The crews are
usually shipped for three months, and receive about $50 compensation
for the voyage. If they get full before the time is up, that is their
gain. Sometimes, however, they have an interest in the voyage the same
as whalers, but usually, I understand, are paid from $40 to $75 for a
season, which means three months unless sooner filled. The men do not
fish from the deck of the vessel, but from little flat-bottomed dories,
each man paddling his own boat and changing its location to suit his
whim. When brought on board the vessel the fish are immediately
cleaned, split open and salted right down in the hold, without the
formality of putting them in barrels or casks. After they are landed on
shore they are dried and assorted according to size and sold by the
quintal of 112 pounds, though 100 pounds is estimated as a quintal from
the hold of the smack. The 'Gertrude' had already 175 quintals on
her second cargo the day we were on board, but the captain seemed much
more desirous of hearing of our strange adventures than of imparting
the information that I sought. He appeared much impressed with the
circumstance that we were "worth looking at," as he said, and dwelt
much upon the fact that this summer was a good season for him to see
strange things.
"On my first voyage this summer," said he, "that little dory, thirteen
and a half feet long, in which two young men are going around the
world, came alongside my vessel, and I gave them some water and lucky
cake, and now I meet you gentlemen from--where?" (addressing me).
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