The Americans now being at peace with most of the piratical states of Barbary, will find an excellent market for their fish in the Mediterranean.  This circumstance may induce congress to pay some attention to the hints thrown out by Dr. Belknap, in his Account of the American Newfoundland Fishery, which I transcribe for you perusal:—­

“The cod-fishery is either carried on by boats or schooners.  The boats in the winter season go out in the morning, and return at night.  In the spring they do not return till they are filled.  The schooners make three trips to the banks of Newfoundland in a season; the first, or spring cargo, are large, thick fish, which, after being properly salted and dried, are kept alternately above and under ground, till they become so mellow as to be denominated dumb fish.  These, when boiled, are red, and of an excellent quality; they are chiefly consumed in these states.  The fish caught in the other two trips, during the summer and fall, are white, thin, and less firm; these are exported to Europe and the West Indies; they are divided into two sorts; one called merchantable, and the other Jamaica fish.

“The places where the cod-fishery is chiefly carried on, are the Isle of Shoals, Newcastle, Rye, and Hampton.  The boats employed in this fishery are of that light and swift kind called whale-boats; they are rowed either with two or four oars, and steered with another; and being equally sharp at each end, move with the utmost celerity on the surface of the ocean.  The schooners are from twenty to fifty tons, carry six or seven men, and one or two boys.  When they make a tolerable voyage, they bring over five or six hundred quintals of fish, salted and stowed in bulk.  At their arrival, the fish is rinced in salt water, and spread on hurdles composed of brush-wood, and raised on stakes three or four feet from the ground.  They are kept carefully preserved from the rain:  they should not be wet from the time they are first spread on the hurdle till they are boiled for the table.

“This fishery has not of late years been prosecuted with the same spirit it was fifty or sixty years ago, when the shores were covered with fish-flakes, and seven or eight ships were annually loaded for Spain or Portugal, beside what was carried to the West Indies.  Afterward they found it more convenient to cure the fish at Corscaw, which was nearer to the banks.  It was continued there to great advantage till 1744, when it was broken up by the french war.  After the peace it revived, but not in so great a degree as before.  Fish was frequently cured in the summer on the eastern shores and islands, and in the spring and fall at home.