The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-09-02
CATCHING THE sWoRDFIsH.
Three Weeks on One OF the fleet OF Twenty
on GfOraes Hanks.

''A hl0N HNblbllNll' Wv INV bffH NViNllk
our way out toward Georges Banks against
variable head winds for three days, and were
l~ounging about the schooncr's deck thoroughly
tired Of doing nothing when n cry from tho
masthead sent every man scurrying to his
place like the last bell at school
Hard up! hard up"
STEADY her."
Keep Of IL little"
Hard down."
II was all over in a minute. The vessel bore
down a. true ~ a whistle for the fish, the striker
lroned him, securely. the warp whlzzcd through
the barrel buoy thrown overheard. a dory was
lowered away with a rush, and one Of the men
roWrd on to haui the catch, while the schooner
continued her course on the lookout for an
There were eight Of us on board. Including
the skipper and the cook. and except myself
all down East" fishermen who had hunted
the swordfish for many seasons The hold Of
eur schooner was filled with ice. and we had
ftted. with provisions enough to stay out a
month II necessary In order 20 get u good load
of fish. Most Of the swordfsh that are taken
on the New England coast come from Georges
Banks, a high ledge about fifty miles each way,
covered. by thirty or forty fathons of water,
which lies about 700 miles east Of New York.
Atlantic TIE f'ee S,wofdiIsS HrDH"d this their p sum,
mer home, usually from about the middle OF
June TO the middle Of September.
There are at least six places TO be filled on
a vessel when catching swordtsh. and the
average, crew contains from eight TO twelve
"'i' " "NlN Wv u WIZ
watches for the fish as they swim along near
the top OF the water. their back and tail fms
just above the surface, and whose work II IN
when one has been sighted TO call out direc-
| tions 10 the man AT the wheel 10 as TO put the
vessel close to the fish. Then there Is the
striker. who stands on a small stand at the
head Of the bowsprit to iron the fish when II
comes within reach. For this purpose he has
a long pole with an iron pike on the end Of II.
To the end Of the pike is attached a dart. which.
IN turn. Is fastened 10 a rope known as the warp.
The warp. containing about loo, fathoms, Is
.n1.1 ,p on the Aa,L tN,th ifg f1ITthar and mazda
fast to a barrel buoy. In ironing a fish the
dart is thrust right through him. leaving IL
buttoned on the other side when the pole is
As soon as a fish is struck he heads for bottom.
and it is the work OF the warp tender. who IA
commonly the cook, to pay on the warp care
fully. and throw overheard the barrel buoy
when Il is all gone. Then a dorymap rows
| until he has tired him enough to pull him along
side OF the dory. when he lances him In the gills,
catches his tail with a gan runs a strap around
II and makes the fish fast to the dory until the
| schooner returns aud hoists the catch aboard.
In addition TO these four places there must be =
helmsman and a man to tend sheets. As most
boats carry four, dorie@. moreoyer, there must
be hands enough To man, all these at once II
necessary, the dorymen who are not otherwiss
the foretOpmsst. which instead Of having Q
SAIL il rugged with a number Of seats. the top
Our fourth days fishing was the best during
the trip, We had taken aboard eteven sword,
nsh before dusk. and after they had been dressed
and the deck washed down We adjourned 70
the cabin for an hours jOlihcaion before turn
ing in. Our two games OF cards were pitch
porters say. we're INDUCED In till a late hour"
namely. half-past 3 Furthermore. after tbs
but we Called him Pete to }" distinguish him, from
another OF the same name on board warmed
up enough TO sing us a song, relating TO various
incidents al out the animals OF the deep. OF
which the verse concerning the swordfish met
with particular applause.
Then up Jumped the swordnsh
With his broad sword.
Saying, Gaping; damn your eyes
I'll fence You overheard"
Pete sang this in n more or, less, uncertain
tenor. and we all roared out the chorus IN
way which would make weak with shame the
most boisterous tempest that ever blew:
For the wind Is on the weather;
We are jolly boys together,
No matter how she blows.
| We carried the pri Of meals at all hours
to the limit on the banks. Breakfast was over
by Q o'clock, and from then on II was eat and
eat s 4 dR al, DAY aS Is q Y. c wheneSgeF v 1neT tss
way the skipper summed up his own ,proclivi-
ties. but in spite Of the numerous lunches there
| o'clock the cooks head appeared in the com
sTowlSd out. Come and s-s.t , IT " y s9h1 meant at
: o'clock there was a cessation from eating
Tor an hour Or two until Just before turning
cold %viCtual. for a last time
Although we were always well fed. we ate
no fresh meat during The "Trip; So or heel
and slack sailed goldfish comprised our bin of
fare in this direction. We never cut a sword
who had been catching. them for years what
they tasted like he said he believed they were
a good deal like hslIbgt' but , he had ne essso eaten Ten
crew could hardly dispose Of one during an
| that although we were on the finest cod and
paddock grounds on the coast, there, wasn't a
y we mIs6 Of nave a Re9 sa9 Or ti nnf G asb OU %hsn sy.% we we's so
elected. II was like going to the country TO
find that farmers have no cream on the table
| often inferior TO What you can get In the city.
The masthead's man and the striker are re-
Rarded as The two most impp port bsrson Snd IN
whom everything else depends. The work
Of the dory man is the most novel and exciting.
tween 10 and is feet in length. Weighing any
where from 100 TO 600 pounds, and L oiteh takes
s sIvsTa } sG %SsnS ts tRs, R Rs m ESt' oU %ni,e up phs snde rs
your dory and smash a hole through the bot.
tom. with his sword. or that you may be lost
There has been a fleet OF about twenty vessels
running between Boston and Georges Banks
after swordhsh this summer The possibility
is but little further han Boston, seems never
TO have occurred to the fishermen q Maine
OF our party that II they could get some OF the
New York dealers to handle their wares they
i would be IN the way OF larger tdles anu Dt!ltI
\ prices, he looked al me pityingly. and replied
In the tone OF one who believes that what hasn't
been done shouldn't be attempted. None or
our people never goes TO none OF them western
markets"
or the total proceeds. or the stock, a. n II
called, Of a trip from a fifth TO an eighth goes
to the vessels owner. After the grub ana
ice bills have been deducted the remainder
is divided equally among the men. A trip
which nets any where from $50 to 500 a piece
is looked upon as a good one, but II happens
rather too often to give IL the consolation OF
novelty that the dollars that remain TO each
man al the end Of a trip could be counted on his
ten fingers without the need Of overflow meet
ings anywhere. The skipper, rs he Is always
called on New England. has only an equal share
with the men. but gets to a commission from
the vessels owner for navigating the boat.
1t is a prevailing belief among fishermen
| that a valise or trunk on board brings bad luck.
| ON the trip lust before that on which ! sailed
| the skipper and another member % the. crew
had tossed their grips overheard In order 10
appease the gods, and ] narrowly escaped hav-
Ing n like service performed upon my bag dur
ing a run OF bad luck. The only thing that saved
\ il was that IL was q small and harmless look
ing canvas affair. The old-fashioned reotan-
| nular black valiss is regarded az the most dan
gerous. In Gloucester anybody who had the
tpmerity to pose as a fisherman without cerry-
ing his outfit in the regulation canvas sack
would DO straightway drummed out OF town. 4.