Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1886-06-10
BuckspOrt Bankers,
TIM FISHING FLEET Of EASTERN MAINE.
CATCHING COP AND HAIiBCr On THE
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Buckspurt Letter
This pleasant town. being situated some
distance up the Pcnobscot river. Is not what
IS usually termed a seaport. vet the people
are largel, lriers sted in eoas,ing and fishing
craft. Jusi NOW considerable activity i dis
played b, the residents, consequent on the
fitting out Of quite a large feet Of Grand
Bank fishing vessel. sailing from here each
wear. OF the thirty-two vessels sailing from
Hancock county, and virtually comprising
the entire fleet Of eastern Name, three hail
/ from Sedgwick. two from Ellsworth. eight
from lamoine and the balance, nineteen in
number, from this town. Their total cap.
acIty Is 5000 quln,ais, and the, carry
crews amounting, al! told. to abou, SO men.
Nearly oil Of these vessels are modern st,!e
. and fitted out IN the best possible manner.
The crews have. until within two wear.
been composed Of natives Of this and sur
rounding towns. but are now mixture Of
Maine. New Brunswick. Nova Scotia aud
Prince Edward Island men. The work Of
fitting out began here unusually early, the
first step beng 10 beach the vessel, thorough
/ ~ inspect, clean and repair the bottom. after
( which she is painted. sails and rigging put
I IN first class shape. etc; she j. then taken
+ 10 a wharf where the stores are put on board.
/ Inc selection Of these j. an important
/ duty. aud II is necessary 10 secure everything
that 1 company Of from fifteen to ,wcn,,
men WI. need during q cruise of from three
to i've months. The best Of food only is
taken, and consists of crackers, corncd beef
and pork flour, butter. cheese. tea. coffee,
spices. canned goods in great variety. and IN
fact everything saiabie excerpt pcrishah.s
trui, and fresh meat. This latter article j.
not missed mach one woald sappose
as porpoi,e, often caught on the Inn, aud
~heh Is not dnlike fresh pork, j. readily
eaIeu by The men. When IL Is considered
tia, fresh cod and halibu, are added to the
bili Of fare. It ~il be seen that Grand
Banker" often sets a good table though he
may be hundreds Of miles from market.
The stores having been pat on board. al
tentlon IA next paid 10 the water supply.
The three-masier \. f.. Symonds vii put on
board about 100 barrels. These are liquor
barrels, purchased in the towns where. not
outstanding the Maine la~ The, can be had
IN quantities TO suit and serve a two-fold
purpose A. fast a. The water IS used they
filed with OIL taken from the liver Of the
cod, which is brought home and sold In oi.
dealers. Alter the water comes the salt and,
the hold being slowed the small boats, or
dories they are called, are taken on
deck
There is one Of these boat. fos each man,
and, If the captain be fishing skipper"
boat Is added for hin. Then there are the
oars, half dozen anchor, FOR the schooner.
extra ones being carried in case Of accident,
anchor. for the dofe.. cables, lines, extra
sails and rigging. and LASTLY, the men them
selves with their outfit The latter consists
Of stout boots, warm WOODEN clothing and
Of. suits. the whole outfit of men aud ,e.s,
loading her deep, and are 80 placed as to
bring her we'll down by the stern tha, j..
may better ride the heavy sea. uf the
Banks
The time for departure having arrised.,hr
sails are hoist-d, and the schooner gldes
past frowning Fort knox. through the mar
rows and down the bay 10 CastIne or
some other point where call is made FOR
balt. This consists entirely Of cams shucAed
ont and put up in fish barrels Enough
Is taken for a whole trip, but the use Of
them IS discarded as soon as The squid
strike in" on the fishing grounds. These
are small fish much liked by cod and hail.
but, and are caught with jigs alongside the
vessel. The presence Of these is hailed with
jo, by the fishermen, as they indicate the
fact that the large fsh are near at hand
The clans having been slowed away, sail
Is again made for the fishing grounds,
thousand miles away. The trip usually &C.
cupies about ten days. The grounds once
reached the anchor is let 60, cable paid out
10 the amount of three fathoms for every
faihom of water, and the work of loading
the vessel begins.
A description of one DAYS work will suf-
fee for the whole. All vessels from here are
"hand liners" that is, FISH are caugh, with
line and hook in the hands OF the fishermen,
and not with set lines, called travis. The
cook turns OUT at $50 a. m, being called
by the anchor watch. At 4.30 men are
called to breakfast, after which pipes are
lighted, boats, containing jugs Of water Lines,
etc, launched, and the men pull away from
the schooner and begin to fish, each man
using two lines. Their boats are anchored
and there they ride, sometimes on long
rolling swell and al other times pitching and
tossing on chopping sea, enveoped for the
most part in fog and mist or beaten BY the
falling rain, ever on the alert for cod or
hallbut, until 1920 o'clock when the hosting
Of the ib or foghorn signal announces din
uer.
If they have made "catch" they row in,
unload, eat a hearty meal, and start out
again for the afternoons work The cod
can usually be pulled in as soon as he bites,
but if a vigorous halibut takes hold. the
fisher uses the same tactics as the salmon
catcher. He gives him line for moment,
then suddenly checking him holds him if he
can, head to the boat. As soon as he
can bring him to the surface blow between
the eyes with a stick carried in each boat for
the purpose puts an end to the struggle and
he is pulled aboard. The fishing is Kept up
until dark, when the boats return to the
schooner and supper is eaten.
If fish have been taken the labors of the
day are by no means over. All hands "turn
to- and "dress down." The fish are split,
the livers taken out and deposited in empty
hogsheads, and the refuse matter thrown
away, while the balance is salted down.
Perhaps the work for the day is over at 10,
but if good catch has been made it will be
midnight when the weary crew retire to the
"foksl" for sleep, to be reused again at 4.30
a. m.
The men do not object to these long
hours, as they are paid q certain amount for
the seasons work, good man this year get
ting Sl65, while green hand goes for $75.
All are interested in getting full fare and
an early return and ''turn to-" sleepy and
tired as they are, every morning with will.
There are days when they cannot 20 out in
their boats and when the vessels strength is
put to a severe test.
Perhaps a fierce storm of wind and rain