The Sea 51

removed from the seascapes the beauty of little sails dotting the fishing grounds. But it also took a lot of backache out of rowing when the winds calmed down.

For those who can recall stormy weekends of earlier days, there was something fascinating about the way the schooner would come into port. Most of the captains were daring sea-devils who wanted to do everything with a flourish and split-second timing. Sometimes the timing misfired. On one occasion a schooner scooting in between the wharves under full sail couldn’t drop canvas quickly enough and ploughed into the bank below Remick’s. Another reckless master coming in to the end of Knight’s Wharf caught his boom in the warehouse and ripped off part of the roof. On still another occasion, Captain Lannigan, driving the Mary Alice in under heavy sail, found some of his gear sticking at the last minute, causing him to come within inches of shearing a Nova-Scotian vessel in two and then nearly ramming the pier. Such incidents, now long gone, crowd the memo- ries of those who found thrilling vacations and satisfying vocations along the waterfront.

The first time this century (and perhaps the last) that there was a large fleet in Souris harbour for more than a day or two was in May, 1907 when the Lunenburgers on their way to the Magdalen Islands for herring bait called here. The ice closed in and over a hundred and twenty schooners stayed for two weeks. The Magdalen Island boat got out on May 24, but drift ice blocked the fleet for several days longer. Bank fishermen often called before and since but seldom more than twenty of them at a time.

Schooners had a beauty all their own but it took an enthusiast to really sing their praises. Here is how the Patriot’s Souris correspondent (Sep- tember 21, 1883) described a visitor:

“The Clipper Schooner, Elsie M. Smith, Captain J ewet of Portland, Maine, is a perfect gem—1 15 tons new measure- ment, 93 feet on deck overall, 25 foot beam, 9% foot hold; draws 141/2 feet of water, 16 when loaded; lower mast 89 feet; main boom 69 feet; spreads 2,200 yards of canvas; goes 14 knots by the wind; has a yacht stern formed like a V and a bead of gold leaf clean around her; cost $13,000. On Iggr first trip took home 600 barrels of mackerel and stocked ,000.” We shall not see her like again.

Captain Sol Jacobs:

Memories of former days seem very unimportant and poor provision to keep a fishing industry alive. But Souris does not lean on them. In fact, many exciting moments of the past have faded from the memory of the people and the fishing folklore of the Island is that much poorer.

But ask any older fisherman in Souris today who Sol Jacobs was. His eyes light up, he remembers the name but can’t recall any details. He just knows that his father thought he was a “great fisherman”.

Captain Soloman Jacobs of Gloucester represents all that was good about the years the Yankee seiners fished out of Island waters and he is still remembered by old timers in Alberton, Georgetown, Souris and other ports where his schooner took refuge from impending storms.