Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1843-07-28

the muster becomes discouraged, or his provIs-
ions consumed the vessel returns to port, nnd
hauls in at the inspectors wharf, where The hsn,
many or few, are landed, sorted into three qunll-
ties, weighed, re hacked, re.salted and re-plckel-
led. Ia two or three days she is re-fited aud oil
her way to the fishing ground. Meanwhile, The
owner, and all others who inquire "what luck"
learn from some wise old SALT and there Is al
ways Sir Orace) how much knowledge the
mackerel hive acquitted since the previous sea.
son. Having been thus employed until The cold
weather approaches the fish leave the coast,
the smaller vessels hnul up and their shippers pass
the winter in cracking nuts, relating stories, aud
accounting for bad voyages, or boastng OF eooh
ones; while The larger vessels so south and en-
gage in ireiglItng.
The superiority of sound, strong aud well fur
nshed vessels over those OF opposite qualities
nOy seem too apparent to require Il word OF no
ticr. Many poor ones are nevertheless employed,
aud So are poor masters hut The misplaced e.
economy OF trusting to either is becoming 80 per-
cpptible that iheir number is rapidly diminishing.
Yet we mny be parlOned for relating single
fact illustrative oil the folly Ut returning in use
solitary vessel TINT ought to be- or Que master that
seeks to be, in u hnrbor, during any OF The gales
which occur Oh our coast Just before the equinox
Some four years ago, between Mount Desert aud
Cape Sable, there were, une day, three hundred
vessels III sight of eacl other and as was judged
were mostly mnckercl cnlchcrs, meeting WIN
more Than The average success. lhe moderate
bre re of the morning freshened towards noon,
aud as night approached, there were strong ndl-
cations of n storm, A movement was soOn per-
cepthlc throughout the fleet, aud IL finally scat
tered and sailed away. The s,nuch vessels, which
were controlled by stout hearts, sought AN ohlus
but the rest, the shelter OF the nearest haven.-
Two thousand men, probably, were thus iueruP.
ted in their employment but mark the Issue
the vessels that kept their positions, under lhelr
Ia. IlastT,I tnI
resumed their business early the heXt day while
the refugees were seen no more Tor fur days
two of which were excellent for tishng aud du-
ring that time many vessels caught from quar-
ter TO a third part Of n lu fare
The bait. which, we have said, is thrown over.
board to attract the fish to the surface, Is usually
composed OF small mnckerel, or sailed herring,
cut IN small pieces. AS economy and success
alike require careful use of it, the master sell
dom allows other hands than his own 10 dispose
OF it, 1t was formerly The duty Of the man who
kept the watch on deck, in the night, to cut the
bait on block. But the bail mill has taken place
of this noisy and tedious process. Nothing, GER
tuinly, IN the time OF any fisherman now llvng
has occasloned so much JOY rs lis introduction
| TINS labor.sovlng, sleep-promoiing machlne II:
| constructed at first, was extremely simple. II
was Il box which was made To stand Oh end, and
| had crank pro ecting through lis side ; while in
| ternay it had Il wooden roller, armed with smal
| knives, III rows, so arranged, lhu when the roller
was turned, the fish TO be ground or cut up shonI
| undergo the operation by coming between these
| rows OF knives aud others which were arranged
alohg II board tllpt sloped towards The bottom.
As already remarked, the mackerel fishery il
as old as any other, aud WIS commenced in Mas
sachusetls. This State not only took the lead, bu
retains it, Tie business has been extensive and
successful; At present. il is diminishing. In 1882
the returns show that upwards o! 3S3 600 barrels
were inspected in Massachusetts alone, while ,hnsr
of l643 exhibit The inspection OF only 10000 bar
rels, which, is 90 600 more that in 1871 a; ant
the statistics Of the fishery of Maine presen
results and comparisons even more unlavorabe
| There is certainly no lack of skill and persever
ance on the part of those who are now 81 hade
qun'ey rewarded for their capital aud labor
Whether The numerous aud increasing "brokel
voyages" are to be attributed decrease OF fish
or to a change OF its habits aud places of resort
we shall not undertake TO determine. The opn
ions of many practical men mere whims nn
fancles, aud, though amusing enough, are not wor
thy Of record.