OPERATIONS DURING THE FISHING SEASON. 231

men, women, and children, whenever showers come

on; they abandon every other engagement, and even run, if on Sunday, out of placesof ”worship, to col-é lect the fish into fagots or piles. I ' t 5

The nature of the cod-fishery is truly precarious. Sometimes the cod is not equally abundant on all parts of the coast, and, in that case, the fishermen have often to go a great distance in quest of them, and in some cases, have to split and salt their fish in the boat. T319 incessant labour also, which attends the curing, leaves the shoremen scarcely time, during the season, to eat their meals, and allows them little more than four hours’ sleep.

The quality of the fish is affected by the least in- attention or error in curing. If the weather be hot and calm, it is affected with fly—blows, and becomes maggoty; and a few fish of this description may con- taminate a whole cargo. If too much salt have been used, the fibres break in drying, and the fish easily falls to pieces. In this state, it is called salt—burnt, and is unfit for market. It is affected much in the same way when left too long exposed to the sun with- out turning, and is then called sun-burnt. In damp or wet weather, putrefaction is apt to commence, it then becomes slimy; or by the weather beating on it, when in piles, it sometimes takes a brownish co- lour, and is called dun-fish, which, although excellent for present use, is not fit for shipping.

Previous to exportation, the fish is again spread out to dry, when it is culled, or sorted, into four qua- lities. First, the inerchantable, which are those of