“Because of the fierce currents that are continually sweeping over the Banks and scattering the material far and wide. They are caused by the mighty flow of the St. Lawrence River, by tides and winds, and very largely by the Gulf Stream; for, with such a volume of warm water flowing north and east all the time, there must be an equal quantity of cold water flowing south and west to take its place.” “That’s so;” said Breeze, “I might have thought of that.” “Many persons,” continued Captain Coffin, “imagine the Banks to be islands of mud rising to within a few feet of the surface, and even showing above it in places; and I have been asked if navigation on them was not very dangerous on account of the shoal water. I actually had a man ask me once if we often went ashore on the Banks.” “Of course, I have always known better than that,” said Breeze; “but I don’t know how near they do come to the surface.” “The shoalest waters of the Grand Bank,” answered the skipper, “are three fathoms, on the Virgin Rocks, ninety miles to the southward of Cape Race, and from that the depth increases to two hundred fathoms; while to the south-east of the Bank soundings of six miles have failed to reach bottom.” “Well, there isn’t much danger of running aground in such waters,” laughed Breeze, “and I’m very much obliged to you for this information; but who do you suppose first found out that there were fish on the Banks?” “I don’t know; perhaps it was that old Iceland fellow, Lief Erikson, who they say first discovered America. I have been told by the French fishermen who come over here every summer that their countrymen knew of these grounds as early as 1504, and that less than twenty-five years from the time that Columbus made his first voyage, a fleet of more than a hundred French, Spanish, and Portuguese fishing vessels were visiting them regularly every summer.” “I should think with such constant fishing the supply would give out,” said Breeze. “It would seem so, but it doesn’t; and I believe there are just as many fish on the Banks now as there ever were. Of course, there are more in some seasons than in others. This, for instance, appears to be an off year, and that is the reason I am going to see if they haven’t gone to the other side of the ocean for the summer.” Soon after this the _Fish-hawk_ reached the small bank known as Flemish Cap, about three hundred miles east of Grand Bank, and the most distant of all the American fishing grounds. This was just twelve hundred miles from Gloucester, or half-way to Iceland, and Captain Coffin determined to set a few trawls, and see if they could not pick up some halibut here. As, under reduced sail, the schooner moved slowly across the Bank, several of the crew got out hand-lines and dropped them over the side. Among these was Nimbus, who, never having been on a fishing vessel before, was delighted to have a chance to try his luck at the new business, and very anxious to catch a halibut.