12 The French in Prince Edward Island 
     
    
   
   
    
     sands of fish, not counting that which is being done in 
     
     all the other places, and a fishery of this extent lasts 
     
     six weeks or two months. This thins out the Cod im- 
     
     mensely, and makes it depart, and the quantity of the 
     
     Cod (taken) makes also the Mackerel leave, and the 
     
     Herring which the Cod chases. This brings it about that 
     
     the fishermen no longer find the fishing upon the usual 
     
     grounds. This obliges the captains to make dégrats to 
     
     follow the fish. For this purpose the captain sends boats 
     
     to the fishery at one place and another, at five, six, and 
     
     seven leagues from the staging, to ascertain where per- 
     
     chance the fish have gone. They do not return until the 
     
     evening of the next day, and each one makes report of 
     
     that which he has found. Upon this the captain makes 
     
     a selection, after having conferred with his beach-mas- 
     
     ter and his pilot. The selection of the place being de- 
     
     termined, orders are given to all the boats to go on the 
     
     morning of the next day and make their fishery at that 
     
     spot, and to carry their fish to the place of the dégrat. 
     
     In order to prepare that which is needful he also starts 
     
     off the two land boats, one of which is a barge (char- 
     
     roy), a double boat in which the middle room is as large 
     
     again as the others, and bottomed with boards for 
     
     carrying the salt from the ship to the staging. It is 
     
     loaded with salt and with boards for making a table on 
     
     barrels, which are also carried. The boat carries drink, 
     
     bread, and everything which is necessary for the dress- 
     
     ing of the fish. A part of the shore crew goes there also 
     
     for that purpose, with the pilot. Having arrived at the 
     
     dégrat, everything is unloaded on shore. As a sleeping 
     
     place for the men, a little camp is hastily made which 
     
     is covered by a sail brought on purpose. Then the 
     
     boards are arranged, with which is built a table on 
     
     which the Cod are dressed as on the staging. It is salted