Lifelines: Canada's East Coast Fisheries

The Search for Cod, a Delicacy for Meatless Days
A Fishing Expedition on the Saint-André (1754)
The Search for Cod, a Delicacy for Meatless Days: 
A Fishing Expedition on the Saint-André (1754)

By Jean-Pierre Chrestien to TABLE OF CONTENTS


Fishing on the Grand Bank
 

Estimating his position at about fifteen and a half leagues inside the Bank, which, according to his calculations, he entered at 45°30´ north latitude, Jean Marin Le Roy began looking for suitable fishing grounds. He sounded to determine at what depth the surface of the Bank was located, looking for the plateau that lies at a depth of 25 to 50 fathoms. In the mid-eighteenth century, pilots still located the Bank empirically: "The Bank measures at least 150 leagues from the northeast to the southwest, lying between 41° and 52° latitude, and about 60 leagues from the northwest to the southeast. Pilots estimate its longitude in relation to their ship's wake, supposing that there are 600 to 700 leagues in a straight line from the coast of France to the Bank, depending on where they are according to their charts." 69


Fishing vessels on the Bank - 
Canadian Museum of Civilization

Figure 7: Fishing vessels on the Bank (detail). In the left foreground, a large ship from Normandy.
H.-L. Duhamel du Monceau, Traité général des pesches, 1772, vol. 2, section 1, part 2, plate VI, fig. 1, Canadian Museum of Civilization.


The ships that arrived at the Bank early, from January to March, fished between 43°30´ and 45° latitude. Those that arrived from May to August drifted between 45° and 47°30´.

Once the ship arrived at the Bank, and the winds and seas were favourable, the pilot's job was simplified. The daily manoeuvres became routine. The ship lay to, 70 drifting slowly, trying to follow the schools of cod.

Following the recommendations of the Nouveau traité de navigation (New treatise on navigation) published in 1753, 71 Jean Marin Le Roy formatted his log as a roster, on which coordinates and other information are indicated clearly and methodically, sometimes accompanied by diagrams, to make it easier to consult. In fact, his charts go beyond the recommendations of the King's Hydrographer, Pierre Bouguer, who required twelve columns. They usually have fourteen columns. A record of the activities essential to the proper operation of the vessel and the fishery, the charts helped the pilot calculate the position and movement of the ship. They indicate the day of the week; the date; the number of hours the sails were set to starboard or port, furled or unfurled; the latitude observed at noon; the estimated latitude at 8 p.m.; the distance (in leagues) travelled in the 24 hours (also calculated at 8 p.m.); the nature and depth of the bottom of the sea; the weather; the direction (rhumbs), quality and force of the winds; and the number of cod caught each day. The last column of the charts contains notes on the ships encountered. Le Roy included the name of the captain to whom he spoke, the ship's home port, the number of cod caught and the date of the ship's arrival at the Bank. The number of ships that came into contact with each other on the vast triangular plateau 72 and the relations between the Norman captains are surprising. Le Roy mentions 42 captains (Table 1). The ships' mates often exchanged a few words, information and services, 73 sometimes even dinner invitations!


Table 1: Captains and ships encountered by Jean Marin Le Roy and Gabriel Bellet on the Bank, and their catch

 

Captain

Type of Ship

Home Port

Date Encountered

Date Arrived on Bank

Catch

1

BELLIOST

 

Olonne

16/04/1754

11/04/1754

500

2

BERMONT

 

Honfleur

12/05/1754

30/03/1754

4,000

3

BÉRENGER

 

Honfleur

27/06/1754

20/03/1754

6,000

4

BUNEL

 

Honfleur

15/05/1754

27/03/1754

1,800

5

CHAILLIOT

ship

La Rochelle

29/04/1754

16/03/1754

3,000

6

CLERMONT

 

Honfleur

01/07/1754

22/03/1754

7,000

7

DAQUENET

 

Granville

29/05/1754

01/04/1754

6,000

8

DELAHAYE

 

Honfleur

 

 

5,000

9

DÉLIÉ Jr.

 

 

03/06/1754

 

4,000

10

DÉLIÉ the Tranquil

 

 

04/07/1754

23/04/1754

5,600

11

DONZOIS

 

Honfleur

05/06/1754

18/04/1754

3,000

12

GALLOIS

 

 

10/05/1754

27/03/1754

2,000

13

GROUX, Charles

 

 

28/06/1754

30/03/1754

10,000

14

GROUX, Pierre

 

 

02/07/1754

02/04/1754

6,000

15

HAUTEVILLE

 

 

29/06/1754

27/03/1754

8,000

16

JUGÉ or JUZÉ

 

 

23/05/1754

30/03/1754

4,000

17

LAUMOSNE

 

Honfleur

30/04/1754

10/04/1754

1,000

18

LE HUBY

 

St-Malo

29/04/1754

01/04/1754

1,000

19

LE PRÉVOST

 

Honfleur

02/06/1754

27/03/1754

6,500

20

LE ROUX

 

Honfleur

25/05/1754

30/04/1754

1,000

21

LECOMPTE

 

St-Malo

03/06/1754

08/04/1754

3,000

22

LEFEBVRE Jr.

 

St-Malo

01/05/1754

18/03/1754

4,000

23

LE GRIX, Léonard

 

Honfleur

17/06/1754

13/06/1754

100

24

LEMOINE

 

St-Malo

26/06/1754

20/03/1754

6,000

25

MONCHATTON

 

Havre-de-Grâce

06/07/1754

04/04/1754

8,000

26

MORIN

 

 

22/06/1754

30/03/1754

7,000

27

MOÛLARD

 

Granville

02/05/1754

01/03/1754

3,000

28

NÉEL

 

Granville

25/06/1754

13/06/1754

1,000

29

NICOL

 

Dieppe

10/05/1754

2/04/1754

5,000

30

NORMAND

 

 

03/07/1754

23/04/1754

6,800

31

ROUSSEL

 

Honfleur

14/05/1754

30/03/1754

3,400

32

TANQUEREL

schooner

Granville

19/06/1754

31/03/1754

9,000

33

TANQUEREL

 

Granville

21/06/1754

31/03/1754

8,000

34

TANQUEREL

schooner

Granville

03/06/1754

01/04/1754

6,000

35

TANQUEREL, Racine

 

Granville

18/06/1754

02/03/1754

6,000

36

THISON

 

Honfleur

15/05/1754

20/04/1754

3,000

37

TRANQUIÉLLY

 

 

24/06/1754

30/03/1754

10,000

38

VILLIOUX

 

 

 

30/03/1754

4,000

39

UNIDENTIFIED

ship

Granville

21/04/1754

23/03/1754

1,000

40

UNIDENTIFIED

ship

Olonne

23/04/1754

10/03/1754

3,000

41

UNIDENTIFIED

ship

Seudre

19/04/1754

01/04/1754

1,000

42

UNIDENTIFIED

ship

St-Malo

19/04/1754

18/03/1754

0


From the day it got to the Bank to the last day of the fishery, the Saint-André drifted mainly between 44° and 46° north latitude, west of Jacquet Bank, remaining within 53 leagues of the entrance of the Bank.


Map of Newfoundland's Grand Bank - 
Canadian Museum of Civilization

Figure 8: Map of Newfoundland's Grand Bank (detail)
H.-L. Duhamel du Monceau, Traité général des pesches, 1772, vol. 2, section 1, part 2, plate II, Canadian Museum of Civilization.


The captain managed the activities on the Bank. He had to be well acquainted with the Bank fishery, know all the shoals and their position, be hardworking and patient, and not get discouraged if the cod was scarce. His ship had to be fully equipped for a six- to eight-month expedition, and the crew had to fish as much as possible. If the fishermen did not find cod in one area, the captain looked elsewhere, moving several times depending on the circumstances. When he found a good spot, he took advantage of it and required a maximum effort from the crew, both day and night. If a storm moved in, he had the yards lowered, the ship firmly anchored with two or three cables spliced together, and the hatches closed. The tiller was secured, and the crew waited for the weather to clear, sheltered inside the ship. 74



THE BANKERS | HOW THE SHIPS WERE SET UP
A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A FISHERMAN | NIGHT FISHING
THE PREPARATION OF GREEN COD | WHAT THE FISHERMEN WORE
BEDDING | VIOLENCE BREAKS OUT


Design

 

 
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