Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-08-02
A Cruise ON a raoLercr schooner.


mackerel schooner and for the benefit of those
desiring to take similar trip, he proposes to
giye some account of what he saw and heard,
and, he might add felt, during three weeks
| cruise. Mackerel schooners, an6l schooners are
invariably the vessels employed, are fitted out
from ports on Cape Cod, Sonthl Boston, Rock
port and several smaller places but the great
rendezvous is Gloucester. Over five hundred
vessels engage in the cod and mackerel fisheries
belonging there. 1t has fine harbor, long,
comparatively narrow, and completely land
locked, at the head of which the city is built,
stretching along upon the ills that skirt the
western and northern shore. 1t presents very
picturesque appearance as we SAIL up the harbor,
but the town itself is decidedly prosy. The
principal street follows the winding of the shore,
and presents on either side buildings rather old
and time.worn, and some few that from their
newness seem strangely out of place. Glouces-
ter has a population of about $4,000 and, in
view of that fact, and also that it is very old
place, it seems somewhat surprising that it is
only town, and recently by avote of two to one
decided to remain a town yet awhile. NOtwitb-
standing, it boasts a very handsome town hall,
its chief ornament, and such one as
Worcester might be proud of. The fine
physioue of the men strikes the stranger
as something remarkable. They are well
Drowned. and have tremendous chests and
limbs. A gentleman assured me statistics had
proved that the men of Gloucester averaged
thirty-nine inches about the chest, while those
of Boston and other places would scarcely av-
erage thirty-six. So it would seem fishing is a
very healthy occupation. In the evening the
sailors line the principal street, but are very
derby.
Mackerel fishing is Just now at its ebb. Last
fall the spectators bought all the mackerel they
could lay hands on, and this spring, instead of
the expected rise, mackerel were lower than
they had been for years, and it was the old case
over again of the "biter Bit" In consequence
of the low price Of mackerel the fishermen are
less inclined to engage in the business. Shortly
after the war, on q trip Of five or six weeks they
frequently cleared two or three hundred dollars
whereas now forty or fifty is more nearly the
average They don't care very much about
shipping ''greenes," but this summer friend
and myself had no difficulty in securing berth
the same day we arrived in town, obtaining
considerable assistance, however, from the gen,
tlemany harbor inspector, Mr. Blatchford.
Having been assigned our bunk in the forecas-
tie and got our traps aboard, we took long
walk on shore, and the next morning at eleven
weighed anchor, hoisted our sails, and, under
stiff breeze were soon fast leaving the shore be-
hind us. For two hours your correspond
emit felt nothing unusual, but at the expiration
of that time he began to perceive that there was
something wrong somewhere. Some of the
sailors remarked paIeness, and laughingly
asked, "Feel sick2" OF course we protested
"No;" but finally the no became rather faint,
and when we hove to, about thirty miles off
shore, the answer was, pretty sick" And
who can adequately describe the sensation!
Parties who have tried both assure me
that the feeling one has the morning
after taking too much wine, or the
"rack-punch in the head" as Thackeray ex-
presses it. resembles sea-sicknesS very much.
Have you ever been tossed in a blanket2 Have
you ever dreamed that you were falling off
high cliff ? And do you remember the sensa-
ton that you were leaving everything behind
you? Imagine, then, if you can, that you have
this sensation continued twenty-four hours,
while your eyes are wide open, and you have
fery good idea of sea-sickness. No remedy
aVails. The vessel will pitch and roll, and
against that, while on board, there is no refuge.
1t will only terminate when your system is puri-
fed and you are somewhat accustomed to the
motion of the vessel. And, by the way, saw a
a strange though true query the other day re-
garding this subject of sea-sckness: "why peo-
,,lo ,I,, - = ~
though victim, you are yourself inclined to
look at it in ludicrous light l touched no
| food for twenty-four hours, and then, feeling no
| longer sick, although rather weak, l took good
| draught of port wine, which renewed my
strength, after which was rid of the ugly feel
ing. Sailors will generally advise eating
whether you crave food or not; but | should say
wait until the feeling of nausea is gone. Such
was my policy, and the second day,
although in the morning l had the
greatest difficulty in swallowing half
dozen small mouthfuls of fresh
mackerel, an operation that involved
some half an hour, yet ate a half one at
noon and three hours after had no trouble in dis
posing of the whole of a No. 1 mackerel, an APP
petite which did not diminish during the trip.
The fishing is all done to the leeward. On the
rail places are marked out about three feet long,
called berths, and to each of the crew berth is
assigned in proportion to his ability as fisher
man. The best berths are amidships, those at
the bow being better than those aft, the chief
advantage being that the centre of the ship is
comparatively quiet, while the bow and stern
are constantly moving upon the middle as a
pivot, making it much more difficult in these
places to keep the lines in the water. Just be-
low the rail under each berth are several cleats
upon which the lines are wound. The hooks
are about the size of large trout hooks. They
are prepared by being put in mould, and hay
ing lead run about the shank in IN oblong
form. Hooks SO prepared are called jigs. The
lines are of cotton, and to keep them from fray
ing about two feet of linen line is attached, to
which the jig is fastened. Mackerel are never
taken off the hook, but the fishermen grasp the
line short distance from the end, and slaps the
fish into barrel which stands just behind him,
and in the same motion throws his line out
| again. The lines are about thirty-fve feet long,
and each fisherman has from six to twelve coiled
ready for use. The best fishermen manage four
lines, and our skipper frequently used five. The
usual number, however, is two long lines and
one short one, and when the mackerel are biting
at all rapidly, it is impossible to manage more
In real fast fishing only two short lines are used
| with heavy jigs. The bait for the hook is strip
of skin from the side of mackerel, which is
cut into small pieces about Lalf an inch square,
and all the flesh being thoroughly taken off,
they are hooked through the centre without