Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1871-10-18
DoRYs

are about IS feet long by four wide amidships.
tapering to point, sharp and stern
nearly so-bearing to the eye Of the tyro
most unpleasant resemblance to a coffin.
These boats are fat bottomed, and with care
full management will out live anything short
of life boat, if kept head on to the sea-by
their peculiar 5uild-riding the pillows like
cork. They are however very ''ticklish" and
one has to be nearly as careful as in canoe.
when first getting the hang of them. Two
tackles are used in getting them out and tax
ing them on board and it does notocccpy more
than ten minutes to perform either task. Their
buoyancy makes them very handy, when
loaded with fish, as they will easily ride with
the rail not more than two inches from the
waters edge and they are so easily and quick
ly pulled in case of sudden
overtaking one when some distance from the
vessel. Thistle fog-is one of the princi-
pal dangers that the fisherman is exposed to
as it comes without the slightest warning. You
may leave the vessel in the morning with the
promise of as clear and bright day as can
be wished, and in ten minutes the fog will
have shut down SO that you can hardly see the
length of your boat. How many poor fellows
have rowed for hours bewildered and lost,
till benumbed with the cold they have given
up and lain down to die of the intense cold or
starvation, and only the dory picked up bottom
up by some passing vessel, to tell of their
fate. But see, the fleet have rowed about
mile to windward and are getting ready to
anchor. Let us watch old P our high line
fisherman, and first he pulls in his oars and lets
go his
weighing about twenty pounds, with
which each dory is provided, as also road
or small line to serve as a cable His anchor
now touches bottom and he pays out eight or
ten fathoms Of slack line, so that his boa,
may ride easily. The labor of rowing neces-
states pull at the water jug, which being
followed by larger chew of obacco. he is
now ready for his days work. should have
S'oteo oei"iV thae = uipdIttntHt Is IOTtueO
''midships" in the dory, by two boards. in
which place the fish are thrown until it is filled,
then (if he have such good luck) he fills stern
and bow. A good dory load will be perhaps
200 good sized fish, yet one can be rowed
much easier than person might think with
so heavy load. Batting his hooks, (each
line has two of then) with handful of CLANS,
the ancient mariner unreels first one line
then the other, drops them, one on either
side his dory, gets the proper depth, then
standing up with feet hraced, line in either
hand, he waits for bite, which. see, he has
already, and dropping one line, he with long
and steady alternating pulls, brings the fish
TO the surface, unhooks him, throws him into
the kid, rebates his hook. throws it over and
tries his other line, upon which, if he be on
good ground, there is one, or may hap pair.
Thus the fisherman, works until the sig
nal for dinner "a bushel basket ran up to the
,fore) then he hauls up his anchor, rows along
side, fork is passed him, he pitches his fish
one by one on the deck counting them as he
throws them on board, and at night the whole
number that each man has caught during the
day is set down to his credit. Dinner swal-
lowed and pull at the pipe accomplished, all
hands make fresh start. c..