i ll ia n t C apt Joh n Ha m m o nd ; Vo l a n t C ap t J o h n P e w ; R o
m e o C apt Hen r y P e w ; P a r ago n C apt W illia m Tarr
W ill ia m Parkhurst had a s m all wha r f nea r the pre m ise s n o w o w n e d by
Me ss r s S hute M e rchant He o wne d and tte d sch s F a ir A m e r i ca n C apt
oh
n W o n s o n ; I d a of which he was m aste r ; an d the S c ie n c e o wne d an d
J
c o m m anded by Capt David Parkhurst
At Deaco n And rew Pa rke r s whar f n o w owned by Cha r le s Ha r ri m an was
the sch B r a ina r d o f which he was m ast e r and o wne r ; als o the G o o d I n ten t
C apt Charle s Brown
O n t h e pre m ises n o w occupied by S ayward B r o the rs wa s a s m al l whar f
o r l anding wh e re two v e ss e ls were o wned and tte d by Daniel S ayward

ons
schs I I e le n M a r r and D e lega te
S
The re was n o t a building or wha r f o n the Plain o r at Cl ay C o ve with th e
exceptio n of a s m all landing b e l onging to D an iel Norwood at the fo o t o f
what is now Ha m m ond street
At E ast Glouc e ste r Be nj a m in Pars o n s had a s m al l wharf at wh at is no w
the pre m is e s of W ill ia m Parsons 2 d
C o He owned and tted sch s S n
m aste r ; P r o te c to r M a r t/c a E l iz a and ot hers
s a n E l iz a B Parsons J r
John W o n s o n s wh a r f wa s o n the sit e of that n o w occupie d by W illiam
C W o nso n
C o He owned and tted sch s B e ne v o le nce L uand as , E s s ex
C o n d e n c e boat L u cy and othe r s
Gil e s W o n s o n on the pre m i s e s n o w occup i ed by W o n so n B r oth e rs a n d
previously by Ge o rge F W o n s o n
C o owne d an d tte d s chs M u til a s J
F W o n s o n m aste r ; F o r e st C apt S tephe n R ich ; G o o d p e A ecg us ta M t
Ve r n o n E agl e T i ge r and o th e rs
The re was al s o a s m al l lan ding near the pre m ise s n o w o ccupie d by th e
There was no wh arf at R ocky
Fe r r y L andin g o wned by Benj a m in S m ith
Neck
This s o far as we have learned c o m prises the n a m es o f t h os e e n gaged i n
the sh e ries half a century ago and the vessels of the eet But f e w square
st e rne rs w e r e a m ong th e m 3 but nearly all were pink e y s of ab o ut fo r ty to n s
burth e n with thre e sails and valu e d at about
each I n 1 8 4 0 the
catch of m ack e re l for the s e aso n was o nly about
a n d the tota l
product of th e sherie s fo r the ye ar was only
The shing bu s i
n e ss at this po rt wa s at its lowest e b b o f depression 3 but in 1 8 4 3 an d 4 4
th e r e began to b e a great i m prov e m e nt The old class of vessels were sold

to go Down E ast wher e so m e of th e m a r e still run ning and th e shipyard s

of E ss e x we re busily e m p loy e d for years in furnishing a supe rio r class o f

vess e ls which t h e vigorous prosecution of the n e w b r an ch e s of the sher ies
Georges and Grand Bank fo r halibut and Bay of S t L awrence for bl ack

r
e
l
re quire d
e
L e t the re ader c o m m e nce his walk at the F o r t an d pr o cee d t o R o cky
,

F I S HE R M E N

2 12

B O OK

O WN

Neck with this list of wharves and n otice the gre at i m pro ve m e nts which the
l ast half century has m ad e and the surprise will b e great The e ntire wa
te r front to the Neck is m ostly occu p i e d by substantial wharv e s an d ne
buildings th e re on re pre se nting business e n e rgy an d a determ in ation to i m
prov e t h e natural faciliti e s which hav e b e en so l avish ly b e stow e d
The
R ocky N e ck has m any valuable
m arch of i m prov e m ent m ust contin ue
wharf lots an d in t h e cours e of ti m e we predict that t h e coves and shore s
o n the southeasterly sid e of t h e h arbor will be conv e rted into wha rf prop
undoubtedly be
e r t y ; f o r Gloucester s a dvanc e t h e next fty years wil l
fu lly as rapid as that which has charact e ri z ed h e r past half ce n tury
,

T HE

M
L
O
L
Y
H
Y
A
T
C
S
AN
J

BY

dan c in g o

er

h is

u ne
o m o ff o ur
e s e n sh o r e
L ad e n wi th o d o rs f ro m bl o s s o m in g t r e e s
G ive h im th is and h e asks n o m o re
i

t h e b ay ?

na

in

s o

f J

wh i l e aw ay h i s l e i su re h o u rs
A n d re s t h i s w e a r y l i m s
T h e y a c h t t o h i m i s an e as y ch ai r
A s o e r t h e w a v e s h e s ki m s
W i th h ul l as sm o o th as p o l i s h e d s te e l
S ai l s w h i te as d r i ft i n g s n o w
Wi th l o cke r s sto ck e d w ith go o d ie s
W h o w o ul d n o t a y ach t i ng go ?

To

tt y y a ch t s o ne at a n d tr im
Hi s c o m fo r t an d h i s p r i de
r e e d f ro m c i t y s n o ise an d du s t
He e njo y s t h e o c e an r i de
He c are s n o t f o r s tro ll s u p o n t h e e ach
O r d r i v e s o e r h i ll an d d al e
Hi s p l e as u r e s lie i n t h e s p e e dy c ra ft
Wi th o w i ng sh e e t an d be llyi ng s ail
I

F ll d by b l y w d
Fr
W tr

W h o w o uld n o t a jo l y y ac h t sm an be ,

o
n
a
u
m
m
e
r
s d ay ,
Up
S
D re s se d i n a n o bby s u i t o f blu e ,

ZI P

F I S HE R M E N

O WN B O OK

Haddo ck Fishe r i s The

Th e

k e d C k a nges

ar

BY

A PT

w i t/t i n

STE

PH

2 13

E N

H a lf C e n tu r y

N ow

n and

M A TI
R

My recollecti o n of the h addock sh e ry e xt e n ds back t o the days o f m y

b oyhood at E ast Glouc e ste r i n 1 8 3 2 Fro m 1 8 3 2 to about 1 8 3 8 A m os
S tory an d J e ff erson R ow e woul d go out at daylight and be back at 8 A M
with a dory full of haddock dre ss th e m an d go out in the af t e rnoon catch
an o ther do ry load and be back at 4 P M in season to dress their fare b e
fore n igh tfall Th e y would go n o farthe r than t h e O ld Pine Tr e e I h ave
known the m t o load their do r i e s o n a ledge b e tw e e n T e n Poun d Island an d
Nil e s W h arf
I n t h e years 1 8 3 8 an d 1 8 3 9 I w e n t shing fro m E ast e rn P o in t in a b o at
call e d the E as te r n S ta r W he n t h e haddock ca m e o n t h e co a st in April we
te nd e d Bosto n m ark e t with h addock and would be o n the shing groun d
at daylight catch w h at we could ours e lves an d b uy all we wan t e d fro m the
dories at o n e c e n t p e r s /z and start fo r m ark e t T h e E a s te r n S ta r was four
tee n tons with n o bowsprit If we got t wo c e nts api e c e for our sh we
thought we w e re doing w e ll
The haddock re m ained inshore and were caught in the h arbo r un ti l 1 8 5 1
I n 1 8 5 1 J a m e s C oas an d m ys e lf load e d a f te e n foot do r y twic e in o n e day
within two m il e s of the m out h of t h e harbor Fro m that ti m e until 1 8 6 4
t h e boats caugh t their haddock fro m thre e to four m il e s fro m the sh ore
F ro m 1 8 3 2 to 1 8 4 5 t h e haddock w e re take n with hand lin e s
I n the year 1 8 6 4 Capt D ani e l Dougl ass tt e d out t h e scho o n e r R o mp for
Th e r e was a good d e al of talk at the ti m e because h e wen t
h a d d o c k i ng
h a d d o c k i n g in s o l arge a vess e l he r m easure m ent being 6 6 ton s
H e car
ri e d four dori e s v e hundre d hooks to a dory an d sh e d on the I nn e r
Bank S o m e days h e would catch
lbs an d s e ll the m fo r 75 c e nt s
a hundre d by count Now t h e haddock v e ss e l s carry six dories
hooks to a dory
For the pas t f
S ince 1 8 6 6 the h addock have b e e n working o ff shore
t e en y e ars th e s m al l v e ss e ls 4 5 5 0 and 6 0 tons hav e sh e d o n the o ff shore
grounds o n J e ff ri e s T ille y s and s o m e ti m e s on Middle Bank so m e twe nty
o r tw e nty v e m iles o ff and but f e w haddock have b e e n take n i n shor e i n
the W inter m onths during the last te n years
N o w t h e haddock eet go to G e orges an d L a H av e Banks and so m e o f
the m go as far as the W e stern Bank They go in the l argest shing v e ssel s
.

B I S HB

2 14

KM B N

O WN

BOO

K
.

s o m e o f the m o f 1 2 0 t o n s bu r the n an d ca rry s ix d o ries f ro m

to 1 5 0 0
There are t wo vessel s that carr y eigh t dories e ach
b ooks to a do ry
The h addock she ry co m m enc e s as a g e n e ral thing about the r st o f
Nov e m be r S o m e v e ss e l s go e arlie r I t is n o thing unusua l fo r a ves s e l t o
a n d s o m eti m es
lb s
b e gon e ten days an d return with 7
The pric e o f haddock has bee n h igh all this W inte r ( 1 8 8 1
I n yea rs
gone by whe n there were t we n ty ve sail o f vess e l s ten d ing the m a rk et the
N o w there is a hadd o ck eet o f
m arket would s o m eti m es be o ve r stock e d

n
d
n o t t o G l o uceste r
a
m
e
hund
r
ed
ft
sail
carrying
thei
r
catch
t
o
ark
t
o ne
y
alone but to Portl and Ports m o uth an d Bost o n an d all the h addock n d a
r eady s ale There h as bee n but o nce thi s W inte r whe n the m a rket wa s
o ver s tocked and the haddock were sold t o be split an d dried at
5 pe r
cwt Twenty yea r s ag o that wa s consid e re d a good price
Thirty yea r s ag o haddock were v e ry s ca rce o n Ge o rge s an d the ves s e l s
used to car ry the m the re for halibut bait N o w a v e s s e l will catch
lbs the r e in o n e day T h e hadd o ck generally c o m e o n Ge o rge s the r st o f
F e b rua ry ; befor e t h at ti m e the e et g o t o C a pe N e gr o an d L a Hav e Bank
The George s haddoc k ves se l s the l arge o ne s discontin u e that shery ab o u t
the rst of Ap ri l
Cap t Cha rl e s Ma rti n o f thi s p ort a rr ive d in B o s t o n
S c h M a r t/2a C
F e b 1 7 1 8 8 2 with the l arg es t trip o f h a d dock an d be s t s t o ck eve r r ep orte d
S h e weighed o ff 9 3 0 0 0 1b s s t o cking
th e
i n the hadd o ck shery
c re w s haring $9 1 each This was the result o f tw o and a half d ay s s h i n g ;
ti m e abse n t , ten day s O n he r n ext t rip s h e l anded
l b s o n a goo d
giving he r a stock o f
o n the t wo trip s
m arket and s tock e d
M r George S teel e s n e w s choone r D i d o C apt W illia m N W el l s m ad e
eight hadd o ck trips i n nin e an d a half weeks th e p r es e nt yea r
stock
ing
O n o n e t r ip s he wa s ab s ent n i n ety fou r h o u rs a n d s t o cked
,

F I S HE R M E N

A M ac

ke r e l

B O OK

O WN

2 15

Dr e ssing He r

F ar e by Mo o nl ight

The acco m p anyi n g engraving illus

trates a m ackerel catche r whose crew
we re so fortunate as to strike a s chool
of ne fat m acke rel j ust before sun
down The boys were all alive fo r

such sport and handle d the sein e boat

an d n e t live ly securing heavy decks

The steward had plen ty of hot co ffee

and J oe o gge r s on h and for j ust

suc h a lucky strike an d kept the crew
wel l supplie d with these refresh m e nt s
The m oon had risen j ust as they go t
their catch on deck and with a wil l
they t u rne d to an d dressed all n ight
It was a lively ti m e S plitting gibbing
soaking the m out salting an d barrel
ling an d the vessel with a light wind
pursu e d h e r c o urse fo r old Glouceste r whe re they got a quick pack out and
replen ishing with s alt an d sto res were soon o ff again a s every day in the
m acke r eling s ea s o n cou n t s and the s her m e n like t o m ake the m ost o f it
,

F r ighte ne d by th e Mo o n
I C K KY I HT

BY

F riday,

L G

May 1 6 1 8 79 we were run n ing acros s the Bay of Fundy boun d

I t was foggy but n o t very thick the rs t of the
t o Nova S cotia for bait
m orning an d at three o clock the m a n o n the lookout sang out
L igh t

ah e ad !
The m an at the wheel s houted back the in quiry W hat shall I

do lu ff or k e ep o ff ?
L uff ! lu ff
ca m e the answe r f r o m the
l ook o u t
By thi s ti m e I wa s out of m y bunk an d had ju m ped in to the co m pan io n
way j ust as the lookout ran aft excl ai m ing Give m e the horn
I stepped
back into the cabin to ge t it and giving h im one horn took another with
m e o n deck blowing a bla s t m yself befo r e I stopped t o lo o k
The lookou t

s ai d I think it s a s tea m er s m a s thead light

,

F I S HE R M E N

2 16

B O OK

O WN

I n o w could s e e what looked like a brigh t light gli m m eri ng th rough the
fog about the h e ight a stea m er s light would be half a m ile distant th e fog
b e ing quit e thin ) Afte r taking a go o d l ook I said I thought it was a sta r
and told the m an at t h e wh eel to keep the vess el on her cours e but a m o
I m d d if ta i n t
m en t l ater it sho wed pl ain e r and the lookout e xcl ai m ed
I could n ot help l aughing at t h e fright it had give n h i m an d
t h e m oon
told h im to bl ow t h e h o rn l oud and if the m an in the m oo n heard it h e
would probably k e e p o ff and l et us go al ong
I h ave been call e d out m any a ti m e
S uch m istak e s occur quit e often
wh e n running for the l and on a cl ear night to see a star rising that th e
watch had m istaken for a ligh t on the l an d This is n ot so m uch to b e
won dered at s ince the app e arance of a bri gh t star n ear the h o r i z on
clos e ly res e m bles a xed l ight o n shore that al m ost any o ne is liable to be
m isl e d

HA R B O R

G L O UC E S T E R

BY I

L LIS

l ke so me fo n d m o th e r b i rd
W h o w h e n t h e cl o ud s fo r e te ll t h e s to r m
Gath e rs h e r l ittl e tre m bl ing o ne s
B e n e ath t h e s h e l te r o f h e r f o rm
D o t h y b righ t w at e r s w h e n t h e w i n d
S w e e p s m o u rn fully ac ro ss t h e s e a
G ath e r th e wh i te winge d wave to sse d cr a ft
ro m s to rm an d wre ck p r o te cti n g ly

Ho w

ft , i

b e au t i fu l be ne ath t h e r ays
O f a b r ig h t sun o r f ai r f ull m o o n
T h y s u r f ac e sh ine s w i th p l e as an t l i gh t
At m idnigh t o r at day s fu ll n o o n ;

HO W

BU

Li k

R N HA M

de ar fr i e n d wh o se ki ndly sm i l e
Has ch e e r e d u s bo th i n s to r m an d c al m
A n d f o r o u r h e ar ts d e e p s e c r e t w o u n d s
Has b e e n a h e a l ing w e lc o m e b al m
e so m e

th at as w e l o o k f ar o u t
B e y o n d t h y p e a c e w e w at ch i n v ai n
T h e s c h o o n e r s c o m i n g fr o m t h e s e a
Wh i ch w i ll n o t m e e t o u r ga e again ;
Wh e n l o n g ag o e ach s u n l i t s ai l
W e n t d o w n b e l o w t h e h o r i z o n s b l ue
Ho w l i ttl e ah ! h o w l itt l e th e n
W e o f t im e s h as te nin g ch an ge s kn e w

Al

as

F I S HE R M E N

A dve ntur e s

of

B O OK

O WN

C ap tain R i ch ar d Mur p hy

BY

CO L L IN

ude B o re as blu ste rin g r ai l e r ; l i st y e l an d s m e n all to

e s s m ate s h e ar a b r o t h e r sai l o r te ll t h e d an ge r s o f t h e s e a

e as e

me ;

0ld S

o ng.

T h ere are f e w even a m ong th e hardy sher m en s ailing fro m Glouceste r,

w h o h ave had s o m any wonde rful e scap e s fro m i m m in e n t de ath as Dick

M urphy as h e is fa m iliarly call e d by those who kn ow h im Born in Guy s
he s h ipped at an e arly age on :1 Glouc e s t e r m ackerel sch o one r
b oro N
a nd S ince that ti m e ( a pe riod of twen ty nin e y e ars ) he has foll o we d the s h
e rie s fro m this port
Fro m an interview with C aptain Murphy the fol lowing facts have be e n
o btain e d rel ati v e to his exp e ri e nce :
The rs t incident of any note wa s his falling overboard in the B ay of S t
L awren ce while skyl arking with a youthful co m panion o n the deck of a
Fortun ate ly it was m od e rat e and Murphy the n a
m acker e l schoone r
young l ad succe e d e d in grasping the rope which was thrown h im an d wa s
soon hauled in dri p ping we t t o be sure but otherwise n one the worse fo r
h is invol untary bath
His s e co n d e xp e ri e nce in falling overboard occurre d during a March gal e
o n G e o rges in 1 8 5 5 At that ti m e h e was one of the crew of t h e sch Z y
/
zo o n and the vessel having struck ad rift in th e m idst of a furious snow
p
s quall Murphy j u m p e d on to the fore ga ff to tak e dow n the signal lan tern
Just as the lashings of t h e lantern had b e en cast o ff the v e ssel t o ok a he avy
l urch 3 the fore boo m ca m e out of the crotch an d swung suddenly out to le e
ward throwing Mur p hy in to the wate r But he clung to the l an te rn on e
of the old fashione d b o x like a ffairs wh ich h e says m ade a go o d life
buoy an d adds : As the vessel r olle d to le e ward t h e n e xt ti m e I put one
h and on the l an tern to partially rais e m yself fro m t h e wat e r and graspi n g
the rail with the other hand was half way over it befo re any of m y ship m ates
knew of m y m isha p S o m e thre e or four of the m then ran to m y assistance

and hauled m e i n
I n August 1 8 5 7 h e was in th e sch Qu ee n of C l ipp e r s boun d ho m e fro m
the Bay of S t L awrence W hen the vess e l was n e a r ing Ca p e An n Mur

h
m
l
e
h
m
C
li
b
d
up
ne
ar
y
to
the
j
aws
of
e
ain
ga
f
f
about forty o r fty fe e t
t
p y
fro m th e deck o u th e m ast hoops W h e n he got high e nough so that his
feet r e sted on the second hoop below the ga ff an d h is han d gras p e d t h e
n e xt one above h e stopped to h ave a look for t h e l and
W hil e standing i n
t his p o sition the sei z ing o f the upper h oo p pa r ted and bein g thus instan tly
,

F I S HE R M E N

2 18

O WN B O O

deprived of suppo r t he fel l to the d e ck stri king hi s back a n d s h oulders o n

th e head of an upright water barrel The bl ow b r oke i n the head of th e
barrel an d the back of the unfo rtunate m an was co m pletely ayed and the
I n additio n to this hi s
S kin turned u p in st r ips an d r oll s o n his s houlders
a nkle which h ad struc k o n the house when h e fell was out of j oin t and
altogethe r his condition was m ost depl o r able I t is easier to i m agi ne th a n
t o tell o f the dreadful agony e ndured fo r twen ty fou r long hours before the
l ight wind s carried the vesse l to po r t where m edical t reat m e n t could be
o btai n ed
W hile engaged in bending the m ainsail on a n e w s ch o o n er the
G
D e nn is he fell fro m the ta ff rail and struck on the wheel receiving a severe
S o great was the fo r ce with which he fell that t h e spoke of the
i nj u ry
wheel striking between the hip an d lowe r rib f r actu r ed the skin a n d h is
r ight side was paraly z ed for m ore tha n a week
W hile in the D enn is in February 1 8 6 2 Mu r phy a s si s ted i n th e re s cue o f
t h e crew of the water l o gged sch L if e B uoy o f S helbu r ne N
a n even t
which illustrated i n a st r iki ng m anner the readi n ess with which o ur s h e r
m e n frequently apply m ea n s to end s in ti m es o f e m e rgency and danger
The for m er vessel had l ost he r boat and m ost o f he r sails i n a severe gale
o n Georges and the boat of the L ife B uoy h ad also be e n swept away
Ho w
c ould the sh e r m e n with out a boat and with their vessel in a disabled c o n
having fo r sails o nly the foresail below the third reef and a j ib ben t
d iti o n
fo r a m ai n sail r en der any aid ? The question was how t o i m provise so m e
s ort o f a boat Having decided t o construct a boat of on e of the gurry
pe n s which fo rt u n ately stil l re m ain ed i n tact the skippe r o f the D en n is r a n
cl o s e by the L if e B u oy and h ailing her crew desired the m to throw over
b o a r d so m e of the planks which for m ed the l atter vessel s deck load By
s kilful m an o e uv ring these planks were picked up by the c r ew o f the for m e r
v esse l an d a b o t t o m was s oon m ade for the gur ry pen and tightly caulked
Th e sherm e n then r an near enough to th e wreck t o thr o w a rope on board
and th e gurry pen boat was got aoat an d was h auled back and forth be
tween the two vessel s m aking two trips Befor e leaving the wreck he r crew
s ent o n b o ard o f the D en n is a j ib and ga ff topsail so that the latter m igh t
h ave s u ffi cien t canva s to reach the l and Four m e n were r e s cued ; th e
m ate had been washed overboa r d an d drowned during the gal e
I n M arch o f the foll o wing yea r and while stil l in the sa m e sch oone r
W hile lying to i n a ga l e on Ge o rge s
M u r phy had an o ther fall f r o m aloft
t h e vessel plun ged s o heavily int o the se a that the s p r i n g s t ay beca m e de
t a c h e d fr o m th e fo re m ast head leavi n g the m ain m ast witho ut suppo r t o n t h e
fo r ward side and liable to fall u n les s so m ething could be d o n e t o s tay it
Thi s c o uld o nly be e ff ected by so m e one taking the risk o f g o ing al o ft
up
B u t we w i ll
o n th e m a in m a s t w h ic h as s t at e d m ig h t b r ea k at a ny m i n u te
,

B I S HB B M B N

B O OK

O WN

l et Murphy te ll th e

st o ry in h is o wn wo r d s
Th e s k ippe r t o l d m e t o t ake
a three inch m a n il a r O p e usual l y about fty fath
t h e e n d of the ne t warp
o m s l ong a l o f t with m e an d bend it aroun d the m a i n m as wi th a run ni ng
p
bowline as high above the g aff o f the th r ee r eefed s ail a s I c o u l d r each
Making a l o o p i n the en d of the r o pe I threw it o ve r m y head an d cli m bed
u p o n the m ast h o ops till I r eached t h e ga ff which I g o t ast r ide of an d
p ro ceede d t o execute m y task Thi s I acco m pli s h ed i n a f e w m o m ents
an d having shoved the ro pe up as high as I could agai n s at down o n the
g aff unconsciou s ly t h ro wing b o th legs o n the weath e r side instead o f sittin g
ast r ide o f it as o ne al m o s t always will This s ee m ingly triing ci r cu m stance
n tio n of the skippe r a s s oon as I
r
obably
s
aved
life
I
t
was
the
inte
m
y
p
got the e nd of the warp f ast to take the other e n d to the wi ndl ass a n d heave
But before this c o uld be done an d while I was in tently watch
t aut o n it
ing the m o ve m ent s on deck the vesse l took a heavy plunge a n d as h e r h o w
r o s e agai n an d he r s te r n dr o pped sudden l y into the h o l l o w of the sea the
m ain m ast broke unde r m e and fel l with a c r ash ove r the s tern breaki n g
agai n where it struck o n the ta ff rail J u s t h o w I e s caped I can hardly tell
I on l y kn ow that feeling th e m ast go
t h e whol e thing wa s done s o quickly
ing I thre w m ysel f fro m the ga ff and fel l all i n a heap in the c or n er for m e d
by the taff r ail and le e q uar te r r ail At the s a m e i n stan t the m a s t s truck o n
H ad I fallen a f e w i n ches fa r
t h e ta ff rail above m y head as I l ay on deck
t he r aft I s h o uld have struck in the water and rescue would have been i m
possi b le As it was I received n o inj ury beyond a litt l e shaking up a few

b r uise s e tc an d was so o n able t o resu m e d u ty

The next r e m a rkable adven ture that he had occu rr e d i n the F al l o f
while he was with m e in the sch G le n wo o d Toward the cl os e o f a
1 8 69
disagreeab l e dri z z ly day i n O ctobe r we ran into P o rt H o od C B where
a large eet had collected in anticipati o n o f a s to rm
Al l o f th e be s t an
chorin g grou n ds were o ccupied and we were obliged to take a berth n o t fa r
fro m the lon g san d ba r which exte nds n early two thirds o f th e distance
across the s o uthe r n side of the harbor leaving a c o m paratively n ar r ow ch a n
n e l betwee n that and the s an d spit s o ff the easter n s hore
Th at n ight and
the n ext day th e w e athe r was o nly what m ight be expected r aw bree z y
an d unple asan t
About nine o clock o n the sec o nd n ight th e win d h ac k e d

spit s
t o no rth n ortheast and bega n to pipe in good earne s t with occasio n al
W e l et g o the secon d a n cho r paid o u t a g oo d scope o n both c a
o f s n ow
ble s and having set a n anch or watch tur n ed in All h a n d s we r e cal led
agai n at m idnight to pay o u t m o re cable though o n accoun t o f the L izz ie
A T a r r l ying directly as te r n o f us a n d ve ry C l o s e there was n o t r oo m
enough f o r s o l ong a scope a s we wished to h ave o u t At t hi s ti m e it wa s
i n tensely dark the air wa s lled with s now a n d s leet an d the gale h ad i n
c re a s ed to a l m os t a hu rr ica n e
The t ide t o o had r i s e n to an a l m os t u n p r e

FI S HE R M E N

220

O WN

BOO

K
.

heigh t an d th e re was a s h a rp choppy sea in the harb or Af te r

we had veered out the cable but whil e the m e n were stil l o n deck we s aw a
*
vessel driving down dire ctly for us broadside to the win d W e m ade an
atte m pt to sheer our vessel out of her path but were only partially successful
S h e struck us on the port bo w an d her s tarboard anchor which hung at t h e
cat head caugh t ove r our port cabl e This brou gh t the s train of b o th ves
s e ls o n our anchors which gave way an d down we we n t un der the bow of
the L iz z ie T a r r broadside o n the bowsprit of the l atte r vess e l co m ing i n
o ver our quarter rail and passing b e t ween th e starboard m ain rigging an d
the m ain m ast while the L izz ie C o o k l ay on our po rt sid e pounding away at
us as she rose an d fe ll with t h e s e a For a ti m e it see m ed that our vesse l
would be ground up betwe en the other t wo or th at the whole th re e of u s
would be dri ven toge th e r in a pile o n the bar not m ore th an three hundre d
fathom s to l e eward over wh ich the sea was bre aking m asth e ad high Fo r
t u n a te ly t h e T a r r s anchors hel d on and gave us ti m e to e xtricat e o ur ve s
In less ti m e than it takes to write it I
s e l fro m he r dangerous p o sitio n
h ad ju m ped o n b o ard of the C o o k an d requested her S kipper to pay o ut
m o re cable s o that his v e ss e l woul d drop aft o n our quarter
This he did
and watching for th e right m om en t the l anyards of our starboard m ain rig
ging w e re cut away freein g the bowsprit of the Ta r r ; our vessel swung hea d
to t h e wind an d we paid out on our cables dropping down betwe e n t h e
other t wo vessels and astern o f the m where we hel d on thinking we woul d
b e safe
But in this we w e re disappointed for before we had a ch ance to
r e eve o ff n e w la nyards for our rigging we were startled by th e cry th at ou r
starboard cable had been cut by the crew of one of the vess e ls we had bee n
in collision with The rst thing to be done was to rig the stock i n th e

spare a n chor which we h ad o n deck W e h ad j ust co m pleted this j ob

an d were ab o ut to bend the cable to the anchor whe n so m e o ne shoute d

out in a dis m ayed ton e W e re all adrift ! they ve cut our other cable
Not a m o m en t could be wasted for the foa m ing and roaring breake rs o n th e
ba r were right to lee ward L uckily ou r vessel fel l o ff head to the e astward
and I instan tly deter m ined to run out of the h arbor though the da r knes s
o f the night in tensied by the blinding snow re ndered the atte m pt to pas s
betwee n the s o uthern bars an e xtre m ely ha z ardous und e rtaking As I r a n
aft t o clear th e wheel I shouted Bear a h and on the foresail ; be lively

n o w and ge t it on her !
It was soon up about as high as if it wa s s ingl e
r eefe d wh e n I righted the wheel the sail l led and our l ittle vessel sta rte d
o ff with the speed of a race hors e dragging beh in d h e r the port cable which
stretching out in the wake an d glisten ing with phosphore scence look e d like
an i m m ense e ry sea se r pe n t
H ard up ! kee p he r o ff i shouted the l o ok
c e d e n te

Th

L i zz i e C o o k

f N

wbu ryp o rt

F I S HE R M E J V S

O WN

BOO

22 I

o ut Up wen t th e wheel th e vessel swingi n g quickly o ff unti l a ligh t wa s

di m ly seen on the w e ather bow and the cry of S teady ! so assured m e

that we we re h e ading all right The n ext in stan t we we nt rushing by th e
Hardly h ad we
s t e rn of on e of the eet just clearing her m ain boo m

passed that one when a voice cried out again L u ff ! lu ff hard ! an d we

sw e pt by a n oth e r schoo n er al m ost scraping th e e n d of her bowsprit with
our le e rigging These were the outside ves s e ls of th e eet and h aving
k ept a m ental calculatio n of the distan ce run I j udg e d s o on afte r passing
th e m that we w e re far enough to k e ep o ff and run out of the chan n e l
W h e n out by the bar we j ib e d the for e sail an d h auled to on the starboard
tack In j ibing the ga ff was broke n and the pe ak halyards caught ove r
Notwithstanding this we were abl e to range
t h e horns of the cros s trees
ahead slowly u p under the lee of t h e bar close e n o ugh to it t o m ake co m par
atively s m ooth water Probabl y n o t m ore th an fteen m inute s had passed
fro m the ti m e our secon d cable was cut until we h o v e to o utside of the ba r
At this ti m e the an cho r was ben t with t h e e xc e p tion of th e l as t sei z ing which
was soon put o n W e then took h ol d of the anchor an d threw it over the b o w
but in our hurry did n ot lift the bigh t of th e cable clear of the cat head
Th e resul t was th at the an chor fetched up with the stock just unde r water
and as we were drifting o ff shore it was i m portan t that it should be C leare d
fro m this awkward pr e dica m e n t with as little del ay as possible The quick
est way o f course was to reeve the cat stoppe r an d cut the anch o r ; but
this coul d only be done at con siderable ri sk But without waiting fo r o r
d e rs an d on ly saying to t h e m e n abou t the windlass L ook out that the

cable don t slip Murphy slid down on the hawse r rove o ff the cat stoppe r
and was soon on deck again 3 n o t h ow e ver before h e h ad b e e n s oused u n
der wat e r s e veral ti m es H aving cleared the cable we paid out sixty o r
seven ty fatho m s an d rod e out the gale The foll owing day we were al m os t
co m p e lled to part with our last anch or The high tide h ad oated o ff th e
beach at the head of the harbor an ol d vessel which had b e en h auled up
there O n c e a o a t s h e wen t drivi n g on down through th e e e t and bro u gh t
up on the bar W h e n th e tide rose about n oon she oated o ff and ca m e
drifting down straight for us W e m ade all possible preparation s to clea r
h e r but wh e n s h e neared us t h e current or u n te r to w C hang e d h e r course
so m ewh at so tha t she pass e d by a little distan ce o ff an d driving ashore o n
the cli ff astern of us so o n wen t to pieces Th at aftern oon we ran t o C an
s o where we r e tte d
I n 1 8 7 0 Murphy shipped with Capt J am es L u n d e r k i n in the sch W i l l ia m
F P o o l e but backed out
The vessel was lost on Ge orges with all han ds
T h e sa m e W inte r Murphy had another tu m ble ov e rboard
H e was the n
in t h e I I i a wa t/i a which lay at anchor o n Georges H e s ays :
I went o n
the h o use to cast o ff the fall o f the m ain boo m tO p i n glif t when j ust as I
.

O WN B O OK

F I S HE R M E I V S

222

grasped the ro pe ou r ves s el gave a tre m endous l urch throwing m e

I clung to the rope h o weve r wh ich was of
o ve r the rail i n to the wate r
c o n sid e rable l e n gth and h auled m yse l f al o n gside by it when m y ship m ate s
r eached down grabbed m e by the ar m s and assisted m e to cli m b o ve r the

r ail
Had he l ost his grip o f the r O pe hi s r escue w
ould h ave been im
possible
I n the S u m m e r o f 1 8 73 wh en returning ho m e f r o m the Grand Bank i n
the sch B D Ha sk ins Murphy en cou n tere d th e terric hu rr ica n e of Aug
2 4 and 2
m
which
wrought
such
aw
f
ul
h
avoc
a
o n g our shing eets The
5
little vessel deeply lade n wi th salt c o d s h slowly pursued her way towa r d s
ho m e until she neared S able Island whe r e she wa s overtaken by the st o rm
An atte m pt was m ade to carry reefed sails and gai n an o ffi ng fro m the I S I
and but so rapidly did the gale increase that the ves s el was soo n hove t o
u nder close reefed foresail an d eve n with t his s m all s ail he r l ee side wa s
b uried 3 while to m ake m atters wo r se it was ascertained by soun ding th a t
s he was drifting into sh o al water I t wa s n ight in tensely dark and eve ry
wave lo o ked like a breaker The littl e schoo n er was contin ually swept by
t h e sea s which r an sharp an d high 3 eve rything m oveable o n deck wa s ca r
r ie d away ; the wais t b o a r d s stripped o ff 3 and it see m ed i m possible for he r
t o outlive the hurrica n e
Finding the water constan tly shoal ing and de
S p a i r i n g of e scape unde r sail the anchor was le t go but the stor m was so
v iolen t that it would n o t hold
About m idnight the wind which had b e e n
b lowing fro m southe ast cha nge d suddenly t o n orth northeast an d fo r a
while ke pt j u m ping fro m one point to anothe r h owling ercely fro m which
e ver directio n i t ca m e and kn ocking the s e a all up i n heaps
About this
t i m e t h e m e n o n the H a s k in s who scarcely expecte d to see the light of
a nothe r day we r e s tartled an d terr i ed by a m ost r e m arkable pheno m enon

D rive n s wiftly along by the h ur r icane says Murphy ca m e a den se blac k

c loud bearing on it s e aster n en d a huge e ry pill ar

The cl oud rese m
b ling an unearthly spectre carr ying with it p hospho rescen t res pas s e d
C lose by the ve ssel and swept out of sight to l e eward
S o appalling wa s
i t s appearance that four of the m e n overco m e by their superstitious fears
as wel l as the te rror inspire d by their fearful situatio n went into c o n v u l

I n the m eanti m e the vessel wa s d rifting and a depth of on ly six

s i o ns
t ee n fatho m s having bee n reached it was deter m ined to cut away the m asts
i n h o pe s th at the s choo n er m ight fetch u p
The on ly tools available fo r
t his pu rpose were tw o dul l hatchets
I t was slow work to cut in su ffi ciently
o n o n e side of the m ast s especial ly as the workers had to be constant l y on
th e alert to save the m selves fro m bei n g washed o verboard
After a while
h oweve r the j ob wa s acc o m plished th e lanya r d s c ut away a n d afte r s tand
h ad

O WN

FISHERM EN S

OO

2 23

a rol or two the m asts went c r as h ing over the side i n to th e water
T h e next th i ng was to clear away the lee rigging and head stays which stil l
h e l d the sp ars alongsid e bu m ping and poun ding and threat e ning to knock
a hol e in the vessel This was the most dangerous task of all but wa s s u c
B ut
c e s s f u l ly accomplished without any one meeting with serious
even after the m asts were gon e and the little vessel lay a dismantl e d wreck o n
the water the anchor would n o t hold st e adily I n t h e meantime somewhere
about an hour after the spars wer e cut away a huge wave swept over an d
ac r o s s t h e bow t e ari n g o ff the cutwat e r and head and also ca r rying away
the bowsprit At last wh e n even the bravest were almost ready to despair,
the anchor took a rm hold of the bottom and the hull of the little schoo n e r,
stripped bare for th e ght rose more buoyantly o n top o f the waves The
sounding line showed a depth of t e n fathoms wh e n she brought up B ut
n otwithstanding the dangerous charact e r o f the sea caused by the shallow
the gallant little craft rode it out
n ess of the wat e r an d t h e f u r y o f the ga le
in safe ty Toward the close of the 2 5 t h the storm abated A s soo n a s
p racticable j ury m asts were rigge d and sufci e n t sail (t h e sails had bee n
sav e d when the spars w e re cut away) was s e t upon these to work the vesse
in near Cape C an s o where s h e was fall e n in with by the s c h F r a n k o f
Charlottetown , P E
and towed to Port H awkesbury L ying at the
wharf with j u r y s p ars lashed to the stumps of the m asts the naked stanch
ion s sticking up along h e r sides and with deck polished to immaculate
whiteness by the sand that had swept over it in the gale fr the H ar e m: p re
sented a scene su f cie ntly d e sol ate looking to convince any one o f the ter
rible ordeal through which s h e had passed
A short time aft e rwards M urphy met with another adve n ture from which
h is e scap e with life was as remarkabl e as in the previous in stance T his was
o n t h e 1 4 th of J anuary 1 8 7 4 at which tim e h e an d I were shi p mates o n the
E as te r n Que e n engag e d in the haddock she ry u n d e r comm and o f
sc h
C apt W illiam Corliss O n th e evening of the 1 3 th we hauled out of Com
m e r c i a l dock and started down B o sto n harbor b e ating out against a m o d
T h e n igh t was dark with an overcast s k y an d some
c rate south e ast wind
indications of snow but nevertheless we worked slowly along The skip
r st a id on d e ck directing the m o i e m e n t s of the vessel until o n e o clock
e
p
o n t h e morning of the 1 4 th by which time we were down o ff N a h an t M y
s e lf and watchmat e were th e n called to re lieve the watch on deck I had
i ng

fo r

'

ski pp r of h B D H k i t old s oo ft r h g l d whi l h v ss l

l
i C
s o w i ti g for r p irs th t h pr s r tio of h s choo r d l i s
l rg l y d to c oo l ss d pl ck of M rp h y d ri g h s or H
b o r d of h
w
p rti c l rl y d is ti g is h d hi s l f i c tti g w y h s p r s d cl i g wr ck
r is of th ick w ith s d d ri g h vy g l s
d pth of tw ty t o
i
tTh w
tw ty f th o s
*T h e

ay

an

er ,

u a
e

en

at e

- ve

as

te n

as

th

ue

me,

ns

an

ne

va

ea

an

a e

a e

an
ne

an

e ar n

e ve n

an

th

t e

th e
t

ve

en

o n

22

F I S HE R M E N

B O OK

0 WN

scarcely taken the whe e l When I n oticed that L ong I sland light which was

almost directly ast e rn was shutting in an d could b are ly be s e e n I i m

m e diate ly noti e d t h e skipp e r but wh e n I looked the s e cond time to as c e r
tain the correct b e arings of t h e light it could no t be s e en Almo st at the
sam e instant we had a snow pu ff and t h e win d veered to the eastward a
co u ple of points W e tacked and ran back fo r B road S oun d A f ter tack
ing a bright lookout was k e pt the ski pp e r hims e lf being forward anxiously
watching to catch a glimpse of L ong I sland light Aft e r a whil e th e skip

per shouted H ow do you h e ad ?

S outhwest by w e st I replied
L et
he sang out again I b e gan to roll the wh e el down a s
h e r lu ff then
quickly as possible but before t h e v e ss e l had swung to m ore th an two points
bumping an d pounding until at last s h e
s h e str u ck o n bottom j umping
stopp e d still ; h e eli n g down consid e rably the sp e e d with which she was run
ning having c arri e d h e r into so m e what less wat e r than s h e drew A dark
obj ect could now be indistinctly s e en on o u r weath e r bow which we knew
to be F aun B ar B e ac o n F our of us started for th e city in a dory to s e cure
the servic e s of a steam tug t h e s k ipp e r being one of the party Almost as
soo n as we left the side of the v e ssel we found ourselves among br e ak e rs 3
th e dory was half ll e d with wat e r and we began to reali z e the di ffi culties
and da ngers that lay before us in thr e ading the tortuous channels of B osto n
h arbor at night in a frail boat during a wild wintry snow storm B ut th e re
was no thought of backing out a n d having go t cl e ar of the breakers and
fre e d our boat fro m her waterlogge d conditi o n we started again At last
and much to our j oy we m ad e L ong I sland light its rays looming dimly
through t h e sno w almost over o ur heads R owing past t h e eet anchored
in t h e R oads we soon aft e r came to S pectacle I sland an d in due time
reach e d the C astl e
B ye and bye we cam e to a lo ng pi e r at the head of
which lay a large schooner whil e a sho r t distance o ff could b e se e n th e
ruddy re e ction of light fro m some sort of blasting
W e start e d
again and after a hard pull against t h e wind which was then about e ast

northeast and blowing strong we reach e d T dock where we found an d

w e nt o n board of the steam tug C M
which lay there with banked
res N otwithstanding the oil cloth e s we all had o n we were drenched to
the skin and t h e skipp e r who had s a t in t h e stern of t h e boat look ing out
not having had any ex e rcise like the r e st of u s was s o thoroughly chilled
when we reached the steam e r that h e could not speak cohere ntly and could
scarc e ly stand W e soon made known our wants to the captain of t h e tug
but the weather was so thick that he did no t dare to start before daybre ak
At last the anxiously watched for daylight began to appear ; the st e amboat
m e n bustled aroun d casting o ff lines and shortly the pu ff p uff of t h e e ngines
,

,
.

*T h e

th Bo s to n I r o n W ork s

FISHERM EN

B O OK

O WN

22

assured u s t h at the much wished for start was being m ade B ut s o i n

t e ns e ly thick wa s th e misty fog that in t h e gray light of the early morn i ng
that it was impossible to discern anything a h undred yards distant R e ach
ing D e e r I sland B e acon we h e aded out into B ro ad S ound A littl e later
we saw a vessel o n our port beam that had evidently j ust anchored W e
slowed up thinking it might be ours but d e ciding it was no t we started
o n again B ut n o w we b e gan to meet with t h e oc e an swell and t h e little
steamer plunged and rolled terribly s e nding showers of spray over the
Down o ff the F a u n B ar buoy the s e a almost brok e
t 0 p of t h e pilot hous e
from t h e bottom and consid e ring it too risky to venture o n the back side of
the bar the captain of the tug turned her around an d ran back again fo r
t h e schoo ner we h a d s e e n o n our way out and which much to our surprise
and pleasure prov e d to be the E a s te r n Que e n W e now gav e h e r a towing
warp and the anchor having be e n w e igh e d towed her to Comm e rcial
dock wher e at last we could hear the story of the escape which befo r e we
could only co nj e cture After we left the vessel i n the dory the tide rose
slo wly t h e wind and sea increasing at t h e same time causing her to poun d
ve ry h e avily The m e n o n board o ne of whom was M urphy deeming it
unsafe to stick by any l o nge r if they could leave i n the boats hoisted o ut a
do ry by way of experi m e n t an d paid her do wn to le e ward of the vessel
B ut it was soon evid e nt that the attempt to row a bo at throug h the breakers
would b e absolute madness for the dory had b e e n but a f e w moments o ut
wh e n s h e was struck by a wav e rolled ov e r and ov e r and knocked about
lik e an e gg shell in the ye asty waters that were the n foaming all about the
apparently doomed Que e n F ailing i n this scheme and knowing that the
vess e l would soo n pound h e r bo ttom o u t unless som e thing mor e was do ne
sinc e e very time she fell the grinding of planks and cracking of timbers
co u ld b e distinctly heard t h e m e n determin e d to put h e r head o n Th e y
there for e hoisted the fore sail and j ib an d slipping t h e cable drove h e r o n
as fast as t h e tide came ; when e ver s h e rose on a s e a she gained a little
ahead T h e cas e with them was now absolutely desp e rate Th e re would
n ot be ev e n at full ood as much wat e r o n the bar as the Qu e e n drew by
*
n e arly two feet
The win d blew almo s t a gale and the s e a broke ov e r her
in all dire ctions Ther e was e very reaso n to suppose that s h e might bilge
and bre ak up I f this happ e n e d every soul o n board must perish B u t
M urphy resolutely clung to the wheel and h e aded her o n the bar At las t
ros e o n a wave started ahead k ep t go zng / while the j oyful sho ut of
sh e
W e r e off ! we re aoat I was raised by e v e ry one
O wing to the d e nsity

h e n w e re tu rn e d to t h e pl ac e at l o w ti d e o n t h e n e x t d ay to s e c u re th e c abl e an d ah
ch or that h ad b e e n s l i pp e d t h e b ar w as dr y ; an d a d e e p track l i ke a fu rro w m arke d t h e
p o i n t whe re t h e E a s te r n Qu e e n h ad pl o ughe d h e r w ay thro ugh a m ass of ro cks v aryi n g in
siz e from a w ate r p ail to a l arge cas k
*W

F I S HE R M E N

226

B O OK

O WN

the f o g they ra n on y a sho rt dista n ce and having made the buoy o n th e

I nner F aun came to anchor where short y after we s aw them The f act
that the f orefoot and after p art o f the keel o f the vesse was ground o ff into
the wood e nds and s ix or seven bilge planks were cut through or n early
th rough causing a leak of 2 go o strokes an hour tel s how narrow an esca p e
f rom d e ath those had who remained on board
S uch are some though by no means all of the adve n tures through whic h
Capt M urphy has passed and the fact that he still liv e s to brave the per

i ls of the dee p and is as vigorous

h ale and hearty as any o n em migh t
be cited a s proof that
T he r e s a s we e t l i tt l e ch e ru b sit s up al oft

e
t
e
e
T o w at ch ov r h l i f of p oor J ack
o

T HE O PE N S E A
B Y

F ar
W

he re t o ssi n g bi ll o w s m o ck th e sk y
A n d s h r i ll w i n d s wh is t l e fr e e
e e c y cl o u d s go h u rr yi n g b y
A nd
W h at c are w e for t h e l an d
E x ce p t t o ke e p i t f ar aw ay ?
F o r h e r e no r o ck s or w he l m i ng s an d
t

ea

th

ur

an

m u

n u

ea

an

th e

l d is gu i l e
d d tr c h r y
an

il d b s
W h r h c o w r d l r k s w i t h s t l th y wi l
A d s oo th d c i t f l f c
i
d c it !
H
i g w s h m k s t ck ;
T h S or K
S wi f h r ld s w i t h w h i t h rry i g f t
T ll h pp ro c h of h t p s t bl ck
s tr ggl s g i s t w i d d w v
M
h o s t g h t th t is f i
I
d fr
lo
sv
A d G
H rr h for h o p
!
au

ea

ar n

a e

er e

a e,

e an

ea

e a

an

s no

a n

em

an

ee

ta
,

'

a r an

ne

n an

an

re e ,

W o e an

ere

ue

ar an

Alo g f co s l y
Al o g h l d l i s h o l s
T r ch ro s b d cr l f
c rl i g br k r o ll s
Wh r
d gr i f
of
W i th o r f l m o
ree

o ur

o ut at se a,

ne c a n

e n se a

ee ,

F I S HE R M E N

s s

Glouc e t er

B O O

O WN

22

E xh ibiti o n at th e C ent enni al

The F ishery E xhibit made by this city at the Cen tennial at Philadelphia
in 1 8 7 6 gav e m uch satisfaction to the thousan ds who witnessed it a n d
this tog e th e r with the distributio n of the v e tho usan d copies of the Cen
t e n n i a l Pamphlet giving a full desc r iptio n of t h e s hing industry and the
relation which G louc e ster s ustained as t h e large st shing port in the United
S tat e s undoubt e dly resulted b e n e cially in a business p o int of view M r
ing the abl e and int e resting Centennial correspo nden t of th e
E dward K
B osto n J ournal wrote t h e fol lowing account of the G loucester exhibit
which was publish e d in th e colum ns of that paper an d we are pleased to
reproduce it in the pages of The F ishermen s O wn B ook :
I n the Vi cinity of the Aquarial Departm e nt in the Agricu tu ra Hall the
city of G loucest e r has erected a tank 2 3 by 1 2 feet lled wi t h water i n
whic h corre ct models o f t h e shing eet of the old and n e w tim e s ar e aoat
illustrating t h e differe nt branches of the sheries I n o ne co rn er is the old
cob wharf of R e volutionary years with its primitive appliances an d the
odd q uaint pi n kies lying beside it O pposite it is a mo del of the m assive
and durable pile wharves such as are b u ilt in G loucester i n 1 8 7 6 ten time s
as large as the old on e s O n this the shermen are shown at work packing
m ackerel All t h e appliances of shing wharves are exhibited R anged
about in the little harbo r are models of all the various improvements in sh
ing craft from 1 8 0 0 d own to the pre sent time The old M a ne k e s ze r a f a
mous sh e r in her day built about the b e ginning of this century is e xhibite d
in mod e l The M a n ek e s te r is still in existence and is n o w i n the carrying
trad e some where down E ast
The bankers that go to G eorges B ank
the s e in e rs an d the m ark e t boats are all shown and a practical mode
gi v e s a very correct idea of the setting of a mackere l s e ine
I n addition to th e ex h ibit in this t a n k th e re is a ne collection of obj ects
belonging to the sheries or of curiosities collected during the voyages
The quadrant mad e in 1 7 6 1 an d used by Capt I saac Day over a century
ago is shown ; near it stands an hour glass still old e r There is also a cu
r i o u s substance resembling branch coral which is said to have been shed
up in o ne hundred and fty fath o ms of wate r by a bank e r
H ere too are
se e n al l t h e applianc e s which m ake the sh i ng vessel of to day a palace
compare d with its rude prototype of a c e n tu r y ago
G loucester maintains her position as rst among shing ports proudly
E v e r y y e ar more and more dire ct trade com e s to h e r
and s h e still controls
her m arket even o n the Pacic coast s e n ding gr eat quantities of sh to

22

F I S HE R M E N

S acramento

O WN

B O O

K
.

I t is n o t a little curious also that this very year s h e h as be

gun exporting sh to S weden O n e would have thought that like carryi n g
B ut even strang e r things m ay happen
c oals to N ewcastle
The exhibit of the G loucester sheries i s however the most interesting
one of its kind in the E xhibition I t is by far the most compl e te as it gives
a n accurate idea of the growth from very small proport ion s to th e ir present
gigantic status of the sheries of the larg e st shing port in the world
B rave old G louc e ster ! Th e re is almost poetry in these toy sails and mim ic
wharves and imitation seas S pread out before the eyes of visitors to the
E xhibition for they recall the m any pathetic sto ries which we have heard
of the losses o f go od sherm e n and their ships o n the gloomy and treacher
o u s banks
.

T HE W I DO W S AP PEAL TO

T HE W I N DS

B Y

GE

i d s to yo r ch rg I gi
M
b o i sh r l d ;
A t r s r ry d r t o
bs
ks
d
W ho s
l iv
H t i l s th t w
H is oth r sist rs h
d f th r l ss
W i do w d
M d s o b y th
B l o w s t d y l
gls
T h i r f r y b rs t p o
T h c r f w h i c h h o ld s
y bo y
This d rl i g o l y
tl y h s owy s i l s
G
Fi ll w i th t h y w o d ro s b r t h
i
b ck to
A d w f
to d th
A d
W

nn e

e a u e ve

e nc e m a

e a

an

ee

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t h m

no t

m e,

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um

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me

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,

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rea

ne

a e

en

un

y;

a e ,

ve

e m a

a e

ua

a e

a e

ea

mu

ea

so n .

cr v
Tho too st g rd y b
D
t h is gr c f l for
T o th y b r c d c o y ;
B t b r hi
s f ly
Thy p th l ss b i ll owy s p c
T h t w y gl d s o b
A t sigh t of t h t d r f c
B o y p h is ss l w ll
Y w v s y o r forc s bd
N
s ll h ors t k
B t t y o r ch rg b t r
A o d t h s ch oo r s p ro w
I
ti y w v l ts b k
0 t r c h ro s h
i g
F
hi d r s k
a

boo

s e a, a

en

e t no

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em

e ,

PRO

o no

m e sa

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OR G E

AN D S EA

se a,

F I S HE R M E N

Pi c k ing th e N e ts
W /ze r e in W e F i n d G
I te m :

n te r e s t

o aa

C o n c e r n i ng tk e s

and

k er m e n

22

Tr awl s,

n c i d e n ts ,

F a c ts , I

qf

a u l:

B O O

O WN

ana

Of f f a n a S k e tc h e s ,

Tk e ir

C a l l ing

a nd

I M O R TA N T T O F l S HE R M E N T h e Direct United S tates Cabl e Company

h ave charts for t h e guidance and information of shermen showing the lo
catio n of the company s cables with the d e pths of water and re qu e st c ap
tain s to give th e m a wid e berth S hould any vessel how e v e r lose her
anchor or cable by reason of co m ing i n contact with the telegraph cable
a n d will u s e every endeavor to sav e the same fro m damage t h e compa n y
will re imburse t h e loss subj ect to adj ustment upo n be ing satised that the
claim is a j ust one O n the fourth page of the advertising department m ay
be found full partic u lars and it being of great public i n teres t we thus call
attention to it
The s um of $ 1 0 0 was received by Collector B abso n in M arch 1 8 8 r f rom
the Direct Unit e d S tat e s Cable C o as compensatio n for the loss of anchor
by sch O l i ve r E ld r idge Capt J ohn S cott The schooner was at anchor o n
B rown s B ank and had drifted during a high wind and fouled the tel e graph
cable Upon asc e rtaining t h e fact Capt S cott cut his cable and reported
the case to Collector B abson who sen t o n the evidence and the company
promptly paid t h e damages The honorable mann e r in which t h e company
proposes to deal with our shermen should entitl e it to the most careful
co nsideratio n whe n th e y a r e shing in the vicinity of the cable by using
eve r y precaution to avoid fouling it and when fouling to cut at once rathe r
t h an run the risk of injuring t h e cable
.

I N T ERE S T ING STAT IS T I C S C L E A N E D F R O M E X P E R

I M E N T S o r TH E U S F I S H CO MMI SS I O N IN G L O UC
ES T E R The loss of we ight of c o d s h from the
r o u n d t o the m ark e t dried sh is fro m
5 4 % to 6 5 %
per cent the av e rage loss b e ing about 6 0 2 3 d is
tributed as follows : L oss in S plitting 4 o 4 4 loss
in pickle 1 4 9 6 loss on akes 0 4 8 3 T h e S hrink
age in length fro m the round to the split s h is from 6 % to 1 1 % inches
By extra drying in the warmest weather the average loss in weight is about
a half per cent more T h e loss of w e ight of Ge orges co d in curing after
being split an d salted on bo ard the vessel averages about 1 1 % p e r c e nt
The average loss in weight of market dried sh in boning is nearly 2 2 per
.

'

F I S HE R M E N

23o

B O O

O WN

K
.

t dried

cent
Pollock from the round to the ark
sh lose on a n
averag e 5 9 8 1 0 p e r cent and S hrink in length from 8 to 1 2 inches H ad
dock shrink in len gth from the rou n d to the m arked dri e d sh from 4 to 5 %
i n ches an d los e in we ight 6 2 3 1 0 per cen t The loss of weight in hake
from t h e round to th e m arket dri e d s h average s 5 5 % per cent the loss
Cusk lose from the round to the market
I n length from 4 % to 1 0 inches
dried sh 5 0 % per c e nt in w e ight and from 4 % to 7 % inches i n length
m

ll

P R O T E C T ING T R A W L A N D N E T F IS H ER M E N The following is the fu

text of the bill approved M arch 1 1 1 8 8 2 to take e ff ect forty days thereafter
for the protection of the rights of lobster net and trawl she r men :
Any person who shall take any sh or lobster from any trap trawl or
sein e s e t for catching sh or lobsters exc e pt by consent of the owner there
of an d any perso n who shall wilfully mol e st or inte rfere with such trap
trawl or seine shall f o r the rst o ff e nce be punished by a ne of not less
than ve nor more than twenty v e dollars or by both ne and impriso n
m ent
and for any subsequ e nt o ffenc e by a ne of not less than twenty no r
more than fty dollars or by imprisonment fo r sixty days or both ne and

imp r isonment
.

S O M E MA C KERE L T R I S FO R T v FI V E Y EA R S A G O
A blue covered pass
book preserved among the papers of M essrs J ames M ans e ld
S ons give s
an account of the outts of a schooner comman ded by Cap t I gnatius S y
v e ster of R iverd a le on half a do z e n or more m ackerel trips in the S ummer
and F all of
The book is in the handwriting of C apt G eorge W
Plumer with occasion al entri es in the writing of M r J ames M anseld the n
the head of the rm both of whom are still l iving and indicates that besides
Capt S ylv e ster the cre w consisted o f G eorge S tanwood Addison G ri f n
Tristram G r ii n H e nry S tanwood J ohn Parsons and I ssac B abso n all o f
whom with the exception of the two last named are still among the living
Thre e of the n u mber M e ssrs S ylvester H en ry S tan wood a n d G eorge S ta n
wood commanded vessels i n the employ of the M essrs M anseld for a n
aggregat e of one hundred years T h e accounts are m ade o ut in the form

of G re at G en e ral and S mall G e neral the former covering salt fue

an d lights bait and u s e of bait mill
and the latter including provisions
hooks lines leads s awing wood etc The time covered by the pass book
was from J un e 3 0 to N o v 1 6 The fuel consisted of wood a cord and ve
fe e t being required for the s e ason at $7 per cord F or light four gallo ns
and a quart of oil at
e
r
gallon
and
S
ix
pounds
of
candles
at
1
cents
p
5
r pound were requir e d
e
nd
only
e
2 at
W
bbls
of
bait
charged
p
3
and 1 at
S alt was bill e d at
and
per hhd all but 9
h h d s at the higher rate and 3 7 h h d s were taken o n board of which a por
tio n was returned
-

'

l
,

F I S HE R M E N

O WN

B O O

23I

The meat provided excepting 5 3 cents worth of veal consisted of 1 4 2

lbs beef at 8 cents per 1h and 1 7 0 % lbs pork from 1 2 to 1 4 cts p e r 1h ;
2 03 lbs our were supplied at 6 % cts per 1h
4 pecks meal at 3 4 cts per
p eck 4 4 5 lbs bre ad from 7 % to 8 % cts per 1b 5 % bush potatoes from
4 0 to 6 7 cts per bush 5 9 gals molasses at 3 4 and 3 6 cts per gal 3 3 lbs
rice at 5 and 6 cts per 1b 3 bush beans at 8 cts per qt 2 gals vinegar at
a can of mustard a pound of saleratus and a bo t tle of pep
2 0 cts per gal
per sauce F or drink there were 3 5 lbs co ff e e at ten t e n ts p e r f o u n d an d
1
b
1
0
lbs
of
lard
were
used
at
cts
per
1 lb chocolate at 2 2 cents
34 %
an d the butter and cheese bill was very moderate @ only 7 2 cts
,

A S ING U LA R C I R C U M S TA N C E D e c 1 5 1 8 6 5 sch
L i ve Ya n k e e then owned at this po rt by D aniel S ayward
while anchored o n G eorges du r ing a h eavy sea u n
S hipped her bowsprit shroud whic h was lost overbo ard
and when s h e returned to port a n e w o ne was furnished
by M r Addison W itham rigger The next S pring while
the crew were engage d in shing on G eorges one of them caught something
on his hook a n d pull ing up was surprised to nd a bowsprit shroud a t
tach e d S upposing themselves to be anchored over the wreck of some
G eorgesman they brought the shroud in and called some of the riggers to
examine it fo r the purpose of identication and thus to gain information o f
a lost vessel Among them was M r W itham who at once prono u nced i t
the one lost by the L i v e Ya n k ee the Decembe r previous H e was positive
of this as it had a very peculiar long shanked hook di fferent from any other
i n our eet and it correspo nded exactly with the other o ne which i s still i n
use on the vessel I t was in good condition with the exception of some
parts of it being covered with small barnacles I t was indeed singular th at
it S hould be hooked up in the m an ner it was by o ne of the crew of the ves
s e l from which it was lost
.

I S ING LA SS I N D U S T R v The rst establishment in this country for

the manufacture of isinglas s from sh sounds was s e t up in R ockport M ass
i n 1 8 2 2 by a M r H all an E n glishman who came to the town for that pur
pose b e cause he could best buy here the hake sounds he wished to use
H is shop was out n e ar the end of the n e ck the same building M r Addiso n
G ott now uses as a sh house H e rst used wood e n rollers which h ad the
disadvantage of warmth and adhesiven e ss B eside s his rollers were tu r n e d
by hand power two men to a roller m aking very unsteady work it is said
the wages of this huma n power was from thirty to forty cents a day After
some years iro n rollers were introduced and the n e xt improvemen t was
horse power using a treadmill M r H all within a few years after he start
T HE

F I S HE R M E N

B O O

O WN

ed here took in J abe z R owe a s partner and they co ntinued together som e
years After som e twelv e y e ars here M r H all died a n d traditio n says was
quite poor I n the course of time Deacon G ott M essrs W illiam B urn s and
W illiam N or wood became i n ter e sted in the dawning enterprise and they
built the now old R ockport S ound F actory o n Dock S quare They had i h
The price at
t r o d u c e d steam power and m any oth e r later improvements
rst paid for sounds was usually ve or S ix ce n ts a pound O n e year when
the price was held as high as eight cents t hey thought o f abandoning the
busin e ss on account of the enormous cost of sounds This seem s singul ar
to us who i n our time have know n sounds to bring over $ 1 5 0 a p ound
,

Among
the
shermen
of
M
aine
who
formerly
sailed
J
a great wit in his way and always
f rom G loucester was Captain E z ra T
ready with a j ok e or repartee O n on e occas io n while engaged in the m ack
who wa s noted among
e r e l s hery he had as one of h i s crew H iram S
his co m peers for having a remarkably l arge head The last named individ
ual being employed one day in stowing mackerel barrel s in the hold of the
vessel a discussio n arose as to whether a barrel would go i n a certain pl ace
o r not Captain T
wh o was on deck happening to overhear the remark s
pro an d con of the m en i n the hold l eaned over the hatchway and speak

ing to S
said S hove your head in there H i ( an abbreviation for R i

z
ram )
f y o u r k e a a w i l l g o a ba r r e l w i ll !
B ut C aptain T m e t his m atch on on e o c c as I o n I n h is friend a n d neigh
bor Captain R f As the story was told the form e r who was sometimes
addicted to convivial habits crooked his elbow rather too frequently one
eveni n g and having to pass through a growth of woods on his way home
got astray After struggling through underbrush and other obstruction s
and losing his hat he nally reach e d the house o f his friend R
who o f
cours e supplied him with a hat and started him on the right track for home
wa s engaged in trading along t h e coast o f
A few m onths later Captain T
M aine in h is vess e l and amo n g o ther things had some furniture t o sell
and tried to induce the lat
O n e day he called at the house of Captain R
ter to b u y something After enumerating the various kinds of goods he
had for sale a thought struck him and he asked Don t you wan t to buy a
table R
R
who had a large family rep l ied D od blast it no
I ve

more tables now than I can ll with grub

I believe that said T
but at least you ought to have o ne respectable table on which to put gen

t l e m e n s hats when any like me for instance com e s to s e e you

Oh

yes that s so exclaimed R

but wh e n gentlemen like y o u come to s e e
me they generally come d r un k a nd k a r e /ze a a e
T wo O

o k ERs

LD

F I S HE R M E N

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2 33

ER Y P A R T o f the sh is n ow
utili z ed the S kin being the last to
nd i ts place a m ong merchantable
articles This is used for th e man
u f a c tu r e o f s h glue and cemen t
and the product is ranked among
the be st in t h e world There are
two companies in G loucester e u
gaged in i ts manufacture and their business is constantly increasing T h e
r a w m aterial is held at $ 1 2 per ton at which p rice it nds a ready sale
The S kins are a l so used in the manufacture of guano and now that the bone
less sh ind u stry has assumed such large proportions these skins f orm a
large source of prot to the s h dealers
E

F I R S T T R A W L F I S H ER M A N of whom we have any record was M r

Coleman M anning of R ockport whose unexampled success in shing wa s
l ong a mystery to his f ellow shermen until the secret was discovered caus
i ng considerabl e indignation at the method pursued as it was thought it
would damage the sheries This was about 1 8 5 2 and the trawl roll used
by M r M anning a n uncouth looking a ff air h as bee n presented to the N a
M r J ohn R owe of E ast G loucester
t i o n a l M useum of the United S tates
claim s to have s e t a trawl across B race s Cove in M ay 1 8 2 0 but the p ra o
tice wa s no t then followed up
T HE

M E N HAD E N FA C T O R I E s The number of menhaden factories in operatio n

ast year 1 8 8 1 was 9 7 employing 7 3 ste amers and 2 8 6 sailing vessels with
men who caught
s h from which were made
gallons of oil and
tons o f crude o r
tons of d ried guano
-

MAT ER I A L S O F W H I C H F IS H A R E CO M O S E D
Considered from the standpoin t of the food sh
as we buy them in the marke t co nsist of esh o r

edible portio n and refuse bones skin entrails etc

The proportions of refuse in di ffere nt samples o f
the same kind in di fferent conditions vary widely
Thus a sample of ounder con tained 6 8 per cent
of refuse an d o nly 3 2 pe r cent of esh while o ne
o f halibut ste ak had only 1 8 per ce nt of refuse and 8 2 pe r cen t of edible
m aterials Among those with the most refuse and least edible esh are the
ounde r po rgy bass and pe rch Among those with the least refuse are fat
S h ad fat mackerel salmo n and dried and sa t s h The edibl e portion s
c o nsist of water an d solids actual nutrients
The p ro p ortio n o f water a n d
T HE

B O O

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2 34

K
.

solids in the esh of various kinds of s h is m u ch more variable than most

people would suppose Thus the e sh of o u n d e r s had 8 5 per cent of wa
ter and only 1 5 per cen t of solids while that of salmo n contained 3 6 % per
cent solids and 6 3 % per cen t wat e r and the esh of dried smoked and
sal t sh h ave still les s wat e r L ean be e f contains o n the average 2 5 per
cent or one quarter its w e ight of solids the other three quarters b e ing wa
ter while fat pork h as one h alf solids O rdinary fresh meats are from o n e
half to three fourths water while the water in the fresh sh varies from
three f th s to S ixsevenths of the whole T 0 nd the actual nutritive m ate
rials of a sample of sh we m ust rst subtract the refus e the entrails
bones etc
which l e aves the esh Then we must allow for the water in
the esh W h at remains will be the total edibl e solids t h e actual nutritive
m aterial The per centages of edible solids in the di ff erent sampl e s of s h
were more varied than those of refuse an d water Thus 1 0 0 pound s of
o u n d e r s contained only 5 pounds of a ctual nutrients 3 1 0 0 pounds of had
dock 9 poun d s 3 of blu e s h 1 1 pounds 3 of cod 1 2 pounds 3 salt m ackerel
1 6 pounds 3 sha d 1 6 pounds ; salt cod 2 0 pounds 3 salmon 2
and
pounds
3
7

smoked herring 2 8 pound s S e a W o r l a

.

G E O R G E S BA N K F or the benet o f m any who will peruse this volume

we will state that G eorges B ank is 1 9 0 m iles east southeast from C ape Ann
and about a twenty hours run in a good bree z e for one of our sh e rmen
There is shoal water shing and deep water s h i n g the latter requiring
from 1 0 0 to 1 5 0 f athoms of line and is comparatively n ew the rst seaso n
o f its success being in 1 8 7 6
L a H a ve B ank is 1 0 0 miles east of G eorges
and shing thereon h as been commenced by o ur eet within the past ve
years
T H E O L D MA N S Y A R N A 72 Of s /z a l N a r r a
ti ne T was in the S ummer of S eventee n as ne
an August day as you have ever seen O u r S ary
Ann u p on the beach s e t up a m ost unearthly
screech and in a t she fell F rom cot and wind
m ill n ear at hand al armed to hear her yell quick
out upon the glistening sand the n eighbors rushed
pell mell N o ne e d o f words from S ary An n
what startled her to te l for every m aid and every
m a n who to the beach s o quickly ran s oon s a w a
sight that caused a fright and m ade th em fee
from head to heel as limp as this umb rel F or
there two hundred yards from shore a m onster
none had seen before upreared its hideous head 3
with f ork e d tongue a n d eyes of ame an d looks o f menace o n it came as
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35

to s trike them dead 3 the waters half a mile away were lashed with fury
into S pray each time it m oved its tail and al the way between rose hump
on hump of olive green like huge waves in a gale G lad hearts were th e irs

who watched that day to apprehension dire a prey to s e e the m o nster

turn aside and fro m the harbor quickly glide H orse mackerel and porpoise
schools will do to talk about to fools ; b ut we who lived in seventee n kn ow
that the s e a serp en t wa s seen

if

tons buil t at E ssex in 1 8 3 1 i s

C R A FT lPinkey S e n a to r
still owned at this port S ch A n n P a r k e r built at W ells M e in 1 8 5 0 is
owned at Pigeon Cove Pinkey A l ba tr o ss of Castine M e built in 1 8 2 9
The whale r
was at this port with a oad of barrels in the S ummer of 1 8 8 1
M t W a ll a s to n whose wreck was discovered in the ice o f the Arctic ocean in
1 8 8 1 formerly hailed fro m
G loucester at a time wh en i t was proposed to
establish the whaling business from this port S h e sailed On her rst voy
age J an 9 1 8 3 4 F our mo nths out S he was spoken with 2 5 o bbls of oil 3
O c t 2 0 1 8 3 4 with 7 5 o bbls 3 Dec 1 4 with
bbls S he arrived home
M ay 1 7 1 8 3 5 with
bbls 1 5 0 sperm and
lbs bo ne The
voyage did not prove s o successful as h a d b e e n anticipated but s h e was
again tted out and sailed on her second voyage i n J uly 1 8 3 5 I n August
S he was spoken having taken four whales J a n 1 3 1 8 3 6 s h e was agai n
S poken and reported
bbls M arch 2 9 S he arrived home with
bbls whale 5 5 0 spe rm and
lbs bone This would now be c o n s i d
ered a successf u l voyage but on account of the low price of oil it was no t
then regarded as satisfacto ry and the S hip was sold at auction for $4 5 1 0
to J B O sgood of S alem from which port s h e made several voyages
V E T ERA

'

S O M ETH ING A O UT L O S T ER S I t h as often been stated

t h at in general lobsters change their shell once a year

and it is a painful Operation

A friend of ours in this
ci ty who has an aquari um states that he h as a lobster
which changed h is S hell three times within a year H e is also of opinio n
that when in the s e a where th e y get a full supply of such foo d as th ey r e
quire that they change their shells even oftener than this as it is necessary
Can any one give us any more light
f o r them to do s o in order to grow
o n thi s subj ect ?
There is no doubt that the blasti n g of H ell G ate destroyed immense
quantities of lobsters 3 s o great a dread h ave lobsters of thunder that they
will cast o ff their big claws when a loud clap occurs o r when a gun is red
I n olden times captains of vessels often exto rted blackmail from lobster
shermen by threatening to re canno n over the shing grou n ds knowing
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F I S HE R M E N

2 36

f ul

B O O

O WN

w e l that the concussio n wou d cause the obsters to cast their c aw s,

th ereby destroying their value
A
L ob s ter S pearing is pursued i n the I ndian fas h ion by torchlights
dark calm night and a falling tid e are the rst requisites and the crew o f
the canoe must consist of three o ne to row one to hold the t orch s o th a t
i t s light will fall through the shallo w water and light up the bottom to S how
the lobsters crouched among the seaweed 3 and last but not least the spear
er armed with a long wooden spear which it requires consid e rable S kill and
practice to drive down s o that the t wo prongs will close o ver the lobster s
back capturing him rmly leaving the body uni n j ured I t is a sport both
exciting and picturesque as the boat creeps along under the S hadow of t h e
bank and the torch casts a R embrandtish ligh t o n the occupants and o n t h e
overhanging trees The captive lobsters sometimes m ake ve ry unpleasan t
occupiers of a boat and it requ i res great equanimity to feel the m crawling
about one s feet
.

A FA I TH F U L B E A C O N L IG HT
I t i s a ve r y
tender story o f faithfulness in humbl e places
which J ean I n gelow relat e s I t was in one o f
the O rkney I slands far beyond the north o f
S cotland O n the coast of this island there
stood a rock called L o nely R ock very danger
o u s to mariners
O n a night long ago a young
girl was kneeling at the windo w i n her chambe r
in a s h e r m an s cottage looking out upon th e
dark and driving clouds and listening anxious
1y to the wind and s e a
At last the mo rni n g
came and one boat that should have been rid
ing o n the waves was missing I t was her f a
t h e r s boat and half a mile from the cottage
her father s body was found washed upon the
sand H e had been wrecked again st the L one
1y R ock
The girl watched h e r father s body
according to the custom s of her people till it was laid in the grave the n
s h e lay down o n her bed and slept
W hen the night came S he arose and
s e t a candle in her casement
A l night S he s a t b y the candl e trimmed i t
whe n it ickered down and spun S o many hanks of yarn as s h e had spu n
before for her daily bread she spu n still and one hank over for her n ightly
candle And from that time to the time of telling this story for fty years
through youth maturity into old ages h e h as turned night into day An d
in the sno wstorms of winter in the serene calms o f S ummer through d r i v
i ng mists dece p tive moonlight a n d solemn darkness that northern harbor
.

F I S HE R M E N

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23

ever once been without the light of that small cand e H owever far
the sherman might be standing out to s e a h e had o nly to bear dow n
straight for that light e d window and he was sure of a safe entra n ce An d
s o f o r all thes e fty years that tiny light am ing thus out o f devotio n an d
s e lf s a c r i c e has helped and cheere d and s aved
h

as

RE F I S H S ch L a u r a M k o n Capt R oderic M orri son arrived f ro m

G rand B ank in J uly 1 8 8 1 b rin ging in a very curi ous sh tak en from the
stom ach of a halibut caught on the western end of the B ank I t measured
t hree feet one inch in l e ngth and about two inches through and was of a
silve ry color havi n g a S harp pointed head with a proj ecting exible under
j aw ah d a s m all fan shaped tail I t was presented to Capt M a r tin loca
representati ve of the U S F ish Commission by whom it was forwarded to
Prof B aird at W oods H oll The professo r is o f the opinion that it is o f a
n ew genus and new species closely allied to the scabbard s h o f which two
or three specimens have been received from the B anks
RA

OO KO UT F O R TH E R A W MAT ER I A L I t is a mistake for any communi ty

to allow its raw m aterial to be carried away to have its value increased by
abor somewhere else G loucester is learning this to some extent and the
preparation of boneless sh the canning of mackerel and the m anufacture
of sh glue and fertili z ers are all steps in the right direction m aking labo r
for m any hands and enhancing the value of our sh products The p r ac
tice of selling m ackere l out of pickle on the o ther hand which has grow n
up of late years is a step in the wrong direction as the prots of pack ing
and inspection might j ust as well be kept at home S elling from pickle al
the early part of the season and thus giving to other mark e ts the prots o f
handling the catch and compelling purchasers to seek their supplies e se
whe r e than at the producing headq uarters will ere long cause G loucester
to lose its prestige as a mackerel m arket and the later c a t c h o f h om e in
G loucester is a
s p e c t io n will have to seek a market through second hands
loser by m any t h ousands of dollars from the practice of selling out of pickle
which we hope to see done away with another season
L

'

T A L KING CO D FIS H R ecently two cha p s

whom we S hall call B ill and J oe went out back o f
the Point in a dory to try their luck shing B il
possessed good powers of ventriloquism which J oe
was not aware of They S pent a couple of hour s
in shing and had good luck when J oe hauled i n
a large si z ed cod and when he came up alongside
imagine his surprise when there issue d from the cod s mouth in words as
T HE

F I S HE R M E N

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O WN

B O O

K
.

plain as huma n lips could speak H alloo J oe s o you ve got me after al l !

To say that J oe was frighte ned does not expre ss it H e was fairly stunned
S O much s o that he could n t ge t the sh on board the dory and he went
down again the length of the line B ill also S howed S igns of agitation but
e n deavored to m ake J oe think that he was mistaken an d commenced pull
i ng the sh in W hen he again reached the surface J oe was am a z ed to
hear from the sh s throat as distinct as could be B ill you hurt ! Pul

out the hook and le t m e go

That was too much f o r J oe H e cut the
ine hauled up the anchor and commenced rowi n g home vowing that it was
th e d l s own work and h e was afraid that it wa s a forerun ner of ill
luck
B ill wa s scared o f course and the aff air formed the theme of conversatio n
among their circle o f acquai n tances for sev e ral days S oon after the cat
was let out of the bag and B ill gave som e good tests of his powers which
carried conviction with them J oe treated all hands to birch beer and the
talking c o d s h was no longer a mystery

HAT TH E O L D B L U B ER M A N S A I D
I t m ay

smell a little shy but you soon get used to it said

an old man who was trying out blubber on one of our
wharves to a young dandy looking chap who thought

the e fu v i a was p e r f we c t ly h o r wid

And then
continued the old m an it b rings i n the crispy gr e en
backs you k now and your father was one of the best

blubber b i le r s I ever k n ew
The young m a n d ge t
ted a l ittle with his kid gloves and can e and then quick
ly passed up o ff the wharf
H e didn t care about hear

ing the old blubber an d ile m an give him any further

reminiscences of h is family I t s the case with a good
m any now a days
They like to spen d the old m an s
money but d on t care to remember that the old gent
ever went shing or followed any o f the honest occupa
tion s con nected therewith A great pity it is that m any of the young men
of t o day are not obliged to commence life as their fathers did The e x p e
r i e n c e would be the means o f making good busi n ess men of them as they
would then k n ow the value of money by being obliged to work hard in order
to obtain it
W

F I R S T S H I M E N T O F H ERR ING F R O M G L O U C E S T ER TO G ER M A N Y
A s M r Addison G Procter of this city sen ior member of the rm of Proc
ter Trask
C o was cashing a S wedish draft in B oston F eb 1 5 1 8 7 7 the
banker remarked W h y don t you S hip herring to Ge rman y as well as to

S wede n as the people of that country are large consumers of that sh ?

T HE

FISHERM EN S

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39

remark ed to another and the co nversatio n co n cluded by the banker s

giving him the address of a party in H amburg an d becoming r e sponsible
Th e y were
f o r a S hipm e nt of fty barrels which were sen t per steam e r
Co
put up with e xtra care and handsomely st e nciled Procter Trask

C ap e A n n H erring o n the barre l head W hile t h e herring were lying i n

N e w Y ork a G erman merchant s a w them and obtained permission to op e n
H e was s o well pleased with the sh that h e im m e d i
o n e of the barr e ls
at e ly t e l e graph e d on for t h e price of 2 0 0 barrels of the same kind The
pric e was given and the ord e r at once received They w e re immediately
packed and w e nt on the st e amer Procter Trask
Co therefore have the
ho nor of shipping t h e rst lot of herring from G loucester to G ermany
O

ne

O R TH O F O Y S T ER S A N D F IS H
F O R F 0 0 D The researches of Prof
W O Atwater of W esleyan University
of M iddl e town Conn in getting at
t h e facts of the worth of sh and o y s
t e rs as food are worthy of the attentio n
bestowed upon it E xceedingly inter
e s ting have be e n the determin ation s
of the nutritive values of som e of the
invertebrates as oysters scallops lob
I t is well
s t e r s and cray sh which are to be found in these investigations
k nown that i n the mollusks water forms the largest proportion S o i n
S to n y Cre e k oysters we n d
of water ; in B lue Points
in N o r
i n lobsters
and i n
folks
in scallops
3 in clams
craysh
The fat in oysters nds its maximum in 2 per cent though
about
is a fair average I n the albuminoids they are fairly rich the
B lue Points having
but the scallop the mu s cular part of course only
r
e
b e ing co n sidered has as m uch as
cent
I
n
lobsters
the
fat
is
p
and the nutritive value is 6 2 about the same
t h e alb u m inoids
as ounder These con s iderations about the nutritive valu e s of oysters
o n ly regard the e dibl e p o r tions b u t Prof Atwat e r has studied the relation s
of S hell to m e at and we nd that in 1 0 0 poun ds of N o rfolk oysters shell
and all th e r e is really o nly o n e pound of nutritive material The highest in
t h e list is th e B lue Poin t which for ev e ry 1 0 0 pounds of weight of S h e ll
ho lds
per cent of m e at B ut wh e n L ong I sland C lams are e xamined
there is an increase in nut r i e n ts for in the 1 0 0 pounds of shell an d all there
is
an d in lobsters
I n gene r al Prof Atwater s tables seem to
S how that the N orthern oyst e rs are the rich e r and the S outhern the poorer
in nutritiv e e lements W h e n relative nutritive values are studied the worth
of sh food will be thoroughly appreciated
T HE W

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C A T URE O F A T R U N KT UR T L E S ch [ J e r m a n B a t so n C a p t W illiam s
captured a rare reptile for the s e parts in t h e shap e of a trunk turtl e O c t 3
e ssel it
ten
miles
Cap
e E li z abeth
I
n
getti
ng
i
t
o
n
board
the
v
ff
o
18
77
was inj ured s o badly that it survived but two days having bled to death
I t measured se ven feet across t h e back and was
f rom one of its ippers
It
s ix feet in length and i t s estimated weight was S ix hundred pounds
d i ff ers from oth e r species of turtl e in having the carapace overl aid by a
eathery skin instead or horny plates and this skin is easily punctur e d by a
sharp instrument The head is large n arrowed i n fron t of the e y es with
small circular nostrils and large eyes with lids Opening nearly vertically ;
j aws apparently ve ry strong and sharp edged ; neck S hort an d thick an d
the anterior limbs are twice as large as the hind ones I t was a great curi
o s i ty i n this section and hundreds availed th e msel v es o f the opportu n i ty o f
seeing it I t s esh is said to be of no value I t is fou n d o n bo th sides o f
the Atlantic especially in the tro p ics coming north as far as M assachusetts
.

B ay

A R T ER R O B ER T Y ears ago ther e were two brothers f ol lowing

shing from this p ort both of whom were ski p p e rs owning crafts of their
own R obert was the elder and W illiam used to fol low in his wake a s near
as he could when on his shing trips O n e d ay they both start e d out to
gether W illiam following and R obert taking the l e ad as usual W hen W il
liam went down to supper the m an at the helm asked h i m how he S hould

R ight arter R ober

steer
was the reply I t so happ e ned that W illiam s
vessel was a little fa s t e r than R obert s in a light br e e z e an d the win d mod
c rating sudden ly and the h e lmsman not being r s t class at the business let
her get too near and ere he could avoid it the vessels collid e d The S h oc k
brought S kipp e r W illiam on d e ck who sang out as he cam e up t h e compa u

io n way H ow are you st e ering ?

R ight arter R obert sir j ust as you

told me to wa s t h e reply F ortunately there was but little damage done

but R ight arter R obert serv e d a s a byword o n board the crafts duri ng
the entir e s e ason
R

IG HT

O R W EGI A N F LO U N D ER h as b een added to the l ist o f edible shes

taken o ff our coast Quite large quantiti e s were secured on t h e d redging
expeditions of the steamer S p ee d we ll about one hundred pounds being take n
at one dredgi n g in 1 8 78 Through the courtesy of Prof B aird a li be ra
supply was sent to Taft s at Point S hirley and Parker s B oston where they
were s e rved up an d pronounced exc e llen t eating These deep sea o u n d e r s
are some fteen or eight e en inches long r e s e m bling a small chicke n halibut
in form and of a dull white color und e rneath and a light S late colored back
with some peculiar m arkings about the head Their presence in our waters
T HE

FISHERM EN S

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unsuspected until brought to light by the investigatio n s

Commission

was

41

F ish

the

TH E N EWS O F H I S W IF E S D EATH W A S TO L D H I M O n e o f our

s h ermen sailed o n a mackereling trip leaving his wife in her usual health ,
with no thought that the m e sse nge r of death was hovering s o near After
a f e w days the wife died and tel e gram s were sent to the husband alo n g the
coast to such ports as it was lik e ly the vessel might put in B ut he never
r eceived them an d the vess e l came hom e in about four weeks time arriv
ing at two o clock in the morn ing T h e skipper and cre w came ashore an d
o n reaching the wharf the watchman asked the n am e of their v e ssel and
Upon b e ing informed took the skipper o ne side an d told him the s a d news
an d asked him to bre ak it to the husband as he had not th e heart to The
s kipper s heart f ailed him al s o as he walked alongside the m an up the
wha r f into the familiar streets Th e ir hous e s lay in the same d i r ection the
F inally t hey reached the man s home and
s kipper s being the farthest o ff
as he stooped down to pick up a littl e stone to throw against t h e window
of the chamber to awake n his wife as was his custom when arriving i n the
n ight the skipper could no longe r hesitate but calling him by name said :
Y our wife will never awaken on earth aga i n as s h e di e d three days a f ter
you left home an d this wa s what M r
told me when he took me o ne S ide

The terrible
o n the wharf 3 but I co uldn t n d heart to te ll you before
n ews almost paraly z ed the poo r fellow and he could not reali z e that the
wife whom he had left and who m he had hoped so soon to m eet again was
gone from his sight foreve r The family were soon awakened and h e was
made acquaint e d with th e full details of the event which cast a shado w over
h i s life which time will never fully e ff ace
Ho w

G E O R G ES The regul ar F eb ruary appearance of large schools

o f c o d s h on G eorges B ank which are use d by the sh fo r their spawning
groun ds insures a large catch for the early eet and the t e mptation of big
trips and the cons e quen t reali z atio n o f good returns cann ot be resisted by
m e n who have been lying idle and whos e funds have run low o r to express
it a s they do more emphatically W e haven t a S hot in the locker ; the s h

are there and we re j ust going for em l

And who can blame them ? I t
is their bus iness They k n o w its excit e ments an d its dange rs O ld oce an
has been th e ir cradle for many a year They h ave b e e n rocked to S leep by
it in i ts calmer moods as well a s when in ange r it h as tossed their little
crafts up and down on t h e billows a n d the stormy blast has shrieke d through
the riggi n g mid the gale G eorges m ay b e their grave ; but this thought
does not deter th e m from going And no wonder they a r e anxious to start
when they rememb e r the big trips they have shared in quickly earned t o o
O

FF

FO R

F L S HE B M E ZV S

242

I NDIA

BB ER ST O M A C H

B O O

O WN

K
.

The C k ia s m o a e s s ge r brought in by s c h
B e s s ie I V S o m e s J uly 3 0 1 8 8 0 prov e d a rare specime n indeed since it is a
s h that can swallo w shes twice as large and four times as heavy as its e lf
This it can do b e cause its mouth is v e ry de e ply cleft its teeth ben t and it s
stomach elastic l ike india rubber This is the third specimen kn ow n to
sci e nce the rst having been found o ff the island of M adeira and the s e c
on d in t h e Dominican S ea The speci m en brough t in by the S o m e s was
ten inches long and had in its stomach a c o d s h eighteen inches in le ngth
A

RU

C C E N TR I C I T I ES O F

TH E S W O R D FIS H The swordsh is found here an d

the r e from S pring to F all i n the ocean o n our co ast lying asleep the
sh e rmen call it o n the very surface of the water N obody o n the Ameri
ican coast s o far as reported ever s aw a littl e swordsh The smallest

record e d by a corr e spondent of the F ores t and S tream weighed forty S ix

pounds Their only known bre e ing ground is in the M edit e rran e an S ea
d
There the same sh is found weighing half a pound 3 from that they go up
to ve r y heavy measure ment I t is n aturally inferred from this that all our
swordsh are M editerranean products W hat mysterious ocean curre n t
guides them ov e r here ? O r is it instinct that teaches them that here th e y
will nd the m ackerel and the menhaden that they feed on ? O n e can a l
most imagin e that the game of ight and pursuit kept up by these two s p e
cies starts at G ibralter and is run to B lock I sland every year T h e sword
sh darts upon a school of its prey an d by skilful us e of i ts sword wounds
those that it afterwards captures and e ats Until withi n a f e w years nobody
ever thought of catching it except by harpoons R ecen tly ho wever it has
taken t h e bait of the tra wls of o ur cod shermen and many swordsh have

bee n caught in th at nov e l way W hat they come up and S leep for is one
of th e pu zz les of th e ir nature They come and go as t h e mackerel an d
menhad e n do and fro m that it is naturally concluded that they spe nd their
tim e chasing thes e small sh W hat with sharks swordsh porpoises blue
sh sea gulls eagles an d s e ines and all the rest after them the sh of the
herring tribe hav e le d such liv e s of fright an d terror that it is no lo nge r a
wond e r that th e movements of any school of the m see m guided by an i n h e r
ent idiocy I t is even less strange that they are all the while victims tha n
that being caught by millio ns yearly they should steadily increase
E

'

W HY

TH E

ED

SEA I

ED

G eograph e rs were no t able to determine

why the R e d S e a was so n amed until E h renberg sailing over a part of it

observed that th e water of t h e whole G ulf of Tor was colored a blood red
Drawing up some of the water and e xamining it with a m icroscop e he
foun d that the color was due to a minut e thread like oscillatoria o r alga
The same alga was observed by Dupon t twe nty y e ars afterwards , giving rise
,

,
.

F I S HE R M E N

O WN

B O O

43

to the same ap p earance even o n extent of 5 5 6 n autica miles A similar

p lant was noticed by D arwin in his voy age around the world covering the
water near Abrolho s I sland o ff the coast of B ra z il O ersted in 1 8 4 5 no
ticed that the water near M aderia had a p e culiar obscurity which was occa
These
s i o n e d by numerous minute tufts of oscillatoria waving in the m ass
p lants are fo h n d all the way to the W e st I ndies sometimes thick enough to
give a color to the water but n e ver wholly wanting I n other cases the s e a
i s colore d red by animals of di ff erent kinds by minute crustaceans or i nf u
sori as or eggs The name red o r vermilion sea has b e en given to two dif
f e r e n t m icroscopic i n f u s o r iae
O n e of the coloring animals is irritating to
t h e S kin and produces blisters and sores o n the bodi e s of those who come
i n contact with it
.

TUT E F O R C O D L I V ER O I L I t i s c l aimed by a

writ e r in N ature that the oil of the o o la c h e n

or

ulikon the c a n d le s h of Alask a possesses all the

medici n al qualities of cod liver oil This sh h as long
been an ichthyological curiosity and has been noticed
by almost eve r y traveler who has visited the coasts of
B ritish Columbia an d S outhern Alaska I t is a small
silve ry sh averaging about fourteen inches long i n
general appearance much resembling a smel t I t is
the fattest of all known sh a ffording a ve r y superio r oil when tried out
D ried the sh se r ve as torches W he n a light is ne e ded the tail is touched
to t h e re an d they will burn with a b r ight light for some time N o de
scription can gi ve an adequat e idea of their numb e r s whe n ascending the
rivers from the s e a The water is literally aliv e with them and appears to
be boiling These sheries appear n ot to have been hitherto utili z ed excep t
by t h e nativ e s who esteem the ulikon as a great d e licacy The oil at pres
en t is said to be gaining a high reputation in this country an d has r e cently
been introduced into E ngl and where it will probably take a p rominen t place
a s an important medicine
UB S T I

HABIT

O F E E L S The habits o f the ee are ve r y di ff eren t from those o f

any oth e r sh an d are as yet b ut little understood
This s o far as we
know writ e s Prof B aird is the on ly sh t h e young of which ascen d fro m
the s e a to attain m aturity instead of descending from the fresh to the salt
water I ts n atural history has been a m atter of considerable inqui r y within
a few years although even now we are far from having that informatio n
conc e rning it that would be d e sirable in V ie w o f its enormous abundance
and its gre at value as a food sh The eggs of the eel are fo r the most
p art laid in the s e a and I n early S pring the pe riod varying with the latitude
th e young sh m ay be seen ascending the r i ver in vast numbers and whe n
-

KM B N

B I S HB

44

B 0O

O WN

K
.

arr ested by a n apparently impassable b arrier n atural or articial they wil

leav e the water and m ake their way above t h e obstruction in e ndeavoring
to r e ach the point at which they aim H ere they bury themselv e s i n the
mud and feed on any kind of ani m al substance the S pawn of sh the t o e s
of S had small sh etc At the end of th e ir soj ourn in the ponds or streams
the y return to the s e a and are then captured in immense numbers I n m any
rivers in what a r e called sh baskets A V S h aped fence is m ade with the
opening down stream in to the basket i nto which t h e e e ls fall and from
which th e y cannot easily escape This same d e vice it may b e incidentally
stated captures also great numbers of other sh such as shad salmon and
other anadromous sh to their grievous destructio n As migh t be e xp e cted
however t h e F alls of N iagara constitute an impassable barri e r to th e ir a s
cent The sh is very abundant in L ake O ntari o and un til articially intro
At the present time in the S pring an d
d u C e d was unknown in L ake E rie
S umm e r the visitor who enters under the sh e e t of water at t h e foot of the
falls will be astonished at the enormous n umber of young e e ls crawling over
the slippery rocks and squirming in the seething Whirlpools An e stimate
of hundreds of wagon oads as seen in the course of the perilous j ourney
referred to would hardly be consid e re d excessive by those who have visited

the spot at a suitable seaso n of the year

,

TH E F I S H ING F L E E T s F rom carefully prepared

s tatistics we learn that the number of men engag e d on board the G louc e ster
shing eets the past year ( 1 8 8 1 ) was
divid e d as follows : G eorges eet,
estern
B
ank
2
8
G
rand
B
ank
0 3 fresh halibut
6
0
W
4
3
3
3
3 3 3 macker e l
shore shing 4 3 0 3 do r y shing 1 2 5 3 trap shing 2 4 This
i ng
does not include the crews of vessels from othe r ports who t from here
T HE M

W HO M

EN

A N

A L A S KA CO D FIS H D r T a r le to n H B e an who was o n the U S

F ish Commission Corps in this city in 1 8 78 and who was sent to Alask a by
Prof B ai rd i n the S ummer of 1 8 8 0 to i nvestigate the c o d s h e r y of that
country reports that the Alask a cod is the same as that of N e w E nglan d
and E uro p e the C a el us m o r r k u a with the same occasion al variations H e
says that G old e n cod red cod and other a lgae fo rm s are as well known at
the S h u m agi n I slands as they are aroun d Cape C o d and Cape Ann 3 the
beautiful lemon yellow s h which occa s ionally are found in I pswich B ay
schools are duplicated in Alaskan waters The habits and food of the cod
are S imilar to those o n our coast The shore s h about K
odiak make their

e
app arance in schools similar to ours r s t the herring school n e xt the

l ant school then the cap e lin school followed by the squid school
an d the winter school
B esides these there is an abundance of bank s h
which are always larger than those p reviously n amed The co d com e on
T HE

FISHERM EN S

O WN

B O O

45

the rocks in twe n ty v e to thirty fathoms about K

odiak to spawn in N ovem
be r and Dec e mber j ust as they do in the E ast and th e se spaw n i n g sh wil l
Y oung
a t times be p e rfectly still o n the bottom and refuse to tak e the hook
cod swarm near t h e shores j ust as they were obs e rved to do in G louc e s ter
H arbo r afte r the e xperiments of the U S F ish Commission with articial
propagatio n The Pacic wat e rs have also a genuine pollock weaker than
its E astern r e lativ e and halibut also abound but t h e cusk and haddock
have not ye t been found in Alaskan waters
-

HAT O N E F I S H ING D IS T R I C T DO E S F O R
TH E FA R M ER A N D P L A N T ER To one who has
giv e n the subject no though t the exte nt to
which the shi n g industry is a patro n of agri
c u lture is a matt e r of su r prise T h e jealous y
with which the peopl e of t h e W es t and S outh
h ave regard e d the protectio n extended by the
governmen t in times past to th e sheries an d
which it now inadequately provides in c e rtain concessions i n regard to th e
d uty o n salt h a s been ill j udge d and unreasonable S ince equal protection
has been a ff orded to other producing interests an d the shing business is
an importan t customer fo r the products of the plantation an d eld A care
ful inve stigation shows that the shing eet of G loucester consum es annu
al ly the fol lowing products of the farmer and planter :
Cotton in shing lines seines an d n e ts
lbs ; in sails (year y wear)
lbs 3 r i ce
lbs 3 butter
lbs 3 lar d
l bs ; d ried
appl e s
lbs 3 m ustard
lbs 3 sage 1 1 0 lbs 3 squashes
1b s ; our
lbs 3 fresh meat
bbls 3 beef
bbls ; po r k
S houlders
bbls 3 beans
bush 3 peas 8 1 0 bush 3
bbl s l; pork
potatoe s
bush 3 onions
b ush 3 beets
bush 3 turnips
bush 3 meal
bush 3 cabbages
vinegar
gal s ;
pepper sauce
bottles ; m ilk
cans
To the abov e add t h e amount consumed by those employed in the shing
business ashore toge ther with t h e n ecessary provisions for their families and
the famili e s of thos e at sea and it mak e s the shing business o ne of great
p ecuniary i ntere st to the planter farme r and stock raiser
W

P R I C E ever received for m ackerel was in 1 8 79 whe n s c h

C r e s t of t/ze W a o e Capt D avid M e lans o n took 8 0 bbls o ff T h ac h e r s I sl
a n d of whi c h 2 5 bbls were the largest and fattest ever brought to this
port eighty mackerel lling a barrel an d selling for $4 0
S ch M a r y O a e ll
C apt M c C la i n took 2 0 bbls of the same quality which were sold i n B o s
to n also for $4 0 per bbl
T HE

HIG H ES T

'

F I S HE R M E N

46

B O O

O WN

K
.

f
a
e
w
years
a
n
o
s
e
e
r
E
T
ER
A
N
IS
H
ER
M
E
N
M
G
eo
rg
M
erchant
F
4
V
7
g
gaged in the m ackerel shery from M ay 4 to S e pt 1 1 8 8 1 an d helped to
tak e care of a catch of
barrels of m ackerel 3 he h as bee n engaged i n
shing some part of the season ever since h e was ten years of age
M r G eorge G e r r in g of E as t Glouc e ster 7 2 years of age was e ngaged in
the G eorges shery in the S pri ng of 1 8 8 1 on board s c h L eg/i t W i ng and
caught an average share 3 he comm en c ed shing when thirteen ye a rs of age
M r Charles A F urgerson of R obinsto wn M e 5 0 years o f age has fol
lowed shing f rom this po rt for thi r ty four years a n d for twenty one years
was on G eorges every se ason regularly H is rst trip was I n s c h C k e r o k ee
M r F urgerson was one of the orig in al subscri bers to Procters Able
S heet
W hen he was in the P io ne e r h e hauled one pair of h ali b ut weigh
H e is n o w on board the C k a r l e s
ing 3 0 0 pounds wh ich sold for
H e states that he never s aw go od luck on bo ard a vessel
H l zl r e tk
wh e n a l an d bird ies on board
,

1
8
8
1
C
AT
C
H
F
O
R
The N e w E ng and catch
L
T HE N E W
l
t
of cod and oth e r ground sh is reported at
q s against
a ssachusetts catch alon e was
The
M
t ls
e previous year
h
l
s
t
t
q
q
l
a
t
s
G loucester taking the ead with
ne
rly 5 5 % per cen t of the
q
(
N e w E ngla n d catch an d nearly 7 7 pe r cent of the M assachusetts cat c h)
l
t
an d Provin cetown coming n e xt with
The Portlan d catch was
q s
V
ast
o
rt
B
oothbay
in
alhaven
B
ev
E
l
t
s
q
p
l
erly
and no other N e w E ngland port exceeded
t
s
q
E NG A N D CO D FIS H

C ATC H ING C O D A R O UN D N EW F O U N D L A N D There are two ways i n which

the people around the N ewfoundland coast and on that of L abrador engage
in catching cod F ish are caught in boats about the si z e of small sch o o n

ers decked in and provided with comfortable cuddies which is wh e re the

shermen cook eat an d sle e p or rest after the immediate toil is ended 3
and they are caugh t in little o pe n boats or skiff s having two masts and
sometim es a sau c y little j i b boom and th ese little bo ats they sail when there
is wind an d row when it is calm The l arge boats sometimes go a hun d red
mil e s from home around the coast to sh and the shermen live in the m
through the S ummer but the small boats go only a few miles from home
seldom stay out all night but getting their loads return t o land T h e for
mer b e long to the towns and harbo rs or large vil ages 3 the latter to the
coves we might s ay the crevices aroun d the coast About the rst of J un e
the shery commences and in the rst gray of the morning ocks of little
boats with barked sails m ay be s e en putting out f ro m the rocks At this
tim e of the year the cod is usually hungry for it h as j ust come in f rom th e
b anks of N ewfoundland meeting p erhap s but f e w s h to prey o n o n its way
.

F L S HE

KM E N

O WN

B O O

47

he n it reaches the coast it nds the herring there be f ore it an d h as a

feast for its late fast I t is with the herring that the sherman n o w catche s
the cod for the caplin has not com e and it is too early fo r seines o r nets

and sh being hungry the hook and line and bull tow train are in de
mand The boat is a quarter of a mile o ut f rom the rocks and o n the
Atlantic waters There are two me n in the boat and having reached the

spot where they intend to try they take down th eir s ail s and both stan d
up one in the fore part of the boat the o ther aft E ach h as a pair of lines
a n d to each line a hook i s set in a piece of lead m ade in the shape of a sh
to make it sink E ach line is fastened to the boat A sheath knife is in
the s h e r m a n s belt and with this he cuts his he rring into bait S i z es puts a
piece o n the hook which he t hrows to his right a dist ance o f about twenty
feet H e does the same with the line o n his left and his companion i n the
other end of the boat does the same thing Thus each m an has two lines

out ; he stands erect and saws his lines til he gets a bite the sawing
being a sudden long jerk now to the right line an d now to the left in reg
ular time H e starts There is a sudde n tug and a thrill of life comes up
the line to his hand H e lets go the other and hauls away an d the greater
W

the weight the more gleefully does he haul till the cod breaks water
when sei z ing a ga ff a contrivance with a woode n handle two feet long to
which is a fxed a large iro n hook h e sticks i t into the body of the sh and
j erks it in over the gunwale W hile the hook sei z ed by the s h serves to
dra w the sh to the surface it would not be su fcient to lift it from the s u r
face to the boat The process of unhooking the sh to the novice is not
an easy o ne but to the expert it is not a matter of two seconds S ome

times a spurt comes on which means that a school of hungry sh is pass

ing under the boat and the n th e rapidity with which two practiced shermen
can haul in unhook bait thro w out and haul 1n aga i n 18 certainly marvelous

M l

I M P O R TA N T D IS C O VER Y
R obert E E arle who for some mo nths
was con n ected with the articial propagatio n o f deep s e a s h experiments
in this ci ty is credited with the discovery o f the important fact th at S panish
m ackerel are vastly more productive than co d o r shad and that they can be
articially hatched in much less time M r E arle l e arned fro m th e Chesa
peake sherme n that arge n umbers of these sh an n ually f requented the
A

FI S HE R M E N

48

B O O

O WN

K
.

waters of that bay and o n reporting that fact to Prof B aird was detailed
to m ake experiments for their reproduction O n getting to work h e wa s
surprised to nd that the sh w e re hatched within e ighteen hours from the
t ime the milk an d spawn were brought together whereas it req u ires ve
days to hatch S had and eight to twelve days to hatch c o d s h
The number
of eggs operated upon at a single time is betwee n
and
while only
to
S had eggs are treated at once The seaso n for
operation s with the spaw n of this sh is to ward the last of J une and rst o f
J uly after the S had hatching 15 over and before that o f c o d s h commences
,

F I R S T W H OL E S A L E F I S H STO R E in B oston was established o n L ong

W harf by M r E bene z er N ickerson in 1 8 0 7
The rst wholesale fresh s h
store in B osto n was opened on L ong W harf in 1 8 3 5 by M essrs H olbrook
S mith
C o The mackerel purse seine dates from 1 8 5 5 The canning o f
sh dates from 1 8 4 5 in M aine V e ssels rst began to carry ice to s e a i n
1 84
and
dealers
began
to
use
it
in
shipping
sh
the
same
year
3
5
lbs are now a n n u a lly c o n s u m e d by vessels and sh d ealers N ets were
home m ade until 1 8 4 2 whe n the rst net factory was established in B osto n 3
they w e re hand made until 1 8 6 5 when m achinery was introduced i n their
m anufacture The earliest importation s of m ackerel were se ve n barrels i n
T HE

82

F r o m R

ec o r

ds

o s to n

F is k B

u r ea u

B E S T H A LI UT FA RE received at this port for several years was la n d

ed M arch 2 2 1 88 2 by s c h G r a t e L F e a r s Capt N athaniel G reenleaf
H er fare was take n by the N e w E ngland and Atlantic H alibut Companies
and s h e weighed o ff
lbs halibut and
lbs c o d s h
lbs
i n all stocking
H e r crew shared
The cook s share was
S he was gone ve weeks and one day during which ti me she was
$2 5
fro z en up for eight days at C anso This is the largest stock ever m ade on
a halibut trip although larger fares have bee n received several years ago
T HE

ts Va l u e a s
r a n a B a nk W as F o r m e d
CO D FIS
W hat a m arvelous inuence upo n civili z atio n and human progress the hum
ble but nutri tious c o d s h h as h ad H e has be e n a mine of w e alth to a vas t
population I t seems as though good M other N ature foreseeing the needs
of humanity had m ade sp e cial pre paratio n s for a good sup ply of this very
n ecessary article of food fo r body and brai n S he oated her icebergs
which were lled with the sandy bottom of northern seas down to the G ul f
S tream where they melted and d e positing their debris formed the G ran d
I t was the work the slow and toilsome work o f
B ank of N ewfoundland
age s E very S pring thousands of these b e rgs one t h ird above water an d
two thirds below the upper p art clear sparkling a n d translucent reecting

F o o d Ho w tk e G

H I

T HE

F I S HE R M E N

O WN

B O O

49

the sunshine and giving it back to the enraptured eye with that prodigality
and brilliancy of coloring which only nature can a ff ord the lower part mixe d
with the coast botto m of G reenland or L abrador to the extent of thousands
of cart loads came oating down m aj estically through Davis S trait an d
m eeting the warm air and warm water of the G ulf S tream m elted an d de
p osited thei r contribution until at last those im m ense S hoals were forme d
where t h e cod and haddock s war m An d it is s aid that these sand b ank s
hav e huge depressions lik e vast valleys which serve as aquaria and tha t
when a shing vessel is lucky enough to anchor over one of them it can l
its hold and deck with as many as it can car r y F or generation s the i n h ab
i t a n ts of N ewfoundland and the ve nturesome folk who live all along the
N e w E ngland coast get their daily brea d o r lay up a competency fro m this
n ever failing source o f wealth W hat a vast number of people o n the glob e
their
living
out
of
and
subsist
principally
o
n
the
invaluable
cod
an
d
e
t
g
w h at vast quantities have been landed by the shing eet o f G louc e ster
S ince her sh e rmen rst engaged i n the business
,

I C E LA N D C O D F I S H E R v I t is no t generally known that next to

N e wfoundland I celand is the rende z vous fo r the vessels engaged in co d
shing L arge numbers of F re n ch smacks choose the latter ground Dur
ing t h e seaso n of 1 8 8 1 owing to the l arge quantity of dried sh remaining
unsold from the take of the previous season there was a m arked reductio n
in the n u mber of shing craft but 1 9 3 having started f o r I celand The
N orwegians engaged in the tra d e are imp roving their shing apparatus
every yea r an d they are extending their m ark e ts also They h ave estab
lis h e d herring sh e ries all along the I celandic coast and no t long S ince a
arge company was formed for the prosecutio n of this industry o n a large
scale ; but the results this season we are told have been discouraging fo r
almost ev e rybody e ngaged in it Time and money have been o st fo r wan t
of accurate i nformatio n as to the weather and with a view to remedying
defe at telegraphic communicatio n betw e en the coast o f S cotland and R eik
i awic k the capital of I celand is now spoke n o f
T HE

A M E R M A I D C A TU RE D A sherman a resident of A s
n wal l is report e d to have recently captured a mermaid
i
p
There is S ilky blonde hair on the head 3 the features of the
face are p e rfectly even to the teeth the arms are the same as human beings
with claws re sembling an eagle s talons i n place of nger nails F rom the
wai s t up the resemblance to a human being is unm istakable and from the
waist down the body is exactly the same as an ordinary mullet with S cales
n s and tails perfect
.

HE R M E N

FI S

B O O

O WN

K
.

been practically a failure the p a s t season I n the

1
W inter o f 8 8 0 8 1 the n etting eet in I pswich B ay took l arge fares while
the trawlers met with much poo rer success O n a recent trip in the same

waters the s c h M age ll a n C l o ua with twenty four n ets s e t took only about
pounds c o d s h while in four days shing there a trawler took
poun ds
N

CO D FIS H ING

ET

h as

H E L P ING

T H E MS E LV E S O n e of th e peculiarities of the white sh trade

of the lakes is the tra ffi c between the shermen and the lake craft engaged
i n the carrying and passenger trade
These boats as they p ass up a n d
down the lakes frequently stop and take u p the s h e r m e n s nets and he lp
themselves to what they wan t The s h taken are weighed and the money
to pay for th e m is attached to the nets which are again let down to the bot
tom o i the lake S o it often happen s that the shermen in lifting their net s
tak e i n considerable money as well as s h The lake Ca p tain s are very
honorable in this m atter and it h a s come to be a n understood arrangement
satisfactory all around
.

F R E N C H S A R D IN E F I S HE R v N o t less than
person s are e u
gaged in the sardin e she ry in F rance an d fully as m any nd occupatio n

in preserving this sh A writer in the j o ur n a l of the S ociety of Arts

says that in taking the sardin e the bait which is called roe plays an i m
p ort a n t part This lure is a kind of caviare m ade from the eggs of the cod
p reserved in brin e 3
b a r r e ls of which are imported from N orway eve ry
year W hen the position of a S hoal is ascertained the n ets are let dow n
and the m aster of the boat throws the bait mixed with sand to cause it to
s ink into the water E merald green ashes o n the surface of the water
denote the rise of some of the sh Then the bai t is liberally cast out an d
soon the whole shoal rises into the n ets At on e time a boat could take
sardines but n ow it is a rare thing to b r ing in more than from
to
at a trip W hen the boats l and the sardines are taken to t h e fac
to ries in hampers containing about 5 0 0 apiece There women cut o ff the
heads of the sh Open and clean the bodies and pl ace each sh one by
on e on stone or m arble S labs previously strewed with sal t W hil e this pre
liminary d rying is going on the res are lighted an d the purest olive oil is
p ut into immen se caldrons W hen the oil is boiling the sardines ar e laid
in l ayers in iro n wire baskets provided with handles These baskets are
plunged into the oil and then placed o n shelves covered with z inc to drain
W hen they are moderately dry they are taken to the large d r ying house
exposed to the s e a bree z e and there they rem ain u n til t to be stored an d
put into boxes The largest are co nsidered the nest a n d the small one s
are f reque n tly p assed o ff as anchovies
T HE

F I S HE R M E N

O WN

B O O

ST EAM W HA L E R s S team vessels for whaling have p roved high y p r o ta

ble The rs t on e ever sent out from the Pacic coast was the M a r y 69
be
He le n which cleared in 1 8 8 1 enough to pay her entire cost and
sides The seco n d venture that of the B e l v ia e r e came back from a voyage
wo rth of oi above the i n vestment The
o f only s ix mon ths with
great success o f thes e S teamers i s likely to revive the business o f whaling
.

FI S

HE R I E s

The Prince E dward I slan d mackere catch for

88 1

bbls about o n e half the catch of 1 8 8 0

p ound cans o f
lobsters were put up double the quantity of the previous year The c o d s h
0 3 hake
halibut
catch was
l
s
against
i
n
1
8
8
l
s
t
t
;
q
q
bbls ; alewives
bb s 3
lbs 3 haddock
lbs 3 herring
oysters
bbls

was

O F T HE S E A
The d if
f ere n ce be twee n handling a shi p
s o that S he escapes a danger and
i n a way to plunge her headlong
upo n it was doubly illustrated o n
a p ass age by the A lge r i a which
ru n s between N e w Y ork an d L iv
e r p o o l E ngland
O n her S ixth day out in F ebruary 1 8 8 1 the A lge r i a
The ship was
f ound herself i n a heavy fog on the B anks of N ewf oundl and
g all eyes and ears s o to s ay whe n from
f eeling her way cautiously alo n
over the port bow there sounded a fog bell I t seemed some distance o ff 3
but Capt G ill swift as light ordered a reversa of the engines The screw
ew round the great ship paused slowly backed and no ne too soon I n a
trice there loomed up through the fog a huge three m asted schooner rushing
H ad the cours e o f the A lge r ia been kept had she
f orward under full sail
f ailed to retreat at the moment S he did a collision wo u ld have been inevi
table The schoo n er ew o n her way straight across the f oaming wak e o f
the steamship and a terrible calami ty that might h ave cost hundreds of li ves
V ery nearly the sam e thing h appened again on the
was happily ave r ted
same evening the dangerous craft that approached the A lger i a in this i n
stance being another large steamer This tim e the stranger was n o t see n
through the dense m ist but the voices of perso ns o n the decks were heard
with startling distinctness and the case was apparently a s narrow as in the
case of the schooner E tern a vigilance is as clearly the price of safety at
s e a as it i s of liberty eve rywhere
Undoubtedly many of the shing vessels
which disappear s o mysteriously with no heavy gale to accou n t fo r their
loss are r u n dow n by steamers or o ther large vessels while at a n chor o n
the B anks
DA N

C ERS

FI S HE R M E N

B O O

O WN

K
.

F IS H ING IN L A LA N D The water is very clear at Ham e r f e s t in L apland

and one may s e e everything that goes on among the sh A few feet do wn
you can s e e the young cod snapping at your hook 3 a little low e r down the
and t h e huge plaice and the halibut on the white sand at the b o t
c o a l s h
tom ; in other places the starsh as large as a plate and purple and gree n
S hellsh o f all si z es The plaice is taken in the following manner : I n
calm weather the sherman takes a strong ne cord to which he has fast
ened a heavy S pear head like a whale harpoon This he holds ready over
W he n
th e bow of the boat while another person paddles it forward slowly
the sh is seen at the bottom the boat is stopped and the harpoon is
suddenly dropped upon him and thus the s h is cau ght I n two hours the
shermen will get a boat load The halibut are caught with b o o k s They
sometimes weigh 5 0 0 pounds an d if drawn up carelessly will overturn the
boat I n m any of the mountainous districts the rivers swarm with trout,
t h e habit o f which is to conceal themselves beneath the bowlder rocks i n
the bed of the stream ven turing out to feed o nly at night M e n each with
a heavy hammer will enter these waters and strike one or two blows o n the
stones when the s h run from their lurking p lace partly stunned and are
easily caught
.

C U C U M ER one of the curious j e ly bodies that inhabit the

ocean can practically e ff ace himself when in danger by squee z ing the water
out of his body and forcing himself into a n arrow crack s o narrow as no t
to be v i sible to the naked eye H e ca n thro w out n early the whole of h is
i n side and yet live and grow it again
T HE S E A

S W E D IS H PO UL A R B E L I E F S The teeth o f arge sh shou d be burnt i n

order to be lucky in shing
O n e ought to tell no one when one goes out to s h a n d not me n tio n
whether one has caught m any or f e w
N o r should any stranger s e e how many sh one h as taken
W hen o n e rows out from land to sh one must no t ru n th e boat agains t
the s u n
Pins found i n a church and made into sh hooks catch the best
I f a woman passes over the rod n o sh will bite
S tolen shing tackle is lucky but the person robbed loses his luck
,

H o me

or

tk e r n M y tk o l ogy

SA LT E D H ERR IN G The art o f salting and packing herring was d is c o v

ered in the fourteenth centu r y by B e uk e l s o f B iervliet in F landers who
after introducing it into his ow n country went to F inlan d an d established
it there , whence it s p read to a the B a tic p rovi n ces I n 1 8 5 6 Alexander

ll

BJ SB B B M B N

O WN

B O O

53

I I E mperor of R ussia in h is visi t to F inlan d after leaving H e singf ors

went to the little town of B orgo and laid with great ceremony the rst ston e
of a monument to the memory of the sherm an B e uk e ls who died in 1 3 9 7
in his n ative village W here his tomb was once visited by the E mperor
Charles V 3 and Pet e r the G reat in recogn ition of the importance of h is
discovery gave a p en sio n to one of h is descendants
,

AUT I C A L CO N T R I VA N C E A n extremely simple but inva

u ah le aid to navigatio n has recen tly been pro p osed by an experienced B rit
ish master mari ner by which he is condent the largest steamship in a n
ocean gale can be hove to with safety H is contrivance as described in the

is o n the drogue system and the advantages

L o n d on S hipping G a z ette

he has experienced f rom it in emergency are too great to express

H is
s e a anchor or drogue is made o f stout canvas in the S hape of a b ag with a

strong wire hoop at the top to which the lanyard is fastened the latter
being shackled to a spar thirty f eet long The spar tted with three iro n
bands is kept square by two wire guys and fastened to a ridi n g hawser
m ade of wire o r m anila The drogue when in use is about four fathom s
be n eath the surface of the agitated sea thus escaping its force and whe n
full of water proves a great res istance keeping the ship s head to the sea
when driving to leeward in a heavy gale This simple cheap and quickly
improvised contrivance would undo u btedly b e useful to vessels thrown o n
their beam ends or experiencing that ofttimes fatal accident S hifting of the
cargo in the presence of a severe storm I t would also in many cases by
enabling a disabled s teamer to avoid drifting out of h e r course or h elping
her to kee p out of the cen tral path of a n advancing cyclone prove a timely
safeguard to life and property at s e a

VA

L UA B L E

A N O V E L E X ER IM E N T has been tried at the po rt of Peterh ead in S cot

l and where the waves of the N o rth S ea have an unchecked sweep from the
wild coast of N o rway and break s o furiously at the harbor mouth that war n
ing S ign als are given again st attempting to enter the harbor A wooden
S hed was erected an d iro n and lead piping carried down the beach a d is
tance of nearly o n e hundred yards Then a strong g utta
percha pipe with
three open ings s e v e n ty v e yards apart was laid across the entrance to the
harbo r A force pump in the S hed su p plies this tubing with oil to all ay the
waves R ecently the waves were running twenty feet high at the mouth o f
Peterhead harbor and the pump was put at work The oil was forced
through the pi p es and out of the valves I t spread over the bottom rose to
the top of the water and in a short time the seething foam was gone N o t
a white cap remained within r e ach of the calming uid Although the swel l
co ntinued the surface of the s e a was quite smooth s o that a small boat
,

F I S HE R M E N

54

O WN

B O OK

T h e S hi p m as
could have entered the dock without the slightest danger
ters who witnessed the experimen t were satised with the result
W h y would it not be well for our shermen o n the B anks or elsewhere
in some of the terrible gales to try this experi me n t ? I t h as the same e ffect
wh e n po u red upon the troub ed waters as if pumped o r otherw i se p laced
thereon
.

A R E M A R KA L E S E C TA C L E The steamer Vi c to r i a at N e w Y ork fro m

G lasgow repo rted witnessing a remarkable spectacle on the eastern edge o f
G ran d B ank December 1 8 1 8 7 6 D uri ng the height o f a gale of unusua
seve rity there appeared on the trucks yards and stays large balls of r e
or phospho rus strung on the stays o r yards at intervals of a foo t o r two
giving the S hip th e appearance of being decorated with Chinese lanterns
only more brilliant 3 they settled o n the vessel like a S hower of meteors an d
disappeared almost as sudden y a s they appeared an occasional o ne d r O p
ping from the yards bursting with a loud report 3 o ne o f them fell and burs t
almost i n the face of the chie f o f ce r making a noise like a small p i ece o f
artillery but causing n o more i n convenience than da zz ling him fo r th e
mome n t
-

,
,

C
H
IN
E
S
E
[

S E B O AT ]

HO U

A Fish ing Pa rty

A bright S ummer day with a good b r ee z e stirring ca n be used m ost e n

on
a
shing
par
y
similar
to
th
at
depicted
above
They
are
boun
d
t
o y ab ly
j
out on the grounds an d are having a good run O ff L e t us in im aginatio n
ollow
them
I
n
about
an
hour
they
will
reach
on
e
of
the
m
any
spots
where
f
sh do congregate o ff Cape An n s rugged S hore when d own will go the
the
lines
be
in
readiness
and
a
l
will
chip
in
a
S
i
il
l
w
anchor an d sails 3
whole
of
which
will
be
given
to
the
lucky
i
ndividual
who
shall
h
e
n
t
i
ve r c o
pull in the rst sh N o w all is excitem e nt The hooks are baited and
the lines with th e ir heavy leaden sinkers lowered until the bottom is felt
then pulled up a couple of f e et all ready f o r som e hungry co d to sn a p at
the bait and ge t hook e d on by the dexterous jerk which will follow the rst
n ibble There s one around your line ! C areful now ! Ah you ve got him
A n d up he comes a S ix pounder and the sh f o r the chowder i s secured
and you also have earned th e p ri z e mo n ey
,

F I S HE R M E N

6
5

O WN

B O O

K
.

The fun now commences an d there is rare spo rt bringing i n the thrif ty
I t is most exciting and a g e nerous rivalry pre vails as to who wi ll catch
sh
the most sh B ye and bye they slack up biting and the inner m an call s
loudly for som e thing to appease that t e rrible appetite which the exercise an d
cool s e a bree z es have provoked A savo ry odor per v a d e s the atmosphere
which indicates that the chowder is un d erway an d soon it is serv e d up
smoking hot and rec e ive s that attention which it s o well des e rves Th e
day passes merrily by with song an d story and good cheer when late i n
the aft e rnoo n the r e turn is m ade an d all agree that the day has prov e d a
red o n e in the calendar
This party as will be observed is composed o f the m ale gender entirely
and is an i m promptu a ffair 3 but oftentimes large yachts are used with
nely tted I I p cabins h aving accommodations suitable fo r the fair sex an d
in company with the ladi e s t h e enj oymen ts of a shing party are gr eatly
enhanced This is one of the m any pleasures of the s e a coast in the pleas
an t S ummer months and once partic ipated in there is a desire to repeat it
,

'

N O T A B EN E

B Y

UN

A shi p o c cro ssi g ov r h

story tw s to ld to
I t ll
d r d i l s or s o fro s hor
h
M d
cr ft w
th t b or
d y s
W h
H r v r s d wh i l g i s t h
st
h
wi d r sh d
T h t r s i l s tt r d

PE R

"
.

gro i g l o d th o h y w r dyi g ;
T
c pt i l o
h
c oo p
w d h is
W i th h is f c i h d s
d
;
H g
d th
bl oo ds h o t y
l w i th
A d
c r w l ook d w i th h rt r d
i g si gh
r is h g of dis tr ss
S y why do y
A d si t ro
d d ck i i dl ss ?
w i th h b o t
h c p t i cr i d
O
A
of foo d ? H v
sd p
y
s
d rt d ov r si d ;
A d
yo r w t r ?
T h i r o r s f l l i w ith r g l r d i p
H y go t h pl g ? O wh t is h
A s th y r p i dl y
r d h sil t shi p
t
r
?
th y r c h d
d ck sight th i r
W h
c fro B v rl y d h g y
W
ys
h
s
d th s t rt w i th f rf l s rp ri s
W h i ch
I b c
s for th d ys w h b
t
h d ck h c r w w r l yi g
All ro d
!
f b
n

th

e a

un

e en

a n

as

nd

th

ea

th

a n

ne a e

en

e am e n

th

az e

th

on

ou

a ve

m et

an

sat ,

al

ee

o n

up

at

- en

ea

un

e ne

o ut

yo u

u e

a e

ou

a ue

am e

av e

m a te

an

o u

een

un

em

en

ea

an

o u

u a

e n-

ne o n a

re

as

em

on

ma e

( C

ut

a n a

a e

e m a

t e

an n

he

m e

as o n e

e se a

as

en a

er

au e

e ans

r ee

a ve

een

o u

F I S HE R M E N

O WN

Th e M ac k e r el Po c k et ,

B O O

or

S pi ll e r

57

Amo n g the improv e men ts in shing apparatus there are none p erha p s
that appear to be more important than o n e pat e nt e d by H E W illard o f
Portland M e an article long needed in the m ackere l seine shery and
which has re ceived from the sh e rme n the nam e of M ack e rel Pocke t o r
S pill e r
I t was rst used by th e patente e in 1 8 78 and Capt G e orge
M erchant J
of this city subs e que ntly invented an d put into practica
Op e ration an improved spiller
The apparatus is a large net bag 3 6 f ee t lo n g 1 5 fee t wide a n d 3 0 fee t
d eep
I t is made of stout coarse twin e and is attache d to the side of the
vessel wh e re it is k e pt in position wh e n in u s e by wood e n po l e s o r out

riggers which exte nd out a distance of ftee n feet from the schooner s
rail W h e n distend e d in this manner a spiller will hol d ove r 2 0 0 barrels
of mackere l which can thus be kept alive as in the well of a smack unti
the cre w ha ve time to cure their catch As is well known i t fr e quen tly
happ e n s that several hundre d barre ls o f m ack e re l are taken at a singl e haul
H eretofore whe n such a large quantity of sh were caught but a compar
a t i ve ly sm all portion of them could be cured by the crew o f the vessel to
which th e seine belonge d The result was that when a large catch was

m ade a con siderable percentage of the sh were generally given away to

so me othe r vessel si n ce if only a part o f them were removed from the seine
to the vessel s dec k the remainder being left i n the n e t until th e rst lot
were cured the chances wer e nine to o ne that the ne twine of which the
purse seines are m ade would be bitte n in m any places by the swarm ing dog
sh I n a d d itio n to the inj ury of the net the inclosed body of sh were
thus allowed to escape robbing the sherm an o f a large portio n of the fruit
o f h i s labors
The spill e r being m ade o f coarse t wine though n o t e ntirely exempt from
the ravages of the d o g s h and S harks is rarely inj ure d by them And n ow
when a large school of m ackere l are caught in a seine the sh are turne d
i n to the bag from which th e y a r e bailed out on the schooner s deck only a s
fast as they can be dressed and in this way it fre quently happens that a full
fare may now be secured from a single s e t of the s e ine
,

F I S HE R M E N

258

0n th e L o s

of

th e

W r i tte n wh e n th e
B Y

To ll for t h b r v
e

a e

e ne a

un

m a e

e.

as

en

er

e e ze

ee

e e

er

em

en e

ne

se a-

ne

as n o

em

COW

PE R

s,

s pr g f t l l k ;
p o ro ck
Sh
Hi s w or d w i i s h th ;
His g rs h ld h p
l w t d w
K
Wh
dr d
W i t h tw i c fo r h
W i gh h v ss l
fo s !
O c dr d d by
i g l w i th
A d
d ow s
T h t r th t E gl
so d
H ti b rs y
A d
y o t g i
F l l c h rg d w i th E gl d s t hu d r
i
A d pl o g h h d is t t
K
l is go
B
H is i ctori s
;
d h is i gh t h
dr d
A d h
or
S h l l pl o g h h w v
no

an

n no

ea

er

ut

a a n,

an

an

ma n

ne ,

ar e o e r
e

e an

un

m en

an

pe nf e t

e c up

e t ar e

en

o ur

th

em

sh e m a

e n,

up ,

un

ea

ea

pe nf e t

ts

em

ea

a a

as

en

i ve d , 1 782

n e ws a r r

I AM

R oyal G e o rge

as

er o n

u a e

e ,

un

an

na

as

e r an u

ar e

B O O

O WN

Sh e

a e

b r v th t no m or !
All s k b th t h w v
ti v s h or
t b y th i r
E
d r d of th b r v
E i gh t h
tri d
W ho s co r g w l l w
d th v ss l h l
H d
sid
h
A d l id h
A l d b r sh oo k th s hro d
o v rs t ;
A d h w
D o w w t t h R o y l G org
c r w co m pl t
W i t h ll h
T o ll for t h b r v !
B r v K p f lt is go ;
gh t is fo gh t
Hi l s t
H is w ork of gl ory do
t i t h b tt l ;
Itw
t p s t g v th s h o ck ;
N
Th e

W L
IL

un

e no

F I S HE R M E N

B O O

O WN

A B ank e r Di c h arging He r Par e

59

H ere we give a familiar scene to the W inte r sherm an

and the m any who

congregate at this busy spot a B anker getting ready to discharge her fare
of halibut at the Atlantic H alibut Company s wharf S h e has had a hard
time of it o n the passage home as it was cold and storm y an d got badly
iced up B ut s h e is a l l s afe n o w with her h alibut in prime order a quick
m arket and good prices This compen sates for the hardships endur e d an d
the shermen are fe eling j ubilant at the prospect of a pile of crisp bank
notes when th e y take their check up to the bank to be cashed The
Square rigger is a salt vessel at the head of P a r k h u r s t s wharf which gives
a commercial aspect pleasing to look u p on

A G OO D A NS W E R A t the hearing be f ore the F ishery Committee at the

S tate H ouse no t long S ince a veteran sherma n from this city was aske d
by on e of the l awyers what he kne w about shing
W h at do n t I know

W h y I ve fo l
would b e a better question to ask S quire was the reply
lowed it forty years a n d caught everything that swims from a whale to a
shrimp
There was a hum of s ubdued merrim ent an d he was not further
interrogated
,

F I S HE R M E N

60

Lo

ss

L i fe

of

and

B O O

O WN

K
.

ss

Ve el Pr ope rty fr om J anuary 1

A pril 1, 1882

to

S ince our report was made up at th e beg i nn i ng of the year and put in type
for this volume there have be e n lost from this port 1 0 2 lives and 9 vessels
valued with their outts and one cargo of herring at
as follows :
S ch W AT E R S P I R I T
tons owned by G eorge G arl and e n gaged
in the W int e r shore sh e ry wen t ashore o n R ye B e ach d u ring a t h ick snow
stor m on t h e night of J an 3 1 an d proved a total loss C re w S av e d V a l
i ns u red for
with $4 0 0 addition al o n outts
ue
S ch B U N K
E R HIL L
ton s own e d by M icha e l W al e n
S on and
Capt J ohn M c D o n a ld on the passage home from F o rtun e B ay N F J an
2 5 with fro z en h e rring went ashor e during a heavy snow storm on B emo
V alue with outts
L edge E astern P o int and became a to tal wreck
i nsurance,
and
o n outts The cargo wa s valued at
and uninsur e d
n s owned by J ohn Pew
e n gaged
to
S
on
S ch E D I T H M P E W
5
in the G e orges h a d d o c k in g shery l e ft port J an 1 8 W as report e d in a
N ova S cotian port and last seen on G eorges by s c h N o o n d ay Capt E dward
T r e v o y F eb 3 two days befor e the gale in which it is supposed s h e was
lost C rew listf W i llia m Corliss master ; M artin M oran S amuel B yers
M urdock W hite Andrew Conley M ichael N orto n Ch arles L awso n K
eaton
R oderick J ohn Taylor J ohn L e e V a n an c e M artin L ewi s B artholome w
V alue
in surance
in
R yan W illiam Davis H ug h Phalen
th e G loucester F ire I n surance o f ce
S ch PAU L R E V E R E
tons owned by Ca p t Andrew L eighton
another of the G eorges h a d d o c k i n g eet sailed J an 2 4 and was last seen
by Capt J ohn R yan of s c h D a vi a A S to r y on G eo rges F eb 4 the day
before the heavy gal e i n which it is supposed S he was lost B y many
it is thought that this v e ssel an d the B a i tk M P e w collided du r ing the
storm and w e n t down together Crew list J ohn B e n tl e y m aster ; M artin
Thomas H en ry L uf kin F red S cot t Patrick D urant Patrick K
en nedy
M artin Costello (father i n la w to Capt B entley) J ames F it z gerald M arti n
Conley J ohn F rancis J oseph S immo n s Patrick N y e M ichael N aughton
M ichael K
ing V alue
and
o n outts i n
3 insurance
the G loucester M utual F ishing I nsurance o f ce
S c h BE S SIE W SO ME S
tons own e d by G eo rge Clark
Co
sailed for G rand B ank J an 2 and wa s last seen Feb 2 by a returned B ank
er whe n S h e was ready to come home with her trip S he was probably lost
,

F I S HE R M E jV S

B O O

O WN

61

i n t h e ga e o f F eb 5 Crew list M errill W right m aster ; F elix G a lan t

Peter S c a n li n g Albert G ardner Augustus M orine J ames B urbank Danie l
H ilt z W illiam D avidso n H enry M c L augh lin E d ward B utt J ames J ohn son
V alue
in
W illiam Parsons J ohn M c P h e r s o n W illiam W yman
surance
and
o n outts i n the G louce ster M utual F i shing
ic e
I n suranc e o
S ch C H A R L E S CA R R O L L
ton s o wned by B enj amin M o n tgo m
ery
S o n left on a G eorges t r ip J an 1 2 an d was last see n the day of the
gale Crew list J ohn P u b lic o v e r master 3 Albio n R obinson H e rbert N o r
ton ( brother i n law to m aster) Charles Deimon W J L ouder R ob e rt W i l
kinso n J oh n H ayden J ohn O Ha r a F red W atts Paul M c D o na ld J ohn
V alue
i
nsurance
i
n
the
G
louceste
r
F
ishing
n
I
N oland
3
surance o f ce
S ch B E L L E R O P H O N
tons owned by M ichael W alen 8: S on left
p ort J an 2 3 on a B ank halibut tri p S he was out in th e severe gale of
F eb 5 an d it was reported that she was seen previous to this gale with her

windlass broken Cre w list Alfred W yman master ; J ames E M ullen

L e e F G ilpatrick Andrew J O lso n G eorge R ud o lf L i le d ah l W illiam W
M arshall F ra nk L ong Alexander M c C lo ud J oseph A C ampbell J ames
M c N air F rancis A H arding W illia m H C O o k S amue l H ayes H P P e
terso n V alue
and outts
insurance
and
o n outts in G loucester M utual F ishing I nsurance offi ce
S ch N O R T H E R N E R 6 5 ton s owne d by S ylvanus S mith
left
Co
port F eb 2 8 for a G eorges trip and is supposed to have bee n lost in the ter

1
ribl e gale of M arch 7 th Crew list I saac H G oodwin master ; I srael
G oodwin Amos G oodwin R o b e r t L e n n o x F oster G rayto n G e orge L ar k e n
D aniel M c C o n n e sk e y Thomas J M orris R obert L ennox J am e s M alone
Thomas W i lson 3 E dward A G ilson steward V alue
3 insurance
and $4 0 0 on outts i n the G loucester M utual F ishing I nsurance
o f ce
S ch V I CT O R
tons owned by J O Procter J r al s o of the G eorge s
eet left port M arch 3 and n o tidings were heard from he r after the te r ri
ble ga e of th e 1 7 th Crew list Patrick J F anning also k nown as Charles
W halen m aster 3 G eorge Pow e rs J ohn Callan an J oh n W elch F rank Dixon
Dennis H e ssian Thomas E ylwa r d J ohn R yan M artin S immon s W illiam
H Perrill J ames M urphy M ichael Tobey V alue $4 5 0 0 ; i nsurance
and $5 0 0 on outts i n the G loucester M utual F ishi ng I nsurance
offi ce
L O S T O V ER B O A R D G eorge Devine fell from the m ain boom of s c h E tta
G o tt on the passage from G eorges J an 3 1 3 J ohn B N e lson from sch H e r
F J an 2 3 M anuel R e
m a n B a bs o n o n the pass age to F ortune B ay N
p ose from s c h A nn a B on G eorges M arch 1 7 3 M ichael S avage from s c h
.

F I S HE R M E N

62

B O OK

O WN

on G eorges M arch 2 0 3 Capt G eorge B earse fro m s c h f o nas H

F r o n ek in the m ackereling sh e ry M arch 2 6

O
S
T
IN
E
J eremiah H aley and J ames Dunphy from s c h M A
R
I
s
D
o
L
J ames M c G r ath P e ter Christian Charles R o s m us o n and
B a r to n Fe b 3
C o r r i nn a H B is t op F eb 5
e a m p from s c h
F red K
S m uggle r ,

ith these additio n s the aggregate losses i n the shing business f ro m

G lo ucester since 1 8 3 0 the year the G eorg es shery commenced are
lives an d 4 2 8 vessels valued at
W

The following are the detai s of the losses from O c t 1 1 8 73 to J an 1

The aggregate l s give n i n the table but the details w e re overlooked
1 8 74
in making up the account o n page 6 6 ; we therefo re insert here
S ch C O N N AU G H T R A N G E R
tons owned by Capt N icholas
C rew saved V alue
M urphy wa s wrecked at F resh W ater Cove O c t 2 0
insurance $5 0 0 i n the G loucester F ire I nsurance o f ce
S ch J O H N P H A L E
tons owned by J F W o n s o n
C o drove
out of the harbor on the night o f N o v 1 7 an d was totally wrecked near
Crew saved V alue
insurance
i n the
O ld H ouse Cove
G l oucest e r F ire I n suran ce o ffice
S ch E X C E L S I O R
tons owned by C apt G eorge M erchant J r an d
o thers sunk at h e r anchors in M arblehead harbor on the nigh t of N o v 1 7
C re w s aved V alue
insurance $8 7 5 Aban doned to the under
writers
L O S T O V ER O A R D G eorge F ar r an c e f r o m sc h F a n ny B er n O c t 5
W il
iam Colwell from s c h N o o n a ay O c t 7
L O S T IN D O R I E s G eorge Cook and J esse O liver from s c h T u l a l C a in
O c t 1 4 3 Charles R eynolds and Patrick Ph al en from sc h M a r y B
O ct 18 ;
M oses Cahoon and W illiam R eeves from s c h S u l ta n a N 0 v 4 ; Da n ie M a n
n ing a n d J oh n Donnelly from s c h
I Vi ll ia rn T S m i tk N o v 1 9
.

L I S T OF VE SS E L S

T h e f ollowing l is t

co m p ri s e s the v e ssels owned i n t h e Dist rict o f G lo u

1 8 8 2 tog e th e r w ith th e to nnage the y ear b u i lt and t h e
c e s t e r Apri l 1 5
tters or principal owners n ame s
Al l are s chooners with t h e e x c ep tio n
o f those o t h e rwise designat e d
,

G L O UC E S T E R
N

of ss
Ve

am e

A b b ie

To

e l.

Dodge
Abbott Co ff in ( s tm lighter )
A b erd e e n
A C N e whall
Active ( sloop )
A da R Terry
A ddie E mma ,
Addie M S tory
Addison Ce n t e r
Addison G Procter
Adelia H artwell
A dmir a l
Alaska
A lber t H H arding ,

A l f a r e tt a ,
A l fred W al en ,

Alice
Alic e , ( boat )
A li c e G W o n s o n
A lice M W ill i am s
A L incol n
A mo s Cutt e r
A n abl e ( boat )
A N Clark
Ann e D
Ann e
M ary
Anna H F rye
A n n a H M a s on
A nni e W H odgdo n
Anni e E L an e
A nn E li z a
A p o l lo ( boa t )
A qua P u ra ( boa t )
Ar e quipa
Ar e t husa ( b oat )
Argo n aut ,
,

Wh

en

ui lt

1 8 68
1882
18 74
18 5 8
18 6 9
18 77
18 6 6
186 7
18 75
18 76
1869
18 7 7
18 6 7
1 8 70
18 5 8
18 70
188 2
1 8 78
1 8 70
18 7 7
18 6 5
18 65

HA R B O R

18 5 3
18 8 2
188 1
18 66
18 75
18 8 0
18 7 0
1 8 60

18 77

18 65

O w e r s or F i tte r s N am e s
Co
S y l vanus S mith
F ranc i s L ocke
J ames G Tarr B ro
A tlan t i c H al ibut Co
L anesvill e G rani te Co
D C
H B abso n
G e org e G arland
F o ster
O ak e s
D C
H B abson
J os e ph O Procter J r
D C
H B ab son
J os e ph O Proc te r J r
G eorge N orwood
S on
G e orge N orwood
Son
E li J ae k m an
Co
Cunningham
Thom p son
J o hn P e w S o n
G eorge II O a ke s
W i lliam H P e rkins J r
D: C
H B abson
J oh n Pew S o n
J a mes G Tarr B ro
M aste r
A tl antic H al ibu t Co
J ohn Pew S o n
M ichael M urray
J oh n F W o n s o n Co
J am e s L y l e
W illiam W il e y
G e orge Denn i s
J ohn Pew S o n
D an i e l S mit h
P e t e r H amlin
R owe
J ordan
M as te r
B ro
J ames G Tarr

74

18 8 0
18 76

LI S T OF

2 64

of

am e

Ve s

To

e l.

A ri z o n a
Au gusta H J ohnso n
Av o n ( boat )
A z a lia
B A K
i m ball ( boat )
B a rr a couta
B ell e v i e w
B B G a ng loff ( st e a m e r )
B D H askins
B F S o mes
B lanch e C r e a m e r
B loome r
B lu e J ay
B o u n ding B illow
C api t ola ( boa t )
C arl e to n
Carl S c hurz
Carl W B ax t e r
Carri e
Carrie E S a y war d
C art hage
C B M an n in g
C e n t e n n i al
Chall e n ge
Champion
Cha m pio n ( boat )
Charge r
Cha r les C W a rren
Charl e s S T a ppan
Charl e s H a sk e ll
Charl e s H H i ld r e t h
Ch a rl e s P B arrett
Cha r l e s P Tho m p so n
Ch e st e r R L awr e n c e
Chocoru a
Chri s ti na L
Cl a ra D S wett ( boa t )
Clara F F riend
Cly de
Cly tie
Col Co o k
C o l J H F renc h
Colorado
Com F oot e
Commonwe a lth
Concord
Conductor
Constitu t ion
Coral ( b oat )
C o r r i n n a H B i sho p

ns

18 5 7

18 74

18 70

18 6 9
1 8 60
18 68

185 1
18 65

18 60

65 9 4
.

18 5 9
18 6 6
18 8 1
18 6 9
18 6 7
18 6 7
18 6 6
1 8 74
18 6 9

73 66
28 2 1
.

18 6 7
18 76
18 73
18 6 6
1 8 79
18 5 8
18 6 2
18 7 7
18 75
18 7 7
18 5 0

h I a st e r
M i c ha e l
R o we

Klly
e

J ord

M a ster
M ast e r
J a m e s G T a rr B ro
S a m u e l H ask e ll
S y lv a n us S mith
Co
J ohn F W o n s o n Co
J oh n F W o n s o n Co
S hu te
M ercha n t
J am e s B at e s
J ohn F W o ns o n Co
R o we
J ord an
P e t t e n g il l
Cunningham
D e nnis
A y er
S ay ward B ros
G eorg e S t e e le
D e n ni s
Ay e r
D C
H B abso n
Co
G eorge J T a rr
J ohn P e w S on
W illiam C W o ns o n
Co
J ohn Ch i sholm
A mo s R a c kli ff e
Andre w L e igh to n
S amu e l H askell
W o n s o n B ros
M cK
e n z ie
H a rdy Co
B enjam i n L o w
G e org e Clark
Co
J ohn P e w S o n
F rank W M iller
F ra n k Dougl ass
B e njam i n M ontgom e ry
R obert R obi n son
J orda n
R owe
A nd re w L eigh ton
B e njamin L o w:
B e njam i n M o n tgo m e ry
Cunn i ngh am
Thompso n
J am es G Ta rr B r o
J ohn P e w S o n
S amu e l H askell
W o n s o n B ro s
He rm a n B B rown
G eorge De nn is
.

~
.

dre w L e ighton
G eorg e A J ohn s on
M ast e r

18 69
18 7 2
1882
188 2
18 70
18 7 7
18 6 6
18 76
18 5 2
18 7 6

am e

Fi tte r

or

wn e r s

VE S S E L S

1 8 75

L I S T OF
N

C
C
C

am e o

e s se

ottage
res t o f the W
Tay l or 3 d

T o ns

av e

D ac o ta h ,
D av id A S tory ,
D avid F L o w,
D avid J A dams ,
D avid M Hi lton ,
D avid S her m a n ,
D avy C r o c k e tt ,
D e ance , ( boat , )
D el ia , ( boat , )
D elia M aria ,
D ictator ,
D id o ,
D ixie , ( b o at , )
D ragon , ( bo at , )
E as ter n L ight ,
E aster n Queen ,
E be n B Phi llips ,
E ben Pa rson s ,
E d ward , ( boat , )
E d ward A Hort o n ,
E dward E veret t ,
E dw a rd E W ebs te r ,
E d w ard G r o ver ,
E
a ne ,
E lectric Flash ,
E lisha C rowell ,
E li z a A bby ,
E l iz a
Parker ,
E ll a F Bartlett ,
E lle n H Powers , ( b o a t , )
E l len M , ( boat , )
E l le n M A dam s ,
E L R owe ,
E m m a , ( boat , )
E m m a S O s ier ,
E n ola C ,
E pes T a r r ,
E qual , ( boat , )
E rnest F N orw oo d ,
E sther W ard ,
E t ta E Tanner ,
E t t a G o tt ,
E thel ,
E ureka ,
E v a M ay ,
E verett Pierce ,
E veret t S teel e ,
.

KK
.

Whe

ui

18 4 6

VE S S E L S

18 7 7
18 5 3
18 5 8
18 76

18 72
18 6 7
18 68
18 73
18 7 6

1 8 76
18 6 4

18 72
18 8 2
18 8 1
18 66

18 60
18 6 6
18 75
1 8 76
1 8 70

18 6 0
18 7 5
1 8 74
18 5 7
18 5 9
18 69

1 8 60
18 60

O wn e r s

Fi

or

tt e r s N

65

am e s .

J ame s Park e r
W illia m B C oo mb s
E li O C leave s
M erchan t
S hu te
Be nja m in L o w
Be nja m in L o w
J esse L ewis
Pet ti n gel l
C unn ingh a m
J ame s G Tarr
B ro
J ames G Tarr
B ro
E lisha C W hee l e r
W illi a m M L ane
C h r e s te n N el s o n
J oh n P e w
Son
G eorge S te el e
J ohn F o s te r
M a ster
M addocks
Co
J oh n P e w S o n
M ichael W alen
So n
W m Pars o ns 2 d
Co
M aster
D anie l A l len
So n
C unningham
T h omps o n
S olo m o n J acob s
A yer
D enn is
M ichael W a le n
Son
T A L a n g s fo r d
Son
D an ie l A l le n
Son
J ame s P a rker
L eo n ard W alen
J ohn P e w
Son
Patrick P o wers
M aste r
G eorge N o rw o od
Son
B ro
S amuel L a n e
A tlan tic Hal ibut C o
D avid A O s ier
A n dre w L eigh t on
B ro
J ame s G Tarr
E ben B ra z ier
G eorge N orwood
Son
Foster
O akes
S amuel Haskell
Co
S y l vanus S mith
Co
S y lvanus S mith
Be njamin L o w
Howard A W o n s o n
Co
J F W o n so n
B H S pin n e y
.

18 5 4
18 5 7

18 76
18 71

18 7 8
18 69
18 73

18 7 1
18 68
18 6 7

18 68
18 8 1
18 6 6
18 7 1
18 8 1

1 8 63

Ve s se
E W M erchan t
E xcel s ior
F a l con
F an n y Fern
F arr a gu t
F A S mith
F ina n ce
F it z J Bab s o n ,
F l a sh
F leetwi n g
F leur de L i s ( bo a t )
F l ora Te m ple
F l y i n g S cud
F rank A W i ll i a ms
F rederic G e r r i n g J r
F r e d P Fry e
F red L W ebb
F W Hom an s
G a rdne r W Tar r
G a r net ( s l oo p )
G arib aldi
G atherer
G az el
G e o rge A Up to n
G e o rg e C l ark J r
G eor ge H Piers o n
G eorge J Tarr
G e o r ge 0 Ho v ey
G eorge P R ust
G e o rge P Trigg
G eorge S B outwell
G eorge W S tets o n
G e o rgi ann a
G ert ie E Foster
G leaner
G olden Hind
G o ldsm i th M aid
G o o d Te m pl ar
G P W hi tma n
G race C Hadley
G race L Fears
G ra cie S m ith ( boat )
G us s i e B laisdell
H A D uncan
H A J ohn son
Ha n n ah ( boat )
H a rvest Home
Ha ttie B W est ,
Hattie C hester
Hattie L N e wman ,
N

am e o

VE S S E L S

L I ST O F

66

To ns

en

18 5 0
184 7
18 73
18 5 8
18 6 7
18 69
18 69
18 7 1
18 75
18 5 9
18 79
18 5 8
18 70
18 69
18 70
1 8 70
18 6 7
18 70
18 75
18 6 6
18 5 9
18 76
18 4 6
18 75
18 6 6
18 6 7
18 6 9
18 64
18 6 7
18 68
18 69
1 8 69
18 5 1
1 8 74
18 7 1
18 7 7
18 72
1867
18 74
18 73
18 7 4
18 8 0
18 7 6
18 76
18 6 7

ui t

wn e r s

or

Fi

tte r

am e s

G e o rge J Tarr
Co
J J Burn s
Co
A n d re w L eighto n
G e o rge G arland
J ohn F W e n s e n
Co
J oseph Fri e nd
M erchan t
S hute
J ame s M a ns el d
S on s
J a m es G Tarr
B ro
W o h s e n B ro s
M aster
Harry Hardy
J oseph 0 Pr o cter , J r
W i lliam C W o n s o n
Co
E dward M orris
J oh n S M c Qui n
Co
M i cha e l W ale n
So n
G eorge C l ark
Co
J ames G Tarr
B ro
Francis L ocke
G eorge J Tarr
Co
R owe
J ord an
T A L a n g s fo r d
Son
A ndre w L eighton
G e o rge C l ar k
Co
C u n ni n gham
Tho m ps o n
J ohn F W o n s o n
Co
B e njam in L O W
G eorge C l ark
Benjamin Haskel l
S on s
M cK
e nz ie
Hardy
Co
J oseph 0 Procter J r
S tockbridge
Co
G eorge C l ark
Co
W il lia m C W o n s o n
Co
R owe
J orda n
R owe
J ordan
Br o
S a m uel L a n e
A ndrew L eighto n
Pettingel l
C un ni n gham
A tlantic Halibu t C o
S ylvanus S m ith
Co
S y lva n us S m i th
Co
G eorge S teele
W m P a rso n s 2d
Co
J a m es M c G r at h
J ohn K
nowl e s
S hute
M erchan t
G eorge S teele
M ichael W al en
Son
.

18 5 6
18 6 6
1 8 78
1 8 75

L I S T OF

Ve s se l
Hat t ie N G ove ( 3 m
Hattie N R eed ,
Hattie S C lark ,
Ha z e ( b o at )
N

am e o

T o ns

st ,

ec

to r

S t a n b e r ny,
Henry W ils o n ,
Herald o f the M orning ,
Herbe r t M R ogers ,
'

e nr y

Hereward
Herman B ab s o n
Hildegarde
H o pe ( boat )
Hope ( boat )
Horace A lbe r t
Howar d
H o ward H o lbroo k
Hyperion
I da A M ay hue ( b o at )
Ida C hase ( boat )
I da M ay
Ida M ay ( boat )
Ida M ay ( boat )
Isaac A C hap m an
I sa a c Patch
I sland Bel le ( b o at )
I sland H o me
Ivanhoe
J ames B liss
J ames A G arel d
J ames t own
J ennie B Thomas
J H G Perkins
J J C lark
J o e Ho o ker
J oh n D G ri ffen
J o hn D L o n g
J ohn F W o ns o n
J o hn S M c Qu i n
J ohn S m ith
J o hn S Press o n
J o hn W B r ay
,

18 8 0
1 8 74
18 7 7
18 75
18 6 7

18 5 5

18 7 9
18 6 7

69

am e s

M erch a nt
M ichael W alen
Son
J oseph 0 P r o ct er , J r
W illiam B e m b y
Thoma s D ouglas s
D an iel A llen
Son
J o rdan
R o we
G e o rge D e n nis
B e njamin L o w
M aste r
S ay ward B r o s
J oseph Frie n d
G eorge D ennis
W illiam C W o n so n
Co
Petti n gel l
C unningham
J oh n P e w
Son
R o we
J o rdan
J a mes M an s eld
S ons
D C
H B abs o n
R owe
J o rdan
Henry D enn is
M as te r
Co
S y lvanus S mith
S y lvanu s S mith
Co
O ake s
F o ster
C unningham
Th o m ps o n
J oh n S hean
M aster
J ames M ansel d
S ons
M aster
A l bert 0 W o n s o n
D C
H B abson
A tl an tic Hal ibu t C o
M as t e r
A lbe r t R D ul ey
C u n ni n gham
Th o m p s o n
W m Parson s 2 d
Co
R owe
J ordan
G eorge S teele
J os eph Friend
B urnham
W in te r
R o we
J ordan
S hute
M erchan t
M aster
A ndre w L eigh to n
J ohn F W o n s o n
Co
J ohn S M c Qui n
Co
O ake s
F o ste r
G e o rge C lark
Co
Co
J o hn F W o n so n
.

S hute

tt e r s N

Fi

or

67

O wn e r s

u il t .

18 5 4
1 8 75
1 8 65
18 6 8
1 88 1
18 69
18 65
1 8 75
18 68
18 68
18 7 6
1 8 74
18 7 5
1 8 74
1 8 76
18 7 6
18 78

Helen M C rosby
Helen M D ennis
Helen R L o w
Henrietta ( sloop )
Hen ry E llsworth
Henry Fri end
Henry L Phillips
Il

18 6 6

II

Wh e

1 8 73
18 6 7

VE S S E L S

62

1 8 60
18 79
18 68
18 8 1
18 7 6
18 67
18 6 7
18 70
1 8 64
1 8 63
18 8 0
1 8 68
18 7 7
18 68
1 8 74
18 75

L I S T OF

68

l
J o seph G arland ,
J oseph
J oseph S tory
J o sie M C ald e rw o od
J S L amprey ( 3 m s t s )
J W C ampbell
Kn ight Te m pl ar ,
nuts ford
L a n dsee r
L aughin g W ater
L aughing W ater s
L aura N el son
L aura S ayward ,
L ega l Tender
L eo n e
L evan ter
L i g h t W ing
L ittle A n t i e ( boa t )
L ittle G ian t ( steamer )
L i z z ie
L i z z ie J J o ne s
L iz z ie M y rtle ( b o at )
L i z z ie W Hannum
L o ttie KFriend ( 3 m s t )
L ottie S M ort o n
L ucy ( b o at )
L u cy A n n
M A B as t o n
M ab e l D illaway
M adame R ol an d
M ad aw a ska M aid
M agel la n C loud , ( bo a t ,)
M a g ic
M arath o n ,
M argar e t
M a rgi e S mith ,
M arion
M arion G rime s
M arth a a n d S usan ,
M arth a C
M arth a J ane ( b o a t )
M ary A B rown , ( b o at , )
M ary E
M ar y F C hishol m ,
M ary E D aniel s ,
M ary E li z abeth ,
M ary F ernald ,
M ary S to ry ,
M as s a s o it ,
M a s s e na ,
N

am e o

e sse

To

31

ns.

VE S S E L S

Whe

18 6 6
18 6 7
18 6 0
18 75
1 8 72
18 8 1
1 8 70
18 8 2
1 8 75
18 5 8
18 66
18 7 4
18 6 6
1 86 8
18 7 1
18 69

18 7 7
18 78
18 75
18 75
18 75
18 6 8
18 7 3
18 8 2

or

Fi

tte r s N

am e s .

M aster
J oseph 0 Procter J r
C h a rle s D agle
D en n i s
A ye r
M a s ter
.

e n am l u

G eorge S teele
J oh n P e w S o n
M ichae l W a len
So n
M aster
M aster
A tlan tic Hal ibu t C o
S a y ward B ros
M erchan t
S hu te
W G P o ol
G eorge N or w ood
Son
B H S pinney
M a ster
D oug l a s s B ro s
D aniel A l len
Son
W m Pa r s o n s , 2d ,
Co
M aster
J ohn C o llin s
M aster
J F W o nso n
Co
M aster
S amuel Ha skel l
M aster
.

18 4 9
18 78
18 8 2
18 6 0
18 68

M ic h a e l W

So

al e n

W in ter
B urnha m
J ohn S M o Qui n
Co
A le x M c C l o u d
J ohn F W o n s o n C o
G eorge S teele
Benja m in H S pi n ney
Co
S y l va n u s S mith
Co
S y l va n us S mith
D C
H B abson
D enni s
A y er
L e o n ard W alen
S imeon M c C l o u d
J oh n G uthrie
M erchan t
S hute
B e njamin L o w
L eonard W alen
G eorg e N or wood
8 0 11
A yer
D ennis
S ay w ard B ros
Hardy
e nz i e
Co
M cK
Co
W m P a r s o n s 2d ,
.

18 7 1
18 7 4
18 6 6
18 75
18 7 7
18 6 8

18 7 8
18 7 5

O wn e r s

it

18 7 1
18 75
18 6 8
18 5 2
18 75
18 7 5
18 68
18 60

LI S T OF

Ve s se l
M atthe w K
eany
M aud F L eighton
M aud G ertr ude ( bo a t )
M etac o m ( b o a t )
M H Perk in s ,
M idnight
M innehaha ( b o a t )
M i n n ie D ell ( b o a t )
M ist
M L W etherell
M onmouth
M oro C astle
M orril l Boy ( b o a t )
M oun tain K
in g ,
M y stic
M G O B ( b o at )
N apole o n ( b o at )
N el son W ell s ,
N evada
N e w E n gland
N ewsboy
N oonday
N o rthern E agle
N orthern S tar
N otice
N el lie Burke t t ( boat
N elson Y M c F a r l an d
N ellie N
R owe
i ng
O cean K
O cea n R anger
O ceanus
O l iver E ldridge
O n tari o
O nward
O pti m ate s ( bo at )
O rient ,
O ssipee
O ti s P L ord
Path n de r ,
Percy
Peter D S mith
Ph a nto m ( y acht )
Pha n tom
P h a se l u s ( b o a t )
Ph o e n i x
P ioneer
Pi scataqua
Pla n et
N

am e o

18 8 2
18 8 2

18 7 6
18 6 5

18 75
18 6 5
18 7 6
1 8 74
1 8 78

P l ur ib u s tah ,
P o lar W a ve ,

am e s .

M addock s
Co
A ndre w L eighton
D a n iel G ill
B l aster
G eorge D en n i s
M a ddocks
Co
B l aster
M a s t er
J ames G Tarr
B ro
S h u te
M erchan t
G e o rge S teele
M cK
e nz i e
Hardy
Co
B D Ha skin s
B enjamin G e r r l ng
J oh n M c K
i n no n
M aster
M aster
M ichael W a len
Son
M ichael W alen
Son
J o hn P e w S o n
M a ste r
M addocks C o
G eorge H M art i n
J oseph 0 P r o cter , J r
M aste r
B l aster
S amuel L ane
B ro
R owe
J ordan
M add ocks
Co
W m Parsons 2 d
Co
W illiam G ibbs
G eorge S teele
J ohn P e w
Son
J ames G T a rr
Br o
G e o rge W o n s o n
C harles L e e
C unningham
Th o mp s o n
D ennis
A ye r
W m Parson s 2d
Co
D en nis
A y er
O ake s
F oster
Henry S H o vey
D avid L y le
B l a s ter
G eorge C lark
Co
B ro
J ame s G Tarr
J o hn F W o ns o n
Co
M aster
B l aster
A ndrew L eight o n
.

18 79

18 5 3
1 8 68
18 7 7
18 7 7
1 8 73
18 5 7
1 8 60
1 8 68

18 8 1
18 8 2
18 7 7
18 5 8
18 7 0
18 70
18 7 3
18 5 2
18 6 6
18 75

18 7 2
18 7 6
18 7 1
18 78
18 6 8
1 8 65
18 75

tte r s N

Fi

or

O wn e r s

69

it

Whe

To ns

VE S S E L S

1 8 69
18 72
18 6 6
184 5
18 6 5
1 8 75

L I S T OF

Ve s s e l
P r o cter B rother s
Plym o uth R ock
R acer
R alph E E at o n
R a m bler ,
R attler
N

am e o

To ns

8 2 72

R D L i t c h e ld , J r ,
R e becca B artlett ,
R eporter ,
R est l ess ,
R ising S tar ,
R ichard L ester ,
R eady ,
R o ugh
R oya l O ak ,
R ushlight ,
R uther f ord B Hay e s ,
R uth G roves ,
S A Parkhurst ,
S arah C P y le ,
S arah C W har ff ,
S arah E W e therel l , ( s t
S arah M J ac o bs ,
S arah P A y er ,
S chuy l er C o l f a x ,
S e a F oam ,
S e a W i tch , ( b o at , )
S eth S t o ckbridge ,
.

7 18 4

S hiloh ,
S ho o ti n g S ta r , ( b o at , )
S igfrid ,
S m u ggler ,
S o l o m o n P o ol e ,
S ophronia ,
S P G reen l ea f , ( b o a t , )
S R L ane ,
S t ar o f the E as t ,
S tarry Fl a g ,
S terling ,
S t M ichael ,
S t Pat r i ck , ( b o at , )
S ultan a ,
S un shine ,
S amuel B J ones ,
S en ato r , ( pinkey , )
S usie H oo per ,
Thomas W
n ight ,

VE S S E L S

Whe

ui

Teddie ( b o at )
Telephon e
Tidal W ave
T L M ay o ,
,

O wn e r s

Fi

or

tte r s N

am e s .

D aniel A llen
Son
G e o rg e S teel e
W al ter M F al t
B ro
J ame s G Tarr
H B ab s o n
D C
A ndre w L eight o n
B l aster
F oster
O ake s
J oh n F W o n s o n
Co
G e o rg e C l ark
Co
J esse M c C lo u d

18 7 6
18 76
18 5 2
18 7 7
18 65
185 9
18 7 1

18 6 9
1 8 74
18 70
18 7 1
18 8 1
18 4 7
184 6
18 6 3
18 7 7
18 6 7
18 6 1
18 69
18 7 1
1 8 72
18 7 8
18 69
1 8 68
18 5 3

J a m es G Tarr
B ro
J ohn C arter
H B abs o n
D C
J oh n F W o n so n C o
D e n n is
A y er
J ame s M a n s eld
S ons
E li J ackm an
Co
J oseph Friend
G e o rg e C lark
Co
A y er
D enn i s
B ro
S am ue l L ane
A y er
D e n nis
J oseph 0 Proct er J r
W alter M F al t
B l aster
Son
G eorge N or woo d
J o hn P e w S o n
Bl aster
Th o mps o n
C unni n gh am
A ndre w L eigh t o n
Th o mps o n
C unni n gham
.

18 75
18 74

1 88 2
18 7 7
18 7 6
1 8 60

I h n a n n
L o wx
B l aster
B ro
S amuel L a n e
B l aster
W m Parson s , 2d ,
J ohn P e w S o n
M ichael C uro n
Peter C o nley
A ndrew L eigh t o n
J o hn P e w S o n
.

1 8 73
18 6 7
18 7 1
1 8 68
18 65
185 9
18 6 9
18 6 6
1 8 72
18 3 1
18 8 2
18 8 1
18 78
1 8 78
18 7 1
18 6 6

Co

M a s ter
J ohn Parker
Son
D anie l A l len
A n dre w L eigh t o n
M ast e r
J o se ph L y le
J oh n P e w S o n
B ro
J am e s G Ta r r
.

LI S T OF
N

Ve s se l

am e o

To

VE S S E L S

O wn e r

ns.

T r a g a b i gz a n d a ,

18 70

Trito n
Tubal C ain
U S G ran t ( bo at )
Un di n e
V eteran
V idette
V iking
V isio n
V olu n teer
W achuset t
W aldo Irvin g
W anderer ( sl e e p )
W e b ster S anb o rn
W elc o me
W E Terry
W ildre
W ild Pi geo n
W i l lia m A P e w
W illiam H R ay m o nd
W illiam H O akes
W illi am M G aff ney ,
W illiam S B aker
W i l lia m V Hutch i n gs
W ill ie M S tevens
W i ll iam E M c D o n al d
W illia m H F oye
W illi a m Pa r s on s 2 d
W il lie
W i n ged A r r o w
W itchcr a f t
Z S W al lingf o rd ( b o at )
Z eno b ia

18 75

18 6 5
18 6 7
18 75

63

70

5 7 73

Ve s se l
A ctive ( sl oo p )
A l f red A
slo
o
p
(
)
A m erica ( sl o op )
A n na M
o
at
b
)
(
A n n Parker
B elle o f C ap e A nn ( sl oo p , )
C E Tru m bull
C harlie B o y ( b o a t )
C har lie S tedm an ,
C o ck o f the W al k ( 8 10 0 p )
C ora L e e
C o rinn a M ,
f

,
.

18 63
18 74
18 8 0
18 8 1
1 8 76
18 7 7
1 8 69
18 6 6
185 2
18 6 6
18 6 7
18 78
18 7 7
18 6 0
18 6 6
18 7 7
1 8 75
18 71
18 70
18 8 0
18 66
18 5 9

18 8 1

To ns

KP 0 R
Wh B i l
en

18 69
1 8 74
18 6 9

R 0 C
am e o

M aster
J o seph S m i th
C unni ngham
Th o m p s o n
J ohn F W o n so n
Co
M aste r
M addocks
Co
J ohn P e w S o n
J O Procter J r
A ndre w L e i ght o n
D aniel A lle n
Son
J ames M a n seld
S ons
D enni s
A y er
A tlantic Hal i but C o
J o seph S mith
J o seph F riend
G e o rge F riend
Son
G e o rge D en nis
W m Pars o ns 2d
Co
S y lva n us S mith
Co
W m Pars o ns 2d
Co
M aster
S y lvanus S m ith
Co
W illiam B C oo mb s
J ohn C ad wallade r
G e o rge S teele

am e s .

tte r s N

Fi

s or

1
7

W o n so n B ro s
S ayward B ros
W m C W o nso n
Co
N ehe m iah A dams
Henry S mith
Be nja m i n M ontgom e r y
M c e n z i e , H a rdy
Co
J ames M anseld
S ons

18 7 1

T
t

O wn e r s

Fi

or

tt e r s N

L anesville G ranite C o
R o ckport G r a n i te C o
J eremiah Pettingell
Henry L S to ry
Pige o n Hill G rani te C o
R o ckport G r a n i t e C o
C E Trum b ull
.

'

18 5 0
18 60
18 70
18 80
18 7 2
18 5 3
18 6 7
18 5 7

am e s .

H o ward H Paul
L a n es v ill e G ranit e C o
R ockp o r t G ranite C o
J ohn S t o ry J r
M a s te r
.

L I S T OF

Ve s s e
D aniel W ebster ( s l oo p )
E di t h Bean
E dith L C onl ey
F a n ny R
F r a nklin S S chen ck
G lide ( boat )
G olden R ule
H a rd C h an ce ( S l o o p )
Ida M ay ( slo o p )
I sab ella
J en ny L ind ( boa t )
J ohn P O ber
J oseph i ne
J oseph M L ane
J Y Baker
L ady L i ncoln
L i z z i e D S aun d er s
L S now J r
L odowick B ill
M ary E llen
M inn ie ( b o at )
N ell i e F lorence ( b oat )
N ellie T G a skel l ( b o at
N e w E r a ( slo o p )
N

am e o

To ns

Whe

ui

O wn e r s

18 7 6
18 5 9
18 6 9

P ar n e t ,
Pi n a f ore ,
Queen o f

18 5 3
18 38

1 8 73

1 8 74
18 5 3

To ns

Whe

To

N
ns.

4 6 08

I S

O wn e r s

or

Fi

tte r s N a m

G e o rge A J one s
G o rham M or s e
.

Wh e

UA M

18 4 9
18 5 3

e s.

it

O wn e r

18 7 1

s or

i tte r s N

J on as H French
M aster
B l aster
M aster
M aster
.

it

1 8 78

A N

Ve s se
A merica ( y acht )
Bel le G ilmore
B onita ( boat )
E v a M ay
I A m Here , ( b o a t

C HE S TE R

l
D ow n es ( b o a t )
( boa t , )

am e o

M A N

e s se

18 5 6

S chool G irl , ( boat , )

S crea m er , ( s l o o p , )
S ho o ting S tar , ( boat , )
S ina S hore ,
There sa , ( 3 m ast , )
W averl y

Quick step ,

b
o
at
)
(
the S e a ( boat )

am e o

J oh n S to r y J r
E be n B l atch f ord
B l as ter
J oshua T a rr
J ohn S t ory J r
M aster
A C Pierc e
Jo h n S to ry J r
M aster
M a ster
J oshu a Tarr
R ockport G ran ite C o
M aster
L oring G ri m e s
A
B S e ab o rn
M a ster
M aster
Pigeon Hil l G rani t e C o
M aster
M aster
Co
G eorge J Ta r r
J S tory J r

M ary A
R an te r

1 8 73
18 6 8
18 5 2
18 4 9
18 6 1
18 6 7
18 5 1
18 6 6
18 5 5

am e s

18 5 5
18 5 5
18 5 1

18 62

tte r

Fi

or

Pi ge o n Hill G rani te C o
Francis Tarr J r
M a ster
M aster
B ra dley
Co
Henry \V C olburn
Z en as B row n
L a n es v ille G r a n i te C o
R ockport G ran ite C o
C C Po o l
M aster

18 5 3

VE S S E L S

a m e s.

L I S T OF

Ve s s e
I s l a n d Ho m e ( b o at )
J ohn M et tler
M ay S R o uh d y ( b o a t )
S ardi n a ( boat )
V en us ( boa t )
V e s per ( boat )
W ide A wake
N

am e o

T o ns

VE S S E L S

Wh e

ui

O wn e r

184 8

1 8 78

am e s .

tte r s N

Fi

or

73

M as ter
M aster
G eo W L a n gs fo r d
B artlet t M orga n
M aster
M a ste r
B l aster

18 5 9

The aggregate num b er o f v e ssel s an d t o nnag e enrol l e d in thi s d is t ric t

wh en this lis t was m ade up A pril 1 5 18 8 2 comprised 4 8 3 vessels with a
ton n age o f
O f this number 4 2 3 belo n g to G louces ter Harbor
3 5 3 sch o oners 4 sl o ops l y ach t 6 s teamers
o f a tonnage o f
t o nnage 4 6 vessels : 25 sch oo ners 1 0
5 9 boats
R o ckp o r t has
1 1 b o ats
A n n isqua m
to n nage 1 2 vessel s : 4 schooners 1
s lo o ps
m prising 2 b e at s
ach
M
an
chester
o
nn
age
c
o
t
7
b
e at s
t
y
,

F IS H I N G

FIR M S

A N D

F ITTI N

O UT

E S TA B L I S H M E N

TS

The number o f shi n g rm s and tt i ng o u t es ta blish m en ts in G l o uces te r

Har bor a t this date A pri l 1 5 1 8 8 2 i s 4 6 whic h t o u t 3 02 schooners and
boats The bal a n c e o f th e e e t i s c o m posed o f vessel s whose m asters are
ow n ers a n d they t where they please M essrs J o h n P e w S o n are t h e
l argest tters havi n g 1 9 vessels ; J ame s G Tarr
B ro come nex t with
1 6 and J F W o n so n
C o are third on the list with 15
A ndrew L eigh
ton t s 14 ; R owe
J o rdan 1 3 ; two 12 each t wo 1 1 ; t wo 10 f our 9 ;
8 ; th ree 7 ; v e 6 ; v e 5 ; t wo
4 ; f our 3 ; eight 2 ; three 1
o ne
The f ollowing is th e list o f the G loucester Harbor shi n g rm s and tt i n g
out e s tablish m ent s w ith their number o f ves sels :
-

tla n tic Hal ibu t C o

\Vinter
B u rnham
D a n iel A llen
Son
D C
H B abson
J J B urn s
Co
C u n ni n gham
Th om ps o n
G eorg e C lark
Co
W illi a m B C oomb s
D en n i s
A y er
G eorge D e n nis
J ose ph F r ie n d
W alter B I F al t
G eorge G arl and
S a m ue l Ha s k el l

11

10

9
2
12
6

5
2

Ha skel l
S on s
E li J ac km a n
Co
S am u el L a ne
A ndre w L eight o n
T A L a ngs fo r d
Son
Be njami n L o w
Benja m i n M ontgomery
Ja m es M a n s eld
S on s
J ohn S M e Quin
Co
M cK
e nz i e
Hardy
Co
M a ddocks
Co
G eorge N o rw o od
Son
O akes
Foster
J ohn P e w S o n
.

U
P-

o
C

m
m
m
a

L I S T OF

74
O

Pr o c ter J r ,
W i lliam Pars o ns 2 d
Co
Pettingel l C unningh am
R o we
J ordan
S y lvanus S mith
Co
G eorge S te ele
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dthe l igs hsectf ye sgitooadtehdo mesteellades e este acl oo c ati oo ab estt e ighb o h oo d beestte w aiteal a ieew es th e
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ss o
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f
A
ll
P harm a ce u ica l Pre p ara ions m anu fact ure d from t h e b e m a e ria l s a nd in s ic t ccord
anc
e wi t h th e r ev is e d Pharm aco po eias and s tandard w ork s F a m i l y M e dicin e s
P h y sicians P re scri p tions a
O n e o f t h e la r e s t P ro p ri etary M anu fac urers in t h e U ni ed
S ta te s of A merica S o i f y ou ar e t
o
f sin
M
e dicin e s b e sur e to
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e
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t h e sa me
Us e
WIN E O F CA I S A A B A K s re n g h e n and ton e u p th e s y s em
H
Use
SAR S AP ARILL A
I O N p uri y and enrich th e b lood
H
B
U CH A N D H OP S f or a ll dis e as e s o f k idn e y s and rinar orga ns
H
in m al e or fem al e
U se
RO S E L O T I O N f or a ll cu tan e ous dis e a s e s and a ll e ru p ions w a t ve r
H
hat r e uire a soo thin g and p l easan t wash
Us e
D
A
N
DE
LI
O N A N D M A N D R AK L I E P ILLS for chronic af e c ons
H
oBfethsur
e li ve and bo w e l s cons ti p a tion a ll i t s f or s h e adach e giddin e ss d y s p e p sia bi l ousn e ss
e t o bu y a bo ttl e o f th e s e p i l s and y ou w i ll us e no o t h er N on e g e nuin e n l e ss si gn e d M
L Weth erell
I
f y ou w an t th e ge nuin e B ED B U G PO WDE R b e sure p rocure i t M L
MM ainL W etash earelllloftroh emr kTnds
ar
e w ort h l e ss i m i ta tions o f th e g e nuin e a rt icl e w hich is i m p or e d b y
ri e s te A us tria E very bo le warran te d
E
R E KA LINI M E N T f or rh e u m a tics s p rains bruis e s
bon
e sore s
H
cochaldsn gcotlhice pwarisnst or cramItpiss th ethsetron
s togmeach
and
f or
( caus e d g e n e ra ll y b y t h e oi l jack et
s t lini me n t m ad e
Tamryaica G inHer Roo t I tEis TonReACT
A
M
A
I
CA
GING
E
R ROO T m anu fac t ure d fro m
p
ur
e
third s tron ge r than
o
t h e r gin ge r in th e m ark et I t is guaran
tee d t o con ta n a ll t h e e dicina l ua l i ti e s o f tha t dru g a conce n tra te d f or
B
e sur e t ha t y ou
p rocure non e bu t M L
and ta k e no o th er
E
T
R ACT O F I H H E L or HA M AM E LIS is t h e p e o p l e s r eme d y
H
or
ba
l
m f or eve ry w ound
a
m os t e cacious r eme d y f or ca tarrh or co l d in t h e h e d burns
bruis e s p i le s sore ey e s a ll hu m ors o f th e scalp and wounds o f every d e scri p tion
TING
h e bPe sLt Ap lSasT tE Rr eveanu
r o feacr tdurteodthbey pMu Ll ic W
is eth ereHll a t M ainBUS t E veandry HpOP
S
S
T
R E NG TH
l
as
te r is m ad e o f
t h e b e s t m a te ria l s s e l e c te d hi m is fre sh m ad e and t hus non e o f t h e v ir u e s o f th e
e n t s ar e l os t E ve ry p l as ter con t ains th e
me dicina l ua l i ti e s o f B uchu and o p s c re
f u ll co m bin e d so t ha t f or a l a me
w
e a k back p ain in th e sid e or ain across t h e k idn e y s
iningt pelal oins
across
th e ch e s t w e a k k idn e y s con t usions bruis e s etc
d as a g e n e ra l s tr e n gt h e n
s
te r i t
no
e ua l U s e
B
uchu
and
H
o
p
s
S t e n gth e nin g P l as te rs and b e
con v ince d th e y are th e b e s t p las ter in th e m ark et
Use
H
T OO THACH E D ROP S C ure in on e m inu e Try th em
H
PU R E
LI E R OIL wi th H O PHAT E O F LIME
H
U se
C
O L D PR E SS E C O D LI E R O IL T his oi l is m ad e fro m fre sh
h eal th y l i vers a nd is guaran tee d t o b e th e b e s t in th e m arket
H OR S E PO WDE R S for hors e ai l hid e bound h ea ve s bo t s etc
T
r
y
H
W
IN
E
O F B EE F
I
RO N p r e p are d fro m fre sh b eef iron and sh e rry
w in e iIt t isi llcarb eeffound
u ll y pvererpyare setdimand
f or chi ldre n d e l ica te p e rsons n e r v ous and f as tidious
ab le
Use
H
C
O M POUN S RU P O F H
H
m ad e fro m
f orm u l a
o f Dr C hurchi ll o f Par s for th e preve n tion and cure o f consu m p tion
Use
H
S A L E for gurry sore s sa l rh e um burns rin gworm s and old sore s
T
r
y
CH
OR T E PO TA SS A L O E NG E S f or i p h h e ria C rou p C ou g hs
C ol ds and Hoars e n e ss
T ry H
RO LL S A L E f or corns cu t s crac k e d hands and g urr y sore s
F
L
A
S
E
C
O U G H S RU P is t h e b e s t f or co g s co lds on th e l un g s
bronchi tis hoars e n e ss and s pi ttin g o f b l ood
N
E
W
WH
I
T
E
RO S E C O L O GN E su p e rb fra gran t and l as tin g A s a oi l et
H
ar icl e i t has no su p erior
Use
H
C E LE BR AT E
WATE R for th e reli ef o f in a med and sore e ye s
H
H
OO
F
O
IN
T
M
E
N
T
f
or
scra
t
ch
e
s
hrush
uar
e
r
crac
k
s
hard
and
bri
t
Y
Ils e
Use
H
C
O M POUN S RU P O F B L AC KB E RR ROO T a sure cure f or cho l
era m orbus d y s e n te ry diarrh a co l c cra m p s and su mme r co m p l ain t s o f chi ldre n T his has
b ee n found to a very b e n e cia l edicin e larg e s toc k cons tan tly on hand
T
r
y
CA
M
P H OR AT ED S A PO N AC E O U S
for b e au ti fy ing th e
H
t et h and
th e g um s I t is a ver p l e asan t
e n tire l y har m l e s t o
teeth in
re nd ering th em p earl w i te and gyass y sm oo h
Th

os

L I S H E

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