Page:New Brunswick Magazine Issue 1.djvu/162
same fish in the way of ordinary trade. Many persons, who were at other times employed in the company's service, in the spring of the year, went fishing on their own account, and this was a source of great inconvenience to the company because many of their best hands for the time deserted them leaving them to shift as they might with the remainder. We cannot do better than quote from one of James Simonds letters on this head; he says:
"In the spring: we must go into the Wiers every tide; this we must do if it was for nothing else but to keep our men from selling bait to the fishermen for rum, which is not only attended with the loss of the fish so sold, but of the men's time who would drink so to excess as not to be able to do anything. We hope to catch nearly a thousand barrels; shall not have barrels enough but think we can save that quantity till they can be made or procured. The two hundred hogsheads asked for in our memorandum is for salting in the first pickel, shall have two hundred more made for the same end. As the fish [Gaspereaux] don't run longer than twelve days none can be repacked until all is caught. We think it best for the Paquet to be here at furtherst by the first of May with salt and lay here fourteen or fifteen days, the hands to be shipped to assist in catching, salting, etc. This will be a saving of the expense and wastage of landing the salt, and a saving of store room that will be much wanted. Large allowance ought to be made for contrary winds as some vessels at that season have been upwards of twenty days on their passage; one week too late would defeat the design."
In addition to the gaspereaux—salmon and bass were taken at various places in great abundance and it would appear from Mr. Simonds letter that the company had at one time a large weir at the Nashwaak where there was a famous salmon and bass fishery.
The little schooner Polly was usually handled by Jonathan Leavitt during the fishing season and employed in deep water fishing. Annapolis Basin and Passamaquoddy Bay and Grand Manan were all included in Captain Leavitt's field of operations. Under date June 22, 1768, Mr. Simonds writes:—
"Leavitt in the Polly has just arrived from Annapolis; he says he has lost a fare of fish for want of a sufficient length of cable to ride at anchor, and that he must have one by the middle of August or he shall lose one or two more fares at Grand Manan."