The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1873-08-16

ing at each end. In the centre of this
network are two holes, sufficiently large to
admit the lobster, and once Gagged IL is i'm
possible for him to escape, as the net is
bent inward. In the centre of the trap is
an upright stake on which the bait is i'm
paled, the whole concern being, as may be
supposed, sort of "walk into my parlor"
arrangement. The bait consists mostly Of
a sea perch and sculpin, the latter being
better known perhaps as the sea toad,
most unprepossessing customer, with head
nearly as large as the whole body, and
mouth large enough for fish fifty times
its size. He is, in fact, a monster on a
small scale, and in his color as well as in
the peculiar shape Of his head, as likewise
in his mottled skin, bears pretty close
resemblance to toad. He and the fish
ing frog must be near relations, for they
are "as like as two peas" with the excep-
tion that the latter has one or two tenta-
cles, or feelers, growing out of his head,
almost Immediately over the mouth, and
on the end of these is small. soft, flesh
like appeRdage, with which, as with bait,
he lures, while he lies concealed beneath
pieces of tufts or seaweed, his unsuspect-
ing prey into his capacious maw This
sculpin or sea toad, if he does not fish for
himself, is used to fish for others, and this
he does with great success If the old
adage, Handsome is as handsome does, .
has any force in it, he is perfect beauty.
The lobster traps thus baited are sunk to
the bottom, by means of stones, and taken
up between tides, when their unwilling in
mates are transferred to the rowboats pre-
paratory to being placed in the fish cars,
where they are kept alive till sent to the
factory in the large sailing crafts--vessels
Of from ten to twelve tons. In these they
are piled up, sometimes in huge heaps that
would draw torrents of tears from the eyes
of the tender-hearted Bergh, and when
the vessel arrives at the factory they are
mercilessly pitched upon the pier in an
other indiscriminate heap.
Here they twist and wriggle and flap
their propellen and interlock with their
huge nippers, the whole heap presenting
most animated and lively mass of crusta-
cea. From the pier they are at once taken
to the huge kettles, where, having been
sufficiently boiled, they are packed in her
meticaily sealed cans, and after still furth-
er boiling in these, the cans are labelled,
boxed and sent off to their several desti-
nations. The season begins about the
10th of May and closes about the middle
of October, during which the Portland
Packing Company, in one factory alone,
boil and can nearly seven hundred thous
and Holsters. In the capture of this num-
Der fleet Of 15D boats, each manned by
two hands, is required, and these range
along a shore Of thirty or thirty-fve miles.
In pursuit of the fish these men sometimes
frequent the most rugged and widest part
of the coast, where the restless waves, even
in the calmest days surge and boil among
the huge rocks, dashing the foam to the
height of fifteen to twenty feet Woe to
the hapless vessel that misses it's trackless
way across the ocean, and in treacherous
fog or the darkness Of the night runs upon
this iron-bound coast. The fate Of the
Atlantic and Of many noble ship has
told tales Of disaster that have sent thrill
Of horror through the civilized world. The
crash and roar Of these breakers can be
heard at distance Of two or three miles,
giving, one would think, sufficient warning
of the danger. Here, amid these rocks,
are the fayorite haunts of the seal, and the
seagull, the former affording fine sport for
the skillfnl marksman. On this lovely
summer evening, the whole sea and sky
suffused with the golden and purple glories
Of the decling sun, and the bleak rocks
rising grim and black above the glittering
foam of the broken waves, we have scene
Of grandeur and beauty rarely surpassed.
Here we have splendid view Of the coast
for distance of twenty miles, with its
beautiful little bays and coves, the shores
Of which are in many places thickly wood
ed down to the waters edge. From this
We can see not few Of the islands Of Ma
hone Bay, and which are SO numerous as
to furnish one for every day in the year.
WHIPPING IN ScHooLs.--Corporal pun
ishment Is rarely inflicted in the schools Of