barrels of hard wood, bearing an official brand, (on which full reliance could be placed,) to denote the quality of the Fish within, the Herrings of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence would find a ready market throughout the whole extent of Canada, and would find their way by inland navigation, and the Great Lakes, to the most Western States of the Union, where there exists a large and constantly increasing demand. To other parts of the United States, and to Foreign Ports elsewhere, they might be profitably exported, if they could reach Saint John, at all seasons, at a moderate charge. The Herring Fishery of the Gulf would be more benefitted than any other, by the construction of Railways, and the increased facilities for communication which they would afford. No other description of Fish would probably furnish so large an amount of Railway traffic, as, if once properly established, this Fishery, which can now be scarcely said to exist, might be prosecuted to an almost unlimited extent.

THE COD.

The Cod Fishery commences from the 1st to the 10th June, and continues until the end of November; it may be prosecuted in every part of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, to a greater or less extent. The principal Fish caught, differs but little from the Gadus morrhua, of Linnæus, or ash-colored Cod. There are besides, two varieties, known as Gadus rupestris, the Rock Cod, and Gadus arenosus, the Shoal Cod.

Near the Shores of New Brunswick, the best Fishing Grounds, or rather, those most frequented, are from Point Escuminac to Miscou, and thence along the Bay of Chaleur, to the Restigouche.

The inhabitants of the County of Gloucester prosecute the Shore Fishery to a greater extent than any others on the New Brunswick coast. Their principal stations are Miscou, Shippagan, Caraquet, and Grande Ance. They go out in boats, from one to fifteen miles from the land, in the morning, and when at the longer distance, do not return until the evening of the following day. The boats have two fore-and-aft sails, and a jib; each boat is managed by two men, and frequently there is with them a boy. Each man has two lines, from 30 to 48 fathoms in length, and they are also furnished with Mackerel lines, spare leads, and hooks. The boat has oars, an anchor and rope, compass, and small oven for cooking; the cost is about £18 for each boat, with complete outfit. The Fishermen generally build their own boats during the Winter: the

keel is of birch; the timbers of cedar; and the planks of pine or cedar. A boat will last from six to eight years, and so will the sails also, with care.

The quintal, by which Cod are always sold, is 112lb of dry fish. It is considered a good day's fishing, at Miscou, for one of these boats to take ten quintals of Fish, which they frequently do. When first caught, 112 of the small fish, and 30 of the large size, are reckoned to the quintal.

Nearly all the fishermen of Shippagan and the Bay of Chaleur, split, salt, and cure their own fish. When they do not, 252lb of green fish, salted and drained, are given to a curer, to return 112lb of merchantable dry fish.

The boats, as they return from the fishing banks, run alongside a stage built over the water, upon which the fish are thrown out. The first man that handles the fish cuts its throat with a single stroke of his knife, and slides it along a sort of table to another, who whips off the head, and throws it, with the entrails, through a hole in the table, into the water underneath, retaining only the liver, which is thrown into a tierce to make oil. The next man splits the fish, and takes out the back-bone; on the manner in which these operations are performed, the quality of the Fish for market, in a great degree depends. They are then washed, and rubbed with salt, in which they remain for six or eight days; then, being again well washed, they are placed in what is called a "horse pile," to drain. After draining twenty four hours, they are spread out to dry on long narrow wicker frames or stages, set up on purpose, called "flakes." They require to be frequently turned to prevent their being "sun-burnt," or salt-burnt;" and they cure in about three weeks. It is not well to cure them too fast; they are best when dried moderately.

After the Fish are sufficiently cured, they are collected and laid in small circles, with the tails outwards; these circles are continually built upon, each row being larger than the one below it, until the pile is about three feet high, when the circles begin to diminish so as to form a conical roof; this is covered with birch bark, and stones are placed upon it. The piles are thus rendered impervious to the heaviest rains; and in this position, the Fish are left to season before being packed for exportation.

The Bay of Chaleur Cod are more prized in the markets of the Mediterranean, and, will, at all times, sell there more readily, and at higher prices, than any other. They are beautifully white; and

being very dry, can better withstand the effects of a hot climate and long voyage, than a more moist Fish. The peculiarity of their being smaller than Cod caught elsewhere, is also of great importance as regards the South American market, for which they are packed in tubs of a peculiar shape, called "drums," and into which they are closely pressed by means of a powerful screw.

The usual baits for Cod on the New Brunswick Coast, and in the Bay of Chaleur, are-Capelin, in the early part of the season -and afterwards, Herring and Mackerel-when no other baits can be had, Clams are used.

The capelin (Salmo grænlandicus)* is a beautiful little fish, from four to seven inches in length, the under jaw longer than the upper, the colour of the back greenish, the under surface of the body silvery. They usually appear about Miscou, and in the Bay of Chaleur, early in May; but sometimes not until near the end of that month. The Cod Fishery does not fairly commence until the arrival of the Capelin, which continue near the shores until the end of July.

There has been great complaint of late years, in the upper part of the Bay of Chaleur, of the falling off in the Cod Fishery, which is said to be every year decreasing. At Carleton, Maria, New Richmond, and other places on the Gaspé shore, the fishing establishments are deserted, and going to ruin. At these places there was formerly an abundant supply of fish; but the inhabitants now barely catch enough for their own winter store.

This decrease is also felt on the New Brunswick shore. The settlement of Petit Rocher sends out about 50 boats only, which average a catch of 50 quintals each, during the season. The Pockshaw coast sends out a few boats, but they only fish occasionally. The Caraquet and Shippagan boats, further down the Bay, take more than 100 quintals each during the season, which are of better quality than those taken off Petit Rocher. The decline of the Cod Fishery in the upper part of the Bay is attributed to the wanton destruction of the proper and natural food of the Cod-Herring and Capelin-which are taken in immense quantities; not for immediate eating, or for curing, or for bait—but for manuring the land!

In a representation made to the Canadian Legislature by a fisherman of Gaspé, it is stated, that this fisherman has seen five

• This is the Mallotus villosus which occurs so well preserved in the fossil state near Ottawa.

4

hundred barrels of Capelin taken in one tide, expressly for manure; and that he has also seen one thousand barrels of Herring caught at one time, and not taken away, but left to rot upon the beach.

It has been remarked in the Bay of Chaleur, that owing to this waste of the smaller fish, the Cod Fishery recedes, as agriculture advances. The lazy farmer, who thinks he can increase the fertility of his land by a single sweep of his seine, does so at the expense of the fisheries, although a bountiful Providence has furnished the shores with inexhaustible quantities of kelp and seaweed, and other valuable manures, which really enrich the soil while it is admitted that the use of fish greatly deteriorates it.

The Legislature of Canada has been strongly urged to make it a misdemeanor, punishable by fine and imprisonment, for any person to use either Herring or Capelin as manure; and such a measure would seem to be highly desirable in New Brunswick. To be effective, there should be similar regulations on both sides of the Bay of Chaleur.

The deep-sea fishery for Cod is not prosecuted to any great extent in the Gulf by the people of New Brunswick. A few schooners proceed from the Fishing Stations in the County of Gloucester, already mentioned, to the Bradelle Bank, about fifty miles from Miscou. In the summer of 1839, H. M. S. Champion, in sailing from the East Cape of Prince Edward Island to the Bay of Chaleur, (crossing the Bradelle Bank) passed through a fleet of 600 to 700 sail of American fishing schooners, all engaged in Cod fishing.

The vessels of Gaspe frequently resort to Anticosti, off the eastern end of which Island, Cod are often taken in great abundance and of good quality.

The excellent fishery on the Labrador Coast is prosecuted almost wholly by the Americans, and by vessels from Newfoundland, Canada, and Nova Scotia. The vessels usually employed are schooners of 70 or 80 tons burthen, and they arrive on the coast about the end of May. Every part of the coast is frequented by fishing vessels during the season, from Mount Joli, at the southern boundary of Labrador, to the northern extremity of the Straits of Belleisle. On reaching the coast, the vessel enters some snug harbour, where she is moored, and there remains quietly at anchor, until a full fare, or the departure of the fish, requires the Master to seek another inlet, or return home.

The fishery is carried on entirely in boats, and the number found most useful is one for every thirty tons of the vessel; there

are two men to each boat. If fish are in plenty, and not too distant from the vessel, they are expected in good weather to get two loads each day. The return of the boats with fish is the signal for the dressing crew, who remain on board, to commence their operations. If it is intended that the vessel shall remain on the coast until the fish are ready for market, they are taken on shore as caught, and there dressed, salted, and dried, before being put on board the vessel. But it is the more common practice, especially with vessels from the United States, to salt the fish on board, and take their cargoes home in a green state, drying them after arrival. The vessels from Nova Scotia and Canada, in general, carry their cargoes home in a green state.

About three hundred schooners from Newfoundland resort to the Labrador Coast every season, during which they usually make two voyages. When they first return from the coast, they take home a cargo of dry fish; but on the second return voyage, a considerable proportion of the fish in a "green" or pickled state, and is dried at Newfoundland.

The Labrador Coast is indented every where with excellent Harbours, which have been frequented for a very long period. From the security of these Harbours, and the general certainty of an ample supply of fish, this coast is preferred by many fishermen to any other Fishing Station within the Gulf.

The average produce of this fishery may be estimated at ten quintals of dry fish to every ton of the vessels employed; but the Masters of the American schooners are dissatisfied when they fail to catch 12 or 13 quintals per ton. The baits are principally the Capelin and the Herring, both of which abound on that coast. The Herrings taken at Labrador, in the latter part of the season. are considered very fine: yet they are not caught as a chief object of pursuit, but merely as an adjunct to the Cod Fishery..

The quantity of dried Cod exported from New Brunswick Ports, in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, during the last eight years, is thus stated in quintals:

PORTS. 1841 1842 1843 1844 1845 1846 1847 1848 Totals.

Totals, |7770 10,174 9470 9031 7526 11,970 10,340 | 16,067 82,438