| Summary: | bobbing vbl n 10.-I spoke a French vessel on the Banks about twenty years ago, fishing with the Bultows, and I sup-pose they fish in that way still. By that mode I am inclined to think there is a great deal more fish caught by the same number of hands, than by our way, by "bobbing poles" from the side of the vessel for this reason, the diameter of the circle in which our hooks play is only about sixty feet, including the breadth of the vessel : whereas by the Bultow principle it may be a mile and a half, or more,-conse-quently must have superior advantages. The Bultow mode seems to me only an extension of the same means of taking fish as that of the "bobbing pole," and I think the hooks of the latter named mode are al-lowed to lay near the bottom of the sea, and probably as liable to take what is called the mother fish with the spawn as the other. I know the English fisherman say otherwise, but may there not be a little self interest at the bottom of that ? seeing they do not take so much fish in a given time as the French. I fancy that a larger portion of a Banker's crew may consist of ordinary men fishing with Bultows, than with hooks and lines at the end of "bobbing poles," for it appears to me a plain matter of fact that science as well as activity is displayed in the latter mode, else why is it invariably the case that some hands in the same vessel catch more than others-not upon one voyage, but always do so in the same time -yes, and on the same side of the vessel whilst the former requires but very little science beyond the direction of the lines by the officers but this mode requires men to be very steady and agile to carry out the lines in stormy weather-to be almost constantly in open boats on the ocean. I infer from these opservations that a full crew upon the Bultow plan may in part be made up with men not demanding so much wages as a full crew of good fishermen upon our plan. I have heard that many lives are sacrificed on the Banks upon the Bultow fishery by boats being at times overwhelmed ...
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