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berth n also birth DC ~ n 2 (Nfld: 1819-) for sense 1; 4 (Nfld:
1905) for sense 3; ~ money (Nfld: 1869-) for comb in sense 5.
1 A place as seal-hunter on a vessel with a share in the
profits of the voyage.
1819 ANSPACH 422 The rest pay generally
forty shillings each for their birth, that is, for their proportion of the provisions
during the voyage; and all are to receive each half a man's share of the seals caught, or
the value thereof, dividing the amount of the whole produce of the voyage into so many
shares as there are men on board. 1855 WHITE MS Journal 1 Sep [From] Michael
Hartery [for] Berth £3. 1883 HATTON & HARVEY 298 No wonder the young
Newfoundlander pants for the day when he will get 'a berth for the ice,' and share in the
wild joys and excitement of the hunt. 1919 GRENFELL2 174 All the wharves
where there was any chance of a 'berth' to the ice were fairly in a state of siege.
[1928] 1978 Evening Telegram 30 Jan, p. 20 The owners of Bowrings sealing fleet
have instructed the captains to select their own crews on the understanding they will
select experienced sealers (with perhaps a few new youths) and distribute the berths over
a variety of districts. 1976 CASHIN 82 The thought struck me to ask him for a berth to
the ice (the seal fishery) the coming spring in the Florizel.
2 A winter's job cutting timber for bed and board.
[1794] 1968 THOMAS 171 When their money is all gone some of [the
fishermen] will lett themselves out for the Winter as wooders, for their Victuals and
Lodgings. To get a Berth of this kind is consider'd lucky, for the Winters are long and
severe.
3 A particular station on fishing grounds, and in
netting seals in coastal waters, assigned by custom or lot to a vessel, boat, crew or
family; freq with specifying word COD-TRAP, SALMON, TRAP1; cp GROUND.
1905 DUNCAN 91 When he awoke at dawn there were two other schooners
lying quietly at anchor near by and the berths had been 'staked.' 1921 CABOT 40 He was
looking for fish, and his whole voyage, his year's fortune, might turn on his seizing
upon some chance opportunity to locate in a good 'berth.' 1936 SMITH 46 On our way down
from Pottles Bay I noticed that there was no trap in our berth, so I sent five men in the
boat to reset ours in the old place. 1953 Nfld Fish Develop Report 49 The
possibilities of trap-fishing in any district are determined by the number of prime
'berths' available. 1955 DOYLE (ed) 8 "A Crowd of Bold Sharemen": On the twenty-sixth of
June we put out of Quirpon, / The Morris [bein'] lively, for the berths we were
bound. 1966 BEN-DOR 45 Catching seals by nets is the primary technique employed by
settlers. Nets are placed in the vicinity of the village in 'berths' which are associated
with the different families. 1977 RUSSELL 16 ... and he always fires the gun at twelve
o'clock every May the tenth when the rest of us claim our berths.
4 In phr berth free: without any charge (for
admission as hunter on a sealing vessel).
1819 ANSPACH 422 The
crews of their largest craft consist of from thirteen to eighteen men; of these some are
gunners, who, on finding their own guns, are admitted birth free; the rest pay
generally forty shillings each for their birth.
5 Attrib,
comb berth money: charge made by owner or captain for place as seal-hunter on a
vessel.
1842 BONNYCASTLE ii, 166 The merchant by long custom,
besides the benefits derived from extra stores or clothing, had always deducted a certain
varying sum for berth-money to the hands ... for the privilege of embarking on the most
hazardous and uncertain adventure which the spirit of commerce leads men to undertake.
1869 MCCREA 183 'Its the berth-money the boys is disputing... He's riz ten shillings. .
.'The berth-money was the fee each man paid for the ticket for his chance of the voyage,
including provisions put on board by the merchants. 1973 MOWAT 57 When Job Brothers
brought the old Neptune over from Dundee, she paid for herself in fifteen years
from berth money alone! In my time the owners would give out tickets for half the berths
and the captain give out the other half.
berth ticket:
authorization for a place as hunter on a sealing vessel. See also TICKET.
1973 MOWAT 56 But it was near as hard to get a berth-ticket as an
invitation to the Governor's Ball in St John's.
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