Oass. Book- ^ii:LSu [EXTRACTED FROM THE ANNUAL KEPORT OF THE COMMISSIONEK OF FISH AND FISHERIES FOK 1881. J JVI^TERI A.LS FOR A HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. BY GEORGE BROWN GOODE. JOSEPH W. COLLINS, R. E. EARLL, AND A. H'^'^'^RD CLARK. WASHINGTON: GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE, 1883. \ EXTRACTED FROM THE ANNUAL KEPORT OF THE COMMISSIONBB OF FISH ANB FISHERIES FOR 1881.] JVrATEIlI^LS FOR A HISTORY '^ OF THE MACKEEEL FISHEEY. BY GEORGE BROWN GOODE, JOSEPH W. COLLINS, R. E. EARLL, AND A, HOWARD CLARK. WASHINGTON: GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE. 7617 188 3. <1 OCT 13 1906 MATERIALS FOR A HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. By G. Brown Goode, Joseph W. Collins, R. E. Earll, and A. Howard Clark. ANALYSIS. Page. I. NATURAL HISTORY, BY G. BROWN GOODE 1 A. — Life history of the mackerel 3 1. Geographical distribution 3 2. Migrations 5 3. Abundance 13 4. Food...: 15 5. Reproduction 21 6. Rate of growth and size 2G 7. Enemies 27 B. — Studies of the movements op the mackerel schools 29 8. Hind on the cartses of irregular nioYemeuts 29 9. Jlind on the causes of the alleged annual variations in the number of mackere] 35 10. Observations of American fishermen on the movements of the mack- erel schools 37 II. THE MACKEREL FISHERY OF THE UNITED STATES, BY G. BROWN GOODE AND CAPT. J. W. COLLINS 48 C. — The purse-seine :^ishery 48 11. The fishing grounds 48 12. The fishermen 49 13. The vessels 49 14. Apparatus and methods of fishing 52 16. Taking care of the fish 73 17. Running for the market 75 18. Landing the cargoes-. 75 19. Financial profits of seining ^ .' 75 20. History of the use of purse-seines 77 21. The attempted use of the purse-seine in Norwegian waters 80 D. — The mackerel hook fishery 81 22. Fishing grounds 82 23. The fishermen 83 24. Thevessels 84 25. Apparatus and methods of fishing 85 26. Care of the fish 98 27. Homeward passage and disposition of the fish 102 28. Financial iirofits of the hook fishery 103 29. Itinerary of a mackerel voyage to the Gulf of St. Lawrence, by Maj. D. W. Low 105 E. — The mackerel gill-net fishery 30. Implements, methods, and results of "mackerel dragging" 107 F. — The spring southern mackerel fishery 112 31. The fishing gi-ounds 112 EEPOET OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [2J Page. II. THE MACKEREL FISHERY OF THE UNITED STATES— Continued. F. — The spring southern mackerel fishery — Continued. 32. Early catclies of mackerel, 1878-1881 112 33. The vessels: 113 34. Apparatus and methods of fishing 113 G.— Early methods of the mackerel fishery^, 1620 to 1820 115 35. Seining mackerel with drag-seines 115 36. Drailing for mackerel 117 III. LEGISLATION FOR THE PROTECTION OF MACKEREL 119 H. — Laws, petitions, and protests 119 37. Legislation in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries 119 38. Protests against jigging and seining in the present century 121 IV. STATISTICS OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY IN 1880, BY R. EDWARD EARLL 124 I. — Tables showing statistics 124 39. Table I. Vessels and men in the mackerel fishery (by ports) 124 40. Table II. Mackerel fleet, by States, according to fishing grounds. .. 126 41. Table III. Mackerel fleet, by States, according to apparatus 126 42. The products of the North American mackerel fishery fo" 1880 127 V. THE MACKEREL CANNING INDUSTRY, BY R. EDWARD EARLL... 131 J. — The development of the mackerel canning industry 131 43. The methods and statistics of canning 131 VI. METHODS OF PACKING, AND INSPECTION LAWS, BY A. HOWARD CLARK 137 K. — Methods of packing, and inspection laws 137 44. Methods of packing mackerel ^ 137 45. Insj)ection laws 147 VII. STATISTICS OF INSPECTION OF MACKEREL FROM 1804 TO 1880, BY A. HOWARD CLARK 162 L.— Statistics of Maine, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire, with TOTAL statistics 162 46. Statistics of Massachusetts 162 47. Statistics of Maine 193 48. Statistics of New Hampshire 202 49. Statistics of the United States (totals).- 213 VIIL CHRONOLOGICAL NOTES, BY CAPT. J. W. COLLINS 217 M. — Fishermen's records 217 50. Seventeenth century 217 51. Nineteenth century 218 IX. APPENDIX — INSPECTION LAWS, COMPILED BY A. HOWARD CLARK 354 52. Existing laws 354 53. Repealed laws 372 54. Inspection laws of the British Provinces 395 X. APPENDIX— THE MACKEREL FLEET 418 55. Vessels in the mackerel fishery in 1880 „„ 418 XL APPENDIX— MACKEREL FISHERY IN THE GULF OF SAINT LAW- RENCE 430 56. Catch of mackerel by Americans in Canadian waters 430 I.— NATURAL HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL. A.— LIFE HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL. 1. — Geographical distribution. • The common mackerel, Scomber scombrus, is an inhabitant of the North Atlantic Ocean. On our coast its southern limit is in the neighborhood of Cape Hatteras in early spring. The fishing schooners of New Eu- glancl find schools of them in this region at some distance from the shore, but there is no record of their having been taken in any numbers in shoal water south of Long Island. A. W. Simpson states that the species has been observed in the sounds about Cape Hatteras in August, September, and October. R. E. Earll finds evidence that stragglers occasionally enter the Chesapeake. Along the coasts of the Middle States and of New En- gland mackerel abound throughout the summer months, and are also found in great numbers in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, where, in past years, fishermen of the United States congregated in great numbers to participate in their capture. They are also found on the coast of Labrador, though there is no evidence that they ordinarily frequent the waters north of the Straits of Belle Isle. Captain Atwood* has expressed the opinion that they visit Northern Labrador only in seasons remarkable for the prevalence of westerly winds, and that in colder seasons they do not go so far north. Professor Hind was told by the residents of Aillik and Kypokok, Labrador, 150 miles northwest of Hamilton Inlet, that mackerel were abundant there in 1871, and that a few were caught in cod-seines. While at Double Island harbor, some fifteen miles north of Hopedale, a French Canadian resident informed him that there is " a scattering of mackerel" on that part of the coast. They appear also at Xiwtes to have been abundant on the northeast- ern coast of Newfoundland, though their appearance there is quite irregular. Mackerel do not occur in Hudson's Bay nor on the coast of Greenland. It seems probable that the natural northern limit of the species in the Western Atlantic is not far from the Straits of Belle Jsle. Professor Packard, who visited this region in 18G6, recorded that a few mackerel are taken in August in Salmon Bay and Red Bay, but that the Straits of Belle Isle were evidently the northern limits of the genus, while Fortin, one of the best Canadian authorities on fisheries, in his annual report for 1864, stated that in summer they appear in some places, such * Proceedings Boston Society of Natural History, vol. 10, p. 66. [3] EEPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHEEIES. [4] as Little Mecattina on tlie adjoining coast, latitude 50J° north, and even sometimes enter the Straits of Belle Isle.* Perley says that they are rarely known to visit the coast of Labrador. H. E. Storer, after carefully studying the fauna of Southern Labrador, in 1849, came to the conclusion that they were sometimes found at Little Mecattina. In the various reports of the Canadian inspectors of fisheries on the Labrador coast from 1864 to 1870 may be found evidence that mack- erel are rarely taken even on the Labrador coast of the Gulf of Saint Lawlbuce. Professor Verrill, who visited Anticosti and Miugan in 1861, was un- able to find any mackerel iu the waters of that region, although the best methods of catching them were often used. Some years ago mackerel were abundant in the Bay of Fundy, as many as twelve vessels from Eastport, besides others, being engaged in their capture, chiefly about Digby and Saint Mary's Bay. They have now so completely disappeared as not to form an item in the commercial record of the catch. The species is found throughout the entire length of the iSTorwegian coast from the Christiana Fjord to the North Cape and Varenger Fjord, latitude 71°. It occurs on the south coast of Sweden, and, entering the Baltic, is found along the shores of Eastern Denmark and Eastern Prussia, and also abundantly in the German Ocean and the English Channel, as well as everywhere in all i)arts of the British Isles, and southward to the Mediterranean, where it abounds, especially in the Adriatic. There is no record of its capture in Africa, South America, in the West Indies, Gulf of Mexicoj or even about the Bermudas. The mackerel, then, would appear to be a shore-loving fish, not ad- dicted to wide wanderings in the ocean, and with range limited in the Western Atlantic between latitudes 35° and 56°; in the Eastern Atlantic between 36° and 71°. * In I860 Capt. Peter Avery, of the schooner Alabama, of Provincetown, took 100 bar- rels of fat mackerel at Port an Port, Newfoundland. Captain Atwood, however, has seen them at the Bay of Islands. He has also seen large schools at Mecattina. Capt. J. W. Collins writes : "As early as 1836, Capt. Stephen Rich, in the schooner "Good Hojje", of Glou- cester, spent almost the entire mackerel-fishing season on the coast of Labrador in pursuit of mackerel. He was induced by the reports brought him by the Labrador cod-fishermen to make this attempt. They had rej)orted seeing mackerel abundant in the vicinity of the Straits of Belle Isle, and Captain Rich being of an adventurous turn decided to devote one summer to the investigation of the subject, feeling in hopes of obtaiuing a large catch. My father was one of the crew, and I have often heard Mm tell that the trip was entirely unsuccessful, notwithstanding the fact that they cruised all the way from Mecattina Islands through the Straits of Belle Isle, and on the northwest coast of Newfoundland as far down as the Bay of Islands. Few or no mackerel were taken until the vessel returned in the fall to the southern ]3art of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, where a small fare was obtained in a few weeks' fishiug." [5] HISTOEY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. 2. — Migrations. The migrations of the mackerel, the causes of their appearance and disappearance at certain seasons at different points along the coast, the causes of their relative abundance and scarcity in different years, have already been discussed by numerous writers. The subject has received special attention on account of the disputes between our own and the Canadian Government concerning the value to our fishermen of the right to j)articipate in the mackerel fisheries in the Provincial waters. Notwithstanding the great amount of paper which has been covered with theories to explain the various mooted questions, it cannot belaid that the habits of the mackerel are understood at all better than those of other fishes which have not attracted so much attention. The most voluminous writer upon this subject has been Prof. Henry Youle Hind, who devotes many pages of his book, " The Effect of the Fishery Clauses of the Treaty of Washington on the Fisheries and Fishermen of British I>rorth America," to the attempt to prove that the mackerel which have been at certain seasons in the past so abundant in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence and on the Atlantic coast of Kova Scotia, remain there through- out the year, hibernating in deep waters not very remote from the shore.* I have attempted to show the weakness of his argument in an *Mr. Bamet Phillips, in the New York Times, December 31, 1880, thus criticises the theory of Mr. Hind, while referring to Mr. William H. Rideing's essaj'^ entitled "First Families of the Atlantic" : "In an article entitled ' First Families of the Atlantic,' to be found in the January- number of Harper's Magazine, certain assertions are advanced in regard to the habits of the mackerel which are entirely of an ex parte character and might unintentionally act injuriously to our interests in case future disputes arose between the Provinces and the United States on the fishery question. The writer states that, ' seeking a soft muddy or sandy bed at the approach of -winter, it [the mackerel] buries itself therein, first drawing a scale or film over each eye.' In a prior paragraph of this same article the possibility of the hibernation of the mackerel is advanced. Now, exactly these two arguments were liresented by Professor Hind, who wished to prove that the mackerel was a local fish, in favor of the Provinces, which assertions were entirely refuted by Prof. Spencer F. Baird, Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, and by Prof. G. Brown Goode. The great argument used by the Provincial fish exijerts was to show that the mackerel belonged to their waters, and the ideas of hibernation were therefore represented. If this had been granted, our case would have had, as far as mackerel go, little to rest upon. As to hibernation of the mackerel there are innumerable reasons to suppose that nothing of the kind exists. In fact, hi- bernation is one of those ichthyological questions which require very long research to kuow anything about. It does seem that sturgeon in Russian waters, and carp in cold temperatures, take to the mud, and may, perhaps, do something like hibernation, but this habit has no precedent in sea-fish. It. may hajjpen that a few individuals of the scomber /amily have been inclosed in the winter season in the waters of the Newfoundland coast. Such cases have undoubtedly happened, for on page 62 of the late report of the United States Commission, the statement is made that in a river of Nova Scotia where a school of mackerel had been detained, the fish were speared out of the mtid. Returning to the numbing eft'ects of cold weather on sea-fish, in order to show how unusual it must be, the American turbot is taken with books in EEPOET OF COMMISSIONEE OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [6] essay published in the Fifth Annual Report of the United States Com- missioner of Fisheries for the year 1877, pp. 50-70. It is by no means demonstrated that certain schools of mackerel do not remain throughout the year in waters adjacent to the coast of Canada, but the weight of evidence at present seems to rest with those who believe that the mack- erel are given to extensive migrations north and south along our coasts. These migrations are believed to be carried on in connection with another kind of migration which I have called "bathic migration," and which consists in a movement, at the approach of cold weather, into the deeper waters of the ocean. The menhaden and many other fishes have these tw# kinds of migrations, littoral and bathic. The sea-herring, on the other hand, has extensive littoral migrations and probably very slight movements of a bathic nature. In some the latter is most extended, in others the former. Anadromous fishes, like the shad and the alewife, very probably strike directly out to sea without ranging to any great degree northward or southward, while others, of which the mackerel is a fair type, undoubtedly make great coastwise migrations, though their bathic migrations may, without auy great inconsistency, be as great as those which range less. Upon this point I cannot do better than to quote from a manuscript letter from Professor Baird to the Hon. Hamilton Fish, Secretary of State, dated July 21, 1873. Having expressed certain views concerning the well known phenomenon of the migration of the herring and shad, he continues : "The fish of the mackerel family form a marked exception to this rule. While the alewife and shad generally swim low in the water, their presence not being indicated at the surface, the mackerel swim near the surface, sometimes far out to sea, and their movements can be read- ily followed. The JSTorth American species consist of fish which as cer- tainly, for the most part at least, have a migration along our coast north- the dead of winter under the floe ice of North Greenland at a depth of 300 fathoms. If sea-fish were mummified in the ocean dei)ths by the cold, because at the deeper strata of the ocean temperatures are fairly uniform, once a fish had hibernated, his sleep might continue on forever. There can be no better proof of the migratory char- acter of the mackerel than to cite a paragraph from the Cape Ann Advertiser, pub- lished this week, where the fact is announced that the mackerel fleet have gone off Hatteras in hopes of securing mackerel, and that some time ago ' vessels reported having sailed through immense schools for forty miles.' The film over the eye of mackerel Professor Hind placed great stress on, as he supposed it was a preparatory step to the hibernating process. Now, this film over the eye, as Mr. Goode shows, is not peculiar to the Scovihers, for many fish, such as the shad, the alewife, the men- haden, the blue-fish, the mullet, the lake white-fish, and various cypriuoid fishes, have this membrane, though it never does cover the whole eye. The fact remains also to be proved that a skin forms over the eye in winter only." The writer of this article has apparently culled his facts in regard to mackerel from one side, and has read most superficially the whole of the testimony. ' Public docuu)ents ' are rarely of anfamusing character, but when they happen to be of interest, as were those published as ' The Award of the Fisheries Commission,' it is most unfortunate when false deductions are derived fcora. them." [7] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. ward in spring and southward in autumn, as that of the ordinary pleas- ure seekers, and their habit of schooling on the surface of the water en- ables us to determine this fact with great precision. Whatever may be the theories of others on the subject, the American mackerel fisher knows perfectly well that in the spring he may find the schools of mackerel off Cape Henry, and that he can follow them northward day by day as they move in countless myriads on to the coasts of Maine and IsTova Scotia." The movements of the mackerel schools, like those of the menhaden, appear to be regulated solely by the temperature of the ocean. In my essay upon menhaden, which has just been referred to, I have attempted to show, in a preliminary way, the relations of the movements of the menhaden schools to the temperature of the water at ditferent stations along the coast in accordance with certain crude observations, which at present constitute the only material available as a basis for such generalizations. I have there claimed that menhaden make their appearance near the shore in the spring as soon as the temperature of the water in the harbors has reached a weekly average of 50°, and that they disappear in the fall soon after the waters have again cooled down to the same average temperature. ^ The mackerel is partial to much colder waters. They range ten to fifteen degrees farther to the north, and their southern limit is propor- tionally high. They appear earlier in the spring and disappear later in the fall, and their presence is nearly synchronous with the time when the water temperatures of the harbor have reached a weekly'- average of 45°. It has been remarked that the presence of the menhaden depends upon a weekly average of the harbor temperature of 50° or more. These harbor temperatures are several degrees — it is not known exactly how many — higher than those of the open ocean at the same latitude, and there can be no question that the menhaden thrives in water as cold as 45°. Mackerel will remain active and contented in a temperature of 40°, or even less. The normal time of the departure of mackerel from the coast is, therefore, a^ month or two later than that of the menhaden. There are well recorded instances of the capture of menhaden in Mas- sachusetts Bay as late as December, and there are also many instances where mackerel have been taken not only on the New England coast, but also in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, in mid- winter.* * Twenty mackerel were caught in a gill-net at Provincetown January 17, X878. Others were taken late in December. Captain Harding tells me that they sometimes come ashore frozen in cold weather, and are found in the ice on the beach. Early in February, 1881, small mackerel 5 or 6 inches in length were found in con- siderable numbers in the stomachs of hake and cod, taken on the eastern part of George's Bank in 50 fathoms, and on the southeastern part of Le Have in 60 and 80 fathoms of Avater; sometimes ten, twelve, or fifteen in the stomach of a single fish. On the 8th and 9th of February, Captain Olsen observed them schooling at the surface on George's. Gloucester fishermen had before seen them in winter on George's, but never 80 abundant. EEPOET OF COMMISSTONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [8J Mr. John Fletcher Wonson tells me that at one time he left Glouces- ter ou a halibut trip January 1, and January 3 or 4 on George's Bank caught a hogshead of herring and 7 or 8 mackerel in a gill-net. The Schooner Shooting Star took a number of mackerel on George's Bank in March, 1856.* The fishermen on George's took tinkers from the stomachs of cod-fish in February, 1878, using them for bait. Sometimes five or six were taken from one fish. In January, 1868 or 1869, Capt. Warren Brown, of the schooner Charles Frederick, of Gloucester, caught 30 mackerel on a trawl-line set on the middle bank. The Yarmouth Herald (Yarmouth, 'Nova Scotia), January 2, 1879, states that " two fine fat fresh mackerel were found among the kelp at Green Cove on Friday, December 28, 1878." Basing their arguments upon such occurrences as these, Canadian writers have attempted to prove that large bodies of mackerel hibernate along their shores throughout the winter. It is still believed by many fishermen that the mackerel, at the approach of cold weather, go down injto the mud, and there remain in a state of torpidity until the ap- proach of warm weather in the spring. All that can be said regarding this claim is that, although we do not know enough about the subject to pronounce this impossible, American ichthyologists think they know enough to be of the opinion that it is very decidedly improbable, t * Cape Ann Advertiser, April, 1856. tit seems only fair to quote in this connection a letter printed in Forest and Stream, a leading New York journal devoted to field sports and the fisheries, in criticism of views published at the time in that paper and also in the report of the Fish Commis- sion, part V. I feel the utmost confidence in Dr. Gilpin's statements as to facts ob- served, though my interpretation might perhaps be different. " Halifax, June 19, 1878. ''Mr. Editor: In some papers published some time since in the Forest and Stream upon the habits of the mackerel, it is asserted by Prof. Brown Goode that there is no reliable evidence of mackerel being seen upon the coast of Nova Scotia after the 25th of October, quoting me as liis authority. Had he quoted me as giving the 1st of No- vember, 1868, when the fish market at Halifax was full, I should have felt more com- plimented, as I should have known he had read my paper with more attention. In summing up my remarks I stated that mackerel remain usually all November on the surface in Nova Scotia, and during mild winters linger to December. This, Professor Goode says, is not reliable as scientific evidence, because no specific dates are given. To admit this would be to destroy almost the whole mass of information compiled in the report of both the Eoyal and American Commissioners of Euglish and American Fisheries. But as I am certain that Professor Goode's desire is to have the truth simply, will you allow me a place in your columns to add to my previous assertions such spe- cific dates as I may be able now to obtain, though not admitting his principle. "On May 23, 1875, going into the Halifax fish market, I asked generally how long are mackerel in market? I was answered, generally all through November. On ask- ing how long in December they had known them in market, Mr. Grey wire said : ' I recollect them as late as the 10th of December. We keep our nets out to the 30th of November. Men hire to that time. Mackerel are seen after that date, but the seas [9] HISTORY OF THE MACKEEEL FISHERY. The appearance of the mackerel schools at the approach of summer in ordinary years has been noticed somewhere in the neighborhood of the following dates: At sea, oft' Cape Hatteras, March 20 to April 25; off Norfolk, Va., March 20 to April 30; off' the Capes of Delaware, April 15 to May 1 ; off Barnegat and Sandy Hook, May 5 to May 25, and at the same date along the whol#sonthern coast of New England, and as far east as Southern Nova Scotia, while in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence they appear late in May, and in abundance early in June.* There appears to be a marked difference between the movements of mackerel and the menhaden, for while the menhaden are much more gradual in their approach to the shore, and much more dependent ujion a small riseof temperature, the mackerel make their appearance almost simultaneously in all the waters from New Jersey to Nova Scotia at about the same time. Stragglers, of course, appear much earlier than the dates just mentioned; a few mackerel were observed at Waquoit, Mass., as early as April 19, 1871. In the fall the mackerel disappear as suddenly as they came in the spring, but they have only in one instance been observed off the Caro- lina coast, except during the spring run. This is very i)robably because no fishing vessels ever visit this region later than June. The instance referred to is the experience of Mr. Peter Sinclair, a well- known fisherman of Gloucester, who states that he has frequently taken them in great abundance off Cape Hatteras in December, where they are not known at all in the summer season. He has found them in the are so boisterous that our nets are destroyed. Some few parties will keep tlieni out in December in spite of cold and storms.' Mr. White corroborated this. Mr. Thomas Brackett said he had taken them often in December, and often in weather so cold that the fish were frozen in removing them from the meshes of the nets, but could remem- ber no dates. Mr. William Duffy stated he saw one once on the 24th of December. He recollected it because it was Christmas eve, and on account of its rarity ; but he had frequently taken them during December, though having no dates. The nets used are about two fathoms deep, set near the shore in about five to ten fathoms of water. My own recollections, but without dates, are seeing stops made in very cold weather and frozen ground, which must have been late in November. I think I have now made good my assertion that they linger to December, and that in any future history of * The following letter from the skipper of the schooner Edward E. Webster is important, in that it gives the exact positions as well as the dates of some of the earliest caj)tures in 1878, '79, '80, and '81 : " New York, Ajyril 22, 1881. "Captain Collins: "Dear Sir : 1 have just received your letter of March 14, in which you wanted to know whereabouts I caught my first mackerel, (The first catch) in 1878, Ajiril 16, lat. 36° 10' N., long. 74^' 45' W. ; in 1879, April 12, lat. 36° 35' N., long. 74° 50' W. ; in 1880, April 1, lat. 35° 30' N., long. 74° 15' W. ; in 1881, March 20, lat. 37° 10' N., long. 740 05' W. ; and this trip we got them April 18 in lat. 38° 38' N., and long. 74° 00' W. This is our second trip this season. I have seen mackerel in lat. 35° 15' N., and long. 73° 46' W., Avhich is the fartherest south I have ever seen any. I have been oft' Cape Lookout many times, but have never seen mackerel there. * * * "Yours, truly, " SOLOMON JACOBS." EEPOET OF COMMISSIONEE OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [10] spring as far soutli as Charleston, and followed them from Cape Henry to the Bay of Fundy and the Gnlf of Saint Lawrence. The very vagueness of the statements just made is evidence to show how little is actually known about the movements of these fish. The subject must be studied long and carefully before it can be understood, and the interests of the American fishermei. demand that it should be thus studied. " There is," writes Professor Baird, " no very satisfactory evidence of the occurrence of mackerel in the winter or any other season south of Cape Hatteras, and it is not given by Poey and other writers as occurring in the West Indies. A few mackerel are said to be occasion- ally brought into the Charleston market, and Mr. Moses Tarr, of Gloucester, thinks that some years ago he saw in the early part of March, a short distance to the southeast of Key West, a large school of mack- erel. He, however, did not cai,)ture any, and it is more likely that the fish observed belonged to some other small species of the mackerel family which occasionally school like the mackerel itself, and might easily be mistaken for it. The skip-jack or leather-back may possibly have been the species referred to. " I have been quite surprised to find the extent of belief among Massa- tlieir habits it must be assumed as tru'tli that they remain in numbers dimng Novem- ber, but are found sparingly later on our coasts. Where they are duriug those dates in any intermediate point from Maiue to Virginia, must be left to American observers. When these blanks are filled and a generalization made their history will be more complete, a task we may well leave in the hands of the American Commissioners of Fisheries. "In my paper (1865) I speak of their asserted torpidity and the story of their blind- ness as needing more proof before they are asserted as facts. I have had nothing to alter my opinion since. In examining the eyes of many mackerel on May 23 and 27 and October 27, in different years, I have found that, as in most fish, the bony orbit is much larger than the base of the eye, and that the space is filled by gelatinous sub- stance, which may be called cellular membrane and adipose deposit to this transpar- ent membrane arising from the outer angle of this orbit spreads half way over the pupil of the eye. It may easily be raised and defined bypassing a pen-knife between it and the eye. At the inner angle there is also a similar, but much smaller, mem- brane, not reaching to the eye. As the mackerel appear on our coasts about the 15fch of May, and these observations were made the 23d, I do not think it can be asserted the eye is closed entirely in spring ; and as the same appearance is found in Septem- ber, we must admit it to be a permanent structure. An analogous membrane is found in the clupide, and doubtless other fish. On asking Thomas Loyd, our roughest and oldest fisherman: 'I don't know anything about the scales of the eyes, but I do know that, curse them, they see too sharp for us, steering clear of our spring nets,' and doubtless old Tom was right. " On dissecting a mackerel, May 23, 1 found the heart first presenting the tricornered ventrical with its white aorta and deej) red auricle resting upon the fi-inge of cceca that covered the intestines, sweeping down to the vent. The liver and stomach were both covered by the cceca. The latter was about three inches long, its upper lobe thick and round, but ending in a narrow tail or point. The cardiac end of the stomach was prolonged two and a half inches, ending in a point. The ccecae were attached to the gut about an inch below the pylorus. There was but little difference in appear- [11] HISTOEY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. cliusetts fishermen that the mackerel goes into the mud in the winter time. I have, indeed, been assured by trustworthy parties that they have known mackerel caught on eel spears when fishing for eels in the mud of Provincetown harbor. "A similar belief is referred to by Dr. Gilpin in his paper on the mackerel in the transactions of the I^Tova Scotia Scientific Association, and it is difficult to refuse assent to the testimony of otherwise credible observers. There is nothing apparently in the economy of the mackerel to prevent its following the example of the sand lance, the eel, and other fish. We know that the melanora, the tench, and, many other fresh-water fish have the burrowing habit, some of them being imbedded very deep in the mud at the bottom of a dried-up pond, to emerge again when tlie water is restored. " The entire disappearance of mackerel during the winter season is a noteworthy fact, as we can hardly suppose that if it schooled on the surface in the Gulf Stream during that season it would not be noticed by the experienced eyes of sea captains, and we can hardly imagine that the fish would remain in the depths without an occasional rise. ance and size between stomacli and gnt. This we may roughly sum up : Stomach and gut very simple ; ccBca usually large and complicated ; liver small, all noteworthy facts in the study of comparative life. The fish being a male one, lobe on either side of ivory-white; milt reached from gills to vent, slightly adhering to the sides by thin membrane, and covered by a similar one. They were divided in lobes by shallow lines, the upper lobes slightly fimbriated. On removing both entrails and milt a dark- purple space about an inch wide extended from gills to vent beneath the back bone. This, when opened, seemed filled with coagulated blood. It had in some respects the appearance of the air bladder in the salmouidse, though wanting in the direct com- munication they have with the oesophagus. But this commuuication is also wanting in the gadidse, where, especially in the hake, the air bladder assumes its highest form of organization. I have often found coagulation and reticulated jplexi in air bladders of other fish. "It has been asserted the European mackerel have no air bladders, and a new genus proposed, but with more probability they have the same organization as our own, and the difference lies in the opinion whether or not it is an air bladder. "The mackerel appear on the Atlantic coast of Nova Scotia, and almost simulta- neously on the Bay of Fundy, about the 15th of May. Nearly all spawners, male and female, perform a somewhat easterly and northerly route, disappear from the surface iu a few weeks and reappear "again in September without spawu, and fat, remain in numbers during November, and very sparingly during December, coming from the eastward and then disappear. It may be asserted generalizing fi-om observation ex- tending over a series of 8 or 10 years, that they are irregular in their movements as regards localities, though probably not as regards ocean surfaces. "The very great difficulty of accounting how these enormous masses of surface feeders find food after disappearing from the surface has caused many ingenious theo- ries, as to the question in what state and where they pass that time. These are all pleasant reading, but valuable more or less as regards the ingenuity and scientific standing of the writers. In this paper and the one I inclose (1865) I have stated what I think are facts, and which must be accepted in the future history of American mack- erel, which I hope soon to see written by that commission which has already done so much in Atlantic waters. "BERNARD GILPIN." REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [12 J " It jqjpears to be a well-established fact that mackerel are not uu- frequently found in the stomachs of cod, and possibly of halibut, taken on the George's Banks in the winter season. Perhaps the number noted would be still larger if fishermen had the time and inclination to examine more frequently than they do the stomachs of the fish captured by them. "Another curious fact in relation to the mackerel is in -respect to the membrane, the vertical edge of which is observed during the summer season on the corner of the eye. This, it is claimed, during- the winter extends over the whole eye, and imparts the appearance of blindness. This the mackerel is said to possess on making' its first appearance near the coast in the spring, when it extends over the greater part of the eye, thus preventing the fish from seeing the bait, and it is a matter of common remark that mackerel in the spring cannot be taken with the hook, but must be captured with the net. The membrane appears to recede with the advancing season, and during a considerable portion of the time of its abode in the north it is scarcely ai)preciable." Mr. Perley, of Saint John, N. B., in his work uj^on the fishes of the Provinces, remarks that mackerel have been taken on cod hooks in deep water, near Grand Manan, in the winter season, and there is evi- dence to show that a few remain on the coast. It is, however, believed that these cases are exceptional and confined to stragglers, as such instances frequently occur with all the migratory fish. The mackerel -belongs to what may technically be termed pelagic or wandering fish, as their movements, something like those of the herring, are apparently more or less capricious, though probably governed by some definite law, which has not yet been worked out. It moves in large schools or bauds, more or less isolated from each other, which some- times swim near the surface and give distinct evidence of their pres- ence, and at others sink down into the depths of the ocean and are entirely withdrawn from observation. The army of fish, however, in its northern migration, moves along with a very broad front, a i)ortion com- ing so close to the shore as to be taken in the weirs and traps aloug the coast of Southern New England, especially in Vineyard Sound and on Caioe Cod 5 while at the same time other schools are met with from 20 to 50 mili'S, or even more, out to sea. It is, however, still a question whether the fish that skirt the coast of the United States enter the Bay of .Saint Lawrence, or whether the latter belong to another series, com- ing directly from the deep seas oft" the jSTewfoundland and Nova Scotia coast. Until lately the former has been the generally accepted theory, in view of the alleged fact that the fishermen of the Nova Scotia coast always take the fish coming from the Avest in the spring and from the east in the fall. Captain Hanson B. Joyce, of Swan's Island, Maine, one of the most expert and observing mackerel fishermen of New England, thinks that the movements of the sj)ring schools of mackerel are very much in- [13] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. fluenced by the direction and force of the prevailing winds while the fish are performing their northerly migration. He has generally found, he says, that when there has been a continuance of strong northerly winds about the last of May and early in June, the season at which the mackerel are passing the shoals of Nantucket and George's Bank, that The schools have taken a southerly- track, passing to the southward of George's Shoals and continuing on in an easterly direction to the coast of Kova Scotia, and thence .to the Gulf of Saint Lawrence. When southerly winds or calms prevail at that season the mackerel are carried into the waters of the Gulf of Maine, and in consequence are much plentier off the New England coast than in the Saint Law- rence Gulf. On this theory Captain Joyce bases his actions in cruising for mack- erel, alwaj^s fishing oft" the New England shores when southerly winds have predominated in the spring, and going to the Saint Lawrence if northerly winds have been exceptionally strong and continuous about the last of May. The movements of the fish, as already stated, season by season, are quite uncer'snin, sometimes being very abundant in one direction and sometimes in another, and occasionally, indeed, they may disappear almost entirely for several years, and then reappearing after a consider- able absence. In some years mackerel are very abundant on the coast of the United States and at others rare; the same condition applying to the fish of the Bay of Saint Lawrence. It is not certain, of course, that this indicates an entire absence of the fish from the localities referred to, but they may, possibly for some reason, remain in the depth of the sea, or some change in the character of the animal lile in it, which consti- tutes the food of the fish, may inoduce the changes referred to. A notable instance of a somewhat permanent change in the migration of the mackerel is found in the entire failure since 187G of the mackerel fisheiy in the Bay of Eundy, which, a few years ago, enabled a merchant of Eastport to employ successfully as many as a dozen vessels, especially in Digby and Saint Mary's Bay, but which is now given up. There are indeed faint suggestions, in the early history of the country, of their total absence from the whole coast for several years, as was also the case with the bluefish. 3. — Abundance. The wonderful abundance of mackerel in our waters has always been a subject of remark. Francis Higginson, in his " Journal of his voyage to New England, 1629," speaks of seeing "many schools of mackerel, infinite multitudes on every side of our ship," off' Cape Ann on the 26th of June; and Eichard Mather, in his "journal" 1635, states that the seamen took abundance of mackerel off Menhiggin (Monhegan). In Governor Winthrop's journal, speaking of the year 1639, he remarks: "There was such store of exceeding large and fat mackerel upon our REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [14] coast this season as was a great benefit to all our Plantations, since one Boat with three men would take in a week ten hogsheads, which were sold at Connecticut for £3 12s. Od. per hogshead." Their abundance has varied greatly from year to year, and at times their numbers have been so few that grave apprehensions have been felt lest they should soon depart altogether. As early as 1070, laws were passed by the colony of Massachusetts forbidding the use of certain instruments of capture, and similar ordi- nances have been passed from time to time ever since. The first re- source of our State governments has always been, in seasons of scarcity, to attempt to restore fish to their former abundance by protective legis- lation. It seems to us at the present day absurd that the Massachusetts people should have supj)osed that the use of shore-seines was extermi- nating the mackerel on the coast of Massachusetts, but it is a fair ques- tion whether their apprehensions were not as well grounded as those of legislators of the present century who have endeavored to apply a sim- ilar remedy for a similar evil. In connection with the chaj^ter on the mackerel fishery will be shown a diagram, which, by means of curves, exhibits the catch of mackerel in New England for a period of seventy- five years. From a study of this it seems quite evident that the periods of their abundance and scarcity have alternated with each other without refer- ence to overfishing or any other causes which we are prepared to un- derstand. In the year 1831, 383,548^ barrels of mackerel were inspected in Massachusetts. In 1881 the number of barrels inspected was 269,495 ; to this, however, should be added 125,000 barrels caught and marketed fresh by the Massachusetts fleet, making an aggregate of 394,495 barrels. The fluctuations in the catch year by year from 1804 to 1881 are shown most instructively in a plate accompanying this report. The total catch of mackerel by the New England fishermen in 1880 amounted to 131,939,255 pounds; while the Canadian catch (according to official returns, barrels being estimated to contain 300 pounds, cans, one and one-half pounds of fiesh round fish) was 70,271,260 pounds, making an aggregate of 202,210,515 pounds. The yield of New England in 1881 is estimated to have exceeded that of 1880 by 10,000,000 pounds. We have- no means at present for estimating the decrease of the Cana- dian catth, but it is perhaps safe to put it -at 11,000,000. This brings the catch of 1881 to about 20r,000,000 pounds. In addition to this, at least 100,000 barrels or 20,000,000 pounds, according to estimates from competent authority, were thrown away by the New England fleet. This brings the total weight of mackerel caught up to 221,000,000, represent- ing 294,667,000 fish, if the weight be estimated at three-quarters of ft pound each. The catch of mackerel in the waters of Europe does not probably exceed ten per cent, of this quantity. The stories which are told by experienced fishermen of the immense numbers of mackerel sometimes seen are almost incredible. Capt. King [15] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. Harding, of Swampscott, Mass., described to me a school which he saw in the South Channel in 1848: "It was a windrow of fish," said hej " it was about half a mile wide, and at least twenty miles long, for vessels not in sight of each other saw it at about the same time. All the vessels out saw this school the same day." He saw a school off Block Island, 1877, wiiich he estimated to contain one million barrels. He could see only one edge of it at a time. Upon the abundance of mackerel depends the welfare of many thou- sands of the citizens of Massachusetts and Maine. The success of the mackerel fishery is much more uncertain than that of the cod fishery, for instance, lor the supply of cod is quite uniform from year to year. The prospects of each season are eagerly discussed from week to week in thousands of little circles along the coast, and are chronicled by the local press. The story of each successful trip is passed from mouth to mouth, and is a matter of general congratulation in each fishing com- munity. A review of the results of the American mackerel fishery, and of the movements of the fish in each part of the season year by year, would be an important contribution to the literature of the American fisheries. Materials for such a review are before me, but space will not allow that it should be presented here. 4. — Food. The food of the mackerel consists, for the most part, of small species of crustaceans, which abound everywhere in the sea, and which they appear to follow in their migrations. They also feed upon the spawn of other fishes and upon the spawn of lobsters, and prey greedily upon young fish of all kinds.* In the stomach of a "tinker" mackerel, taken in Fisher's Island Sound, IsTovember 7, 1877, Dr. Bean found the remains of six kinds of fishes — of the anchovy, the sand-lance, the smelt, the hake, the barracuda, and the silver-sides, besides numerous shrimps and other crustaceans. Captain Atwood states that when large enough they devour greedily large numbers of young herring several months old. Specimens taken July 18, 1871, 20 miles south of Noman's Land, con- tained numerous specimens of the big-eyed shrimps, Thysanopoda, larval crabs in the zoea and megalops stages, the young of hermit crabs, the young lady crabs, Platyonichus ocellafus, the young of two undetermined Macrura, numerous Copej)oda, and numerous specimens of SpiriaUs Gouldii, a species of Pteropod. They also feed upon the centers of floating jelly-fishes (Discophores). In Gasp6 the fishermen call jelly-fishes "mackerel bait." The greed with which mackerel feed upon the chum, or ground men- *Near tile New London light-house is a small brook which empties into the harbor and abounds with a small species of fish of which the mackerel appear to be fond. A few days since the keeper of the light-house, while the mackerel were indulging in a meal, caught five hundred at one haul with a scoop-net. — (Gloucester Telegraph, December 3, 1870.) EEPOET OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [16] liaden bait, which is thrown out to them by the fishing- vessels, shows that they are not at all dainty in their diet, and will swallow without hesitation any kind of floating organic matter. Large mackerel often eat smaller ones. Captain Collins has frequently found young mackerel three or four inches long in the stomachs of those full grown. This is generally noticeable only in the fall, and the young fish are probably those which have been hatched in the spring. In the fall of 1874 the writer made a trip upon a gill-net schooner to the grounds off Portland, Me., some distance to sea, for tbe purpose of studying the food of the mackerel, and found their stomachs full of a species of Thysano])oda and of a large copepod crustacean. The greater part of the food of mackerel consists, however, of minute crustaceans. Owing to the infinite abundance of these in the sea, mackerel probably have very little difficulty in finding food at almost any portion of the ocean visited by them, whether on the edge of the Gulf Stream or near the shore. In an interview with Capt. King Harding, of Swarnpscott, one of tlie most experienced mackerel catchers on our coasts, I obtained the follow- ing amusing observations: He described one kind which looked like spiders, which were red, and crawled over his hand when he took them up. They look like little spiders ; the mackerel are especially fond of them. At Boone Island, Maine, in July, 1850, the water all around the island was red for 100 yards from the shore; they crawled up the rock- weed on the shore until it was red. He took the sprays of rock- weed in his hand and i)ulled them slowly to him, and the mackerel, one and a half pound fish, would follow in quite to the rocks. He killed three with his oar, and tried to catch some in a basket by tolling them over it, but they were too quick for him. He asked his old skipper, Capt. Gorham Babson, what they were, and was told that they were "Boone Island Bed Bugs." And, said he, "Young man, when you see this kind of bait, no matter if you don't see any fish, never leave; the fish, will be there in a few days." Then there is another kind, called " Snappers." These are white, and dart rapidly about in the water; they are doubtless small crustaceans. He says that sometimes they swim at the surface, where the mackerel follow them. A few days before he had been standing on the stern of his vessel, and though he could see nothing under the water he knew the snappers were there about two feet below the surface, for he could see a school of mackerel swimming along, opening their mouths and taking in their food, and then letting the water out through their gills. When the mackerel are tolled up from 12 or 15 fathoms below the surface their stomachs are often full of bait ; so it is certain that these little animals swim at all depths. Another kind of food is red, and is hot to the hands. This is called "Cayenne"; it spoils the fish. [17] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. Years ago, according to Captain Harding, mackerel did not school as they do now. When you see pollock jumping near the shore, it is a pretty good sign that there is plenty of mackerel fond. The presence of abundance of mackerel food is indicated by the great schools of seg-birds, particularly by the flocks of phalaropes, or sea- geese {Phalaropus horealis), as the fishermen call them, which congregate together, floating upon the water, and when seen in summer gives a sure sign of the presence of mackerel also. The various invertebrate animals preyed upon by mackerel are known to the fishermen by such names as "Shrimp," "Eed-seed," and "Cay- enne." "The wide spread distribution from shore seaward of the Thjsan- opoda and other minute Crustacea, which constitute to so great an ex- tent the food of the mackerel and herring on our shores, was proved," writes Professor Baird, "during atrip of the 'Speedwell' from Salem to Halifax in 187,7." At numerous points and at regular intervals on the way across, including the middle of the route, immense numbers of these shrimi) were met with and collected by. the towing net. They were found in especial abundance at Le Have Bank. These prove to be specifi- cally identical with those found in immense quantities in Eastport Har- bor at the surface. "That these same animals occur at least as far east as the Gulf Stream is shown by the list of the collections made by Professor S. I. Smith oft' the Georges near the edge of the Gulf Stream, and published in the Transactions of the Connecticut Academy of Arts and Sciences, vol. iii, July, 1874." Capt. Chester Marr, of Gloucester, confirms the statements of Captain Harding regarding the effects of "red-seed" upon mackerel; he states, that when mackerel are feeding on "red-seed" the fishermen have great trouble in keeping them sufficiently long to dress them properly. Their bellies soften at once. When the weather is good and dogfish are not troublesome, the common practice is to allow the fish to lie in the net until they have disi)osed of the food in their stomachs. Capt. Henry Willard, of the schooner " Henry Willard," of Portland, Me., carries a large net of coarse twine, which is susi)ended over the side of the vessel from two long booms. Into this he turns the fish and leaves them until the seed works out.* Captain Marr states that the "red-seed" is very troublesome to the men engaged in dressing the fish ; it makes their hands very sore, often causing the blood to run. A man can clean twice as many fish in a given time if he is not annoyed by the "red-seed" in their stomachs. Captain Marr describes another kind of mackerel food, which he calls "small brit," which, he says, resembles young herring, which also rots *TIiis "large net of coarse twiue" is the mackerel pocket described, iu the cliaj)ter on the purse-seine mackerel fishery. EEPOET OF COMMISSIONEE OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [18] the fish. This is probably, as he supposes it to be, " white-bait" or the young of the sea herring, Clupea harengtis. It is kuown as "eye-bait" to the Canadian fishermeu. Captain Merchant tells me that when mackerel are found with "red- seed" in their stomachs fishermen are sure that they are on the right fishing grounds. I am told by Captain Collins that it is common for many of the Amer- ican fishermen to consider it a good sign of mackerel when they see floating seaweed, more especially eel grass, "chopped up," i, e., cut into short i^ieces, which they think is done by these fish. Perhaps there may be a good reason for this supposition, since the mackerel, while feeding on the diminutive shells with w^hich the weeds are covered, may also bite the latter in two. The presence of gaunets is also considered a good sign of mackerel. In England the food of the mackerel is called the "mackerel mint," and this is said to consist at certain seasons of the year of the sand- lants and five other fish, especially the herring and the sprat, while they have also been observed to devour, in the summer months, minute crustaceans, the swimming larvfe of tape-worms, and the embryos of the small spiral shell of the genus Eissoa, which, in its adult state, is found in great abundance upon seaweed. It was probably some animal of this kind which was referred to by Captain Harding in the statement above quoted, concerning the abundance of red seed about Boone Island. Mr. J. F. Whiteaves has recorded a similar habit for the mackerel of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence.* Professor Hind has pointed out certain relations which exist in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence between the mackerel and the lant, or sand-eel, which appears to be one of its most important articles of diet in tliese waters. I quote here in full his observations upon this subject, and also his views upon the relations of currents and tides to the presence of mackerel food, and the constant movements of the schools of fish: " The movements of the ma.ckerel, like those of the cod, and indeed of most species of fish, are determined at different seasons of the year by the geographical position of its food; and the first important kind of food which appears to lure the mackerel inshore, after spawning in the Gulf -of Saint Lawrence, is the launce or sand-eel. "The relation of the launce or sand-eel {Ammodytes americanus) to the mackerel is very much greater than appears at the first blush, and resembles the relation of the herring to the cod in general, and in par- ticular the relation of the so-called Norwegian 'SuU cod,' or launce cod, to this widespread and important bait-fish. The approach of the launce to the coast in spring is most probably the cause why the so- called spring cod fishing suddenly ceases on many banks and shoals, commencing again at different localities two and three weeks later. * Eeport on the secoud deep-sea dredging expedition of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, 1872. [19] HISTOEY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. '■'■ The cod leaves tlie banks and shoals to meet and to follow tlie launce as they approach the coast. In the same manner they meet aod follow the caplin, guided no doubt by the peculiar odor developed by each species at the api^roach of the spawning- season. ''But it is the habit of the sand eel of burying itself in the sand be- tween the tides, or in submerged sand beaches, that leads the mackerel so close inshore. "There can be little doubt that a similar indraught and outdraught of mackerel and other fish occur, in our waters when the launce leave the deep sea to approach the land, or when they return to the deep sea again. Unlike manj^ of the shrimps and larval forms on which the mackerel feed, which are drifted to and fro by winds and currents, the launce is independent of the wind; but it is only in certain favorable localities frequented by this fish that the burying process between tide- marks, from which it derives its name, can be easily effected; hence, these resorts are not only valuable as bait grounds, but generally noted mackerel grounds, such as Seven Islands, and some parts of Bay Cha- leurs, and part of the gulf coast of JS^ew Brunswick. "This bait-fish approaches the sandy beaches fringing the shores of the gulf in the early summer months to spawn; and here the mackerel are found pursuing them while engaged in depositing their compara- tively large reddish-colored ova on the sands between high and low water. Hence, during flood tide, and in the launce season, mackerel are commonly taken close inshore on tliese coasts, in pursuit of the launce; and the best catches are said to be made during the period of high tide, for the following reason : In dull, cloudy weather the launce buries itself in the sand left bare by the ebbing tides ; but in bright, hot weather it rarely seeks the shelter of the sands except near low- water mark, probably because the hent of the sun would be oppressive. The breadth of sandy ground in which the launce buries itself for the brief period between high and low water marks is thus dependent upon the clearness of the sky. "A continuance of cloudy weather is conducive to this kind of close inshore fishery; whereas a bright sky, and a day with a drying wind, leads the launce to select the narrow bands of sandy beach near the margin of ebb-tide, which always remain moist. In cloudy weather with a moist wind, the area in which the launce bury themselves and emerge during the incoming tide is thus very much greater than in bright, hot weather; and it is not unfrequently found by experience that the mackerel catch in such localities is much greater in cloudy weather than in bright weather, because the bait ground is then far more extensive close iu shore. "As the summer advances and the launce retire to deep water the mackerel feed upon the free- swimming and floating embryonic forms of crustaceans; among the latter the zoea of different forms of crabs are the most common. Adult shrimps of many species form also a large por- REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [20] tion of tlieir food, aud the infinite numbers of these forms of life which exist in the sea, from the coast line to a thousand miles from land, may be inferred from the fact that, together with fish, they form the great staple of food of seals in northern seas. " Dr. Eobert Brown states that during the sealing season in Spitz- bergen seas he has taken out of the stomachs of seals various species of Gammarus {G. Sahini ; G. loricatus ; G. pinguis : G. dentaUisj G. imita- tus, &c.), collectively known to whalers under the name ^ mountebank shrimps,^ deriving the designation from their peculiar agility in water.* " These small crustaceans are found in countless numbers on the great outlying banks off the North American coast, and in the Labrador seas they are also in great profusion. " It is of special importance to notice that very many if not all of these free-swimming creatures in the sea, from invisible microscopic forms to the largest shrimp, sink to different zones of water or rise to the sur- face with the variations in temperature and changes in the direction and force of the wind. In fine weather ivhen the food is at the surface, the mackerel, the herring, and other surface feeders swim open-mouthed against the wind. Dr. Brown states that the right- whale and most of the whale species feed in a similar manner. The right- whale feed- ing, swims leisurely at the rate of about four miles an hour. Mackerel when feeduig come often by millions, like a swiftly-moving ripple on the water, with eager staring eyes and mouths distended to entrap the floating prey. Many of the free-swimming Pteropeda are active only during the night time, sinking during the day to a certain zone of depth. "The effect of currents and tides, assisted by winds, is to drive these free-swimming forms towards the different shores and into land-locked or sheltered bays. On the shores of the open sea a continued land breeze drives them far out to sea, and the fish following them will be lost to view. Off the coast of the United States the mackerel ground is not unfreauently found near the summer limit of the Gulf Stream w^here wide-spreading eddies prevail, caused by the meeting of the great Labrador current flowing in an opposite direction, or the surging up of the Arctic underflow. In these vast eddies the temperature is greatly reduced by the mixing of almost ice-cold water from beneath with a warm overlying stratum. "It is here too that the free-swimming mackerel food will congregate, sometimes at the surface, at other times at different depths, dependent upon the temperature of the mixed waters. In the vicinity of the south edge of the Grand Bank of Newfoundland the line of contact between the Arctic and the Gulf str )ams is sometimes very marked by the local currents which 'boil and form strong eddies.' The line of contact of the two great cold and warm currents is continually changing for hun- dreds of miles with the varying seasons and under the influence of winds; * ''Ou the seals of Greenland." — Dr. 11. Broivn. [21] HISTOEY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. lience also tlie cliauges in geograpTiical position and in tlie depth or zone of tbe open-sea mackerel grounds.* "Inshore the floating and free-swimming food is drifted to and fro by "winds and tides, and great accnmiilations are sometimes thrown up upon the beaches in windrows after storms. This floating and swim- ming food gathers in eddies, either near the coast line or at the junc- tion of opposing tidal waves or currents. Hence, along sheltered and embayed coasts, confronting the open sea in the vicinity of banks where great tidal currents and eddies are formed, or in the gulf and estuary of the Saint Lawrence, where two opposite and whoU}* different tides drag- ging along the coast-line approach to meet, there will be the mackerel ground of the fishermen, but not necessarily at the surface.'''' The winged Pteropods very properly form an important part of mack- erel food, as they sink and rise with changes of the temperature of the zone or sheet of water in which they are feeding. o. — Eeproduction. Although little is actually known concerning the spawning habits of the mackerel compared with those of fish wiiich, like the shad and the salmon, have been artificially propagated, it is perhaps safe to say that the subject is understood in a general way. The testimony of reliable observers among the fishermen of our coast and the coast of the British Provinces indicates that the spawning takes place in rather deep water all along the shore from the eastern end of Long Island to Eastport, Me., along the coast of JSTova Scotia, and in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence. The spawning season occurs in May in southern New England, in May and June in Massachusetts Bay, and in June in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, and on the Bradley Banks and about the Magdalenes early in the month, and, according to Hind, on the northeast coast of Newfoundland toward the end of the month.t * There are no uiackerel-fisliiug grounds within 250 miles or more of the Grand Bank, and certainly none nearer than 400 miles of its southern edge. It is possible tliat mackerel liave occasionally beeu seen, or stray specimens captured, nearer the Grand Bank than this, but no mackerel lishermen would think of trying for these fish east of the west coast of Newfoundland. There are but three instances on record where mackerel fishermen have gone so far east as that. "Whatever influence may be ex- erted upon other forms of ocean life by the meeting of the Gulf Stream and the Arctic current, it can be quite safely asserted that the mackerel is never found in summer near the junction of these currents, excepting, perhaps, on the southern edge of George's Bank and otf the south shoal of Nantucket. These localities are the near- est mackerel-fishing grounds to the Gulf Stream of any on the United States coast. And even here mackerel are rarely or never taken nearer than 40 or 50 miles from the northern edge of the stream. — J. W. Coi.Lixs. t During the entire month of June mackerel are taken in the Bay of Saint Law- rence with roes well developed. Having been engaged in the mackerel fishery in the Gulf for twenty-two consecutive seasons, ten of which I went to the Bay early in June, I have therefore had abundant o])i)ortunity to learn the spawning season of the mackerel in that region. It is my opinion that mackerel spawn in the Gulf of Saint KEPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [22] Capt. Benjamin Asliby, of Noank, Conn., states that in the spring of 1877 mackerel spawned in great numbers in Vineyard Sound and Buz- zard's Bay. Many mackerel were taken in the ])ounds, and the eggs were so ripe that when the fish were thrown from the net to the boat the eggs escaped to such an extent that in cleaning out the boat after- wards he found at least half a bushel at the bottom. This was as early as the second of May, and continued through the month. Capt. R. H. Hurlbert, of Gloucester, found the spawn running out of mackerel taken off Kettle Island, south of Cape Ann, in May and June. Capt. Henry Webb, who owns a weir on Milk Island, under the shadow of the Thatcher's Island lights, obtains many mackerel every year in his nets. He informs me that when they first make their ap- pearance, about the first of June, the spawn is running out of them and many of them are half through the process of spawning. The eggs will spurt from a female lish in a stream six feet long, and there is a large percentage of females in the catch, probably two-thirds of the whole. Lawrence some time between the 1st and tlie 15th of July. Have caught theiu iu abundance and full of roe as late as the 4th and 5th of July, and it is exceedingly rare to find spent mackerel previous to the 20th of June. In the period when hook- and-liue fishing was most prosperous, the fishermen usually planned to leave the Gulf about the first week in July if they had succeeded in getting nearly a fare of mack- erel previous«to that time, since while the fish were spawning, or between the 1st and 15th of the month, but little could be done, as the mackerel sunk at that time, and would not readily take the hook. The fishermen, therefore, knowing that they could catch few fish during this period, between "hay and grass," as they termed it, usually improved the opportunity thus afforded of making their passage home and refitting for another trip with comparatively little loss of time. Apparentij one of the most favorite breeding grounds for mackerel in the Ga^f of Saint Lawrence is the area along" the shores of New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island (on the north side of the lat- ter) lying inside of a line drawn from North Cape to Point Miscou. Bank Bradley is also a breeding-ground for mackerel of considerable importance. The fish seem to assemble on the grounds mentioned above during June, in a depth varying from 3 to 40 fathoms. The greater part, however, are found in a depth varying from 10 to 20 fathoms. The spawning season being over, they usually stay on the same grounds, though later in the summer and during autumn the mackerel were formerly abundant around the Magdalenes and the bend of Prince Edward Island; when the fall migra- tion takes place they move farther south. It is probable that large numbers of mack- erel may deposit their spawn around the Magdalene Islands, though it is worthy of note that but few or no fish have been taken in that locality on hook and line during the month of June. Considerable quantities are, however, caught by the gill-net fish- ermen early in June, though the catch has always been small compared with that formerly obtained hy hook-and-line fishing in the western part of the Bay. — J. W. Collins. As corroborative of the views of Captain Collins, I give the statements of Capts. Andrew Leighton and Joseph Rowe, two of the most keenly observant, and in con- sequence the most succe-isful, of the old school Cape Ann "mackerel killers." The former writes to Captain Collins : ''My observations are in harmony with yours." The latter remarks: '' I have always thought that the mackerel in the Bay of Saint Law- rence sunk about the last of June to spawn. From the first to the middle of July was always a very dull time to catch mackerel on hooks. When the mackerel sunk they were full of spawn. When we got them again, about the middle of July, thej' would have the moat of the spawn out of them and be some fat." [23] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. The spawn begins to dry up after tlie first of August, and young fish begin to appear about the 4tli of August. He thinks that it takes mack- erel four or five weeks to spawn; after that they begin to grow fat, and when they are fat there is no sign of spawn to be seen, the male and female not being distinguishable. The growth is rapid, and in about seven weeks the young fish are about four or five inches long. Mackerel spawn abundantly in Grover's Beach at a depth of one and a half to two fathoms. The eggs are very minute and the old mackerel feed upon them greedily. Ca])taiu Fisher, of Portland, Me., told me, in 1874, that when the mackerel come in they are almost empty and have a muddy taste. They first engage in spawning, but toward the last of June they have finished and begin to grow fat. Captain Hurlbert caught a dozen fish ofi' Camden July 1, 1870, which were half spawned and had spawn running out of them. According to Mr. Wilkins, of Two Isles, Grand Manan, the mack- erel spawns there on the rocks and sand in water from 1 foot to 10 feet or more in depth. This is in the first half of June. The spawn is in bunches and does not float on the water. During the spawning season mackerel are taken in seines, as they will not bite and are then very poor. They come again in September and October, and are then taken with the hook. Mr. Hall, of Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, says that mack- erel spawn only once in seven years in large numbers, this period rep- resenting the interval between the successive large catches. The mack- erel strike in there about the 10th of June. They spawn about the 2d or 3d of July on the Bradley Bank to the north of Prince Edward Is- land. At thajt time they have been taken with spawn running out of them. They cease to bite for several weeks while spawning. One of the principal spawning- grounds on our coast appears to be on the Nan- tucket Shoals, where for a period of three or four weeks after their first appearance the mackerel hug the bottom and rarely take the hook. At this time there is a lull in the prosecution of the mackerel fishery, al-' though before its beginning great quantities are taken in the purse- seines far south along the coast. After the close of the spawning sea- son the old fish are said to be very poor, but take the hook greedily along the entire coast, as also before the beginning of the spawning sea- son ; although the fish first brought to market are sold at a high price on account of their previous scarcity, it is not until after the close of the si)awning season and the subsequent fattening up of the fish that they attain their highest excellence as an article of food. Fall mack- erel are well understood to be by far the best fish. Storer, in his his- tory of the fishes of Massachusetts, remarks: '^From the 10th of May to the loth of June they appear at the entrance to Massachusetts Bay, having been a few days previous at l!i^antucket and the Vineyard Sound. EEPOET OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHEEIES. [24] !Nme-tenths of those first seen are males, and they are all large but poor, "weighing from one pound to one pound and a half. At their first ap- X)earance they will not take the hook, and are therefore captured in seines." The contrast between the statements of Storer and Captain Webb should be carefully noted. The former states that the early fish taken near the end of Cape Cod are mostly males. This would naturally be the case, as the females at this time are either engaged in spawning or are perhaps so weak that they would not be likely to come to the sur- face. At Milk Island, however, which seems to be in the middle of the spawning region, the majority of the fish are females. We are indebted to Capt. I^. E. Atwood for the most complete series of observations upon the spawning of the mackerel which has ever been made, and what he has seen he shall be allowed to tell in his own words : "I have many seasons been engaged in fishing for mackerel in our bay with gill-nets. I watched the mackerel more particularly in regard to their time for spawning. In 1856, owing to the fact that a measure had passed the Massachusetts legislature authorizing the appointment of three commissioners to make investigations with regard to the arti- ficial propagation of the fish, and that I expected to be named one of the commissioners, 1 went to the upper part of Massachusetts Bay, where it is about twenty miles broad, and I found these spawning mackerel there near the bottom. This year the mackerel came in about the middle of May; few at first. On the 20th I went out for the first time with my drifting-nets all night in the bay; I caught 2,250 mack- erel; on the following night I caught 3,520. When 1 first began to catch them I observed that the spawn had come to its full size, though it was not free to run from them, not being yet fully matured. On or about the 1st of June we found that some of them were depositing spawn, and as I took them from the nets the spawn ran freely. On the 5th of June I took the mature eggs as they came from the fish and put them in alcohol, marking the date, as I considered this time the middle of the spawning season. (By the 10th of June the fish had all depos- ited their sjjawn, and they then proceeded to the grounds w^here they expected to meet with better food in order to fatten and recruit. The spawning takes place at a depth of from five to fifteen fathoms.) Thirty days after I went out in the bay and found any quantity of schools of little mackerel which were, I should think, about two inches long, though their length might have been a little less. I took a number of specimens and put them in alcohol, marking the date. Twenty-five days later I procured another lot of them which had grown to double that size. I don't mean to imply that they were twice as long but twice as heavy. I put them also in alcohol, marking the date. The first time I subsequently went to Boston I called on Professor Agassiz and gave him the specimens. He said that he had never before been [25] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. able to ascertain these facts so clearly and so well, and that he was very much i)leased with them. I watched the growth of these young mackerel all along, and I saw them grow considerably from month to month, so much so that the same fall, in the latter part of October, I caught some of them with a very small mesh net and found they had growu to a length of GJ or 7 inches. I kept a small quantity of them, split, salted, and packed them, in accordance with the Massachusetts inspection law, as No. 4's, and, since mackerel were then scarce and very high in price, I sold them for as much as $6 a barrel." "Much yet remains to be learned in regard to the spawning season of the American mackerel" (writes Professor Baird), "and little more is known of this except in regard to the Euroi3eau variety. It is, how- ever, well established by the researches of Sars that this fish, like the cod, and many of the flat fish, &c., spawns in the open sea, sometimes at a great distance from the land, at others closer in shore. Sars found them on the outer banks of the coast of Norway; and Mr. Matthew Dunn, of Mevagissey, England, communicates to Land and Water of his observations of mackerel found, with ripe spawn, 6 miles from the coast.* "Theflsh taken in the wiers and pounds on Vineyard Sound and about Cape Cod, in the early spring, are filled with rijie spawn; and that the operation of spawning on the American coast is shown by the immense schools of small fish that are taken throughout the summer, of various sizes, from a few inches up, and from Buzzard's Bay to Portland and Penobscot Bay. No si^ecies of young fish is, at times, more abundant throughout the summer season than the mackerel. "The Qgg of the mackerel is exceedingly minute, not larger than that of the alewife or gaspereau. It appears to be free from an adhesive en- velope, such as pertains to the egg of the herring, and in consequence of which it agglutinates together, and adheres to gravel, the rocks, or the sea-weed at the bottom. As with the egg of the cod, that of the * SPAWNING OF MACKEREL. Sir: I have been a.sain fortunate in taking a mackerel alive in the act of spawning, on the night of May 10, about 6 miles from land. A better specimen could not possi- bly be had, and the roe ran freely without assistance. I got a bucket of sea-water, and allowed the fish to spawn in it; for some time I had a difficulty in finding what became of it, as the globules would not reflect the light of the candle like the pilchard spawn; but by running the water into a clean bottle, and holding it to the light, I lound them floating on the surface, but not so buoyant as the pilchard roe. In this state they continued for about half an hour, and then gradually sank to the bottom; but, unlike the pilchard spawn, they retained their vitality there for more than twelve hours. With the daylight the globules could scarcely be discerned by looking directly down into the water; but on holding it towards the light in a bottle they could be seen, with that healthy, bright, silvery hue so peculiar to living ones, each marked with a dark spot in the center. Believing the pilchard spawn would have reached you, I did not send you any of these. As I sent that spawn by post, I sup- pose the bottle must have been broken in the post-bag. — Matthias Dunn (Mevagissey, Cornwall, May 15, 1«71.) {Land and Water, May 20, ^53.) EEPOET OF COMMISSIONEE OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [26] mackerel is provided with an oil globule^ wliich makes it float nearly at the level of the surface." I am indebted to Mr. Frederick W. True for a count of the eggs in two mackerel taken at Woods Holl, Mass., in May, 1873. One of these (No. 10512, U. S. Kat. Mus.), contained 363,107, the other (No. 15205), 393,887. The only enumeration of mackerel eggs previously recorded is that made bj" Thomas Harmer, in 1764, and published in the Philosophical Transactions of London, vol. 57, p. 285. He found in one large mack- erel, weighing 1| pounds, 454,961 eggs; in a second, of much the same weight, 430,846; and in a third, weighing about 1 pound 2 ounces, 546,681. His estimate is probably too large. 6. — Eate of growth and size. The rate of growth of the mackerel during the first summer has been quite carefully studied by Captain Atwood; and the same authority has, perhaps, more satisfactorily than any other interpreted the facts from which may be deduced the conclusions as to their growth year by year. Eeferring to the small fish, 6J or 7 inches in length, which he believed tO'be the young of the year, caught by him in October, 1856, he says: "Fish of this size are sometimes called 'spikes,' but I do not know their proper name. The next year I think they are the 'blinks,' being one year old; the following year they are the 'tinkers,' two years old, and the year after they return to us as the second-size, three years old. It is probable that the fish reaches its full maturity in four years." He continues: "The first mackerel that come in are very large and spawn- ers, but these do not bite at the hook; and you don't catch them with the seine, because they don't show themselves. You would not know of their presence if you did not set nets for them. When they are taken in nets set anywhere along the coast, at Provincetown, &c., a good many people imagine that they are the remnant of the mackerel which were there the year before, and which have been imbedded in the mnd; and when they taste these fish thej^ fancy that they taste mud. When the next school arrives there appear mackerel of different sizes, which take the hook. They are carried to Boston market and are sold fresh in their season. They are not sold by Aveight, but are culled, and are denominated as follows: Large ones, second-size, tinkers, and blinks. When the large ones are worth 12 cents, the others may sell: second size, 8 cents; tinkers, 4 cents, and blinks, 1^ cents. These prices may fluctuate before a large proportion of one or more of the above-named kinds at the same time. Any man who is well acquainted with them will make the same culling, as there seems to be a line of demarkation between the difi'erent kinds which stands out prominently. "Admitting this to be the fact, those that come as blinks are from [27] HISTORY OF THE MACKEEEL FISHERY. Ibo spawn of the year before, while those which are called tinkers are from the blinks of the year previous, being the two-year-old fish; and those that are called second-size are from the tinkers of the year before, when tliey grow up and mix with the bigger ones, I don't know how they live, or much about them. This is my opinion about these matters. You will find fishermen tell you they think that mackerel are six or sev^en years in getting their growth." IMackerel, when full-grown, are from 17 to 18 inches in length; some- times they attain a larger size. Captain Collins has caught individnals measuring twenty-two inches. In August, 1880, a school of mackerel was taken in the vicinity of Plymouth ; they weighed from three to three and a half pounds each, and were from 19 to 19^ inches long. They were regarded as extraordinarily large, and a barrel of them were sent to the Fishery Exhibition at Berlin as an illustration of the perfec- tion to which the mackerel attains in this country. Although the size just mentioned is unusual at present, in past years many thousands of barrels have been talien nearly, if not quite, as large. The size varies from year to year, sometimes very few barrels which can be rated as No. I's being found in our waters. A JSTo. 1 mackerel, according to the jMassachu setts inspection laws, measures 13 inches from the tip of the snout to the crotch or fork of the caudal fin. The average length from year to year for the whole coast is probably not far from 12 inches in length, and a weight of twelve to sixteen ounces. The following quo- tations from writers of two centuries . ago are interesting, since they show that large mackerel were known to the early colonists of New England: "The mackerel, of which there is choicefull plenty all summer long; in the spring they are ordincirily 18 inches long; afterwards there is none taken but what are smaller." — Joselyn, 1G75. "The Makarels are the baite for the Basse, & these have been chased into the shallow waters, where so many thousands have shott them- selves a shore with the surfe of the Sea that whole hogges-heads have been taken up on the Sands ; & for length they excell any of other parts: they have bin measured 18. & 19. inches in length & seaven breadth: & are taken with a drayee, (as boats use to pass to & froe at Sea on business,) in very greate quantities all along the Coaste. "The Fish is good, salted; for store against the winter, as well as fresh, & to be accounted a good commodity."* 7. — Enemies. Captain Collins writes: "The gannet is one of the most destructive enemies of the mackerel. I have often seen these birds so heavily weighted Avith these fish that they were unable to rise on the approach, of the vessel until they had disgorged from two to four good sized mack- ' New England's Fish, John Smith, 1622. U. S. F. C. Rep., 153. EEPORT OF COMMISSIONEE OF FISH AND FISHEEIES. [28] erel. This is so cominon an occurrence that there are but few fishermen who have not witnessed it." " Porpoises and whales may also be included in the list of enemies of the mackerel. It is by no means an unusual sight on the fishing- grounds to see hundreds of the former rushing and leaping among schools of mackerel scattering them in every direction." "The shark, known to fishermen as the ^mackerel shark,' is one of the principal enemies of the mackerel. I have often seen them chasing mackerel, and, when jigging was practiced, it was a common occurrence for sharks to drive off a school from alongside of a vessel." Dogfish often hover around the outside of large schools of mackerel, and doubtless feed on them. Great difficulty is sometimes experienced in saving fish that have been inclosed in a purse-seine, owing to the im- mense numbers of dogfish that gather around, and in their efforts to eat the mackerel, which they see through the meshes, they bite off the twine, making large holes in the seine through which the inclosed fish escape." The dogfish is doubtless a dangerous foe to the mackerel weakened by the act of spawning, and remaining near the bottom. An old fisher- man has described to me with great animation how greedily the dog- fish devour the mackerel which have become gilled in the nets, how they follow them to the surface and linger about the vessel while the process of cleaning is going on, drinking the blood of the fish as it flows from the scuppers. Among the other principal enemies of the mackerel are the bluefish, tunny, and cod. The appearance of a school of bluefish in waters cro vf ded with mackerel is an almost sure signal for their disappearance. The young mackerel are eaten also by squids. Professor Verrill has recorded the following description of the maneuvers of the squid known to zoologists bj' the name Ommastrephes Ulecebrosa : "Messrs. S. I. Smith and Oscar Harger observed it at Provincetown, Mass., among the wharves, in large numbers, July 28, engaged in cap- turing and devouring the young mackerel, w^hich were swimming about in 'schools,' and at that time were about four or five inches long. In attacking the mackerel they would suddenly dart backward among the fish with the velocity of an arrow, and as suddenly turn obliquely to the right or left and seize a fish, which was almost instantly killed by a bite in the back of the neck with the sharp beaks. The bite was always made in the same place, cutting out a triangular piece of flesh, and was deep enough to i)enetrate to the spinal cord. The attacks were not always successful, and were sometimes repeated a dozen times before one of these active and wary fishes could be caught. Sometimes after making several unsuccessful attempts one of the squids would sud- denly drop to the bottom, and, resting upon the sand, would change its color to that of the sand so perfectly as to be almost invisible. In this [29] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. way it would wait until the fishes came back, and when they were swim- ming- close to or over the ambuscade, the squid, by a sudden dart, would be pretty sure to secure a fish. Ordinarily when swimming they were thickly spotted with red and brown, but when darting among the mack- erel they appeared translucent and pale. The mackerel, however, seemed to have learned that the shallow water is the safest for them and would hug the shore as closely as possible, so that in pursuing them many of the squids became stranded and perished by hundreds, for when they once touch the shore they begin to pump water from their siphons with great energy, and this usually forces them farther and farther up the beach. At such times they often discharge their ink in large quantities. The attacks on the young mackerel were ob- served mostly at or near high-water, for at other tiTues the mackerel were seldom seen, though the squids were seen swimming about at all hours ; and these attacks were observed both in the day and evening." B.— STUDIES OF THE MOVEMENTS OF THE MACKEREL SCHOOLS. 8. — Hind on the causes of irreoular movements. In closing this chapter upon the natural history of the mackerel, it seems appropriate to quote from the writings of Professor Hind some very important paragrai^hs in which he has attempted to interpret the irregular movements of the mackerel schools in our waters, and to ex- plain the causes of the alleged annual variation of their numbers : "What is the proper interpretation of the movements of the mackerel from its first appearance in the spring to its disappearance in the fall? These movements var;^ with the geograi)hical position of local schools of this fish. On the coasts of the United States and Xova Scotia, its annual movements resemble in all particulars those of the same species in European seas where the schools have a free and unobstructed ocean in which to seek their prey. " In the spring, at the end of April and May, the Atlantic schools of this fish which have wintered oft" the coasts approach the laud in sejja- rate bodies, full of spawu and poor, coming direct from winter homes where they have remained in a torpid condition, partially buried in sand or mud. After spawning, the different schools feed for a short time on the fry of fish, and as the temperature rises they go out to sea in search of free-swimming crustaceans and larval forms of food accord- ing as they are distributed by wind and tide. " They pursue this food against the current or tide. They often feed during the night, because at that period great numbers of free-swim- ming larvalforms approach the surface. This is one reason why mackerel schools are frequently missed by fisher uien, and areas supposed to be deserted may really abound with this fish, which would be discovered REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [30] by sink-net fishing. The currents are coustantly changing with the seasons under the influence of temperature and prevailing winds, hence the course of direction and depth of the food is constantly changing also. "Sometimes it is carried far off from the land, at other times towards it, and the mackerel schools following the food move first in one direc- tion, then in another, and range from close inshore to fifty miles and more seawards, and often, doubtless, at a considerable dei)th helow the surface. " The general direction of these movements, when plotted on pax)er, would be a series of irregular circles or elongated ellipses, the range of each school or group of schools being opposite, and often adjacent to that part of the coast where they spawn. "As the fall approaches, owing to the diminution in the supply of their floating food out at sea, they come more inland. "All the free-swimming larval forms of nlost species of shrimps, crabs, lobsters, sea-urchins, starfish, sea-worms, &c., have disappeared in the oi^en sea, after passing through their final transformation. But near the shore there are great numbers of other forms of life, which are developed later in the year. Coming inshore to feed on these on the Atlantic coast, the mackerel are found by American fisbermen later and later on their return voyage to the southwest, which gives rise to the impression that they are following the schools, when they are only meeting with fresh schools approaching the shore from their feeding- grounds. Similar movements occur on the Atlantic coast of ISTova Scotia and Cape Breton. As winter approaches, beginning at Cape Breton in November, the different schools retire to their winter homes off the coast in deep water later and later from north to south. "In the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, where land is, as it were, on all sides, the local schools come from their winter haunts to the banks and beaches of the Magdalens. of Prince Edward Island, in the Bay Chaleur, &c., to spawn about the first week in June. They retire after spawning lo deep water, and meet the incoming sand-launce. They follow the sand- launce inshore or on to banks, and for some weeks feed on these fish. When tlie sand-launce again retires to deep water, the season of the small crustaceans has arrived, and these by tidal action, already de- scribed, and winds, are concentrated near the coast lines of Prince Ed- ward Island, New Brunswick, the north and south shore of the Estuary and Gulf of Saint Lawrence, and the shores of Gape Breton. On all these coasts the effect of the single and confluent tides, dragging along the coast line and retarded by it, is to produce eddies, where the free- swimming food concentrates. The course of direction of the different schools duting the summer is thus dependent upon winds and tides, and their movements would, if correctly plotted, resemble long narrow ellipses adjacent to the coast, which are doubtless many times repeated. "At the approach of winter the different schools seek their winter quarters opposite and near to the places where they spawned in the [31] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. preceding spring, as is the case of the scbools on the Atlantic coasts. In these particulars their movements resemble those of different species of tish which feed and move in great schools in directions outlined by circles or ellipses throughout the period during which they are at the surface.* *Itis a fact well kuown to all experienced, mackerel fislieriuen that during the mouth of May and the early part of June large bodies of mackerel pass along the shores of Nova Scotia and Cape Breton from westto east, and while many of these fish move through the waters of Chfdabucto Bay and the Straits of Canso to the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, other schools pass in around the east end of Cape Breton Island, their destination being the same as those fish taking the shorter route. No better evidence of this migratory habit can be given than the fact that at this season of the year the fishermen along the Nova Scotian coast and about the Strait of Canso are busily em- ployed in catching mackerel both in gill-nets and in drag-seines. On some occasions when the season has been excejjtionally favorable the amount of mackerel so taken has often been very great. This movement of the mackerel is so regular and so well- defined that the fishermen rarely fail to tell within a few days, or, perhaps, even a few hours of the time when they will appear on certain portions of the coast. The fall migrations are quite as regular. As the season advances and the temperature of the water decreases, the mackerel, instead of simply changing their ijosition into deeper water near their summer habitat, as has been stated by Professor Hind, move in vast bodies towards the southern part of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, frequently striking in a succession of waves, as it were, on the northern shores of Cape Breton Island, where, deflected from their southern course, thej^ divide into two streams or branches, one passing through the Strait of Causo, and the other out round the north cape of the island, by its eastern and southern sides, and. so on up along the south coast of Nova Scotia. The mackerel which are found about the Magdalene Islands during the summer and early autumn apparently move in a nearly direct line towards the northeast end of Cape Breton Island when tliej' begin their fall migration. I have often had occasion to notice, in a practical way, these movements, the knowledge of which is of vital importance to the fishermen and of considerable interest to the nat- uralist. On one occasion in the fall of 1837 an immense body of mockerel was found along the north shore of Cape Breton, and on the last day that the fish were seen the schools came near the surface of the water, and I feel safe in saying, from actual ob- servation, that they moved at a rate of no less than three or four miles per hour in the direction of the north cape of the island. On another occasion, a body of mackerel that was found near Amherst Island (one of the Magdalenes") one day. were met with the following morning about 30 miles distant from the first locality, in the direction of the north caj)e of Cape Breton Island, towards which they were moving at the rate of one or two miles an hour. I have myself seen schools of mackerel ofi:' the Nova Scotian coast, in the fall, moving rapidly in a westerly direction, but all etforts to catch them with a hook failed, since they seemed to pay no regard whatever to toll bait. All of my own observations and those of the Nova Scotian fishermen with whom I have been brought in contact, lead me to believe that mackerel will not bite the hook to anj' extent during their fall migrations along the southern coasts of Nova Scotia. This is all the more remarkable since they seem to take the hook very eagerly tip to the last moment of their stay on their feeding-grounds in the gulf. The spring and fall migrations of the mackerel on our own coast are carried on with equal regu- larity and precision. On more than one occasion, in autumn, I have followed these fish day after day in their progress to the south and west along the shores of Maine and Massachusetts. An instance of this kind occurred in the fall of 1SG2, when I caught mackerel nearly down to the Fishing Rip on the Nantucket shoals. These fish were moving rapidly southward, and the schools cotild be kept alongside of the vessel only a short time, and each trial had to be made two or three miles farther south than the drevious one. At another time, in the fall of 1870, the mackerel moved in large schools EEPOET OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AXD FISHERIES. [32] " Sars has sliown tliat this form of movement is taken by the herring on the Norwegian coast.* " The mackerel are i)ursued by cod and hake, and tliese fish gather where offal is thrown over from vessels on which the mackerel are cleaned. As a natural consequence the mackerel avoid tlie sea areas where their enemies are congregated, and fishermen attribute the desertion of the mackerel-ground directly to the throwing of oft'al overboard. Cod, and probably hake, follow up the scent of offal or food of any description car- ried by currents with remarkable facility, as may be witnessed during the process of jigging for cod in calm and clear waters. On looking over the side of the boat, with a man engaged in jigging at the bow or stern, as soon as a fish is wounded merely by the jigger and blood flows from the wound, the creature may be seen to dart here and there in pain. The neighboring fish of the cod tribe are attracted by the scent and followthe blood ' tracks' against the current, hunting their wounded comrade to the death. A fish coming across the stream of scent, imme- diately follows it up, and it is thus that fish offal or bait thrown over- board in the open sea, or some distance from shore, gathers the fish on the course of the current. In harbors and confined or landlocked bays, where there is no constant strong current to carry off the results of decomi)osition, and where the sea-scavengers are not sufficiently numer- ous to consume it, the effect cannot fail to be extremely in^ejudicial to young fry and to fish-spawn. t very rapidly from Ipswich Bay across in the direction of Cape Cod. The schools were at the surface of the water, and it is not an exaggeration to say that their speed was not less than three or fonr miles an hour. The schools of mackerel spread over many square miles, each hodv offish was separated from the otbers, perhaps many hundred fathoms, hut all seemed to he impelled hy the same motive and were moving steadily in the same direction. These fish would hite eagerly at the hook for a few minutes at a time, hut so strong was their instinct of migration that it was impossible to detain them longer than a few minutes at a time in their on w aid movement. J. W. COLLINS. * See chart hy Dr. G. 0. Sars, in his report for 1H74. t Fisheries of British North America, pp. 20, 21. It is difficult to see how the offal of mackerel could injure the spawn of the young fry of this fish since the eggs are known to swim at the surface of the sea, and it is presumable that the mackerel, when first hatched out, also keeps near the surface. Therefore in a depth of ten or twenty fathoms it seems extremely problematical that the welfare of either the eggs or young fish could be interfered with by the viscera thrown over from the fishing- vessels. Another thing: It is well known that the waters of the Bay of Saint Lawrence swarm with small and extremely voracious crust acea — "sea-fleas" — which rapidly devour anything of this kind which is thrown into the sea. Indeed, so active are these small scavengers that codfish caught on a trawl are often comi)letely de- voured by them iu three or four hours. Again, there can be no doubt but what throw- ing over the offal from the vessels is really beneficial to the mackerel, which feed ujion it. The recent diminution in the abundance of mackerel in the Bay of Saint Lawrence, and the remarkable increase of this fish on our own shores, since the New England fleet has ceased to visit the waters of the Gulf in such numbers as formerly, seems to prove conclusively that the decrease or increase iu the abundance of the mackerel is due to other causes than that of throwing over the offal which is taken trom those ■which are caught. — J. W. Collins. [33] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. •'* The effect of temperature ou the local movements of the mackerel may be recognized in the process employed by tishermen to ' raise' mack- erel by toll-bait, and luring them seawards. The mackerel follow the bait for some distance from shore, where suddenly they cease to bite and disappear. They probably find long exposure to the warm temperature of the surface waters nnsuited to their habits, and sink to a cooler zone. " Hence the reason why a ' mackerel breeze,' mixing the heated surface water with the cooler understratum, is favorable to prolonged mackerel fishing with bait. The mixing produced by agitation cools the surface and permits the fish to feed for a lengthened period."* " The mackerel, like the herring and the cod, seeks cold water for its spawning grounds wherever the Labrador current exercises its influence. Between Block Island andlSToman's Land, where the spawning grounds on the United States coast south of Oape Ood are alleged to exist, a thin wedge of the Labrador current stretches far into Long Island Sound /'t "In Massachusetts Bay, where a mackerel spiawning ground also exists, 'as also in the vicinity of Stellwagen Banks; the temperature when observed by Dr. Packard in September ranged from 41 J to 45 degrees, and the fauna resembled the cold-water species on each side of Jeffrey's Ledge. On George's Shoals the marine life is said by Verrill to be the «ame as that found in the deeper muddy parts of the Gulf of Saint Law- rence, and indicates a temperature not above 40 degrees, and probably considerably lower. Bradelle Bank, according to Mr. Whiteaves, pre- sents the phenomenon of a small stony patch, tenanted by an assemblage of marine animals which usually inhabit very cold water, and are almost entirely surrounded by another series, which are for the most part prev- alent where the bottom is warmer and more affected by surface condi- tions of temperature.! " Wherever the areas are situated where young mackerel are found in the summer, we find near at hand a cold-water zone, either existing as a part of the Labrador current at the surface, or brought up from greater depths by banks and shoals. On the coast of Prince Edward Island, and in the gulf generally, the cold water lies frequently near the shore, because the diurnal tides mix the strata warmed during the day- time with the cold underlying strata. In the estuary of the Saint Law- rence Dr. Kelly found the surface temperature 57 degrees Fah. on the * It; is often the case that a school of mackerel may be kept alongside of the vessel for many hours at a time, even during the hottest days of summer, though generally at such times they will not bite very much. For this reason, therefore, the fishermen do not usually endeavor to keep the fish alongside of their vessels, but prefer instead to change their position and try to secure a new school of mackerel. This action oa the part of the fishermen, just referred to, may have led to the belief that their move- ments were caused by the disappearance of the fish from the vessels' side instead of on accomit of the disinclination of the mackerel to take the hook. — J. W. Collins, tHind, Fisheries of British North America. t Professor Verrill, page 48.5, Report of the United States Commissioner of Fish and Fisheries, 1871-'72. EEPOET OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [34] 9tli July, but three feet below the surface it was 44 degrees, having in that short vertical space sunk 13 degrees ; at 24 feet it was 40 degrees^ or 17 degrees below the surface temperature. " The coastal waters of Massachusetts rapidly acquire an elevated temperature iu June, when the waters of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence are often still ice-cold. In April, May, and June the cod and haddock resort in large numbers to the banks and reefs off Stouington, Watch Hill, isTo Man's Land, and other similar places, but are quite unknown there later in the summer. " Local winds and tidal currents bring the waters of the Gulf Stream on to this coast and displace the cold waters, even at the distance of twenty or thirty miles from the shore in summer.* " In the Gulf of Saint Lawrence the temperature of the surface in summer rarely reaches, as far as observed, the temperature of the bot- tom of the sea off No Man's Land, or 59^ to 61^ degrees in 11 and 18 fathoms respectively.t " Dr. Kelley records the following surface temperature in various parts of the gulf, and generally within view of the land : • Date. June 19, July 9, Aug. 10, Sept 2, June 28, Aug. 14, Aug. 15, Aug. 18, Aug. 28, Aug. 30, Aug. 31, Sept. 1, Oct. 10, Oct. 10, Oct 11, Oct 11, Oct 12, Oct 13, Oct 14, Position. 1832 1831 1831 1832 1832 1832 1832 1832 1832 1832 1832 1832 1832 1832 1831 1831 1831 1831- 1831 Off Point do Monts do Off Anticosti Mingan Harbor . .' Estuary of Saint Lawrence. OffKegashka In Kegashka Harbor do do do Off Mingan Mingan Harbor Near Cape Gasp6 OffCapeGasp6 Near Mount Louis 7 miles off. Bay of Seven Islands do do Temperature of surface. 45 57 54 53 48 53 48 38 5& 52 51 39^ 41 43 41 47 46 4^ 39^ " In the harbors of the gulf coast, and even at a considerable distance off the land, the temperature of the surface is greatly affected by winds. A warm dry wind off the land diminishes the temperature of the sur- face by evaporation. " Tidal currents have a powerful effect on the temperature of the sur- face over shoals near the shore, by bringing the cold water to the sur- fa;ce. On the 27th June, 1832, Dr. Kelley observed the temperature of the surface water over a shoal ledge which runs out a considerable dis- tance from Mingan Harbor to be only 33 degrees ; on the previous day the water in the estuary of the Saint Lawrence being 47 or 48 degrees. *Profe8sor Verrill, page 485, Report of the United States Commissioner of Fish and Fisheries, 1871-'72. t Verrill, op. cit,, page 484. [35] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. " 111 these differences of surface temperatures, and the causes which give rise to them, we discover the reason why the mackerel retire, as the summer advances, from the warm coastal waters of the United States out to sea, where they find a stratum of water of the requisite temperature for their free-swimming food.* In the Gulf of Saint Law- rence this requisite temperature is best attained where cold substratum waters are mixed with warmer coastal waters by the tidal waves, the food being atthe same time brought inshore by these currents as already described. Here it lingers, partly on account of a suitable temperature being attained, and partly because the efflux and reflux of the tides oc- casion a constant ciicular or elliptical movement of the water. Hence, while the oft"-shore waters on the coast of the United States alone pos- sess the requisite degree of coolness in summer for the mackerel food, the inshore waters of the gulf acquire the degree of warmth best suited to the habits of these free-swimming creatures, which continues until late in the fall. The question of inshore and off-shore mackerel fishing grounds thus becomes, in a great measure, reduced to the different con- ditions of marine climate which i:)revail where the Labrador current is the controlling agent, or where the Gulf Stream asserts its power and influence during the summer season." f 9. — Hind on the causes of the alleged annual variations in THE number of MACKEREL OBSERVED. "It is well known that the spawn of the herring is deposited at the bottom; and owing to the glutinous secretion binding the eggs, one to the other, it adheres firmly to everything which may happen to touch it; and masses of eggs are found to be tightly glued together. But it has been conclusively established by Professor Sars that the mackerel spawn, like that of the cod, floats; and the spawn is developed at the surface of the sea, being drifted to and fro by currents and winds, and, wholly imlike the spawn of the herring, sculpin, smelt, caplin, &c., is at the mercy of the ever- varying currents of the ocean. "The taking of mackerel on banks and shoals, dropping their spawn/ must be accepted that the fish are ready to spawn at the place where they are then caught. The transparent floating spawn being very diffi- cult to recognize and indeed rarely to be seen, except looked for and caught in tow-nets at the surface of the water. * Mackerel are frequently abundant close in to the shores of New England ia mid- summer. As a matter of fact large catches of mackerel have been occasionally made in Penobscot Bay, lifteen miles or more inside of the outer headlands and islands. Bluehill Bay, also in Maine, is a famous resort for small and medium-sized mackerel in summer. It is also well known that the immediate vicinity of Monhegan Island is one of the best mackerel grounds on the New England coast during the months of July and August. — J. W. Collins. t Fisheries of British North America, pp. 42, 43. EEPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES, [36] "But mackerel /Vy are foimd near the land, in detached sea areas, all the way from the shores of Massachusetts to the shores of northeast Newfoundland. "While the cod spawn on the North American coast during every month of the year wherever the temperature of the water is sufficiently low and ice does not interfere, and the herring spawn in like manner during spring and fall, when the bottom waters have acquired a certain temperature, the mackerel spawns, as a general rule, in the spring of the year, and large schools apiJear to be established where the Arctic current exercises its influence either as a distinct surface current, or where it is brought to the surface by banks or shoals, and thus secures the requisite coldness in the waters for the floating spawn. "The floating spawn may be drifted by winds or tides many miles from the place where it is shed; and the birthplace of the fish will be that portion of the sea area where the young fry first issue from the egg, but not the spawning ground of the mother fish. In ordinary seasons the swing of the tides, apart from local currents, brings back twice every day the drifting, surface matter, whatever it may be, near to the place from which it set out; but winds may greatly alter the course and distance to which floating ova would be drifted. Hence, except in the case of secluded bays like the Bay of Chaleurs, Pleasant Bay or Massachusetts Bay, the geographical position of mackerel fry is in a great measure dependent upon the winds which may have pre- vailed. A storm near the end of ]May or early in June on the coasts of the United States may drive floating spawn far out to sea, even into the heated waters of the Gulf Stream ; and it has yet to be shown that mackerel spawn could sur^dve the sudden and extreme change of tem- perature this would involve; or a continuance of southerly winds may drive the spawn on to the shore and destroy it. This Qccurs frequently with the spawn of those fish which are deposited near the shore, as in the case of the capelin and herring. The small size of the mackerel spawn would cause it to be unobserved, and it would be more dis- tributed than the spawn of the herring and the capelin. The United States Signal Service charts show the course of storms and winds dur- ing the spawning season, which would produce these results. "The relation of cod spawn to rain has been referred to elsewhere (Part I, page xii). Ecasoning from analogy, which in so many in- stances must be for the present our only guide, the effect of rain or of a rainy month on mackerel spawji would be equally prejudicial, by caus- ing it to sink below the surface and be removed from those conditions of light and oxygen which are essential to the development of the em- bryo. "On the other hand, the spawn might be driven in an easterly direc- tion, or in a westerly direction, and be hatched some miles oft" the coast in great abundance. These new schools might attain great magnitude in three or four years, being unobserved, and might so remain for sev- [37] HISTORY or THE MACKEREL FISHERY. eral years, pursuing their circular feeding movements until noticed by tlie fisbermen. The same contiugencies occur in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, and similar distribution arising from winds or tides drifting the spawn far from the spot where it was shed, often lead to the estab- lishment of new schools of fish in different localities. "This feature in the natural history of the mackerel has already been noticed with regard to the Baj^ of Fundy schools. "The occurrence of mackerel in great abundance on the northeast coast of Newfoundland, and their subsequent disappearance, may be ex- plained in a similar manner, and may be attributed to unfavorable meteorological conditions, which w^ould drive the floating spawn on shore, or far out to sea. There are, however, other probable reasons for the observed annual variations in the schools, which will now be noticed. "In the foregoing paragraphs it is assumed that the fluctuations in the numbers of mackerel observed by fishermen correctly interpret a phenomenon which appears to be generally recognized. "But while it is right to receive the statement that very large fluct- uations in the numbers seen usually occur, it is wrong to infer that, be- cause the schools are not visible, proof is afforded that they do not exist. There are strong reasons for believing that during many seasons the schools escape the notice of fishermen on account of their finding their food in a lower and colder stratum of water, and more rarely com- ing to the surface than during other seasons. It will now be shown how a cold stratum is produced, and that, as a necessary result of the mode of its formation, it varies each year and during every month of the year in vertical position and thickness, and that it is constantly brought to or near the surface on banks and shoals within certain geo- graphical limits. . These variations in depth of suitable feeding zones throw light upon the alleged inconsistency of the appearance of the macjierel, and its selection of coastal waters in some sea-areas and off-shore waters in other areas, and variations in both during different seasons.''* 10. — Observations of American fishermen on the movements OF the mackerel SCHOOLS. Since it is not practicable in this place to present a full account of the movements of the mackerel schools along the coast, it may be interest- ing to present the observations of a few reliable observers at different localities. Captain King Harding, of Swampscott, gave me a very full account of the movements of the mackerel in Massachusetts Bay. About the 20th of May the schools begin to draw around Cape Cod into the bay; the earliest date, in the memory of Captain Harding, is *Hind, Fisheries of British North America, pji. 22,23. EEPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [38] the 11th of May. The schools continue swimming at the surface until about the middle of June, when they sink down into deep water. Now none can be taken in the seines. When they disappear they are full of spawn; when they again appear, in twelve or fifteen days, they are spawned. When any are accidentally hooked up or tolled up during the slack season they are sometimes seen to have partially spawned. When they come to the surface they form in schools and move to the eastward. These remarks apply to the large fish. Small fish may be schooling at the surface all the time. A pound mackerel in the spring is apt to have spawn in it. " When jigging was the ordinary method of catching mackerel," writes Captain Collins, " many thousands of barrels were taken each year dur- ing or just previous to the spawning season, when the ova was well de- veloped. It was not an uncommon occurrence for vessels to secure fares in the Bay of Saint Lawrence before the spawning season was over." Cajjt. IST. E. Atwood, of Provincetown, Mass., gives the following ac- count of the migrations and movements of mackerel : "The mackerel comes to us from the south. As they are with spawn nearly mature when they arrive in our bay they probably come into the South Channel, passing east of IsTantucket, then along the eastern shore of Cape Cod, then around the cape and on until they reach their spawn- ing ground in from 15 to 5 fathoms of water, in the southern part of Massachusetts Bay, where they deposit, as I have answered in another reply." ^ "Mackerel leave the coast in the same manner as they came in in the spring. The mackerel is a migratory species, coming on our coast in the spring, and when the water becomes cold leaving the inshore ground and going to their winter quarters. We have no way of know- ing where they are when away, but can only say they are at their winter home. The first that arrive are the largest; others come in later, but are smaller or rather a mixture of large and small fish. There are no equal intervals between the arrival of the -different schools. When the fish leave our shores they go gradually, and they are several weeks passing away from our coast. The mackerel never fails to come, but often varies in abundance in different years. This may be due to the fact that the bait has taken a different course. The first run of mack- erel is made up almost entirely of male fish, but the spawn of the/ew? females that accompany them is always very nearly matured when they reach our coast. "I have to-day (July 1, 1877) examined a quantity of mackerel brought in by a vessel, caught in another locality, and find they are about three-quarters males. Neither sex will take the hook when they first come in; they seem to have no inclination to bite until they have deposited their spawn; they then commence to feed, and in time become fat. The large spawning mackerel, after they have de- posited, pass on to the north. We do not see much of them until they return late in the autumn. When they pass by here going off' the coast [39] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. they do not take the hook, so we catch them in gill-nets. The second run of mackerel that comes in the early part of the season, which Dr. Mitchell, in his 'Fishes of 'New York,' calls Scomber grex, is the kind that takes the hook; they are, no doubt, the younger class of fish. This fish (mackerel) on its arrival swims low in the day-time; in the night it <5omes near the top of the water and is caught in gill-nets. We would not know they had arrived if no nets were set. The ebb and flow of the tide does not affect them. I have never seen spawn run from this fish when taken with the hook ; when spawning they do not bite in this locality. In fishing with gill-nets we see no spawn floating in the water. There are no pounds here. The mackerel does not run up from the sea into fresh water. We find no small young fish with the larger mackerel when they are spawning. Mackerel are liable to go anywhere when they are following the bait." In his testimony before the Halifax Commission the same eminent a,uthority stated: "The mackerel, like some other species of fish I could name, come in poor- and destitute of fat. being only number threes according to the Massachusetts inspection law; and when they reach Provincetown, those that have come in from the south have, I think, spawned at places at which, they have found about the right depth of water for the pur- pose. I have never fished south of Cape Cod, and hence could not vouch for that; but the fish that come in east of IsTantucket and South Ohanuel do not fall in with land or a shoal channel until they strike back of Cape Cod, and, winding round, come into the soutbern part of Massachusetts Bay. In that locality I have fished with gill-nets for a .great many seasons, at the time of their arrival, and they only last till the bluefish make their ajipearance. We have six or seven weeks of mackerel fishing, and generally do something considerable at it; but after the bluefish come in the mackerel leave, as that drives them all off .and ruins our fishery. "Question. When are mackerel in the finest condition off the coast of the United i^tates, say from Cape Cod down? — Answer. I should say, taking one year with another — years difler a little — say from the middle of September to the middle of October, I could get as nice mackerel as could be procured at any time during the year, and then good mackerel, .some years, can be obtained as early as the middle of August. "Q. Is it your opinion that some of the schools of mackerel found on the coast of the United States remain there during the entire season, or do they all go north of the coast of Maine?— A. I think that the mackerel which come south of us, and then strike into Cape Cod and Massachusetts Bay, and north of that, and some of them farther east- ward, come in from the deep water, where they have wintered, and .strike on and back of George's Bank. This is my opinion. I consider that they come from their winter quarters all along the coast, from away •down as far as Chincoteague Shoals to ISTewfoundland. I have no idea REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [40] that the mackerel which are on our coast in the region of Cape Cod and south of that, or anywhere near that, ever come down the coast here and pass Halifax. I bave never thought that they did so; hut then I cannot bring evidence to jjrove that they did. I never saw mackerel between Cape Sable and Cape Canso, though I have seen some at Louis- burg, on the south shore of Cape Breton Island, when I was there once. I never saw these mackerel, but I fully believe that mackerel do come in the spring northward by Halifax, and again pass this way in the fall. But then I think that after the mackerel which pass Halifax get to Cape Sable they i)ass off the coast. " Q. I wish you to state how late in the season you have successfully fished at the Magdalen Islands'? — A. I could not remember the date ex- actly; but I should think that we never staid at these islands later than about the first of October, though it may have been the 10th of that month ; but that is about the latest period. " Q. Have you found mackerel good in quantity at the Magdalens as^ late as the first of October ? — A. I think that is the case. I believe that it was October before we left these islands the first year I was there ;, and we caught mackerel just before we left them." Mr. A. B, Eich, of Provincetown, Mass., makes the following remark® concerning the migrations and movements of mackerel : '' Mackerel come along the coast from the south. When the water be- comes cold they strike off into the depths. It is quite likely that they spend the winter at the south, at points where the water is about as cold as along the Massachusetts coast in the summer time. They are first seen in June, and steadily increase until September, when the main body makes its appearance. The first run is the smallest. Their ap- pearance is regular and certain. In ISTovember these fish begin to leave, and withdraw by degrees. Both sexes come together and the spawn of the female seems to be mature when they first appear. Yery few mack- erel will take the hook at first, but do so after the spawning season is- over. Their arrival is known by their capture only, for they swim low. Yery little spawn runs out of the mackerel caught with a hook, but large quantities out of those captured in nets. Mackerel are not anad- romous. ^o small fish are seen on the breeding grounds. Mackerel seem to like deep water where the temperature is about 48° or 50°. About 20 fathoms is their usual depth." Mr. ISToah Mayo, of Boston, Mass., makes the following statements^ concerning the movements of mackerel : "Mackerel come on this coast from the south, making their first ap- pearance ofi" Cape Hatteras and along the coast to Long Island. So along the Massachusetts and Maine coasts as it grows later, going into the Bay of Fundj^ and into the Bay of Chaleur and Gulf of Saint Law- rence. All mackerel found in the Bay of Chaleur come from the Amer- ican waters. Most of them pass between George's Bank and Cape Cod on their journey from the south to their summer resort. They leave by [41] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. the same route they came. Mackerel spend their winters either in the Gulf Stream or south of it, none being seen or caught after they leave the coast of Massachusetts. Mackerel are first seen off Cape Hatteras and along by Cape May usually about the last of April. As a rule the head of the shoals are large and the smaller come right after. From April to July they continue to come at different times. They commence leaving about the 1st of November, and continue going in the same man- ner they had come, some earlier, some later, until into December, then they disappear. When they return in the spring they are very poor. Mackerel appear on the coast regular and certain; they never fail. In some years they are more abundant than in others. If the bait upon which they feed comes on the coast then they follow, and in proportion as the live bait is found so is the abundance of the mackerel. The sexes come together, and they spawn in about two to four weeks after they arrive. Mackerel take the hook at first as well as at any time, and both sexes are alike in this respect. Mackerel sometimes swim at the top of the water, but sometimes they cannot be seen. Birds are often attracted by them. The spawn often runs from these fish when taken by hookb,. and it is frequently seen floating in the seines. Mackerel are not anad- romous. Fish of all ages are found together on the breeding grounds. Mackerel are found in all sorts of water, deep and shallow, but they seem to prefer shallow water around the shore and on the off-shore shoals.. They like warm water better than cold." Mr. Josiah Snow, of Boston, Mass., makes the following report on the movements and migrations of mackerel: "Mackerel come on this coast from the south, first appearing off Cape Hatteras and then off Long Island Sound, so continuing along the coast. After passing Cape Cod they become fatter as the season advances. They pass along the coast of Maine into the Bay of Fundy, to the Bay of Chaleur and the Gulf of Saint Lawrence. I do not think all the mackerel found in the Bay of Chaleur follow the American coast; part of them appear to come direct from the south, striking into Chaleur through the Gut of Canso. Mackerel leave the coast in about the same manner as they come, some passing off' southeasterly, some following the coast closely and going around Cape Cod. At this time, the season being so far advanced, with bad weather, vessels do not follow them. Though there are many conjectures on this point, it is my opinion that they (mackerel) spend their winter in the Gulf Stream, or at the south of it. It is certain that when they leave this coast in the fall they are fat, and are very poor when they return in the spring. They generally spawn on our coast. Mackerel are first seen in quantity about May 1, and during May and June appear to be constantly coming. Per- haps a few arrived in April. As a rule the first to come are the larger ones, and the smaller soon after. They commence leaving the shore about November 1. aiul continue going through part of December. They always appear on this coast in summer. I think more come some REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [42J" years than others, because more live bait ufjon which they feed is found •on the coast some seasons. Runs differ, some being nearly all large, and some nearly all small. 1 know of no difference in the coming of sexes ; they usually spawn in about two to four weeks after they arrive. I know of no difference in the sex in taking hook ; as a general thing they take the hook freely when they first come. Mackerel swim both high and low. They are seen in large ' shoals,' or ' schools,' as sometimes •called, and at other times they remain under water so they cannot be seen without throwing bait to attract them. The fishermen on this coast now need to see the fish on the surface because they use seines altogether. Spawn does not run out of mackerel caught by hook, nor is it seen in quantity floating in the nets. These fish never go into fresh water. Toung and old come on the coast together. Mackerel prefer shallow water and shoals. The water must be quite warm to suit them." Capt. David IST. Mehlman, of Gloucester, Mass., gives the following account of the movements of mackerel : "Mackerel come from the southern coast and pass through the Southern Channel between George's Bank and Cape Cod. They travel eastward, and return by the same route toward the south. It is prob- able that mackerel spend the winter on the coast of Florida and in the Gulf of Mexico. They are seen about Gloucester first in spring in May, and their numbers continue to increase until the 1st of July. Those fish that come first are the largest of all in size. There is no regular interval between the appearance of different schools. About November they begin to leave this coast, and their departure is very gradual. The appearance of mackerel is rather uncertain. Some years they are • very abundant, while in others they are quite scarce. This may be in part due to the course they take in coming in, making their scarcity a matter of appearance and not a reality, and partly also to the change ■of the feeding-ground. Some runs are composed of all large fish, and some of all small ones. Both sexes come together, and it is quite cer- tain that the spawn of the female is already matured when they first arrive on these shores. When the mackerel first come they are quite uncertain about taking the hook. However, after a short time both «exes take it readily. The mackerel schools swim high, and make their arrival known by their appearance at the surface. They always make a ripple, and not unfrequently attract birds. The spawn never runs out of these fish, whether caught by hook or in nets. Fish of all ages are found on the breeding-ground. Mackerel remain in places where the water may be very shallow or as much as 100 fathoms deep. They seem to prefer rather warm water." Mr. Moses Pettingell, of Newburyport, Mass., presents the following report on the movements of the mackerel : " In coming in to the shore the mackerel take a northwesterly course from the Gulf Stream off Cape Hatteras. The first are taken on the [43] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. edge of the Gulf Stream iu April. They usually depart by the same route. The fish of the first school are seen iu April, aud are larger than those of the main body which arrives iu June. The schools, which are many, are separated by intervals of nearly a hundred miles. The ap- pearance of mackerel is uncertain in point of time, but they never en- tirely fail. Mackerel will not take the hook at all times. They will scarcely take it at all for ten days or more after they first arrive. They usually swim near the surface, and attract birds, and make a ripple. In the si^riug months the spawn runs out of the fish caught with the hook, but the eggs are never seen floating in the nets. The mackerel is not an auadromous fish ; they seem to prefer shallow water and a sandy bottom." Mr. E. J. Nealley, of Bath, Me., states that "mackerel appear to fol- low the coast northerly in the spring, and to return by the same route. Mackerel are found on the coast of Maine, for the first time in the sea- son at any date from the 15th to the 20th of May, and seem to increase gradually in number until midsummer. The first school is of large size. Different schools leave at different times, but the main body appears to of 468 vessels, which pursue this fish- ery to a greater or less extent. Of these, 235 vessels are employed ex- clusively in catching mackerel between March and November, though some of the fleet do not start before June or July. A large number of these, the best fishing vessels of New England, in winter are engaged in the haddock fishery, in the Georges fishery, in the herring trade, in the oyster trade, and in the W^est India fruit trade, as well as in the shore cod fishery. EEPORT OF COMMISSIONEE OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [60] There is a small fleet of vessels wliicli, though, like their companions, designed for rapid sailing, are seldom employed iu the winter, except m the herring trade to New Brunswick, on account of the shallowness and sharpness of their hulls, which renders them unfit to encounter the heavy winter gales iu the open ocean. The mackerel vessels are, as a class, swift sailers ; they carry, while engaged in this fishery, all the canvas which their rig will allo^'. The manner in which their sails are managed, and the amount of canvas which thej'^ carry, are fully described in the chapter on the fishing vessels. The mackerel schooners, as a rule, spread more sail, iu com- parison with their size, than any other vessels in the world, except, per- haps, the extreme type of schooner rigged yacht, which is esseniially a development of the fishing schooner. Vessels designed especially lor the work of seining mackerel usually have a wide deck, much deck-room being necessary for the proi;)er handling of the fish. Many of the schooners of 60 to 80 tons have a beam of 21^ feet to 22J feet. But, although plenty of deck-room is considered of great importance to a mackerel vessel, even deck-room is held to be less necessary than speed. In consequence every effort has been made by the builders to construct swift sailing schooners, and the result is that many of the vessels comj)osing the mackerel fleet are quite able to cope successfully with first-class yachts of the same size. The mackerel vessel is fitted for seining; (1) by placing upon her a summer outfit of repairs and sails;* (2) by removing the heavy cables used in winter fishing, and substituting chain cables. This change is not necessary in the case of many of the Cape Cod and Portland vessels which are employed in the oyster trade, or in the case of most of the Glou- cester vessels engaged in the herring trade, since these use only chain cables at any season ; (3) by the removal of gurry-pens, and all other in- cumbrances from the deck ; (4) by the rigging of a seine-roller upon the port- quarter rail. This is a wooden roller of oak or other hard wood, 6 to 7 inches in diameter, and 6 to 8 feet long, which revolves on pivots in its ends, received into iron sockets in cleats, which are fastened to the rail. The forward end of the roller is about 3 feet aft of the main rigging. * Whatever repairs are needed are first atteuded to, ■while, in the meantime, the jibboom is rigged out, the foretopmast (if the vessel carries one) is sent np, the spars cleaned and painted, and the rigging tarred. This having been done, the vessel is taken on the railway and thoronghly cleaned and painted. The work of cleaning and painting spars, tarring rigging, &c., was formerly done I'y the vessel's crew, but at the present. time it is done by gangs of shoresmen organized for the purjiose, the expense for the labor performed being paid for .by the fishermen. The custom of hiring others to do this work began about 1863 or 1864. The fisheries were at that time very prosperous, and many of the fishermen preferred to pay some one for tarring and such work rather than to do it themselves. At first two or three men of the crew usually did tbe work, being paid for it by their shipmates, but in a short time it passed into the hands of the longshoresmen to the general satisfaction of both owners and crews. The work of cleaning the vessel's bottom, preparatory to painting it, is now often done by shoresmen, who are paid by the crew. [51] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. The use of this roller is to lessen the friction between the rail of the vessel and the seine, as the latter is being hauled on deck or overhauled into the boat ;* (5) by the head-box being fastened to the forward end of the house. The head-l)Ox is a bin 10 or 12 feet long, and wide enough to receive the head of a fish barrel. In this box are stowed the heads of the barrels that happen to be on deck ; (G) by placing the bait-mill on deck, and fastening the bait box (when one is used) to the main rigging on the starboard side; (7) by nailing boards to the top timbers underneath the main rail, between the fore and main riggijig. These are about (J inches in width, and are provided with single ropes, or stoppers, 2 or 3 feet apart ; the object of these stoppers is to hold the cork rope of the seiue when brought over the rail, preparatory to bailing the fish from the seine upon the deck; (8) by taking on board an ice-grinder, these being used^ only on vessels which carry their fish fresh to market ; (9) by clearing the hold of all bulkheads, ice-houses, or other appliances which may have been used in the course of the mnter's fishery ; (10) by properly adjusting the quantity of ballast ; if the vessel has been in the haddock or Georges fishery, ballast must be removed ; if in the herring trade, ballast must be added ; a mackerel schooner of 60 tons will carrj^ from 15 to 20 tons of ballast, and in exceptional cases somewhat more ; (11) by an arrangement of ice-house on those vessels which intend to take their fish fresh to market, somewhat similar to that on board the halibut fishermen ;t (12) and by taking on board the necessary supply * Capt. George Merchant, jr., of Gloucester, Mass., states that pnrse-seiues were used. l)y the fishermen of that i>ort for six or seven years before ' ' seine-rollers " were put on the vessel's rails. This useful implement was first invented and used by Capt. Simeon Tarr, of Gloucester, aboutthe year 1857, whilehe was in command of thepinkie "Andes." tThe mackerel schooner's ice-house, as a rule, occuj)ies the middle jiortion of the hold, extending from side to side of the vessel one way, and from the grub beam to the forward side of the main hatch the other way. It is separated from the other sec- tions of the hold by bulkheads, and is divided into a number of pens similar to those in the ice-house of a halibut schooner. Each of these pens is subdivided into three parts by shelves, which are coiistracted, when occasion requires, by laying some boards crosswise, the ends resting on cleats which are nailed to the sides of the pens. The first shelf is put in about fifteen inches above the floor of the ice-house, and a second shelf fifteen inches above the first. The front of the pens are closed by boards which slide in grooves on the stanchions, or bulkheads. The mackerel are iced fifteen inches deep on the floor of the pen, after which the first shelf is laid and another tier of the same depth is put on that. After the second shelf is i)ut in the fish are iced on it nearly to the deck, a covering of ice being put over all. In this way the fish can be kept in a better condition than if they were packed in a large bulk. If stowed in bulk the fish are jammed and soon become worthless. An average sized ice-house has a capacity of about 200 barrels of fresh mackerel ; some ice-houses will hold 300 barrels. Capt. Joseph Smith, of Gloucester, tells us that at present few of the mackerel ves- sels carry ice-grinders, since the fishermen prefer to use the ice-pick instead. Each vessel employed in market fishing is provided with from 2 to 4 ice-picks, and three men can pick up ice fast enough to supply a whole crew, even if they should ice 100 barrels or more an hour, which is about the average speed with which mackerel are taken care of. Captain Smith thinks his crew, on one occasion, iced 300 barrels in an hour and a half. About 4 tons of ice are put on 100 barrels of fresh mackerel. EEPOET OF COMMISSIONEK OF FISH AND FISHEEIES. [52] of barrels.* Vessels which take their fish fresh to market carry from 175 to 250 barrels ; those intending to salt their fish carry from 175 to 500 barrels, about one-third of this number being filled with salt, which is used in curing the fish, and serves in the meantime as ballast. Wellfleet has a three-masted schooner, the " Carrie D. Allen," em- ployed in the mackerel fishery ; her burthen is 175 tons, and she carries 25 men.t 14. — Appae,atus and method of fishing. {a) The seine-hoat and its fittings. — The boats used by the Gloucester fleet in the purse-seine fishery are built after a peculiar model and solely for this purpose. The present form of the seine-boat was devised about the year 1857 by Messrs. Higgins & Gilford, boat-builders, Gloucester, Mass.| The seines had previously been set from square- sterned, lap- streak boats, about 28 feet in length, and resembling in shape an ordi- nary ship's yawl. The seine-boat, as now in use, resembles the well-known whale-boat, difl'ering from it, however, in some important particulars. The seine-boat, according to Mr. Gifibrd, must have three qualities : (1) It should tow well ; consequently it is made sharpest forward. A whale-boat, on the other hand, is sharpest aft, to facilitate backing after the whale has been struck. (2) It should row well, and this qual- * Vessels which carry a mackerel pocket or "sjiiller" are provided with outriggers on the starboard side and other necessary arrangements for its proper management. All of the seiners also have an outrigger on the jjort side, by the fore rigging, to fasten the seine-boat to. tThe three-masted schooner " Carrie D. Allen," of Wellfleet, Capt. Darius Newcomb, arrived at Gloucester, June 18, 1874, with 900 barrels of mackerel. Only vessel of her class in the coast fisheries; 175 tons, carries 25 men. — (Cape Ann Advertiser, June 26, 1874.) tCapt. George Merchant, jr., of Gloucester, Mass., claims to have been the first to design and introduce the form of seine-boat now universally employed in the mackerel fishery, and which has been used to some extent in the menhaden fishery since 1857. In 1856, while engaged in fishing for menhaden, he carried two boats, one of which was a whale-boat of the ordinary type. The latter, which he used for a "second boat," proved very serviceable — rowing and towing easily, and turning quickly — and was much better adapted for seining than the old-fashioned square-sterned seine-boats which were in general use at that time. Captain Merchant therefore conceived the idea that a decided improvement could be made in seine-boats bj^ building them on the same general plan as the whale-boat, through making them somewhat wider than the latter, especially towards the stern, so that they would be better able to bear up the seine. Having decided on the dimensions required. Captain Merchant wrote to Mr. Higgins (now the senior partner of the celebraled boat-building firm of Higgins & Gilford, Gloucester, Mass.), who was then at Provincetown, desiring the latter to build a boat 21 feet long and according to the plan submitted, and which should be ready for the season of 1857. Many of the old fishermen laughed at the idea of attempting to use a sharp-sterncd boat for purse-seining, declaring that it would upset while the seine was being " pursed up," that it would tow under, and making other unfavorable predictions. Notwith- standing their croakings, they soon became convinced of the good qualities of the new boat, and in the following years hastened to adopt the same kind themselves. [53] HISTOEY OF THE MACKEEEL FISHEEY. ity also is obtained by tlie sharp bow ; the whale-boat also should row well, but in this case it has been found desirable to sacrifice speed in part to the additional safety attained by having the stern sharper than the bow. (3) It should be stiff' or steady in the water, since the oper- ation of shooting the seine necessitates much moving about in the boat. The Gloucester seine-boat of the present day is a modification of the old-fashioned whale-boat, combining the qualities mentioned above. The average length of such a boat is about 34 feet, its width 7 feet 5 inches, its depth amidship 33 inches. At the stern is a i^latform, meas- uring about 4 feet, fore and aft, on which the captain stands to steer ; this is 6 to 8 inches below the gunwale. Another platform extends the whole length of the boat's bottom, from the afterpart of which the seine is set. In the bow is still another platform, on which stands the man who hauls the cork-line. There are four thwarts or seats, a large space being left clear behind the middle of the boat for the storage of the seines. Upon the starboard side of the boat, near the middle, is ar- ranged an upright iron sui)port, about 18 inches in height, to which are attached two iron snatch-blocks used in working the purse-ropes.* Upon the opposite side of the boat, generally near the bow and stern, but with position varied according to the fancies of the fishermen, are fixed in the gunwale two staples, to which are attached other snatch- blocks used to secure additional purchase upon the ])urse-ropes. In the center of the platform at the stern of the boat is placed a large wooden pumj), used to draw out the water which accumulates in large quantities during the hauling of the seine. The steering rowlocks, with the peculiar attachment for the tow-rope and the metallic fixtures described above, are manufactured especially for seine-boats by Messrs. Wilcox & Crittenden, Middletown, Conn. Until 1872 the seine-boats were always built in the lap-streak style ; since that time an improved form of smooth-bottomed boats, built with battened seam, set- work, sheathed inside with pine, and with oak frame and pine platform, has been growing in popularity. The advantages claimed for this boat by the builders are: (1) increased speed; (2) greater durability, on account of the more solid character of the wood- Avork and tighter seams; and, (3) less liability to catch the twine of the nets by reason of the smooth sides. It is not so stiff as a lap streaked boat of same width, but in other respects superior. Since the general adoption of the purse-seine, in the menhaden and mackerel fisheries, an account of which is given elsewhere, there has * The lirst iron purse-davit (with wooden suatch-blocks), according to Cajitain Merchant, was invented and used by Capt. Henry Blatchf'ord, in 1858. With the exception of the blocks, it was essentially the same as the purse-davit in use at the present time. Previous to this a wooden davit (usually an old one), such as were in use on the fishing-vessels, was employed for the j)urpose of pursing up the seine. These davits were rigged out over the side of the boat, a place being cut in them three or four inches deep, so that they might fit over the gunwale of the boat in such a manner as to steady the outer end while the inner end was secured to the midship thwart by a grommet strap. EEPORT OF COMMISSIONEE OF FISH AND FISHERIES. '[54] been a gradual increase from year to year in the size of tbe seine-boats, keeping pace with a corresponding increase in the size of the seines. In 1857 all boats were 28 feet in length. In 1872 the length had in- creased to 30 feet, and in the summer and fall of the same year an additional foot was added to the length. In 1873 almost all boats which were built had a length of 31 feet, a few of 32 and 33. In 1874 almost all were 33 feet, as they were during 1875 and 1876, although some were made 35 and 36 feet. In 1877 31 feet is the most popular length, though one or two 38-foot boats have been built. Seven, eight, or nine oars, usually 13 or 14 feet in length, are used in these boats, besides a steering-oar of 16 or 17. These boats last, with ordinary usage, six or seven years. Afc the close of the fishing season they are always taken ashore and laid up for the winter in a shed or under trees, and are completely refitted at the beginning of another season. The seine boats carried by the "menhaden catchers" south of Cape Cod and by all the steamers are shaped like ships' yawls, square-sterned, smooth-bottomed, and batten-seamed, 22 to 26 feet long and 6J feet beam. They are built at New Bedford, ISTew London, Greenport, and at Mystic Eiver, and cost about $125 each, the finest 1 185. The JSTew Bedford boats are preferred by many fishermen. The Cape Ann fishermen stow their seines in one boat, and in shoot- ing the seine one end of it is carried in a dory.* The arrangement of the thwarts are especially adapted for the mack- erel fishery. There is some variation, however, as to the number of these in the different sizes of boats. In the size most commonly in use at the present time (1881) there are six thwarts, five of these being for- ward of midships, and one 7f feet farther aft. The following are the general dimensions of the boat: 36 feet long over all; 7 feet 7 inches Avide; 2 feet 8 inches deep. The bow thwart is placed 4 feet from the stem, and there is a space of 2J feet between each of the five forward thwarts. The boat is ceiled to the gunwales and platformed inside. In the bow she has a- raised platform which comes up to the level, or nearly so, of the forward thwart, to which it extends, and is bulk- headed on the after end. The stern is covered over on the top of the gunwales, forming the stern sheets, this being 3 feet long forward of the stern-post, with a bulkhead on the forward side. Forward of this again, and a little below the level of the thwarts, is another platform, 3 feet in length, also bulkheaded on the forward side ; on this the seine- master stands while steering the boat, and in it is placed the pump by which the boat is freed from water. The after portion of the boat be- tween the two after thwarts is used for stowing the seine, this being a section 7| feet long by 74 feet wide. There are five rowlocks on either side, corresponding to each of the five thwarts. The purse-davit is placed on the starboard side and usually stepped in the midship thwart *Goode, History of the American Menhaden, p. 122. [55] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. near the gunwale. At present, however, an improvement has been made in placing the purse-davit by stepping it in the thwart nearer to the center of the boat, it being placed at a distance of 18 inches to 2 feet from the gunwale. It is said that by this improvement the seine can be more easily pursed up and the pursings taken over the gunwale of the boat without the use of a pry or lever, and also that there is less probability of the boat being capsized. Tlie boats of the most recent construction have their purse-blocks on the port side, nearer the bow and stern than formerly, the forward being 2 feet aft of the stem, and the after one close to the upper stern sheet, about 3^ feet from the stern-post. Galvanized iron plates, each provided with a pro- jecting eye, are neatly fastened to the gunwale, and the snatch-blocks are hooked into these eyes. Until recently it^ has been customary to build these boats with a raised garboard, in imitation of the whale-boat (whale-boats are constructed in this way by some builders), but within the present year, during 1881, Messrs. Higgins & Giffbrd, before mentioned, and the principal if not the only constructors of this style of boat in the United States, have built them with smooth garboards, Athich have given better satisfaction than the old style. They are remarkably well adapted for swift rowing and for towing. Both of these qualities are very desirable, especially the latter, since they are frequently towed at a rate of 10 or 12 knots. The thwarts are double-kneed but not dunnaged. The boat is steered with an oar similar to the whale-boat. On the port side are two oar rests in which the oars are placed after the seine has been shot. The after one of these is Just forward of amidships, and the two are separated 8 feet. The seine-boat is usuallj^ towed astern by a warp, a 2^ or 3-inch rope, 20 to 50 fathoms in length. When the Aessel is making a long passage the seine-boat is hoisted upon the deck. Some of the larger vessels carry two seine-boats and two seines. In the largest schooners these boats are both of a Lirge size ; in other vessels, one of them is usually a small one. In addition to the seine-boats, each vessel carries two dories. One of these is usually towed astern when the vessel is on the fishing grounds; sou^etimes both. They are taken on deck in rough weather, when making a passage, or when not required for use in fishing.* When *The following is the price-list of Messrs. Hlggins & Gifford, of Gloucester, Mass., for 1880 : Seinc-'boafs, ivcludi'ng pump, iron hrcast IiogJc, outside ioxc iron, and iron stem cap. Smoolli bottom, battened seam, 31 feet $186 00 Smooth bottom, battened seam, 32 feet 192 00 Smooth bottom, battened seam, 33 feet 200 00 Smooth bottom, battened seam, 34 feet 210 00 Smooth bottom, battened seam, 36 feet 225 00 Galvanized rowlocks, with biass sockets, per set (8) 6 50 Pnrsing gear 8 50 Patent steering rowlock with socket 1 25 Pursing blocks, per ])air 6 00 Towing iron and ^in 2 00 EEPOET OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [56] a large catcli is obtained at the last set of a seine for the trij), and more mackerel are secured than the barrels on board will hold, the dories are taken on deck and filled with fish. During the mackerel season it is a common occurrence to see, in any of the large fishing ports, vessels ar- rive with both dories piled full of mackerel. (&) The seine. — Two kinds of seines are used. The large seine, only used in connection with the largest kind of seine-boat, is 190 to 225 fathoms in length, and 20 to 25 fathoms in depth when it is hung, being deeper in the center of the bunt than at the extreme wings, one of which, the "boat end," is from one to ten fathoms deep, and the other, the " dory end," varies from about seven to fifteen fathoms in depth.* It is made of three kinds of twine. The " bailing-piece," which is a section of the net occupying about 10 to 12 fathoms along the center of the cork-line, and having about the same depth as length, is made of the stoutest twine. Beneath this, and composing the remainder of the bunt and extending to the bottom of the seine, is a section knit of twine a size smaller. There is also a band of large twine, 15 meshes in depth, extending aloag the cork-line of the seine on either side of the bailing- piece to the extremity of each wing. The remainder of the net is made of smaller twine. A seine 200 fathoms in length is usually about 1,000 meshes deep, both in the bunt and in the wings. The strongest twine is placed at those places where the seine is subjected to the greatest strain. On the cork-line are two or three sizes of corks, the largest being placed over the bailing-piece, the smallest generally at the ends of the wings. The cork in the middle of the seine is much larger than the rest, and is painted or covered with canvas in order that it may be easy to find the center of the net either night or day. To one end of the cork -line at the upper cor- ner of the wing, which is first tlirown out when the seine is set, is a buoy. The seine is hung to lines which are called the hanging-lines. The lead- line is placed as in an ordinary seine, and is weighted with sinkers about two ounces in weight, which are attached to it at intervals varying from a few inches to several feet. The arrangement of the pursing rings and bridle is described elsewhere. In a mackerel seine of 175 fathoms the bridles are about 15 to 18 feet in length, and the rings, which weigh 1^ pounds and are 3 inches in diameter, are fastened to the middle of each bridle. The middle ring is on the bottom of the seine, opposite the mid- dle cork already referred to.f The i^urse-line extends through the rings ; * Capt. Joseph Smith tells us that the depth of the seine-euds varies a great deal according to the fancy of the fishermen. Some of the skippers prefer to have the ends of their seines "taken np" enough to make them very shallow, while others think .a net with deep ends will fish the best. tThe middle ring is usually made of different metal from the others, or is largei-, so that the center of the bottom of the seine can be easily found. [57] HISTOEY OF THE MACKEREL FISHEEY. its center is marked by a line tied aroiind it or tucked through its strands, but more frequently now by a brass swivel, into which the purse-rope is spliced, and which serves the double purpose of marking the center of the line and preventing it from kinking.* When the vessel is not searching for fish the seine is stowed on a grating forward of the house, between that and the after hatch. This grating is a frame- work, about 8 to 10 feet square, made of boards from 4 to 6 inches in width, crossing each other at right angles. The board- ing is supported on a frame-work of joists. The top of the grating is 4 to G inches above the surface of the deck. When two seines are car- ried, the grating must be wider. When the seine is stowed in the boat or ui)on the deck, it is always "salted down" to prevent it from rotting or burning. From a bushel of salt to a barrel or more is used, accord- ing to the necessity of the case. When the seine is thus stowed, it is often protected by a canvas cover. * The following dimensions of an average-sized deep-water mackerel purse-seine liave been supplied by Capt. George Merchant, jr., of Gloucester, Mass. ; Total length of seine when hung, 203 fathoms. Depth, 1,000 meshes, or about 21 fathoms. Size of mesh in all its jiarts, 2 inches. Length of "bailing-piece" or "bunt," 500 meshes; size of twine, 12-9. Depth of "bunt" or " bailing-piece," 500 meshes. Length of " sides," each, 300 meshes; size of twine, 20-9. Depth of " sides," each 500 meshes. ^ Length of " under," 1,100 meshes; size of twine, 20-9. Dei)th of "under," 500 meshes. The central section of the mackerel pnrse-seine, that portion composed of the bail- ing-piece, sides, and under, is generally spoken of as the " bunt," though the bunt proper constitutes only a small portion of it. Capt. Joseph Smith, of Gloucester, says that at present the whole center of the seine (including the bunt, sides, and under) is made of one size of twine, 20-12, this j)ortion being 1,000 meshes square. There is sometimes considerable difference in the length of the wing and arm of one end of the seine from that of the other, though some are constructed with both ends of equal length. Many of the seiners prefer to have the bunt of their seines a little to one side of the middle of the net. In such cases the ends are, of course, of unequal lengths. It may also be mentioned that a border of stout twine (size 20-9), 15 meshes deep, extends along both the top and bottom of the wings and arms of each end of the net. Size of first wing, 125 yards long in the web, 1,000 meshes deep ; size of twine, with the exception of that for the border, 16-6, hawser-laid; size of first arm on the same end of the net as the wing just described, 125 yards long in the web, 1,000 meshes deep ; size of twine, exclusive of that in the border, 20-6, hawser-laid. Size of wing No. 2, on the other end of the net, 150 yards long in the web ; depth, 1,000 meshes; twine, 16-6, hawser-iaid. Size of arm No. 2, 150 yards long in the web ; depth, 1,000 meshes ; size of twine, 20-6, hawser-laid, exclusive of the border. Captain Merchant writes: "We always use for hangings 6-thread manila right and lefc rope. In Boston factories they sometimes use 9-thread manila for bridle-rope, or 'loops,' as they are occasionally called." These loo^js, to which the purse-rings are attached at the bottom of the seine, are one part of the hanging-rope, and are made three fathoms long, the spaces between them being the same distance. Thus it will be seen that the purse-rings are about 6 fathoms distant from each other. Cai)tain EEPOET OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHEEIES. [58] When looking out for mackerel the seines are generally stowed in the seine-boats upon the i)latform arranged for that purpose between the two after thwarts. The cork-lines are stowed aft and the lead-lines forward, the seine always being set from the starboard side of the boat. As has been stated, the small seine differs from the large seine only in its size, being from 150 to 175 fathoms in length and 10 to 12 fathoms in depth. These seines are used in shallow water, and those vessels which have gone to the (iulf of Saint Lawrence for the purj^ose of catching mackerel by this method have generally carried them. Many of the large schooners carry two seines whether they have two seine-boats or not, since the deep seine cannot be used on rocky bottom, in shallow water. The seine is always jjassed from the boat to the vessel and vice versa over the roller upon the port side, which has already been described. To transfer the seine from the vessel to the boat requires five or more men. The operation can be performed in from fifteen to thirty minutes. To haul the wet seine from the boat to the vessel is a somewhat labori- ous task, but as less care is required than in stowing it in the boat, less time is usually needed to perform this operation. (c) Bait. — Mackerel seiners usually carry a small supply of bait for the purpose of tolling the fish to the surface and, incidentally, of catch- ing fish with the jigs when they are not schooling. Sometimes they toll the school along side and spread the seine around the vessel, and as she drifts over the cork-rope and away to leeward the net is pursed up Merchant adds : " Wo use the left-laid rope for loops and the right for the sinkers. The loops are formed by sei^aratiug the ropes at what are called the ' bridle hitches.' Only one ring is attached to a loop." The net has attached to it, when completed, 800 No. 1 corks, 1,200 No. 2 corks. The No. 1 corks, which are the largest, are placed in pairs in the center of the bunt of the seine, a" a distance of 10 inches between the j)airs. The "middle cork," however, is made of three, joined together aud covered with canvas. This is for the purpose of determining the center of the seine when it is being overhauled. The No. 2 corks are secured to the upper i^art of the seine upon the wings and arms, being placed 15 inches apart. From G5 to 75 i)ounds of lead sink- ers, which weigh from 2-} to 4 ounces each, are placed at the bottom of the seine. Noue of these are put in the bunt, but are scattered along Ihe foot of the wings and arms, being nearest together close to the ends of the net. The rings used at present are made of galvanized 1-inch iron, and weigh about 2^ pounds each ; with the sinker- leads they make about 100 pounds weight attached to the bottom of the seine. One and three-fourth inch hemp rope is used for the purse-line, the length of this being generally about 25 fathoms more than that of the seine. In hanging the seine it is '•taken up" at the ends, so that one end is 7 fathoms deep while the other is only 1 fathom deep, though the middle of the net will go down 125 feet. The first or deep- est end is called the " dory end " or " outer end," aud the other is knov>'n as the " boat end" or "inner end." As will readily be understood by reference to the preceding dimensions of the purse-seine, the difference in the depth of the several sections of the net, when hung, is due solely to the " taking up " iu the process of hnnging it, since the webbing is of the same depth throughout. The purse-seines, like many other things, are being improved. Those we are making now [for the mackerel fish- ery] are much lighter than we have been making them in former years, and can be handled with greater ease and rapidity. [59] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. aud the fish captured. It is often the case, too, when mackerel are moving rapidly for the men in the dory to throw bait ahead of the school, and while the fish are thus induced to stop, the seiue-boat circles around them, the net is thrown out, and while yet engaged in feeding the fish are inclosed in the big purse. Manj^ good catches are obtained in this way. The favorite bait is slivered and salted menhaden, of which each vessel usually carries five to ten barrels. Many if not all of the vessels, however, at the present time, depend entirely ui)on small mackerel, which they catch and salt. Tlie bait-mill, bait-boxes, and bait-throwers are similar to those used in the mackerel hook fishery, and are used in the same manner. (d) Methods of seining hy day. — The following description of the method of seining mackerel is mainly from the pen of Mr. J. P. Gordy: When a vessel is on the fishing grounds and there are no signs of fish, if the weather is favorable, a man is stationed at the mast-head on the look- out, while the rest of the crew, excepting, of course, the man at the wheel, lounge lazily around, amusing themselves as they feel inclined. If a whale is seen blowing or a vessel is "putting out her boat," the man at the wheel steers toward them. The skipper is usually on deck directing the evolutions of the vessel, and is consulted before any change is made in the course of the vessel. When signs of fish begin to be numer- ous and sea geese and gannets are plenty, and whales and porpoises show themselves frequently, the "fishy men" of the crew stop lounging and begin to survey the surface of the water intently. At such times one can count half a dozen here and there in the rigging, carefully observ- ing the movements of other vessels, if any of the fleet are in sight. "There's crooked actions, men," the skipper exclaims, meaning that some vessel in sight suddenly alters her course, and that she is either on fish herself or sees another v^essel that is. When one school appears, another is likely to be seen, and when a vessel has "crooked actions," those who observe them bend their course in the direction in which she is sailing. When a man sees fish, he shouts, " I see a school." "Where?" asks the captain. The direction is indicated. "How does it look; is it a good one?" He wants to know whether they are tinkers or whether the fish seem large. If they are abundant, he will wait until he gets a "sight" at a good school. Much attention is paid by the lookouts to the manner in which the school of fish is moving. The seiners prefer those schools which are "cart wheeling,"* or going round and round in circles in a compact body, in the act of feeding. Fish which are "cart- wheeling" can be surrounded with a seine much more readily than those going straight ahead in one direction. If the man who has found the school is not experienced, the captain examines it for himself, and if satisfied that it is a good one he shouts, "Get in the seine boat; look alive, boys." As a pack of school-boys * This habit of circling, which the mackerel performs, is also called " milling" by the fishermen. EEPOET OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHEEIES. [60] jump from an apple tree when tlie indignant owner appears, so eleven men leap into the seine-boat one over another, as if they had meant to jumj) overboard but by accident had reached the seine-boat instead. The captain takes his place at the steering-oar. Two men sit on the forward part of the seine and one at the cork-line, ready to " throw out the twine" when the captain gives the word of command. The remaining seven row swiftly and silently until the fish disappear or the captain orders them to "stop rowing." All the while the captain is eagerly watching the fish, noticing Avliich way they move and how fast. He wants, before beginning to put out his twine, to get near enough to en- able him to make the wings of the seine meet around the school. He must, therefore, keep far enough away to prevent the head of the school from striking the seine until it is nearly x)ursed up. He calculates the speed of the fish, and sets the seine in such a manner that by the time the school gets thoroughly within the circle of the net he will be able to come round to the starting point and completely encircle them. If he fails in this, the wings of the seine must be towed together before it can be pursed up, and in the time thus occupied there is a chance of losing the fish. A skillful skipper rarely fails in making the ends of the seine meet. In seining on George's, or any other place where there is a strong tide, it requires much skill and judgment to set the seine in such a manner that it shall not be tripped and thrown out upon the surface of the wa- ter. Under these circumstances, to prevent " tripping," the seine should be so set that the bunt of it will be in the direction from which the tide runs; the force of the tide then aiding the act of pursing the net. When the skipper is near enough to satisfy the conditions of the above problems he orders the men at the seine to "Put out the twine." They begin their work, the oarsmen in the mean time rowing as fast as possible. The skipper steers the boat around the school in such a man- ner that when the seine is fully out the cork-line approximates more or less closely to the form of a circle. Two of the men who did not get in the seine-boat now ai^pear on the scene of action in the dory in which they have closely followed in the wake of the seine-boat until the act of setting begins. As soon as the first end of the seine has been thrown overboard they row up to it and seize the buoy at the end of the cork- line, which they hold until the seine-boat has made a circle, merely rowing fast enough to keep the end of the seine in its place and to prevent it from swagging. When the seine-boat has completed its circle, it ap- proaches the dory, which is holding fast to the buoy. When the two ends of the seine meet, the men in the dory get into the seine-boat to assist in pursing; sometimes, however, the ends do not meet, and in this case they are brought together by means of a line, about 20 fathoms in length, which is always taken in the dory and is fastened by the men in the dory to the buoy and carried to the seine-boat.* * Capt. Nelson A. Kenney, of Gloucester, states that two men usually go in a (lory, one of whom pulls a little while the other holds to the end of the seine. If the one [61] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. The work of "pursing up" is now to be performed with all possible speed. Until this is begun the seine is in the form of a hollow cylinder, and the fish, in order to escape, have only to dive down and swim away under the lead-line. In pursing, the bottom of the seine is to be closed up, and in this operation the saying of the men, "A man who won't pull every pound he can and an ounce more, is not fit to be a fisherman," is fully exemplified. The men stand six in one end of the seine-boat and seven in the other end, holding the two ends of the purse-line, which, having passed through the rings in the bridles on the lead-line of the seine, pass round the two blocks of the purse-davit and through the snatch-blocks on the oijposite side of the seine-boat, one of which is forward and the other aft. One of the uses of the bridles now appears. As soon as the men in the seine-boat commence iDursing up the seine the rings, which before this have been hanging downward below the lead-line, now extend the same distance laterally from this line. We have only to remember that they all extend toward each other to see that they considerably diminish the open area at the bottom of the seine. To be sure, the spaces between the bridles are open, but the fish are not likely to escape through these, for in such an attempt many of them would strike the bridles and find- ing such obstacles would turn, hoping to find an outlet in some other direction. The men stand, as has been said, when pursing up the seine, six in one end of the boat and seven in the other. They are divided into three rows of three and one of four men. On the side of the boat next to the seine are two rows of men facing each other and pulling ; one row on the end of the first line that passes over the blocks in the purse-davit nearest theai, the other on the other end of the purse-line i^assing over the other block of the davit. Each end of the i)urse-line i^asses around another block, which changes the direction of the line, and two rows of men on the side of the boat away from the seine stand back to back, pulling on the purse-line, its direction having been changed by the pulleys. As previously remarked, the seine before being pursed up is in the shape of a hollow cylinder. A strong tide may make it take the form of a hollow frustrum with a slit in the side. Its longer area is at the bottom. In such a case the slit is wider at the bottom and grows narrower toward the top, until it vanishes at a point where the two ends of the purse line bring the seine together at the purse-davit. Then the purse- weight comes into play. This is ''reeved out" to the two end lines, and its weight brings the iwo ends of the seine together, closing up the slit and having tlie oars is an expert (and as a rule only old hands do the rowing), he will quickly and dexterously turn the dory as the seine-boat approaches " close to," so that the latter may shoot alongside of the former in such a manner that the purse-line held by the man in the stern of the dory may be easily transferred to the larger boat. As soon as this is done both of the dorymen jump aboard the seine-boat and assist in "pur.siugup" the seine. EEPORT OF COMMISSIONEE OF FISH AND FISHEEIES. [62] destroying tlie frustrum shape of the seine. If this were uot done the fish might escape at the side as well as at the bottom.* When the seine is pursed up it is in the form of a bag, the bottom of which does uot hang freely, for it is bent upward, having been drawn up by the purse-line near the side of the boat and during the operation of pursing up the boat is pulled nearly into the center of the circle made by the corks on the upper edge of the seine. Occasionally, when there is a current, the boat is brought uj) against the corks in the bunt of the seine. The object is now to get the fish, if they have any, into such close quarters that they may be taken on deck. To this end the larger j)art of the seine must be iiulled into the seine-boat, and this operation, called "drying up," now begins. The seine is taken up entirely if there be no fish, partly if the school has uot escaped, and the net is so drawn up that the "bailing-i)iece" will inclose the fish at last. The position of this part of the seine being marked by the central cork, already spoken of in the description of the seine, it is of course not difiicult to bring it around the fish. The experienced fishermen can also quickly tell, either night or day, when the bunt of the seine is reached in the process of dry- ing up, since the difference in the size of the twine of which the bailing- piece is made and that of the other parts of the net is readily detected. If any fish have been caught, especially if the school is large, the dory, with the skipper and three or four men, go to the vessel to help the cook, who is the only man on board, to bring her alongside of the seine-boat. If the school is very large the dory is rowed to the vessel * It should be stated that the large purse-weight is at present seldom used. The tide is raroly so strong as to make it useful, and even then the process of "reeving" is likely to be so tedious as to make the loss of time more than balance the gain through its use. According to Capt. Joseph Smith the majority of the mackerel seiners now use two purse-weights, each of 75 or 100 pounds weight, instead of the old-fashioned " Long Tom," which usually exceeded oOO pounds. The tw.o weights above mentioned, being so mucdi lighter than those formerly employed, can be handled by one man, and rove on the purse-line very much quicker than if the heavier, or "double weight," as it is called, was used. These small purse-weights are provided with one block, and each weight has a line attached of sufficient length to reach the bottom of the seine. The time occupied in reeving them on the purse-line rarely exceeds fifteen or twenty seconds. One of the purse-weights is most commonly used on the "boat end," or the end of the seine last thrown out, for the reason that this part of the net has not usu- ally time to sink down to its full extent before the pursing begins. A weight is more rarely used on the end of the seine which is first thrown out, and, consequently, has had time to sink to its extreme depth ; though sometimes, on account of the current, or for some other reason, it may be found necessary to put the purse- weight upon this end, as well as upon the other. In using one large weight, as formerly, it Avonld be necessary, of course, to always put it on both ends of the purse-line of the seine, but in having two weights one can be attached and run down on either end of the purse- line as required. That sinks it and keeps the net deep, and if both ends "purse high " a weight should be put on each end. The ends of the purse-line, when the weights have been run down, in the manner above stated, will stand out from each other, something in the form of the letter A, both parts coming nearly together at the purse- davit and being separated several fathoms ait the lower part of the net, as the first purse-rings are attached about 15 fathoms from the ends of the seine. [63] HISTOEY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. as rapidly as possible, and the second dory is rowed back to tbe seine for the purpose of holding up the bunt, since a school of 500 barrels may sink both seine and seine-boat if left without assistance. This, however, rarely occurs, and it generally happens that the school either is small enough to be dipped into the dory and to be taken to the vessel, or that the seine-boat without any assistance is capable of managing them until the vessel is brought alongside. While the fish are being caught the cook has charge of the vessel; if it happens to be about meal time he attends to the cooking as best he can, but whether the cakes burn or not the vessel must be cared for, and he generally divides his time between the forecastle and the wheel. If he is preparing dinner, and is able to, he continues his cooking, taking charge of the vessel at the same time. The vessel usually lays to, with the jib to windward, not far from the seine boat; and, perhaps, as the cook sits at the wheel he has a basin of potatoes before him, which he peels while he is eagerly watching every movement of the seine-boat, trying to ascertain whether his mates are successful, and, if so, to what degree. When the dory has been rowed aboard, the men at once take meas- ures to bring the vessel alongside of the seine-boat. The evolution of shooting alongside of a seine-boat calls into play all the skill of the steersman. The vessel must approach so near that a rope maj'^ be thrown to the men in the seine-boat, and in such a manner that she will move slowly enough not to tear the seine as it is pulled along, before the schooner is "bowsed to the windward" and her motion ceases. The cork-line is then taken over the side of the vessel and made fast by "stoppers" along the rail. This having been done the process of dry- ing up is resumed and the fish are gathered together in a compact body so that they can be dipped out upon the deck. When the fish are to be taken on deck the men are distributed as follows : three or four are employed in hoisting the fish by means of a large dip-net attached to the main and fore staysail halliards, the captain directs the movements of the net, holding its long handle, and, shouting "hoist" when it is about half fu]l of fish, two men standing by the rail empty the dip-net on the deck. When all the fish have been bailed out the seine is overhauled and salted. In the mean time most of the crew are making preparations to dress the fish. If the school is large, the crew, cook and all, unless it is just at meal time, begin the work as soon as the fish are read^' ; if the catch of fish is small, and there is a prospect of getting another set that day, a part of the crew take the seine out of the seine-boat to mend it, if necessary, and lay it back in an orderly form so that it may be thrown out without difficulty. The operation of setting a seine around the school and pursing it uj) usually occupies from ten to twelve minutes, though it is claimed by some expert fishermen that they have done it in seven minutes. Under EEPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [64] unfavorable circumstances it may be nearly an hour from the time the first end is thrown out until the "pursings" are on the boat. This de- lay is usually caused by a strong tide, such as is generally found on Georges. The catch of a purse-seine may vary from, one barrel to five or six hundred barrels. The seine may be set eight or ten times in the course of a day without getting any considerable quantity, or, perhaps, no fish, the mackerel escaping by diving under the "lead-line"; and then a more fortunate set will secure more fish than can by any possibility be taken care of by the crew of the vessel. Under such circumstances it is customary to set a flag from the main-tojjmast head or main peak. This is to indicate to vessels which may be in sight that more fish have been caught than can be taken care of, and that the skipper is willing to dispose of some of them. This is called "giving the seine away." Sometimes the fish are given away to be dressed on shares, and at other times they are given away without expectation of return.* An ordi- nary crew caa dress and salt at one time about 100 barrels of small mackerel or 200 barrels of large ones.t Almost incredible quantities of fish can be taken care of in a short time. Vessels have been known to leave New York on one day and return the next day with 200 to 300 barrels of fresh mackerel, while some Gloucester vessels in the course of a week have caught and salted 500 or 600 barrels, landing two or three cargoes during that time. It sometimes haiDpens that when a large school of mackerel have been taken in a seine, that the fish press down so hard on the bottom of the net that the fishermen find it difficult, if not impossible, to gather in on the twine sufficiently to "dry the fish up" enough to bring them to the surface. It has been found, however, that by throwing coal ashes into the water along s^de of the seine the fish are caused to rise to the surface, being frightened by the whitish appearance which the ashes give to the sea. When the mackerel rise the twine can be readily drawn in. The same result is secured in another way by the menhaden *The schooner Oliver Cromwell, while on a mackerel cruise recently, had a curious incident befall her. Her seine being out, a school of mackerel suddenly turned, and, making lor the seine, took it down. A vessel in the neighborhood immediately answered a call for assistance, and swept her seine under that of the Oliver Cromwell. Twenty -three hundred dollars' worth of mackerel were secured, the two vessels divid- ing the catch, the fish selling on an average at nine cents each. The bunt of the seine belonging to the Oliver Cromwell was badly rent by the sudden rush of the fish, or more would have been secured. This is the second time the seine of the Oliver Cromwell has experienced similar treatment, losing all the fish at the first, on account of the seine giving way and there being no help near. — (New Bedford Mercury, 187.5 (?). ) t A much larger quantity could be taken care of were it not for the fact that mack- erel, after being kept a certain length of time, grow ''soft," and rapidly become unfit for food. This change takes place much sooner when the weather is warm than at other times. The fishermen, however, are generally able to tell pretty accurately how many iish can be dressed and salted before they spoil. When good catches are made for several days in succession the fishermen get no sleep, being constantly employed night and day in taking and curing the fish. [65] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. fishermen when they have a large school of menhaden in their seine alongside of the steamer. If the fish hang heavy on the twine one or two quick turns is given with the propeller and the frightened menha- den rise quickly to the surftice. This method is called " whirling 'em up." (e.) MetJiods of seining hy night. — The practice of fishing for mackerel, purse-seining in the nighttime, which has recently come into quite general use, was first attempted, so far as we can learn, in 1877. The honor of introducing this method of fishing is assigned to a number of the more enterprising captains of the mackerel schooners, and, in con- sequence, it is ditficult to say here who should receive the credit for the innovation. As is well known to all who are familiar with the sea, the water, on dark nights, frequently exhibits a remarkably brilliant phos- phorescent display. At such times objects moving in the sea can be distinctly traced by the illumination which they leave behind, and schools of fish rising near the surface can be readily seen. Indeed on some occasions so remarkable is the phosphorescence thrown out from a large school of fish that it frequently seems to light up the surrounding darkness. From this reason, and the fact that the fisherman, by long experience and close observation, can accurately determine the kind of fish which he may see sporting at night, he is thus often enabled to learn the whereabouts of certain species, such for instance, as the mack- erel, and their abundance, even when they do not come to the surface during the day. The mackerel is a remarkably capricious fish, and i)er- haps for many days in succession its presence can not be detected in its favorite haunts while daylight lasts, and the fisherman therefore seeks for it in vain, but as soon as the sun sets and darkness appears over the sea the schools rise to the surface and the fish continue to disport them- selves in this manner until near daylight when they again sink out of sight. For many years after the introduction of purse-seines it was con- sidered impracticalile by the fishermen to catch mackerel in the night, but at last some of the more adventurous skippers, having a favorable opportunity for night fishing, and deeming it possible to catch the mackerel, made an attempt and met with even better success than they dared to anticipate. Thereafter they followed up this method of fishing whenever a good chance occurred, but as it usually resulted greatly to their personal success, as well as increased their reputation among their fellow fishermen, on account of the additional amount of fish cauglil, they were by no means anxious to tell that part of their catch w^as made in the night, since if they did so, all the other mackerel fishermen would at once come directly into competition with them. As a matter of course, however, the fact of mackerel being seined at night could not long be kept a secret, and the result was that one after another began to adopt this practice until in the fall of 1881 it reached its climax, REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [G6'] nearly every vessel in tlie fleet engaging to a greater or less extent in night fishing.* Previous to this time the public at large were not, it seems, aware that such large quantities of mackerel were taken in the night, though it was on record that night fishing had been previously attempted, and with good results.t The method of seining mackerel in the night is as follows : The vessel being on the fishing-ground, if the night is favorable, she is allowed to sail slowly ahead while a man goes aloft to the foremast-head and keeps a lookout for the fish. If the signs are peculiarly favorable, perhaps two or more men may be aloft for this purpose. These lookouts are the men who have the watch on deck, and, not infrequently, the skipper may be one of them, his ambition to succeed often impelling him to re- main up during the entire night, constantly keeping on the alert for fish and watching the movements of surrounding vessels. The remainder of the crew — those having a watch below — are thoroughly prepared and dressed in their oil-clothes ready to jumj) into the seine-boat at a mo- ment's warning. If the fish are not seen in the first of the night, the men off' duty lie down on the cabin or forecastle floors or stretch them- selves on the lockers, and endeavor in this way to get what sleep they can, unless, indeed, they may be busy on deck in caring for the fish taken the night or day previous. When a school of fish is seen by the look- out, he at once shouts "I see a school!" If it is the skipper who first descries them, he gives directions to the man at the wheel how to steer in order to approach them. If not, the man who first reports the school *Mr. A. Howard Clark, writing under date of October 28, 1881, says: '^ During the past few weeks the mackerel fleet have taken some good hauls during the night, as the fish have been difficult to catch hy daylight but have rarely failed to show them- selves on dark nights. When the moon shines it is impossible to see them, but when the night is dark or starlight they can be plainly seen from the mast-head, and some- times from the vessel's deck. Heretofore, in night fishing, the methods have been the same as by day, but recently, owing to the difficulty of seeing thi', fish from the deck or the boat, the lookout at the foremast-head has given directions to the men while setting the seine. In this method the seino-boat is towed astern of the vessel, and when ready to 'give 'em twine,' the dory is allowed to drift astern with one end of the seine while it is being thrown out from the seine-boat. When ready to go around the school, the order is given from the mast-head, to 'go ahead'; the seine-boat is cast loose irom the vessel and the seine brought together in the usnal manner. Still another improvement in the methods is likely soon to be adopted in this night seining, and that is in the use of large lanterns to show their position to the men while sotting for them. The schooner 'Northern Eagle' tried this new method last Tuesday night and found it to woi-k splendidly. It was probably the first attempt to use lanterns for such a purpose. Two schools of mackerel were secured, one at ten o'clock and the other at midnight, both together yielding 160 ba/'rels. The lantern was the ordi- nary large signal light used by fishing vessels." t We hear of one vessel with a catch of 100 barrels in one week, and of several with catches ranging from 30 to 60 barrels. Another vessel made a good haul in a seine, oneriinoonlight night recently, a new feature in this fishery. ^(Cape Ann Advertiser, 0,:t9berl9,.1877.) [67] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. is asked in wliicli direction it bears from the vessel. He also directs how the course shall be laid in order to aijproach close to the body of fish. In the mean time the men below, having- been hurriedly awakened, rush on deck and quickly take their places in the seine-boat and dory which are towed alongside or astern. If the mackerel "show uj)" well and can be plainly seen by the men in the boat, the latter is cast off as soon as the vessel approaches close to the school, and the seine is set and pursed up in the same manner as has before been described; though it frequently happens that owing to the darkness of the night, it is sometimes difficult to bring the ends of the net together with such a degree of certainty and success as it is generally done in the daytime. Of late, however, the custom of carrying a light in the dory has been adopted in order that the skipper, who steers the boat, can determine the position of the end of the seine tirst put out and therefore be ena- bled to make a circle with a great deal more accuracy than he otherwise could. It often happens that fish can only be seen by the man at the mast head, and in such cases, the vessel is usually hove to near the mackerel, and the lookout directs the men in the boat how to row in order to surround the school. Another method, we are told, has been occasionally adopted when the chance for its success is promising. If the wind is sufficiently moderate the lookout at the foremast-head may direct the course of the vessel in such a manner that nearly a complete cir- cle may be made round the school of fish. In this case the seine-boat remaius fastened to the stern and is towed along by the vessel while the men in her throw out the seine in obedience to the order given by the man at the mast-head. At the proper time she is cast oft' and pro- ceeds to close up the circle by bringing together the ends of the seine. The dory is cast off and allowed to remain at the end of the seine as usual nutil the other end is brought around to her. An evolution of this Kind, of course, requires the most skillful seamanshli) for its success, and also remarkable qualities of adaptability in the vessel.* * Night fishing, says Capt. Joseph Smith, cun only be carried on in reasonably mod- erate weather. The boat is usnally towed alongside of the vessel, the painter being fastened to the out-rigger. When a school is seen, the men jump into the boat, each taking his station, and at the proper time the boat is cast oif and proceeds to set the seine if the fish "show up" in a promising manner. Sometimes, however, the school of mackerel may sink suddenly after the boat leaves the vessel's side, and, in consequence, the fishermen are not able to set their seine. As a rule the man on the lookout aloft reports the school of fish and indicates the direction in which it is and tells about how far it is distant. After the boat leaves the vessel's side, however, the captain, or seine- master, who steers, takes charge of her, and when the boat approaches near the fish, which may be seen by the phosphoresence in the water, he gives the order to put out the seine as his judgment may direct. On special occasions this method may be some- what varied, but the usual practice of setting a seine in the night is the one described above. Sometimes a iiortion of the net is set from the boat while towing astern of the vessel ; or, again, even while the boat is towing alongside. In the latter case the tow- ing rope is fastened to the boat some distance aft from the stem, so that she will keep from the schooner's side some ten or fifteen feet. The oarsmen have out their oars EEPOET OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [G8] When a school of mackerel bas been takeu in the seine and the net is pursed up, a signal is made by the crew of the seine-boat, who have a lantern, so as to attract the attention of the men on board of the vessel who immediately bring the latter near the seine-boat. The skipper and three or four of the crew then go on board the vessel in the dory and bring the schooner along side the seine-boat, performing this evolution in the same manner as it is done in the daytime. The lantern, which is always carried in the seine-boat, enables the skipper to find her without any trouble. Much vexatious delay and difficulty, however, sometimes occurs in consequence of the light carried by the seine-boat's crew being extinguished. In such case it is not only hard, but sometimes impossi- ble for the men on the vessel to find the seine-boat, since on a dark, windy night she cannot be seen more than a few rods distant. The practice of using a large lantern to attract the fish nearer to the surface of the water than they usually come, so that they can be more plainly seen, has met with decided success, and there seems strong reason for anticipating considerable improvements in this respect hereafter. In alluding to this matter a writer in the Cape Ann Advertiser, No- vember 4, 1881, says: "It would not greatly surprise us if the mackerel fleet, next year, were supplied with powerful calcium lights, to be carried at the mast- head, and that the fishery will be extensively prosecuted in the night- time. Surely the signs of progression are manifested in ahnost every branch of the fisheries, and brains are rapidly coming to the front and making themselves manifest. A year ago who would have dreamed of catching mackerel in the night time? Now it is fast becoming a reality." As may be readily inferred this practice of night fishing is one which calls for the greatest possible amount of endurance and hardihood on the part of the fishermen who engage in it. It frequently hapiseus, when good catches are made for days and nights in succession, that the men get no rest whatever until they are thoroughly worn out by their constant labors and vigils and are scarcely able to refrain from falling asleep even when engaged at their work.< Nor is the work on the fish- ing-ground all they have to do. When a fare is obtained, all sail is made U-pon the vessel and she is driven as swiftly as possible for the ready to pull wlienever the men aloft gives the order for them to cast off. These methods of setting the seine, however, are only adopted when the fish do not show plainly, so that they can be seen by the men on the vessel's deck, or in the boat ; it therefore becomes necessary for the man on the masthead to give the requisite orders for throwing out the seine as Avell as to direct the wheelsman how to steer the vessel until the boat leaves the side. Captain Smith has never known a vessel to make a complete circle around a school of mackerel while towing the seine-boat from which the net was being thrown out, but thinks it probable that it may have been done. A lantern is carried both in the seine boat and dory, the one in the former always being kept darkened or out of sight until the seine is set, since a light would so blind the men in the boat that it would be difficult for them to perform successfully the work of settina; the net. [69] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. home port, where the fish are landed, new supplies taken on board, and again the men go to sea without, in the mean time, having an oppor- tunity of visiting their homes or of securing the rest they so much stand in need of. So sharp is the competition in this fishery, and so eager are the fishermen to "make hay while the sun shines," that is, to improve every opportunity during the short season while the mackerel can be taken, that the only limit to their labors is when nature is no longer able to sustain the extraordinary drafts that are made upon it. The following notes written by Cajit. S. J. Martin will serve to give an idea of the continued labor and consequent fatigue which the fishermen endure : "(^ur mackerel fishermen have drove business this year. I know a number of cases where vessels came in in the morning with 300 bar- rels of mackerel [which were landed] and went out [again] the same night. The schooner " Fleetwing" caught 210 barrels of mackerel; came into Gloucester with theai all on deck; hired 20 men who had them [the fish] all dressed and salted at two o'clock the following morning. The vessel's crew went home to sleep ; went out again the same morning at eight o'clock. "Schooner "William M. Gaffney" came in herewith 450 barrels of mackerel, of which 150 barrels were fresh on deck. The men had not been to sleep for two days and nights, and were nodding while putting the mackerel in the barrels. Thej' got the mackerel all salted at four o'clock ih the afternoon. Captain Smith then told the men to go home and rest till morning, but to be down the first thing after breakfast, as he wanted to get the mackerel out and go to sea in the evening. This they did." The success of the night fishing was quite marked in the fall of 1881, as has been indicated above, and as the following paragraphs will show : " Several of the [mackerel] fleet have made night hauls recently, some of them securing as high as 200 to 300 barrels at one setting of the seine. The operations are conducted by a lookout stationed at the foremast-head of the vessel, who gives the orders to the boat's crew in charge of the seine, as in the night-time the motions of a school of mackerel cannot be seen from the boat in pursuit of the fish, nor from the deck of the schooner." — (Cape Ann Advertiser, October 21, 18S1.) "Schooner "Henry Friend" took 140 wash barrels [of mackerel] at one haul Sunday night [October 16]." Schooner "Phantom" went out Sunday morning, and about 11 o'clock ]). m. discovered a school of mackerel on Middle Bank, and getting her seine out secured ninety wash barrels. The night was very dark, and lanterns were found necessary to conduct the seining operations and find the way back to the vessel. — (Cape Ann Advertiser, October 28, 1881.) In regard to the night fishing for mackerel in the fall of 1881, Ca})- tain Martin writes as follows: "Seven-eightlis of the mackerel since the 10th of Sei)tember have KEPOET OF COMMISkSIONER OF FISH AND FISHEEIES. [70] been caught iu the night. Catching mackerel in the night is done with great difficulty. Sometimes the vessel goes away from the boat. There were two such cases this fall. Schooner "Everett Pierce's" boat went out and set around a school of mackerel, and the seine was fall of fish. At this time a squall of wind came and blew the lantern out, and the two men on board of the vessel lost sight of the boat. The men were in the boat from 11 o'clock at night until 5 o'clock the next morning. They were obliged to cut holes iu the seine in order to let the mackerel go out so as to save the net, for if the mackerel died the seine would have been lost. The crew of the "Minnehaha," of Swampscott, had a similar experience the same night. The darker the night the better it is for seining, since the water will 'lire' more. When watching for mackyrel one man is on the mast-head. He can see a school from the mast-head when he could not see it from the deck of the vessel. Sometimes the fish may be seen from the deck, but when the men get in the seine-boat they are not able to see them. A man on the mast- head can see them all the time. He gives orders to the men in the boat which way it is best for them to go. Captain Martin, of the schooner " j^orthern Eagle," saw a school of mackerel one night. They could not see them plainly, so the lantern was held up, when the mack- erel could be seen from the boat. They then set their seine and got 150 barrels of mackerel. When the fish saw the light they came nearer the surface. Sometimes when the mackerel are close to the surface it is not necessary to have a man on the mast-head siuce they may be seen from the deck and seine-boat. It is not very often that the mackerel come to the surface during the fall of the year. Sometimes on a calm night in summer you t.an hear them rushing, but not often. Catching mack- erel in the night is hard work. Say, for instance, you get 200 barrels a night, and perhaps it is the latter jiart of the night, it will take all day to dress and salt them, head them up, and get them below. Thus if another dark night follows, all of the men are on the lookout for another school. After looking for, perhaps, two hours, some one (most likely the man on the mast-head) gives the alarm, telling those on deck where the fish are. The vessel is then kept in the direction of the school, and as soon as they can be seen from the deck the men jump into the boat, shoving off from the vessel, vi^hile the captain stands up with the steering-oar in his hand, looking for the school. Soon he espies the fish, or the man on the mast-head sees them, and tells the men in the boat which way to go. When the captain sees them he sings out: 'I see them, boys! Pull away! Pull hard, the mackerel are going- fast.' When the boat is in the right {josition the captain shouts, 'Give 'em twine,' and away goes the seine, three men heaving it out as fast as they can. When they are nearly around the school they sing out : ' Give them twine.' Sometimes they make a good circle so that the seine-boat and dory will meet, but it is difficult to do this in the night. When the seine comes together they haul iu on the purse-line, and when the net [71] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. is pursed up and they see the mackerel, signs are made for tbe vessel, which comes alongside. The lines are hove from the boat and the mackerel are hailed in on deck and dressed." (/.) TJie mackerel pocket, or spiller. — In 1877 the schooner "Alice," ol Swan's Island, had a bag-net made of haddock ganging-line, into which the hsh were transferred when there were too many to be cared for at once. This vessel began the season in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, but caught only 200 barrels of mackerel there, and later fished on the coast of Maine, where, up to October, she had caught 1,400 barrels. A development of this idea is the mackerel pocket or spiller, patented in April, 1880, by H. E. Willard, of Portland, Me., an article long needed in the mackerel seine fishery, and which has received from the fishermen the name of "mackerel pocket," or "spiller." It was first used by the patentee in 1878, and Capt. Geo. Merchant, jr., of Glouces- ter, Mass., invented and put into practical operation an improved " spiller" last year (1880), though it was not until the present summer that the advantage of its use was known to the majority of the mack- erel fishermen, who have hastened to adoi)t it, and now more than thirty of the vessels sailing from this port are each provided with one of the pockets, The apparatus is a large net-bag, 36 feet long, 15 feet wide, and 30 feet deep 5 it is made of stout, coarse twiue and is attached to the side of the vessel, where it is kept in position, when in use, hj wooden poles or "outriggers," which extend out a distance of 15 feet from the schooner's rail. When distended in this manner a "spiller" will hold over 200 barrels of mackerel, which can thus be kept alive, as in the well of a s;nack, until the crew, who have captured them in the great purse-seines, have time to cure their catch. As is well known, it frequently happens that several hundred barrels of mackerel are taken at a single haul. Here- tofore, when such a large quantity of fish were caught, but a compara- tively small portion of them could be cured by the crew of the vessel to which the seine belonged. The result was that when a large catch w^as made, a considerable percentage of the fish were generally "given away" to some other vessel, since if only a part of them were removed from the seine to the vessel's deck, the remainder being left in the net until the first lot were cured, the chances were nine to one that the fine twine of which the purse-seines are made would be bitten in many places by the swarming dogfish {Squalus Americanus), that befc noir of the mackerel fisher. In addition to the injury to the net, the inclosed body of fish were thus allowed to escape and went streaming out through the numerous holes made by the l^een teeth of these voracious blood- hounds of the sea, which, in their fierce and ravenous pursuit of the imprisoned mackerel, usually succeeded in robbing the fisherman of a large portion of the fruits of his labors.* * Captain S. J. Martin writes that in the- snmmer of 1H81 thu crew of one of the mackerel schooners endeavored, to save their seine from the depredations of the dog- En:PORT OF COMMISSI' ■NER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [72] The "spiller" is only made of coarse twine, and tliougli not entirely exempt from the ravages of the dogfish and sharks, is rarely injured by them 5 and now when a large school of mackerel are caught in a seine the fish are turned into the bag, from which they are "bailed out" on to the sclioor.er's deck only as tVist as they can be dressed, and in this way it frcviuently happens that a lull fare may be secured from a single set of the net. * * * The introduction of this simple net-bag will undoubtedly save to our iishing fleet many thousands of dollars, even in this the first season of its adoption. The "spiller" invented by Mr. Willard was simply a sheet of netting 540 meshes square, bound around with rope ; it is made of five sheets of twine, each 180 meshes deep and 540 meshes long. These sheets are iaced together. This net, when in use, is suspended from its four cor- ners to the side of the vessel and the outriggers, mentioned above, and hangs something like a hammock. From its shallowness, however, it was not so well adapted for the purpose for which it was designed as was the deeper bag- shaped net subsequently devised by OaiJtaiu Mer- chant, and which has been described above.* The mackerel pocket is hung to 1^-inch rope, and on the portion of this which comes next to the vessel are strung egg-shajied wooden floats. These are only for the purpose of securing the edge of the net- bag ilrmly to the rail of the vessel. The border of the pocket being- drawn over the rail, a board is laid on top of it and held in position by wooden luns passing through both board and rail, the net being thus fastened between the two. To the outer edge of the mackerel pocket, either Williard's or Mer- chant's, is attached a rope bridle, the ends of which are fastened at a distance of about 9 feet from each outrigger,* a thimble is seized into the upper part of this bridle, and when the mackerel have been turned into the pocket the fore and after staysail halliards are bent into this thimble, and the outer edge of the pocket is supported thereby so as to take as much strain as ijossible off the outriggers, which are only 4 inches in diameter. The outer and upper corners of the "spiller" are supported by ropes which run through single blocks attached to the farther ends of the outriggers. By means of these ropes the outside edge of the pocket may be raised or lowered. When a school of mack- erel has been caught in the seine, the pocket is slacked down to the surface of the water, and its outer edge having been fastened to the fish by banling the staysail underneath it, thinking that if they could thus prevent the doghsh from seeing the mackerel inclosed in the net the latter -would not be harmed. But this did not succeed full^', since the sail was badly bitten and much in- jured by the dogfish, making this experiment a rather costly one. *Tlie "mackerel pockets" constructed by Capt. George Merchant, of Gloucester, are 33 feet long, 30 feet deep, from 15 to 18 feet wide across the mouth; two-inch mesh, and knit of 12-21 half-patent twine. [73] HISTORY OF THE MACKEEEL FISHERY. cork-rope of the seiue, the fishermen gather in on the twine of the latter, and, by dexterous management, turn the whole body of fish into the bag provided for their reception, and where they -can be kept alive, as previously mentioned, until such time as they cau be properly cared for. The mackerel having been transferred to the pocket, its outer edge is usually raised slightly above the water. When the vessel is rolling and there are many fish in the pocket there is often considerable strain brought to bear on the outriggers, which, however, being supported by guys or tackles to the standing rigging, rarely break. It may be assumed, perhaps, that the enormous catches of some of the mackerel schooners in the summer of 1881 are due very largely to the use of this implement. Never within the history of the fishing business of New England have so many fish been caught or so much money made by a single vessel in the mackerel season as has been the case in the year of le:81. The schooner "Alice," of Swan's Island, Maine, is reported by the secretary of the Boston Fish Bureau to have taken 1,900 barrels of mackerel, the value of which exceeded $28,000. The schooner " Ed- ward E. Webster," of Gloucester, caught 4,500 barrels of mackerel, stock- ing more than $26,000. A long list of other large catches might be added in proof of the efficacy of the mackerel pocket, but for obvious reasons they are omitted here. 16. — Taking care of the fish. The manner of earing for the fish is very similar to that upon the mackerel schooners fishing in the old way with jigs, excepting that a larger quantity is likely to be taken at once, necessitating nuicli more haste in salting or dressing them. When haste is necessary, the process of "plowing" is usually deferred until after the fish have been salted. Mr. Gordy thus describes the method of dressing on a seining schooner: "The men engaged in dressing are divided into gangs gener- ally of three men each. Each gang has two wooden trays about 3 feet square and 6 or 8 inches deep; these are placed on the tops of barrels; one is called a 'gib-tub' the other a 'splitting-tub."^* Except on the seiners, the mackerel when caught are put into bar- rels, and the splitting is done upon a board laid across the top of the barrel, rather than in a " splitting-tub." One man of each gang splits, the other two gib, or eviscerate, the fish. The tub of the man who splits, of course, contains the fish to be split. With a scoop-net the splitter, or one of the "gibbers," from time to time,- fills the split- ting-tub from the pile of mackerel lying upon the deck. On the side of the splitting-tray next to the "gibbers" is aboard about 6 to 10 inches wide, called a "splitting-board," on which the splitter places the fish as he cuts them open. He takes them in his left hand (on which he has a mitten) round the center of the body, head from him, and with the splitting-knife splits them down the center of the back. As fast as he *Al80 called, especially in Gloucester, "gib-keelers" and "splittiug-keelers." EEPOET OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [74] splits tlie fish he tosses them into the tray of the "gibbers." The "gibbers" protect their hands with gh>ves or mittens. As fast as the "gibbers" remove the viscera, with a peculiar double motion of the thumb and fingers of the right hand, they throw the fish into bar- rels, which are partially filled with water; these are called "wash-bar- rels." If the men have time they "plow" the fish before salting them, making a gash in the abdominal cavity nearly to the skin with the peculiar knife, "the plow," provided for the purpose. Before tlie fish are salted the dirty water is poured out and clean water is added. About one barrel of salt is used for every four barrels of mackerel. This is the first salting. When the fish have been salted they are jilaced in unheaded barrels until the weather is unfit for fish- ing, or the deck is filled with them, when they are carefully headed up and stowed away below. The speed with which a large deck -load of mackerel can be disposed of by the c.ew is something marvelous. A good splitter will handle f.om forty-five to sixty mackerel a minute. In one well-authenticated case a man split sixty- seven mackerel a minute for three consecutive minutes.* A good "gibber" can handle a barrel of large mackerel in from five to seven minutes. A smart crew of fourteen men can dispose of a deck-load of large mackerel in from fifteen to eighteen hours, salt- ing them away properly in the barrels. The smaller the mackerel the longer it takes to dress a barrel ot them, the time required to handle a small or a large mackerel being precisely the same. When the fish are to be iced and carried fresh to market they can be disposed of much more rapidly, it being simply necessary to stow them away in the hold without splitting. They are usually washed before being placed in ice, and occasionally gibbed without splitting, the vis- cera being drawn through the gil! openings.! The most rapid way of caring for the fish is to place them in barrels ol ice- water. This is done for the most i)art in the spring- or fall. * An expert can split mackerel nearly as fast in the darkest night as at any other time. The sense of tonoh becomes so acute from long practice that the iishtrmaii can tell(mthout seeing it) when he grasps a mackirel whether its head is in the right direction or not, and also which side should be laid to the board in order to bring the fish's back in proper position for the knife. The splitter holds the koife with his fingers, letting the thumb slide doAYn along the upper side of the fish, thus guiding unerringly the keen and swifdy moving blade. Whether the fish be large or small it is almost invariably split with the utmost precision, the edge of the knife glancing along on tlialeft side of the vertebra, and scarcely a hair's breadth from it, while the point goes just deep enough and no farther. But one must witness the operation of splitting mackerel in oider to fully appreciate the skillfulness of the performance. t Fresh mackerel are never gibbed for the New York market in spring, but a law of Massachusetts compels the fishermen to eviscerate all mackerel taken to Boston. In the first named port the cargoes of fresh fish are sold by commission merchants, while in Boston the captain sells diiectly to the dealers. [75] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. 17. — EUNNING FOR THE MARKET. Those mackerel schooners eu gaged in market fishing find it desirable to make their passages with the utmost speed, hut rapid passages in summer are, of course, much less dangerous than those made in winter by the haddock and halibut vessels. Great expedition is used by all mackerel vessels, since the season is short, and thej'^ feel obliged to take advantage of every opportunity. In the case of salted fish, however, there is no such anxiety to sell, and the chief desire of the skipper is to laud his fish and to return to the fishing ground with no unnecessary loss of time. It often happens that mackerel-catchers who are not engaged in the fresh-fish trade take a big haul, 200 barrels or so, when they have but few barrels to put them in and scarcely any salt. In such cases it is of the highest importance to reach home if possible, or at least some large fishing port where barrels and salt can be obtaiued, and all the sail that can be spread or that the vessel will carry is set. 18. — Landing the cargoes. The mackerel are hoisted out on the wharf by a horse, the duty of the crew being to hook on the barrels and to roll them to the i)roper places on the wharf, after they are landed, where the barrels are gen- erally stowed on their heads ready to be opened. In seasons of abun- dance, and when the men have become exceedingly fatigued froiu their labors in catching and dressing a fare of mackerel, it is often the case that the skipper will hire a number of longshoremen to take the fish out of the vessel. At such times, too, the shoremen are employed to plow the fish, and also to assist in packing them, since the fishermen find it more profitable to hire men to do this than to remain ashore and do it themselves. For, iu the mean time, they may be fortunate enough to catch a fare of two or three hundred barrels of mackerel. In the days of hook and line fishieg, the landing and packing of mackerel was carried on much more leisurely than at the ])resent time. At first it was customary for the men composing a crew to hoist the mackerel out on the wharf by tackles ; but within the last fifteen or twenty years it has been found more profitable to employ a horse for this purpose, s^ince the work of discharging can be. carried on much more rapidly than before, and with less tax upon the energies of the men. The several processes of unheading the barrels, culling, weigh- ing, and packing the mackerel have been fully described in another chapter and need not be repeated here. 19. — Financial profits of seining. The following tables, copied from the annual reports of the Boston Fish Bureau, show the large catches and "stocks" by the mackerel fleet in New England waters for the seasons of 1880 and 1881. EEPOET OF COMMISSIONEE OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [7G] 1881. - Barrels Amount of cured. stock. Schooiler Alice, Capt. H. B. Joyce, Swan's Island, Me 3, 700 $19, 548 75 Schooner Edward E. Webster, Capt. S. Jacobs, Gloucester, Mass.. 3,969 19, 465 00 Schooner Alice C. Fox, Captain Eowe, Portlantl, Me 13, 432 00 Schooner Louis and Rosa 2,769 12,492 00 Schooner Frank Butler 2,036 11,600 00 Schooner Mary Greenwood 1, 700 11, 035 GO Schooner Kate Fiorence 2, 500 11, 000 00 Schooner Addie F. Cole 1,900 10, 500 00 Schooner Cora Lee 1, 875 10, 250 00 Schooner Cora Smith 2,150 10,000 00 Schooner M. O. Curtis 2,000 10,000 00 Schooner Mary Snow 1, 352 9, 281 00 Schooner F. F. Nickerson 2,350 9,730 00 Schooner Dictator 1,6.52 9,213 00 Schooner Morning Star 1, 527 9, 087 (iO 1881. * Schooner Alice, Swan's Island, Me 4, 905 28, 055 23 t Schooner Edward E. Webster, Gloucester, Mass 4, 500 26, 570 00 Schooner Isaac Rich, Swan's Island, Me 3, 276 15, 500 00 Schooner Frank Butler, Boston, Mass 2, 600 15, 000 00 Schooner Mertie and Delmar, S. Chatham, Mass 3, 005 14, 138 00 t Schooner A. E. Herrick, Swan's Island, Me 2, 280 13, 674 00 Schooner Robert Pettis, Wellfleet, Mass 2, 580 12, 419 18 Schooner Roger Williams, North Haven, Me 2, 450 12, 000 00 Schooner R. J. Evans, Harwichport, Mass 3, 000 12, 000 00 Schooner Louis and Rosa, Boothbay, Me 3, 028 11, 557 46 When it is taken into consideration that these vessels are employed in fishing barely eight months at the longest, and some of them only four to six months, it will be seen that the business is an exceediugly profitable one for many of the fleet, while the greater portion make fair returns,§ * 3,665 barrels pickled, and 1,240 fresh; total, 4,905 barrels. 1 1,600 barrels pickled, and 2,900 barrels fresh; total, 4,500 barrels. I The Herrick did not sail until July 22. § Among the "fishing items" in the Cape Ann Advertiser of October 21, 1881, we find the following mention of catches of mackerel made by some of the seiners, which may terve to show the energy and activity with which this fishery is prosecuted: "Schooner 'Moro Castle' sailed from this port on Thursday morning of last week, and returned in the evening of the same day with 140 wash barrels of handsome mackerel. Schooner ' Dreadnaught' sailed from Portland after mackerel the other night, was gone twruty-one hours, and returned with 205 barrels. Schooner 'David A. Osier' sailed from Hull Friday evening, and was at this port next morning with 105 wash barrels of mackerel. Schooner ' Wildfire,' Captain McLain, has landed and sold !t?3,200 wortli of mackerel in the past fortnight, and has enough fish on board to add another thousand dollars to her stock. Schooner 'Fleetwiug' took 210 barr.'Ls sea-packed mackerel at one haul of the seine oif Piymouth on Satiirdaj*. Schooner ' Wm. M. Gaff- ney ' took 140 wash barrels at one haul Sunday, and schooner ' Henry Friend ' 140 wash barrels at one haul Sunday night. Schooner ' JNiadawaska Maid' left Gloucester Sun- day, turning Eastern Point at 11 o'clock a. m., and arrived at Boston at five o'clock 'Monday morning, with 225 barrels sea-packed mackerel; in five weeks the 'Mada- \vaska Maid' has landed 1,000 barrels of mackerel. The schoouer 'Wm. M. Gati'uey landed 900 barrels of mackerel in twenty-one days." [77] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. 20. — History of the use of purse-seines. The earliest record of the use of the purse-seine is the follow iug, ob- tained from Capt. E. T. Deblois, of Portsmouth, E. I. : "The first purse- seine that was made, so far as I know, was made by John Tallmau the first, and Jonathan Brownell and Christopher Bar- ker, in the year 1826. It was 284 meshes deep and 65 fathoms long. The purse- weight was a 56-pound weight, and the blocks were the com- mon single blocks, and they had to reeve the end of the purse-line through the blocks before they put the purse-weight overboard. The first time the seine was set there were fourteen men to help ; they set around what they called a 500 barrel school of menhaden, and while they were pursing the fish rushed against the twine so hard that they twisted and snarled the net around the purse-line and weight to that extent that the men could not gather the seine up or get her into the boat again as they were, and after they had worked six hours, and quar- reled over the matter, they decided to tow or warp the seine ashore at high water, and when the tide left the seine they would be able to unsnarl it, which they did the next day. It was a number of days before they could muster courage to set her again, and when they did they set around a small school with better success." There is a general impression among the fishermen of Northern j^ew England that the purse-seine was a development of the " spring-seine," elsewhere referred to, but this would seem to be a mistake, since the spring-seine, which really appears to have been nothing but a large sheet net wdth vspecial appliances adapting it for use on board of a ves- sel, was not used in ISTew England until 1853 or 1854. There is also another tradition to the effect that the purse-seine was invented about the year 1837 by a native of Maine who had for some years been em- ployed as a hand on a Gloucester schooner, and who conceived the idea of capturing mackerel in large numbers, and invented a seine substan- tially like the one now in use, which, finding the Gloucester fishermen unwilling to enter into experiments, he carried to Ehode Island, where it was used in the vicinity of Seaconnet for seining menhaden. This would appear to be a conglomeration of errors, partly imaginary, partly based upon the circumstances already narrated by Captain Deblois. Eeference has already been made to the claim that the purse-seine was invented in Ehode Island as early as 1814. Another early allusion to this new instrument of capture was given in the following paragraph, taken from the Gloucester Telegraph of Wednesday, July 21, 1839: '■'■Jifew Fishing TacJcle. — We noticed, a week or two since, the fact that Capt. Isaiah Baker, of Harwich, had recently commenced fishing with a seine of entirely new construction and with remarkable success. It was stated in the Yarmouth Eegister that he had cleared about $3,000 in one week, by taking shad. A correspondent writes us from West Harwich that the fortunate captain still continues to make equally REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [78] 'glorious hauls.' He is now in Provincetown with Lis seine catdiing- mackerel, and recently took 60 barrels at one ' shoot.' This new mode of" fishing bids fair to create an entire revolution in the mackerel and shad fisheries. Our correspondent says that the Vineyard Sound will soon become a great fishing ground. It is well known that all the shad, bass, mackerel, etc., which are found in Block Island Channel early in the spring pass through the sound, and it is now ascertained that with proper seines they may be caught in great abundance. With a. purse- seine, when mackerel are schooling or shoaling, the fishermen may run around them and inclose one hundred harrels. They will not bite at bobs as in years past, but Cape Cod ingenuity has devised something to out-general them." The purse-seine was undoubtedly a development and extension of the idea of the drag-ssiue supplemented by that of the giil-net used at sea in sweeping around schools of fish. The first seine used north of Cape Cod was that carried by Capt. i^athaniel Adams, of Gloucester, in the schooner "Splendid," in the year 1850. Capt. ]N"athaniel Watson, of the "Rax>hr.el," began using one the same year. According to Mr. Luther Maddox, the earliest ex- periments were at Chelsea Beach. It is claimed by some that Gorham Babson, of Gloucester, had one in use as early as 1847. The early seines were about 200 yards in length, 22 fathoms in depth, and of 2^-inch mesh, the bunts being about 250 meshes square. The twine was much heavier than that used in the present seine; the whole net weighed 600 or 700 pounds. The seine in its present form did not come into general use until about 1860. The rapidity with which this expensive form of apparatus has come to be generally employed in our fisheries seems almost marvelous. At the present time the total number of these nets used in the mackerel fishery is not far from 400, valued at 160,000 dollars ; in the menhaden fishery 366, valued at 138,100 dollars. The total value of the purse- seines with the value added of the seine-boats, which really are parts of the same apparatus, cannot be less than 440,000 dollars. Capt. W. H. Oakes states that in early days a certain kind of net was used in catching menhaden which reached to the bcttom in shallow v/ater and which was pursed by means of ropes. Capt. George Blatch- ford used to go for menhaden in an old ijinkie, and used one of these nets. Captain Oakes is of the opinion that Capt. William Eatclifi', of I'ocky Xeck, Gloucester, was the first man who caught mackerel in deep water oft'- shore. He used some kind of a purse-seine, and with it in two hauls caught about 00 barrels of mackerel off ]\Ionhegan in 90 fathoms of water. Capt. George Merchant, jr., of Gloucester, writes as follovv'S re- garding the early attempts to seine mackerel in deep water. He says: " Previous to 1862 the only mackerel caught in deep water, in seines, were taken with the schools of pogics. From one to ten or twelx'e [79] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. hundred iu number were often caught iu this way, the seiners supposing that their being with the pogies prevented them from trying to escape, since pogies seldom leave the seine after it is around them, but we never set the seine for them (mackerel) when in deeper water than ten fathoms, our seines not being deeper than that at that time. One day in July, 1862, I lay at anchor near Boon Island, it being calm at the time. While lying there a school of mackerel came up and began to play around at the surface, not far from us. Knowing that the water was twenty-five fathoms deep where the fish were, I did not go after them right away, but after they had been schooling some time I concluded to go out and look at them. I found the water to be as I had expected — twenty-five fathoms deep. I thought, however, that I would try just to see what would come of it, although the men said it would be no use, as the fish would soon disappear, but we threw out our seine and went around them, with, as little noise as possible, and commenced to purse up, the men saying that the mackerel would soon go, but they did not go, but continued to school in the seine until the latter was pursed up, and the rings on the boat. Then we thought we had done something never before heard of. We took fifty barrels of large mackerel that time." "After securing the fish I weighed anchor and ran to Eichmond's Isl- and. When I arrived there I found fifteen fishing vessels at anchor. I told them (the skippers and crews) that I had taken fifty barrels of mackerel in deep water, but they would not believe it, saying that if I had it would never be done again. But it set them to thinking, and they soon found that mackerel could be caught in deei3 water. The fleet of seiners began to increase from that time, and has kept growing until the present, when it amounts to about two hundred sail.* I date the catching of mackerel in deep water from the time and occurrence I have mentioned above. I was in one of the first seven vessels that sailed on seining voyages from Gloucester, Capt. Samuel Blatchford and Capt. T^athaniel Watson being the two first to try the business, and they both gave up seining, as it did not pay them." WellHeet, Mass., had 52 mackerel seiners in 1877. Seines were first carried by the W^ellfleet vessels about 1857, but their use was soon abandoned. In 1863 to 1865 the "Mary B. Dyer" had a seine, and since that time more or less seines have been in use. In 1873 all the vessels went into this business. The first purse-seine brought into Central Maine, writes Mr. Earll, was bought by Mr. Amherst Spofibrd, and taken to Damariscove in 1859, and used with rather indifiereut success until 1861; it was 130 fathoms long and 12 fathoms deep ; the parties kept it on the island and took it out in small boats whenever fish were seen schooling in the vicinity. It seems that Mr. Spofibrd did not thoroughly understand setting it and caught but few fish. * Sailing from Gloucester. EEPOET OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHEEIES. [80] In 1861 lie sold it to Messrs. William Gri^ay and Miles Pierce, and it was taken to Cape Newagen, where it was successfully used by carrying- it out in a small boat and landing the fish on a dressing stage on shore in the same way. The next year it was put aboard a small schooner, the "Leon," and the fish landed as before in small boats to be dressed, the vessel being only large enough to carry the seine. In 1803 the seine was put aboard the schooner " Dawning Day," 73 tons O. M., and the fish were dressed aboard. This was really the commence- ment of deep-water seining in this section, and the vessel did so well as to induce others to go into the business the following year. The schooner " Niagara" was the first to provide herself with a seine in 1864, and another was bought and owned by two small vessels, the "Wild Eose" and the "jSTeptune," one carrying the seine and the other salt and barrels for curing the fish. This plan did not work well and was soon abandoned. The schooner "]^iagara" did Avell from the start and has always been high line of the seiners for this section, Georgetown sent one seiner, the " Coquimbo," in 1865, and a little later the schooner " Sunbeam," Captain McMann, but they met with poor suc- cess, and no seiners have been sent since fiom that port. Westport has made two .attempts at introducing seining; the first in 1872 by schooner "Jennie Armstrong," Capt. B. F. Jewett, and the sec- <:nd a three-masted schooner of 350 tons, the "Geo. W. Jewett," Capt. A. M. Jewett, carrying two seines and crews in 1875. Both vessels did very poorly and gave up the business after the first season. 21. — The attempted use of the puese-seine in Norwegian WATEES. In 1878 a Gloucester vessel essayed fishing for mackerel with a])urse- seine on the coast of Norway. In April the schooner "Notice," Capt. Kuud Markurson, departed on this mission, taking a crew of twelve men and the most approved seining apparatus. It was remarked by a writer in the Deutsche Fischerei Zeitung, of July: "The mackerel fishermen, who have till now been in the habit of ply- ing their trade in open but suitable boats, are, however, greatly agi- tated at the present moment in consequence of the arrival at Risor, some three weeks ago, of an American fishing smack, direct from Gloucester, in North America, understood to be followed by a whole fishing fleet from New England, to take part in the mackerel fishery outside tha Norwegian fishing territorium. As all these American smacks are re- ported as provided with bag or purse nets, by means of which they are enabled to catch more fish upon one single haul than ten Norwegian boats during a whole day, it is obvious that the Norwegian fishermen will have to discard their old mode of fishing, and to have recourse to the American fishing method, if they do not want to lose all the advan- tages enjoyed till now. The mackerel fishery has always been of great importance to Norway, some 7,000,000 of these fish being on the aver- Diagram showins; the CatcSi of Mackerel by Citizens of Massachusetts het-n^een the rears 1804 nnrl 1881 inchisive. Til., uiibiokcn liiH' iiidiciitea ,|iiantitic-s of ,,i,l.l,.cl .iKu-krvcl in y>am-ls. Tlie bi olcen liri<- indicates the total n al (inautities of mackerel taVen, wliother sold in the markets in a fresh condition or salteresent is rarely the case, the fish are cut up with a hatchet or scalded with boiling- warer in a tub. Bait-mills were first introduced about the year 182.'. Prior to the introduction of the bait- mill all the bait was cut up at night with the hatchet, by the watch, upon a chopping-block, which was a large flat-topped piece of wood resembling a butcher's meat-block. The veterans of this fishery relate with great glee how they used to be kept aw^ake all night by the pounding of the bait-cutter over their heads, and contrast the present usages with those of former days. When there was leisure in the day-time, three or four men would work at the block together, each chopping with his own hatchet. In this way a constant supj)ly was kept. Bait which had been ground was packed in barrels full of pickle, and covered up. The earlier bait-mills wait," or more properly the floating fish. Thus iircpared, the fisherman has little else to do but to draw in the line and snap off the fish in a tub prepared for that pni'pose a little faster than can be easily imagined by the land fisherman. From .50 to 80 barrels have often been taken on a good "fish- ing day" in this way by a crew of 6 or 8 hands; oftentimes several boys comprise a portion of the company.— (Barnstable Patriot, Nov. 15, 1836.) EEPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [94] On tbese occasions tbe deck of the vessel presents a scene of great activity and excitement. Let us tr}^ to depict a scene in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence. We are on the deck of a clipper schooner from Gloucester, standing along with the four lower sails and the main gaff- topsail set, a fresh breeze blowing from the southwest; the sky is overcast, and the sea comj)aratively smooth; within the plane of vision are the wliite sails of some 250 schooners, most of which are hove to, a few tearing along under press of sail seeking new positions; here and there among the fleet is a vessel with a flag set at her main x>eak or at her main topmast head; this is to indicate that she has completed her fare and is homeward bound. Some of these are lying to, and are still fishing, while others have all sail set, and are heading for the Strait of Can so on their homeward way. A few miles to the northeast looms up the rugged shore of the Magdalen Islands, its high outline here and there broken by long- stretches of gandy beach; a train of great white gannets crosses our bow, five or sii^ of them rapidly flying close to the water; suddenly the leader disappears beneath the water, and his companions rise up for a moment and then "plug down" head foremost after the fish which they see. The movement is perceived by other gannets, and they flock in from all directions and share the feast. As we speed along two or three of these birds, which have filled themselves to repletion, are swimming in our course, unable to rise, and, in order to escape, they disgorge their stomach-loads of fish and flap away just before the vessel leaches them. We now approach the fleet, and pass by the leeward vessels which are hove to, the starboard rails of which are lined with men ex- citedly plying their lines. Our skipper stands on the quarter with bis glass to his eye, trying to determine which portion of the fleet is meet- ing with the best success. He selects a berth near the middle of the fleet, and thither he directs the course of the vessel by word to the steers- man. We thread our way in a zigzag course among the drifting ves- sels, sometimes escaping by a few inches only the thrust of a jib-boom, and again almost sna])ping off the main-boom of some other vessel. At length we approach the selected position and lieavc to, coming up sharply to the wind with the mainsail hard aback. The skijiper takes his position at the main rigging and begins throwing bait, at the same time putting out his lines for trial. After the vessel is hove to, the men are lounging about the deck, yet in expectant attitudes. At a little distance from the rail stands a row of barrels, one op])ositc the berth of each man. These are called "strike'' barrels. The lines, with the jigs attached, are coiled upon the cleats or lie upon the rails, each man having examined his own and preparefl it for immediate use. At last the skipper is seen to rapidly haul in his line, pulling a glittering mackerel over the rail, and, by tlie peculiar motion known to the fisher- men as "slatting off," the fish is jerked over his light shoulder into the barrel^ while the drumming of the mackerel against the bottom of [95] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. tlie barrel announces to the men that the fish have struck. The men rusli to their positions, and a scene of great activity and excitement begins. The fish are now within four or five fathoms of the side of the vessel, but they soon come much nearer; looking over the rail we see their mottled backs as they swim to and fro alongside the vessel. The lines are shortened np as the mackerel rise, and now the time re- quired for throwing over the jig and jerking it back with a mackerel fast to it is only a few seconds. The men throw out their lines, pnll them in, and, without glancing at the fish, dexterously "slat" them into the barrels, the j'gs being torn out of their mouths by the same motion which casts the line back into the water; two twists of the wrist are suificient to accomplish this feat. The mackerel are large — ''No. I's" — and in fifteen or twenty minutes the best fishermen have their barrels full. When a man's barrel is filled he springs from" the rail, rolls it back towards the center of the deck, and puts an empty barrel in its place. The fish may continue actively biting for ten minutes or for several hours, but usually the sharp biting is over very soon, and the mackerel begin to "pick." Now the work is less exciting, though much more ex- acting npon the skill of the fishermen. When the fish are "picking," a high-line fisherman will catch quantities, and the greenhorn will catch none, and even among the most skillful fishermen there is a great dif- ference in their success at this time. It should be stated that all the time mackerel have been biting, four men have been actively employed in throwing bait over the side, at the same time attending to their lines like the remainder of the crew. The cook heaves bait in the position farthest forward, and one of the boys in the position farthest aft, while am.dships the skipper and one of the most experienced of the crew are similarly engaged.* When the fish begin to "pick," the skipper reconnoiters for a tetter position, and finding that other vessels are having good fishing, orders the crew to coil in their lines and to make sail; away we go in search of another " spurt of mackerel." The excitement among the crew, when the mackerel are biting fast, can hardly be described. When the fishing begins, the drumming of the mackerel in the empty barrels is inexpressibly cheering to the fish- ermen, especially if they have been unsuccessfully hunting for fish on previous days, and adds to their excitement. This sound ceases as the barrels begin to fill up, the resonance of the wood being deadened by the accumulation of fish ; it is, however, from time to time repeated, as emx)ty barrels are substituted for those which have been filled. Every man is striving to the top of his bent to catch as many mackerel as pos- sible while the "spurt" continues, and, if possible, to catch a larger * Ou the mackerel "hookers" the cook stood to lish just aft of the forerigging. The large schooners sometimes had a boy forward of the forerigging, but this was not the rule by any means. Each man or boy had a certain number of inches measured ou the rail and assigned him as his berth. The length of a berth at the rail varied from 2i to 3 feet. EEPOET OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHEEIES. [96] sliare than any of his comrades. The emulation to be " high-line" for the day and for the season, is extreme. The number of barrels caught by each man is carefully noted, for upon his relative success depends his proportion of the proceeds of the voyage and his reputation as a fish- erman. In a single day a high-line fisherman has caught from 10 to 15 barrels, and siuce each barrel contains from 150 to 200 mackerel, the rapidity of the men's movements throughout the day may be efc^timated. In seven or eight hourts' fishing he has i^robably lifted over the side 2,000 to 3,000 fisb, to say nothing of throwing over his jig and bringing it back empty almost as many times more. Such cases as this are exceptional, since mackerel rarely continue biting long. enough to allow such a num- ber to be taken. At the same time, when a much smaller number is caught, the activity of the fishermen is something to be wondered at.* The confusion and excitement is increased by the frequent snarling of the lines and the attempts to straighten them out again. As has been stated, each expert fisherman has ten or twelve lines in his berth, and changes from one to the other according to the rapidity with which the fish are biting, or the strength of the wind. Much experience and skill are necessary to enable the fishermen to make these changes un- derstandingly. Little is said while the fishing is going on; the men lean far over the rail in strange attitudes of expectancy with one or two lines in each hand, the hands moving up and down and constantly haul- ing in and throwing out one of the lines at a time. When it is neces- sary to haul in one of the lines, the others are allowed to drop upon the rail. We have described one phase of the life of a mackerel fisherman, but experiences like this may occur only a few times during a season. Mackerel vessels are constantly under sail, cruising hither and thither over great areas of water on the lookout for fish, heaving to and trying- more frequently without than with success, except in extraordinary seasons. At night they are hove to, or, when mackerel are scarce, are making long i>assages from one ground to another. Information as to the location of the schools of mackerel is passed from vessel to vessel. As they meet, the vessels almost invariably speak each other and com- j)are notes upon the position and abundance of fish. When a A^essel is seeking fish and heaves to for the puri)ose of toll- ing them u]), she will continue in this position, as a rule, for about an hour, sometimes longer, when there is any prospect of success. Some- times the mackerel, however abundant, will not rise to bait; they are very capricious; at other times in the same day they will be exceed- ingly voracious. One of the common tactics of the mackerel fishermen was that of running round a school; when the fish could be seen, the vessel would make a complete circle, surrounding them at the same * Large catch of mackerel. — Schooner "Bloomer," of Iii.agh;im, rritli a crew of 10 men, caught ou Thursday last, between 10 a. m. and 2 p. m., 5,700 mackerel with the hook and line. —(Barnstable Patriot, May 2», 1881.) [97] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. time with tlie line of toll bait. The effect of this maneuver was to keep the fish from moving away by [)lacing the bait in such a manner that whichever course they took the fish must invariably meet with and bo attracted by it to the vessePs side. It frequently hai)pened, however, that the schooling fish took no notice whatever of the toll -bait, either because they were not hungry, or were engaged in feeding upon some form of Crustacea, of which they are exceedingly fond. The practice of "lee-bowing," the method of which, so far as the management of the vessel is concerned, has been described in another place, was simplyto "heave to"to the leeward of another vessel which was lying to and had a school of fish alongside, and, while so doing, to throw a quantity of bait overboard ; this bait passing under the bottom of the first vessel would attract the fish, which would then follow the course of the new bait, passing to leeward under the first vessel and appearing alongside and close to the vessel which was executing the maneuver of lee-bowing. The success of this maneuver is sometimes thwarted by the crew of the first vessel throwing over such a quantity of bait that the bait thrown by the second vessel is not noticed by the fish. In this act it is frequently the custom to use a considerable quantity of chopped clams, these being considered better to "hold" the fish along- side than the menhaden bait. The clam bait is also used on other occasions to "hold" the fish, or induce them to bite more rapidly when they are supposed to be tired of the ordinary bait. A maneuver sometimes executed by the mackerel schooner is called " springing up." This is done when the mackerel are so close to the shore that the vessel cannot lie to and drift for them. It is accom- plished by bringing the vessel to anchor and then putting a " spring" on the cable, the latter, which is a stout rope, being taken to the port- quarter, and the cable veered out so that the vessel lies with her port side to the wind. The fishing is then carried on on the starboard side, in the same manner as with vessels lying ^o. In former years, when an extensive mackerel fishery was prosecuted in the vicinity of the Seven Islands and at the mouth of the Saint Law- rence River, much jig fishing was ^carried on by small boats sent out from the vessels. Each of the boats carried a small quantity of ground bait, which was used in the same manner, as on the vessels. This method of fishing has also been practiced to some extent on the coast of Maine even as late as 1879. Vessels occasionally returned home from the Gulf of Saint Lawrence to land their catch, leaving a portion of their crew to fish from small boats until their return.* The above description of jigging mackerel has been written with * Schooner " B. D. Haskins " lately arrived from Bay Saint Lawrence with mackerel ; left five of her crew to continue the fishery in dories until her return on her second trip.— (Cape Ann Advertiser, August 17, 1860.) Instances of this kind were rare. — Authors. EEPOET OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [98] special reference to the fishery in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, since it was here that the jig fishing was most extensively prosecuted; the methods are the same, however, as those practiced on the New England coast. 26. — Care of the fish. {a.) Cleaning and salting. — The manner of caring for the fish is essen- tially the same as that described in the preceding chapter, except that (the quantity of fish taken being much smaller, there was, of course^ much more time for handling them) greater care was taken, and the fish were uniformly of better quality. Many of the Gloucester mack- erel-hookers were accustomed to divide their crew into dressing gangs of two each instead of three, as at the present time on the seining ves- sels, one of these men splitting and the other gibbing. It was the duty of the splitter to get the barrels, fill them with water, and, when he had split more fish than the gibber could take care of, to aid the latter in his work.* On the seining vessel, as we have seen, the mackerel are, in most cases, heaped on the deck; on the mackerel-hookers, the fish were already in barrels, and the order of proceeding was slightly diiferent. The splitting-board was placed on the head of one of the "strike" bar- rels; the fish were taken out of the barrels, split, and thrown into the gib tub, where they were handled in the ordinary manner. The pro- cess of gibbing having been completed, the fish were "plowed" and put into the second barrel, which was filled with clean water. From this barrel they were changed into the barrel in which they were salted. The process of salting is as follows: A barrel of mackerel is emptied out on deck; a "gib-keeler" is filled with salt; one of the men now throws the mackerel into the "gib-keeler," while the other man "rubs" them in the salt by taking one in each hand; the back of one is then placed to the flesh of the other, and they are thrown into the barrel with the flesh side down. They are thus salted and packed away into barrels in successive layers, each (with the exception of the bottom tier) with the flesh side down.t A barrel of large mackerel can be salted in from five to ten minutes. In order to cure mackerel successfully very fine salt must be usedy and every part of the fish must be touched or it will spoil. | Careless * The most general cnstom, perhaps, on the Gloucester vessels was to have two men in a gang, though this was varied a good deal on different schooners. Some crews preferred dress gangs of three men each, while others sometimes had four men work- ing together, one of them "passing up" the mackerel to the splitter. + The early method of packing them flesh up has been abandoned. tThis is the case when the mackerel are ''rubbed," Liverpool salt being almost wholly used, since Cadiz salt, owing to its coarseness, has a tendency to tear or "ruck up" the flesh of the fish and give them a ragged appearance. Many of the Cape Cod fishermen, however, preferred to use Cadiz salt, believing it to bo better for curing the fish than Liverpool. Their manner of applying it was quite diiferent from tliat which has been described. Each man salted his own catch. Placing a wash- [99j HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. salters sometimes leave "tliumbmarks" where tlieir thumbs touch the fiyh during the process of saltiug, preventing the access of the salt. These do not keep well. It was customary on the "hookers" to let the mackerel remain on deck for several days after being salted, -the length of time varying to a considerable extent, as it depended very much on the amount of fish taken. When the mackerel were well struck, or after they had been salted from two to five or six days, the barrels were "topped up" with fish, to make uj) for the shrinkage from the first salting, after whith. they were carefully headed up and stowed in the hold. If the men kept their catch separate, each one cut a x>rivate mark on the head of the barrel containing his fish. As a rule, the mackerel were " stowed down" wlieuever 40 or 50 barrels had accumulated on deck, but when fish were abundant and took the hook freely for several days in succession it; often happened that more than a hundred barrels of fish would be caught before any were put below. Capt. Epes W. Merchant, of Gloucester, informs us that the practice of salting mackerel was inaugurated at Gloucester in 1818. Scituate fishermen had begun this practice somewhat earlier. The methods of saltiug have not materially changed since that time. Previous to 1850 the vessels engaged in mackerel fishing were generally accustomed to carry butts, in which the fish were salted. Capt. Chester Marr tells us that in the early days the mackerel fisher- men made a practice of salting the mackerel in hogsheads, which were- placed in the hold, standing on end, with stone ballast stowed in the "spaces" between them. When a vessel was loaded she would hold about 10 butts, or about 50 " wash-barrels." These butts were used until about 1850. barrel of mackerel at Ms left hand, an empty barrel in front of Mm, andwitb a bucket or basket of salt at his right, the fisherman rapidly transferred the fresh fish into the proper barrel, placing each flesh up, and scattering over it with the right hand a sufficient quantity of salt. An expert can thus take care of many more fish than any one unacquainted with the method would believe possible, though, it is safe to say, mackerel can be handled more expeditiously by the process of rubbing, and for this reason the Cape Cod style of salting has never come into favor at Cape Ann and. on the coast of Maine. * The largest of the mackerel schooners had sufficient capacity for stowing 20 or 25 butts, besides a number of barrels alongside of them in the wings on each side of the hold. When salting mackerel in these casks, the salters worked in the hold. A gib tub was filled with salt and set on top of the butts near the hatchway, and one man threw down the mackerel from the deck into the salt box (or gib tub) while two others standing alongside of the butts did the salting — one "rubbing" the fish and the other packing them away in the proper place. When the cask was full a large stone was placed on top of the fish to keep them beneath the brine so that they would not get rusty. Each man usually had a hogshead of his own for the reception of his fish ; that is, if each of the crew kept his catch separate. At that time, however, it was quite generally the custom to "go on shares." This term, as then understood, difiered radi- cally from what is now meant by the same expression, and may be described as fol- EEPORT OF COMMISSIOXER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [100] (b.) Mackerel ploics. — The mackerel plows^ to which frequent allusion. lias been made, are also known to the fishermen by several other names, such as rimmers, reamers, fatters, and fatting-knives, in the same and in different localities. The original object of using these instruments may be said to have been " a trick in the trade," although the fact of their being employed at the present time is so well known that no one considers it any longer a secret, neither has it been for many years. The quality of mackerel is determined not only by their size, but also by 'the richness or fatness which they acquire as the season advances, and the opportunities for obtaining food are better than during the spring. In the spring when they approach the coasts of the Middle States and Southern 'New England they are in a poor and lean con- dition and remain in such a state until after they have deposited their spawn. After the spawning-season is over the schools then seek their favorite feeding-grounds and the fish soon begin to exhibit much im- provement in their condition. During the month of June this improve- ment is first noticeable, and by the last of August, and sometimes even at an earlier date, the mackerel have arrived at their finest condition and remain so until they Leave the coast in the fall. As the fish fatten, the belly, or that portion which covers the abdominal cavity, increases in thickness, and the quality of the mackerel can be more easily and cer- tainly determined by noticing this particular portion of it than in any other manner. The mackerel are invariably sijlit along the back from the snout to the tail in such a manner that they will lay open and flat after the viscera has been removed. It is a fact well known to per- sons familiar with this fish that when they are in a fat condition the sides of the abdominal cavity will crack open along the entire length when the fish are opened for the purpose of removing the viscera. The depth of these cracks or "breaks" show the relative fatness of the fish. As these cracks occur about half way from the backbone to the center of the abdominal cavity, it will be readily seen that by using an imple- ment for making the crack a little above or nearer to the backbone than where it would naturally be and where the belly is considerably thicker, >^ow8: The crew were shipped as much upon their merits of good seamanship and steady habits as for their skill as fishermen. Each man was j^rovided with a "strike tub"— a half hogshead — and for the first few days' fishing the skipper would note the catch of each of the men, and from this comparison would decide what share every one should receive. Thiis some. half dozen, perhaps, in a crew of 12 or 14 men would be assigned a full share. Though there might be some difi^erence in the relative catch of these men it was thought fair to consider a ca;^able and reliable man a full shares- man, though he caught somewhat less fish than another who might not be so well experienced in other matters. The remainder of the men were allowed three-fourths -or one-half of a share, as the case might be, their expertness in catching fish and vother qualifications always being taken into account in settling their relative standing. * Thus, if a \essel had a crew of twelve men, six of whom were full sharesmen, four three-quarter sharesmen, and two half sharesmen, there would be ten full shares, and .•a sharesman would receive one-tenth of the crew's half of the proceeds of the voyage, while those having a smaller "lay" would be paid accordingly. [101] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. it will give the fish the appearance of being much fatter than it really is. As previously stated, the depth of the "break" is the test of the fatness of the fish, and is the guide by which the inspectors cull them into the different grades for market, provided always that they are of suitable size. Stringent laws have in i)ast years been enacted in most of the IN^ew England States to regulate the method of insx)ecting mack- erel, and the use of any artificial means to fatten them was for many years strictly prohibited. The introduction of the mackerel plow, like that of many other inventions, was the direct result of a need long felt by fishermen. Previous to its adoption it was the custom for the fisher- men to attempt to improve the looks of their fish by increasing the nat- ural break with their thumb-nails drawn along its entire length. This method was called " rubbing the mackerel." Later a few began to use the back of the point of their bait-knives or splitting-knives for this pur- pose, by degrees venturing to place the cut a little higher than where it naturally belonged. The use of knives led to the introduction of plows, which soon came into general use, though the fishermen at first felt some hesitation about revealing the fact that their fish had been plowed.* A comiDaratively poor mackerel would not open sufficiently in a natural way to pass for a ISo. 2, but the fishermen give them an invit- ing appearance to the buyer by the use of the plow, which they handle with remarkable dexterity, running the blade longitudinally along each side of the abdominal cavity with great rapidity, laying the sides of the fish open in such a manner that it may pass for a No. 2, and, per- ha])s, if it is of large size, a fairly fat fish may be culled as a No. 1 mack- erel. It is but fair to say here that, since the general adoption of the mackerel i^low as a means of "fattening" the fish, the subject is so well understood by the dealers that they demand a finer looking fish than formerly, and the consumer, therefore, actually gets as good an article as before, and one that is much more attractive. This is espe- cially the case when the size of the mackerel is not sufficient to pass for the best quality, or oSTo. 1. A fish whose length is 13 inches and " of * From a circular addressed to the masters and crews of mackerel vessels by Hon. James Barry, inspector-general of pickled fish for Massachusetts, dated May 2, 1832, we quote the foUowiog in relation to tlie use of the mackerel plow: " It is a mis- chievous error that fishermen have fallen into by salting their fish too slack, as has, been often the case ; and another by using the plow, which has given to the fish a false appearance, and has been a source of mortification to the fishermen, and they have in a great many instances found fa.ult with the inspectors when the fault belonged to themselves in not taking care of the fish which it was their duty to do, and which in many cases has been a ruinous business to purchasers. By a law of the common- wealth the inspector is required to throw into an inferior quality all mackerel which have been plowed, cut, or mutilated for the purpose of deception. It can be of no advantage to the fishermen, and I trust will never again be done." Capt. N. E. Atwood says that some of the fishermen made mackerel plows with "the ends tipped with x'^wter and fine teeth on the edges so as to make the crease^ look rough, as though it was broken naturally ; others had a koife in the end which cut them [the mackerel] smoothly." KEPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [102j suitable fatness" is required for a No. 1, but it is easy to see that a fish of fine quality, though not exceeding 12 or 12^ inches, is just as good for food, notwithstanding the fact that it must pass for a lower grade and be sold for a much less price. For the past few years a very large portion of the mackerel caught on our coast have been "undersized," that is, not long enough to pass for the best quality, according to the inspection laws of New England; nevertheless they are in all respects quite as good as the larger and rarer grades. As previously stated, the fishermen no longer make a secret of using the plow, and during the summer season, when the wharves on the eastern coast are filled with mackerel, the operators may be seen in the ©pen air busily rimming the fish almost as fast as they can ijick them up and throw them into another barrel. There are many styles of this type of knife, their patterns and designs being as varied as the fancies of those who make them. They are, with but few exceptions, :made by the fishermen ; some of them are exceedingly j^lain and rough, while others are artistically and elaborately decorated, often with imaginary uncouth figures or with fancifully carved leaves, wreaths, &c. There are several knives of this character deposited in the fisheries collection of the United States National Museum, and among them is one factory made rimmer, with a i)olished walnut handle and a curved iron shank about one-quarter inch in diameter ; into the forward end of the shank is fitted a small cutting blade about IJ inches in length, tapering to a point at the heel, and with a square-cut forward end. There are also other styles made by the fishermen, some having steel and others having copper blades, and one specimen made of wood, in the form of a human leg, the extreme end terminating in a thick-set flat foot, in the bottom of which is inserted or driven a silver three-cent piece, ground to a sharp edge, to be used as the knife or plow. 27. — Homeward passage and disposition of the fish. When one of the vessels in the fleet» has obtained a fare of fish, or the skipper decides to go home, sometimes with a partial fare, the flag is usually set at the maintop-mast or on the main peak. This custom was not so common on our coast as in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence. The fish being salted, the homeward passage was usually performed in a leisurely manner, unless indeed the return was made during the fishing season, and the skipper expected to make another trip, in which case the Titmost expedition was used, and rapid passages were made. For sev- eral years it has been a common practice for vessels fishing in the Gulf ■of Saint Lawrence to land their fish at the Strait of Canso, or some- times at Prince Edward Island, sending the fish home by steamer or freight vessels. This was only done when the vessel had obtained a large fare, and there was a prospect of another successful trip for fish that season. By this lueans vessels sometimes tilled up three or four [103] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. times in the course of the summer, obtaining, in some instances, as many iis 1,100 to 1,200 barrels.* 28. — Financial profits of the mackerel hook fishery. Old-fashioned vessels were employed as seiners for a number of years from Gloucester, it then being thought by many of the fishermen that swift sailers were not so necessary for this branch of the fisheries as for some others. In this respect, as in many other things, there has been a radical change. The expense of fitting oiit with seine, boat, &c., deterred many of the owners from sending their vessels seining, and the more conservative clung to the old method of jigging until the failure of mackerel in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence compelled them to adopt the seine or abandon the business. As a matter of course such large stocks and enormous profits were not obtained by the seiners years ago as they have made for the past two years, 1880 and '81. ISTeverthless many of them did well. But a vessel's ■"fit out" for jigging cost comparatively little, and with a much smaller «tock more clear mon^ would be left than if she went seining. This, together with the fact that more or less risk is attached to seining, such, for instance, as losing the apparatus altogether, having the net torn, the * The influence exerted upon the settlements in the Strait of Canso in the period Jbetweeu 1850 and 1870, by the trade thus derived from the mackerel fleet, was very reiuarkable. In many of the coves, on either side of the strait, small villages sprang up, .and large store-houses and wharves were built where the American vessels could secure •storage, for their lish until they could be shipped, and also at the same time obtain supplies of salt, bait, provisions, &c., which they required for the prosecution of their voyages. This, of course, brought a great deal of money to the people of Canso, and many of the merchants who were not slow to take advantage of the circumstances ■foecame quite wealthy. Those were lively times in the strait, and it was not an uuu- :sual thing to see ten or twenty sail of mackerel schooners lying at Port Hawkesbury or at McNair's or some of the other coves discharging their cargoes and taking on board outiits for another trip. This afforded much employment to local residents :and remunerative returns. Most of the people who owned wood lands devoted their •time in winter to cutting and preparing for use a lot of fuel which they could readily •dispose of the following summer to the American fishermen at good prices ; and who- ever was fortunate enough to have a small stream or brook running through his land rnear the coves, usually derived quite a revenue from the American fishermen by charg- ing five or ten cents per barrel for the water which they were obliged to fill there. Of late years, however, since the general introduction of the purse-seine in the mack- erel fisheries, and the consequent failure of our fishing fleets to resort to the Gulf of ■Saint Lawrence during the mackerel season, a great change has taken place in the pros- perity of the settlements at Canso. So much so, indeed, that many of the wharves -and store-houses have been allowed to fall into decay and become nearly worthless from disuse. Most of the coves which were formerly the scene of busy life and activity during the mackerel season, now have a comparatively deserted and forlorn appear- ance. Many of the merchants have moved away to Halifax and other business centers of the provinces, while those who remain find their business much less remunerative than it was at the time when the Strait of Canso was frequented by a large fleet of American mackerel schooners, which were eugaged in fishing in the Gulf of Saint SL/awrence. KEPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [104] boat stove, &c., served to deter the timid ones from engaging in it until compelled to. Rapid advances in the knowledge of using the purse-seine have beeK made within the past few years, which no doubt has had a strong influ- ence in changing the hook fishery into seining. For a number of years it was believed that mackerel could not be taken except in shoal water where the seine would reach bottom, and as a result of this but compar- atively little could be done. More recently the practice of seining in- the night; tolling the fish alongside of the vessel and then surrounding: them, &c., have added much to the i^rofits of the fishermen. The large net profits which were sometimes made by the mackerel hook fishermen previous to 1870 bore no mean comparison to the money cleared by the seiners of the present day, though, of course, the latter frequently get higher stocks. This, as mentioned above, is due to the difference of the cost of fitting out of a vessel for hooking and for seining, the expense, for the latter often being twice or three times as much as it would be for line fishing. The following account of some of the large mackerel stocks made by vessels engaged in fishing with hook and line we copy from the "Fishermen's Memorial": "The largest stock made in the Bay of Saint Lawrence mackerel fish- ery was that of schooner "Colonel Ellsworth," Capt. George Eobinsony in 1865. She was absent about five months, her net stock amounting to $13,728.* The high-liner's share was $558; cook's, $582. " Schooner " Gen. Grant," Captain Coas, in 1864, stocked, in two trips to the Bay of Saint Lawrence, $11,254.94, clear of all expenses.! The high line made $502.24; cook's share, $638.17. " Schooner " ll^or' Wester" the same year stocked $9,721.74, net, in one Bay trip; the high liner making $308.60, and the cook $486.61. " Schooner "Gen. Sherman," in a three months' trip to the bay in 1864 packed 612 barrels of mackerel, her net stock amounting to $9,696o. High-liner's share, $575.06. " Schooner "Kit Carson," in 1865, brought in 591 barrels of mackerel,, having been absent about ten weeks. Her net stock amounted to» $6,542. High-liner's share, $260. "Schooner "James G. Tarr," in 1866, stocked $5,824 in a nine weeks^ trip to the bay. Cook's share, $331.76. " Schooner " Seddie C. Pyle," in 1871 , packed 1,070 barrels of mackerel caught off' this shore,| in addition to 18,000 southern mackerel sold fresh in New York, in the spring. Her net stock for the year was $10,561.60. High-liner's share, $491.38; cook's share, $708.52. " Schooner " Eureka," in six mouths' mackereling off this shore in 1868y packed 935 barrels, her stock amounting to $10,748.33. High-liner's, share, $440, S2; cook's share, $473. 70."§ * tier gross stock — the amount tier fisli sold for — was doubtless about $16,000'. tHer gross stock would be between $18,000 aiid $14,000. tNew England coast. ^ Fishermen's Memorial and Record Book, pp. bo and 87. [105] histoey of the mackerel fishery. 29. — Itinerary of a mackerel voyage to the gulf of saint lawrence. (By Maj. D. W. Low.) We go to Essex, a neighboring town on Cape Ann, six miles from Gloucester, or to the ship-yards of Gloucester, where we see on th& stocks, ready for launching, a schooner of GO or 70 toiJR, built in that thorough and staunch manner which makes the American fishing schooner celebrated for her sailing and seaworthy qualities required in the hazardous business she was built for. We next find the schooner alongside of the wharf in Gloucester, where she is got ready, or " fitted," for a voyage to the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, called a "bay trip." Fifty-five barrels of porgies and seven barrels of clams, with fifty hogsheads of salt in 115 barrels, and sixteen barrels of water are stowed by her crew in her hold, on top of which are stowed 335 barrels more with their heads taken out and put inside, both head and barrel being numbered. After the provisions, lines, hooks, &c., are on board the flag is hoisted and she is ready for sea, having cost to that time $7,700 for the vessel and |2,075 for her outfits. Had she been fitted for seining her outfits would have cost $750 more, making her total cost with outfits $10,525. Leaving Gloucester August 5, 1875, we proceed to the Gulf of Saint Lawrence with seventeen hands, shipped "by the berth," according ta their experience as fishermen, the b est fishermen getting the best berths, which are nearest to and on each side of the master. The master's berth is forward of the main rigging on the starboard side, nearly in the center of the vessel. Formerly the berths to fish, with exception of the master's and cook's, were sold at auction on board the vessel after she had started, as high as $50 or even more being paid for first choice j the amount of the bids, called "berth money," was equally divided among the sharesmen, they paying the amount of the excess of their bid over the average share. The cook fishes forward so as to be handy to his cooking. After each man's berth is decided. upon, each one pre pares the cleats for his lines on the bulwarks under the rail at his berth. "Jigs" are run in the "jig molds," and the lines, eight to twelve to each man, are neatly put upon the cleats ready for service. After passing through the Gut of Canso (stopping there for a little wood), the vessel is- ready for fishing. Lashed on the " port" side of the schooner, opposite the skipper, stands the "bait-mill," at which each of the crew, excepting the master and cook, take turns, commencing with the youngest, in grinding bait. The slivers of porgies are ground up fine, and clams are chopped with a long handled chopper, which are mixed with the porgie bait and some of it put into a box called the " bait-box" which is hung outside of the bulwarks, to the right of the master's berth, and water is added to it. After the vessel is "hove to" and she commences REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [106] to drift to leeward, the master, with a "bait-heaver," throws the bait from the bait-box into the water fore and aft the vessel to attract and draw the mackerel alongside. Some of the crew are below and others looking on, or perhaps put out a line with the skipj)er's to try for them. Soon the peculiar tapping of a mackerel's tail is heard on the bottom of a barrel, which, with the cry of "here they ?re," from the skipper, brings every man to his berth, and for a time the "strike bar- rels" standing a little in the rear and at the right of the fisherman, in which the mackerel are slat from the hooks, resound with the lively occupants. The best fishermen fishing with four and sometimes six lines each. The " spurt," however, is soon over, and after " picking" one once in a while the master orders "take in your lines," after which we haul in our mainsail, hoist the jib, and go on. The mackerel are then dressed, generally by gangs of three, comprising a "splitter," one to pass up the mackerel to him, and the " gibber"; the mackerel, after being split, are thrown into a "keeler," which is a shoal square box, about two by three feet square, which are put on board in nests of three; the "gibber," with mittens on to prevent getting his hands sore from the bones, opens the mackerel, takes out the gills and entrails (which are thrown overboard after dressing the catch), and throws the mackerel into a barrel partly filled with water to soak the blood from them, which is called a "wash barrel"; after fc.oaking, they are thrown into a keeler of salt, a few at a time, rubbed all over in the salt, and packed in a " sea barrel," one barrel of salt (3|^ bushels) being used in i)acking four sea barrels; after the barrel is filled and the fish allowed to shrink it is filled up (sometimes there is not time enough to allow it to shrink before heading up). The head of the barrel is put in reversed, on which the private mark of the catcher is cut in to identify it when landed, after which the barrels of mackerel are stowed in the hold. Frequently, when mackerel are scarce and time hangs heavy, industrious ones will "mess" their mackerel by scraping the blood from the backbone and cutting off the heads and tails, losing by the operation thirteen pounds on a hundred, but making the mackerel bring more in the market for the labor. During our voyage we sometimes tried for mackerel with others of the fleet one or two miles from shore, and being "hove to" together, and occasionally picking a mackerel which, as it glistened in the sun com- ing over the rail, no doubt led those on shore to suppose we were get- ting a good catch of fish, when fifteen wash barrels would cover the whole catch for the fleet in several hours' fishing. The latter part of October finds us on the way home, at Georgetown, Prince Edward Island, where we put in for a harbor, paying one dollar for harbor dues, and on 2d of November arrived at Gloucester, having been absent two months and twenty-eight days, and caught 250 sea barrels of mackerel. The mackerel are hoisted out with a horse, the crew paying for it in preference to hoisting them out by hand, as formerly. After being landed each man's lot is stood upon the head together, with the marked [107] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. head up. One of tlie crew uuheacls them, another pitches the mack- erel as wanted into a " culling-crib," which is made about three feet wide and four feet long, with slat bottom, at each end of which stands an ex- perienced and careful "culler," who tosses the mackerel according to their grade into "culling tubs," which hold a half barrel each; two of the crew then i)lace the tubs when full on the j)latform of a beam scale where the "weigher" weighs them off, crying out "barrel of one's," or whatever the weight or grade requires; two of the crew empty them into the "packing cribs," while the master places the account of it under the name of the catcher, and the i^acker with a piece of red chalk marks the head of the barrel or whatever package is used with the grade of the mackerel. Half a bushel of salt to the barrel is used in packing, after which the cooper takes them, and after putting in the head it is rolled out on the whar^ by a laborer and there bored and pickled off by the "pickler." After being pickled off and bunged, they are stood upon their head and branded with the deputy inspec- tor's name and grade of the fish ; the trip is sold by the owner with the master, he acting for himself and crew; the voyage is then made up in the ordinary manner. When the mackerel are delivered to the packer the vessel and crew are done with them as producers. E.— THE MACKEREL GILL-NET FISHERY. 30. — Implements, methods, and results of mackerel dragging-. Considerable quantities of mackerel are sometimes caught in gill- nets at various points along the ISTew England coast from Vineyard Sound to Eastport. For the most part, however, they are taken west of Mount Desert. This fishery is carried on in two ways : The gill-nets may be anchored and left out over night, as is the custom about Prov- incetown, or they may be set from a boat or vessel. The latter method is called " dragging"; the vessels are called "draggers," or "drag-boats," and the fishermen "mackerel draggers." The mackerel gill-nets are 20 to 30 fathoms long, 2^ fathoms deep, with a mesh varying from 2J to 3 inches. In Provincetown harbor they are set in the following manner: About the middle of i^ovember the fishermen of Provincetown Bay begin to put out nets for the large mackerel on its return. On one oc- casion Oai)tain Atwood had twelve nets out, five miles from land. On the last night of lN"ovember ho had taken notliing, but on visiting the nets the next day, he found they had sunk to the bottom filled with mackerel. He, however, succeeded in getting up eight, and the nets as they came to the surface looked like a sheet of silver. Three thou- sand three hundred and sixty mackerel were taken from these eight nets by nightfall. The next day the remaining nets were dragged in and 1,700 more taken, making 5,000 fish netted at a single catch. On an- EEPOET OF COMMISSIONEE OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [108] other occasion a catch lasted three nights, when he alone caught mack- erel enough of the best quality to make sixteen barrels when packed.* In Gloucester harbor and at< other points on the coast of Massachu- setts and Maine they are set in shallow water, one or both ends being anchored and their position marked by buoys on each end of the gang. When set thus in protected harbors they are ordinarily placed across the direction of the tide, usually in a cove or bight of the harbor where the mackerel are known to occur, and wliere they are out of the track of vessels. The most extensive " drag-net fishery" is carried on by the vessels of Portland and Friendship, Me. The method employed by tliese fisher- men six years ago was somewhat as follows : The vessels are small schooners of 15 to 25 tons. They usually run out from the harbor near the close of the day, timing their departure so that they will be upon the fishing grounds about sunset, except when it is necessary to go a long distance out to sea, in which case, of course, the time of starting is earlier. Eeaching a locality where .mackerel are sui^posed to be abundant the vessel is hove to, and a gang of 10 to 20 nets is paid out. The nets are fastened together at top and bottom, and the outer end is marked by a buoy, other buoys being distributed along the gang at in- tervals, the junction between each pair of nets being generally marked by a keg or spar. To the last net is fastened a rope called a " net swing,'^ corresponding to the "fleeth-rope" used by the herring fishermen of Europe. This is a rope of three inches in circumference and 60 to 70^ fathoms long. It is paid out to its full length and made fast at the bow of the vessel. The foresail is then lowered down and furled, and the vessel lies head to the wind, drifting to' leeward and dragging the neta as she goes. If the wind is moderate the whole ihainsail is kept up, but if the breeze is fresh, or what is called a mackerel breeze, it is reefed. Under favorable circumstances the nets are allowed to remain out all night, but the fishermen in the two dories row constantly along the nets back and forth noticing the movements of the fish, and espe- cially looking out for the approach of dogfish. When a school of dog- fish approaches the nets after any number of mackerel have been gilled it is at once necessary to take them in less the dogfish should devour the mackerel, chew innumerable holes in the twine, and roll themselves up in it until it is so twisted and tangled that it takes the labor of days to get it in projier condition for setting again. If the fishermen are not annoyed by dogfish the nets are allowed to remain down, as h.as beei> stated, all night long, and the men in the dories constantly pick out the fish, frequently carrying their catch back to the vessel. When the dogfish attack the nets they haul them in with the utmost exj^edition and bundle them as hurriedly as possible into the bottom of the dory^ and after they have lifted them to the deck of the vessel take out the fish from among the meshes. 'Captain Atwood, Proo. Bos. Soc. Nat., x, 186r)-'66. [109] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. It is part of the duty of the nieu iu the dories to keep a vigihint lookout for approaching vessels. The gaug of nets may be more than half a mile in length, and the keel of a large vessel passing over it would be almost certain to cut it in two. When it is still weather they row toward any vessel which they may see coming and asl^ the men on watch to steer clear of the nets ; otherwise they are obliged to stand by the nets and repair the damages as best they may. Sometimes the approaching ves- sels are induced to stear clear of the nets by the dory men, who hold up a lantern for that purpose. The mackerel caught in this manner are always carried fresh to the shore, and are intended chiefly for the supply of the markets of the large cities. They are packed in bar- rels, and may or may not be gibbed through the gills before reaching shore. A vessel setting a long string of nets may catch as much as fifty barrels of mackerel in a night, but ordinarily not more than five or ten barrels, frequently less. The barrels are carried on deck, and the fish are put in them as soon as they are removed from the nets. When the weather is warm the barrels are filled with ice- water. Be- sides the mackerel caught, considerable quantities of shad and ale- wives are taken in these nets. On an excursion made by one of the writers from Portland in 1873, besides six barrels of mackerel, there were caught with a .small string of nets about forty fine shad, averaging two pounds each, and three or four hundred of that sijecies of ale wives known to the Portland fishermen by the names of " kyack," " cat- thresher," " saw-belly," or " blue-back," probably identical with the glut- herring, Clupea aestivalis, of the Chesapeake basin, the summer ale- wive occasionally taken in New England rivers. On this occasion the mackerel were feeding extensively on various entomostraca, with which the water was filled, and which imparted to it a vivid phosphorescence all night long. The presence of these animals, and of others more minute, causes the water and the nets to "fire" in such a manner as often to render them so visible to the fish that they successfully avoid contact with the twine. The mackerel caught at Provincetown in gill-nets are brought in by the boats, and shipped by the fishermen to Boston in vessels devoted specially to this business, the owners of which receive a percentage upon the amount of their sales. The crew of a Maine mackerel-dragger consists generally of two to four men, the vessels being usually owned by the fishermen. The custom of dragging for mackerel, though practiced for centuries in Europe,* appears to have been first used in this country at Province- *For conveuience of comj)aiison the following descriptiou of drift-net fisMug for mackerel on the coast of England is quoted from Yarrell's British Fishes: "The most common mode of fishing for mackerel, and the way in which the greatest numbers are taken, is by drift-nets. The drift-net is 20 feet deep by 120 feet long ; well corked at the top, but without lead at the bottom. They are made of small fine twine, which is tanned of a reddish-brown color to preserve it from the action of the salt water, and it is thereby rendered much more durable. "The size of the mesh is about 2^ inches, or rather larger. Twelve, fifteen, and EEPOET.OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [110] town about the year 1841, where it is still prosecuted to a considerable extent in addition to the stationary gill-net fishery which has been men- tioned.* At first small open boats were used, such as the one described and figured in the fishery census report under the name of ''Province- town drag-boat." About 1845 Provincetown fishermen with their boats and nets essayed dragging for mackerel in the vicinity of Monhegan, Me., and by their example this practice was introduced into Maine, and since that time it has been carried on at various points on the coast. sometimes eighteen of these nets are attached lengthways by tying along a thick rope, called the drift-rope, and the ends of each net to each other. When arranged for depositing in the sea, a large buoy attached to the end of the drift-rope is thrown overboard, the vessel is put before the wind, and, as she sails along, the rope with the nets thus attached is passed over the stern into the water till the whole of the nets are thus thrown out. The nets thus deposited hang suspended in the water per- pendicularly, 20 feet deep from the drift-rope and extending from three-quarters of a mile to a mile, or even a mile and a half, depending on the number of nets belonging to the party or comjjany engaged in fishing together. When the whole of the nets are thus handed out, the drift-rope is shifted from the stern to the bow of the vessel, and she rides oy it as at anchor. The benefit gained by the boats hanging at the end of the drift-rope is that the net is kept strained in a straight line, which, without this pull upon it, would not be the case. The nets are 'shot' in the evening, and some- times hauled once during the night; at others, allowed to remain in the water all night. The fish roving in the dark through the water hang in the meshes of the nets, which are large enough to admit them beyond the gill-covers and pectoral-fins, but not large enough to allow the thickest part of the body to pass through. In the morning early preparations are made for hauling the nets. A capstan on the deck is manned, about which two turns of drift-rope are taken ; one man stands forward to untie the upper edge of each net from the drift-rope, which is called casting off the lashings ; others haul the net in with the fish caught, to which one side of the vessel is devoted ; the other side is occupied with the drift-rope, which is wound in by the men at the capstan." — (The History of British Fishes, first edition, 1836, vol. 1, pp. 126, 127.) *Capt. N. E. Atwood, at Provincetown, writes as follows in regard to the introduc. tion of the method of dragging for mackerel at Cape Cod : "As early as I can recollect most of the mackerel taken along our coast were caught- with hook and line. A few gill-nets were set at moorings in our harbor and along the Truro shore during the first part of the mackerel season or as soon as the fish came in. The mackerel which were then taken in nets were sent to Boston market and sold fresh, sometimes bringing good prices. As the mackerel would not bite at the hook when they first struck in we would often get two weeks fishing before a sufficient quantity of mackerel were caught on the hook to glut the market. Boston market being at that time small and no ice used in packing, only a few fresh fish could be sold there at any one time. "In 1841 I went to Monomoy Bay (Chatham) to fish for shad; we went out in the bay and put out our gill-nets and drifted with them all night, if the weather would permit that mode of fishing, which we then and have always since called 'dragging.' On my return home to engage in the mackerel net fishery, very few had been caught in nets in our harbor, but large schools of mackerel had been passing in by Race Point and Wood End, and were going up the bay. I took my mackerel nets in the boat and and went out in the bay towards Plymouth, some two or three miles, and put them out and drifted all night; next morning I found I had got a good catch. This occur- rence took plack about the 15th of June, 1841. " It did not take the other fishermen long to get into this new way of fishing, and since that time this method of drag-fishing has been adopted along the coast of Maine and elsewhere." [Ill] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY In 1873, 12 or 15 vessels from 15 to 25 tons were employed at Portland j. at present the number at this j^ort is 18, and quite a fleet of the mack- erel-draggers also belongs to the vicinity of Friendship, Me.* Along the southern coast of Nova Scotia, and about the vicinity of the Straits of Canso, there is an extensive gill-net fishery for mackerel carried on with stationary nets, and, in a smaller degree, a similar fish- ery is prosecuted in some parts of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence.t This fishery on the Nova Scotia coast is prosecuted when the mackerel are traversing the coast line in the spring and fall. "During the mackerel fishing season," remarks Mr. J. Matthew Jones,. " the people along shore appear to live in a state of much excitement^ expecting every hour the 'runs' to come into their bays. The traveler who may desire a horse and wagon to get on from place to place will find hard work to prevail upon the people to hire one out to him with su driver. Lookouts are kept on some elevated spot so that the schools may be seen some distance off" in order to give time for the fishermen to get off in their boats with the net." As at Provincetown, these nets are anchored only at one end, the other eud being left free to swing witk the current. They are sometimes set as far as ten or twelve miles from the shore, in water 20 to 50 fathoms in depth, care being taken to put them as nearly as possible in those localities which are known to lie in the "track" of the mackerel. The mackerel gill-nets are usually set with their upper lines close to the surface ; sometimes, however, as much as 2 or 3 fathoms below. The position of the net in the water is regulated by the length of tha buoy-ropes and the weight of the sinkers. As a rule, especially on the coast of Nova Scotia, they are, however, set close to the surface. In this region also there has been for many years an extensive seine fishery for mackerel corresponding to that which is elsewhere referred to as having been formerly carried on, two hundred and fifty years ago^ on the shores of Cape Cod Bay. The principal points for the seine fish- ery are at Margaret's Bay, west of Halifax, and at Chedabucto Bay, at the eastern part of Nova Scotia. Perley, writing in 1852, remarked: "In those harbors of Nova Scotia which are within the Straits of Canso mackerel have of late years been taken in seines capable of inclosing and securing 800 barrels, and in tiiese seines 400 and even 600 barrels have been taken in a single sweep." | In the same locality Perley refers to the use of the drift-nets, un- doubtedly meaning the set gill-net just described, remarking, however, * Friendship has 12 vessels, Gushing 5, Waldohoro' 2, and Booth Bay and Bremen 1 each ; the total from Maine, inchiding those from Portland, being 39 ; the tonnage is ,'>59.47; number of men, 133. t Schooner "Yankee Lass," of Boston, arrived home last week from a season's mack- ereling trip around the Seven Islands of Saint Lawrence River, with 300 barrels, all large No. 1 mackerel, taken in [gill] nets. — (Cape Ann Advertiser, September 30, 188L) I Fitheriee of New Brunswick, 1852, pp. 13-16. REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OP FISH AND FISHERIES. [112] that tMs mode of fisMng is probably not so well understood on tlie coast of Nova Scotia as in England. He however quotes from Yarrell an account of drift-net fishing in England, which is altogether different from that used in ISTova Scotia and corresponds precisely with the drag- net fishing also described in the beginning of this cha^jter. It is worthy of mention that mackerel as well as herring, on the coast of Europe at the present time, are almost exclusively caught by the use of the drag-net, the only other method in use being the equally old- fashioned one of '^drailing," which was abandoned by our fishermen sixty-five years ago.* The antiquated method of drailing was, however, kept up by the fishermen of the Grulf of Saint Lawrence until 1860, or perhaps even to the present time, for the purpose of obtaining mackerel for bait to be used in the cod fisheries. F.— THE SPRING SOUTHERN MACKEREL FISHERY. The spring mackerel fishery is in reality a branch of the mackeref seine fishery, and the methods employed in it are identical with those described in the previous section of this chapter. In this place it is necessary only to add a history of this fisherj'^, a description of the grounds frequented by the southern fleet, and a few statistical notes. 31. — FiSHINa-GROUNDS. The fishing grounds frequented by the southern mackerel fleet lie between Cape Hatteras and the South Shoals of Nantucket. The fish- ing season is in the months of April and May. The first vessels go south about the middle of March or soon after; but until 1878 no mack-, erel were ever taken before the 1st of April.t 32. — Early catches of mackerel, 1878 to 1881. The earliest catches of the three past years are shown in the following notes : EARLY CATCHES OF MACKEREL IIST 1878. March 30. — Schooner " Lilian," of Noank, Conn., Captain Latham, o£f Chincoteague, April 16. — Schooner "Sarah M. Jacobs," of Gloucester, Capt. Solomon Jacobs, caught her first mackerel in latitude 36° 10' N., longitude 74° 45' W. April 18.— Schooner "Alice," of Swan's Island, Me., Capt. Hanson B. Joyce, masterj caught her first mackerel 25 miles southeast from Cape May. April 25. — Schooner "John Somes," of Swan's Island, Me., Capt. J. S. Staples, mas- ter, caught her first mackerel 50 miles southeast from Cape May. * Though drailing was abandoned so long ago by the professional mackerel fishfer- men of New England, we are, nevertheless, told by Capt. Joseph Smith, of Gloucester, that this method of fishing is still practiced by the Block Island boat fishermen. tSchooners "Edward E. Webster," "NellieN. Eowe," and "Ivanhoe" sailedforthe south on Saturday (March 11) in pursuit of mackerel, the "Webster" getting the start by sailing at 4 o'clock a. m., and the others following at 4 o'clock p. m. This is the earliest start ever made in the mackerel fishery. Last year the " Edward E. Webster" sailed March 15, which was unusually early, and obtained a fare within a week there- after. — (Cape Ann Advertiser, March 17, 1882.) [113] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. EARLY CATCHES OE MACKEREL IN 1879. April 12. — Schooner "Sarah M. Jacobs," of Gloucester, caught first mackerel in latitude 36° 35' N., longitude 74° 50 W. Ap7-ill'A. — Schooner "Augusta E. Herrick," of Swan's Island, Me., Capt. William Herrick, caught first mackerel (130 barrels) in latitude 37^ 37' N., longitude 74° 23' W. Ajjril 13. — A few fish taken by schooner " S. G. Wonson," of Gloucester, 75 miles south-southeast from Cape Henlopen. A2)ril 14. — Schooner " Charles Haskell," of Gloucester, caught first mackerel in lati- tude 3ri^ 08' N., longitude 73° 57' W. April 19. — Schooner "Alice," of Swan's Island, Me., caught first mackerel (140 bar- rels) in latitude 37° 50' N., longitude 74° 03' W. EARLY CATCHES OF MACKEREL IN 1880. April I. — Schooner "Edward E. Webster," of Gloucester, Capt. Solomon Jacobs, caught the first mackerel of the season in latitude 35° 30' N., longitude 74° 15' W. EARLY CATCHES OF MACKEREL IN 1881. March 20. — Schooner " Edward E. Webster," of Gloucester, caught the first fish of the season, and the earliest on record, in latitude .37° 10' N., longitude 74° 05' W. A second trip was caught by the same vessel on April 18 in latitude 38° 38' N., longi- tude 74° 00' W. Ma;/ 1(J. — The schooner "Alice," of Swan's Island, caught 30,t)00 mackerel otf Block Island. * 33. — The vessels. The southern mackerel fishery is participated in by 30 or 40 of the Gloucester mackerel schooners and a number of vessels from Cape Cod and Maine. The total number of vessels engaged in this fishery in 1870-'80 was 64, of which 23 were from Maine jiorts and the remain- der from Massachusetts. These are aniong the swiftest and best of the fleet, and are provided with the fullest amount of canvas for making a quick i)assage to and from the fishing-grounds. T^early all of them have ice-houses arranged in the manner already described. 34. — Apparatus and methods of fishing. The apj)aratus is in every respect identical with that used in the summer fishery; the vessels, however, carry, as has been stated, a much smaller number of barrels than when engaged exclusively in salting the fish. The manner of fishing is the same as that already described, except that the fish being much scarcer and their movements less regular than in summer on the more northern fishing grounds, a greater amount of vigilance and perseverance is required on the part of the fishermen. This is the season of the migration of the mackerel, and it is necessary that the fishermen should understand how to follow the schools of fish as they make their way northward, even if they are out of sight for tnred fish alive, and without injury, into the smack's well. Vessels belonging north of Cape Cod at that time rarely if ever sold their fish fresh, although they often went as far south as the cajjes of Delaware. Their fares were salted and carried to Boston or other ports in the ordinary manner. The southern mackerel fishery was undoubtedly first prosecuted by vessels from Caj)e Ann; at least we have been unable to obtain relia- * Dispatches received here yesterday announce the arrival of schooner " J. J. Clark " at Now York on Monday, with 150 barrels fresh mackerel, which sold at from 6 to 18 cents apiece according to size, and later of the arrival at the same jiort of the schooners "Seth Stockbridge," "A. M. Terry," "Snuiggler," and "T. M. Cromwell," each with 200 barrels; "Moses Adams," 300; "Maud and Effle," 250 ; " Golden Hind," 75 ; "Fleet- wing," 65 ; " H. A. Duncan," 20 ; and " James A. Stetson," 50 barrels, which were sold at from 8 to 12 cents apiece. — (Cape Ann Bulletin, April 17, 1878.) [115] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. ble accounts of any fisliermen from other ports engaging in this fishery at an earlier date. "Capt. John Parsons, of Eockport," writes Mr. A. Howard Clark, says "that he was one of the first to go south after mackerel from that port. He went in 1817 in the schooner 'Defiance' of 35 tons. They went as far south as Cape May, and caught GO barrels of mackerel, all of which were taken by drailing. They had outriggers for towing their lines, and the lead sinkers weighed from 4 to pounds." An item in the Cape Ann Advertiser of May 20, 1859, remarks : "The practice of going south for mackerel has almost died out of late years, and this year there are but three or four vessels in the business. Some of the vessels which go in quest of bait take mackereliug ai^para- tus with them." " The practice of going south for mackerel in spring," writes Mr. Earll, " was first begun in Maine by a Georgetown vessel, the ' Queen of the M^est,' Capt. Francis Lowe, in May, 1851. She was gone but a short time (four to six weeks), and returned with a full fare, afte^^ which she proceeded to the bay. The next year the schooner 'Areola,' Capt. Warren Low, of Georgetown, joined the 'Queen of the West' on her southern spring trip, and in 1853 three went. Booth Bay sent none south until 1867, when the 'Cynosure' went, and Southport sent her first vessel south in 1868. In 1879 five or six went from this section. Vessels from Massachusetts, as stated above, had engaged in this fish- ery at even an earlier date." G.— THE EARLY METHODS OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY (1620 to 1820). 35. — Catching mackerel ^th drag-seines. The method chiefly practiced by the colonists of New England for the capture of mackerel was that of drag-seining, and we find as early as 1626 a record of the establishment, by Isaac Allerton, of a fishing station at Hull, where mackerel were seined by moonli ght. There can be little doubt that the practice of fishing with baited hooks was also early introduced, and that in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries groups of boats might have been seen, as at the present day, clustered together in the harbors, or near the outer shores, their crews busily engaged in hauling in the tinkers, and, occasionally, larger mackerel, which during the summer season found their way into these protected waters. It is not known when the custom of drailing for mackerel was first introduced, but it was, beyond question, the common method at the close of the last and the beginning of the present century. In July, 1677, the records of th'e Plymouth colony show that the Cape Cod fishery was let seven years, at £30 per annum, to seine mackerel and bass, to certain individuals who are named. They were restricted EEPOET OF COMMISSIONEE OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [116] to take in the Plymouth colonists with them ; and if none offer, to admit str'angers. The profits of the hire which accrued to the colony were sometimes distributed to the schools. (Mass. Hist. Collections, iii, 220.) A writer in the Historical Society's collections gives the following de- scription of these fisheries (vol. iv, 2d series, p. 232): "The aborginal name of this fish (the mackerel) is Wawunnebeseag, a plural term sig- nifying fatness — a very descriptive and appropriate name. The mode of taking these fish is while the vessel is under quick way and the helm secured, when all are engaged at the long veered lines, of which it is said that one man will attend three, and it may be more. The first manner of taking mackerel was by seining by moonlight. This perhap>s was first practiced by Mr. Isaac Allerton and his fishing company at Hull as early as 1626. After half a century the mode of fishing was changed to that of drailing with long lines while the vessel was under easy way; and this mode has been changed within these last twenty years (1811-1831). The mode of fishing generally practiced now is to invite the fish around the vessel while lying to by throwing out great quantities of fish cut in small pieces, and to take them with short lines held in the hand and drawn in with a single motion of the arm. By this method it is thought that thrice as many fish may be taken in a given time as by any other method. They are a capricious and sportive fish. In clondy and even wet weather they take the hook with most avidity. They are very partial to the color of red; hence a rag of that hue is sometimes a bait. A small strip of their own flesh taken from near the tail is used with most success." Seining mackerel with drag seines is still practiced extensively in the British provinces. That the practice was in vogue in Massachusetts less than fifty years ago is shftwn by the following item : "Last week twenty barrels of mackerel were seined 'at one haul at Sandy Point by Captain Baker. His seine is 500 yards long. A few weeks ago he inclosed a multitude of fishes, principally menhaden shad. It is estimated that their number was 200,000." — (Gloucester Telegraph, June 30, 1838.) In his history of Scituate, pp. 25-27, Samuel Deane writes: "In early times the shores of our bays were skirted with forest trees quite near to the water's edge. In the month of June, when all nature is in bloom, the volatile farina of the forest trees then floats in the air, and occasionally settles on the smooth surface of the seas. Then it is that this playful fish, attracted by this phenomenon, leaps and bounds above the surface of the water. So again, at a later season, in July and August, winged insects, carried away by the southwest winds, settle and rest on the bosom of the ocean, a welcome herald, it is said, to the mackerel-catcher. Such are the habits of many fishes ; and hence the use of the fly as a bait by the angler of the trout streams." Douglas, in 1747, says : "Mackerel, split, salted, and barreled for the [117] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. negroes iu tlie Sugar Islands, are caught either by hook, seines, or meshes. Tliose by liook are the best, those by seines are worst, because iu bulk they are bruised. Mackerel will not take the hook unless it have a motion of two or three knots; if quicker they will take the hook, but their jaw being tender gives way, and the mackerel is lost. There are two seasons of mackerel, spring and autumn; the autumn mackerel are the best; those of the si)riug appear about the middle of May, very lean, and vanish in two or three weeks." 36. — DEAILIlvra FOR MACKEREL. Captain Atwood writes: "In my boyhood, when 1 caught my first mackerel, nobody thought of jigging them. We then took them in the same way as bluefish are caught. My first experience in mackerel fish- ing took place when I was a little boy, about 1815. I went out with two old men. One of them fished in the stern of the boat, and when it did not sail fast enough the other and myself^ — I was eight years old at the time — had to row, in order, by the more rapid motion of the boat, to induce the fish to bite. They would not bite unless the line was towed. Two great long poles were run out, one just forward, in such a manner that our vessel had the appearance of a long-armed spider. The poles were straight, and one line was fastened at one part, and another line on the end of the pole, in order to have them separated. This style of fishing continued until about the time when I began to go to sea, about 1820. Jigging for mackerel then commenced, bait being thrown over- board, and the fish being thus attracted alongside of the vessel, and this soon came into general use." Capt. James Turner, of Isle au Haut, Me., who assures us that as late as 1815 the fishermen drailed for mackerel, gives the following ac- count of this method of fishing: "While drailing, the sails were trimmed in such a manner that, when the helm was partly down, the vessel would 'jog' along slowly, making a little leeward drift, so that the lines would trend off at a slight angle from the weather side. Each man had one line, the end of which was attached to the end of a pole that was fastened to the vessel's rail, pro- jecting out about 8 feet at right angles with the side of the vessel. The fisherman held in his hand a hauling-line which was attached to the middle of the one fastened to the pole, so that he might know when a fish took the hook and be able to haul it in." " About a pound of sheet lead was wound around the line a foot above the hook. When the vessel was engaged in fishing, the man standing- forward threw over a small amount of fine bait (which had previously been chopped with hatchets) occasionally, scattering it along in order to attract the fish, and keep them near the vessel." The following paragraphs are quoted from an essay in the Fishermen's Memorial and Record Book: "Trailing was one of the means used to catch mackerel in the olden EEPORT OF COMMISSIONEE OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [118] time, and one of our old fishermen informs us that when a lad he dis- tinctly remembers of being out in Boston Bay, one day, in a boat with his father, when he saw a vessel which looked very strangely to his young eyes, and, boy-like, he asked his father what sort of craft it was. "'That's a trailer, my boy, and we'll speak with him,'" was the reply. "They sailed quite near, and they observed that the vessel had out- riggers of long poles on each side, commencing forward at about seven- teen feet, and tapering off to five feet aft. At the ends lines were fastened, about twenty fathoms long, with a sinker of four pounds, and hook below. To each of these lines was attached a bridle, reaching to the side of the vessel, where the fishermen stood to feel the bites. This particular vessel was from Hingham, and had been out four weeks without receiving even a bite, and the skipper said he was going to give it up and go home." "The present mode of catching mackerel by drifting and tolling with bait did not come into general use until after 1812. The gear for catch- ing, previous to that, was a white hempen bob-line, as it was called, and the style of fishing was termed 'bobbing' mackerel. These lines were some seven fathoms in length, with a leaden sinker two inches long, and shaped like a thin pea-pod. At one end was a ganging about a foot long, for the hook. Every few minutes off would go the hook, and extra hooks were always in readiness to replace those lost. This mode con- tinued until the year 1816, when Abraham Lurvey, of Pigeon Cove, discovered a method of running lead around the hooks, and which were afterward called jigs. This he kept secret for many months. The hooks then in use were nearly as large as the haddock hooks of to-day. The small lines and fly -lines did not come into use until about 1823. About this time the gafl:' was introduced, and was abandoned after being used some ten years."* It seems scarcely necessary to discuss more in detail the methods used during the first two centuries of the mackerel fishery of i^orth America. In a following chapter an effort will be made to present a chrono- logical history of the fishery from its inception to the present time. *Tlie mackerel gaif was used to some extent, by the hook and line fishermen, as late as 1865, and possibly even since that time. [119] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. in.— LEGISLATION FOR THE PROTECTION OF MACKEREL. H.— LAWS, PETITIONS, AND PEOTESTS. 37. — Legislation in the seventeenth and eighteenth cent- uries. At an early clay in the history of the United States a failure of the mackerel fishery was apprehended. The following notices of legisla- tion, copies of laws, and newspaper extracts will serve to give an idea of the state of public opinion at different periods from 1660 to the pres- ent time: 1660. — Early regulation of the mackerel fishery. — The commissioners of the United Colonies recommended to the several general courts to regu- late the mackerel fishery; conceiving that fish to be the most staple commodity of the country. Few, who have not investigated the subject, have at the present day an adequate conception of the importance of this branch of productive industry. — (Freeman's Hist, of Cape Cod, Boston, 1862, vol. i, p. 239.) 1670. — Prohibition of early mackerel fishing by laws of Plymouth Col- ony. — Wheras wee haue formerly seen Grreat Inconvenience of taking mackerell att vnseasonable times wherby there encrease is greatly demin- ished and that it hath bine proposed to the Court of the Massachusetts that some course might be taken for preventing the same and that they have lately drawne vp an order about the same this Court doth enacte and order that henceforth noe makerell shalbe caught except for spending while fresh before the first of July Annually on penal tie of the losse of the same the one halfe to the Informer and the other halfe to the vse of the Collonie; and this order to take place from the 20th of this Instant June. — (Plymouth Colony Eecords,vol. xi, 1623-1682. Laws, p. 228.) 1g84. — Prohibition of mackerel seining. — In 1680, Cornet Eobert Stet- son, of Scituate, and Nathaniel Thomas, of Marshfield, hired the Cape fishery for bass and mackerel. In 1684, the court enacted a law " pro- hibiting the seining of mackerel in any part of the colony"; and the same year leased the Cape fishery for bass and mackerel to Mr. William Clark for seven years, at £30 per annum. Subsequently^ to 1700, it is certain that the mackerel were very abun- dant in Massachusetts Bay. It was not uncommon for a vessel to take a thousand barrels in a season. The packing, as it is called, was chiefly done at Boston and Plymouth. — (Deane's History of Scituate, Mass.) 1692. — Repeal of prohibitory laws in Massachusetts. — And be it further EEPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [120] enacted and declared, That tlie clause in the act, entituled "An Act for the Eegulating and Encouragement of Fishery", that henceforth no mackeril shall be caught (except for spending whilst fresh), before the first of July annually, be and hereby is fully repealed and made void, anything therein to the contrary notwithstanding. [Passed February 8, lG92-'3.] — (Acts and Resolves of tbe Province of Massachusetts Bay, vol. 1, 1692-1714, p. 102.) 1692. AN ACT for the regulating and encouragement of fishery. Upon consideration of great damage and scandal, that hath happened upon the account of pickled fish, although afterwards dried and hardly discoverable, to the great loss of many, and also an ill rexjutation on this province, and the fishery of it, — Be it therefore enacted hy the Governor^ Council and Representatives^ convened in General Court or Assembly, and it is enacted by the authority of the same, [Sect. 1.] That no person or i^ersons whatsoever, after the publica- tion hereof, shall save or salt any sort of fish (that is intended to be dried) in cask or fattes, or any other way than what hath formerly and honestly been practised for the making of dry fish, on penalty of forfeit- ing all such fish so salted and pickled, whether it be green or drye ; the one moiety thereof to the use of the poor of the town where the offence is committed, and the other moiety to the person that shall sue for the same. And it is further enacted by the authority aforesaid, [Sect. 2.] That henceforth no mackrel shall be caught (except for spending whilst fresh) before the first of July annually; and no person or persons whatsoever, after the publication hereof, shall at any time or place wdthin this province take, kill, or hale ashore any mackrel, with any sort[s] of nets or sa'ens whatsoever, on penalty of forfeiting all such mackrel so taken or haled ashore, and also all such nets or sa'ens which were so imployed ; the one-half thereof to their majesties towards the support of this their government, and the other half to him or them that shall inform and sue for the same. And all justices are hereby im- powered, and required to grant their warrants for the seizing of the same and the aforesaid forfeitures, or the receiving of the like value in currant money of this province. [Passed November 26, 1692.] [Acts and Resolves of the Province of Massachusetts Bay. Vol. 1, 1692-1714, p. 71. Province Laws, 1692-3. Chap. XXXII.] N 1702. — Be- enactment of prohibitory laws. AN ACT for the reviving and re-enacting a clause in the act intituled ''An act for the regulating and encouragement of fishery" that hath been for some time repealed by the General Assembly. Whereas, in the second paragraph of the said act it is enacted "that henceforth no mackerel shall be caught (except for spending whilst fresh) [121] HISTOEY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. before the first of Jii1,y aunually"; and wbereas the said clause, by an act afterwards made and passed by the general assembly [1692-3 Feb. 8.], was repealed and made void, which said repeal and the unseasona- ble catching' of mack[a]rel thereupon hath been experienced to be very prejudicial to this province, — Be it therefore enacted by Ilis Excellency the Governour, Council and Representatives [convened] in General Court or Assembly, and it is enacted by the authority of the same, That the said clause above-recited shall be and is hereby revived and re-enacted, and that henceforth no person or persons whatsoever shall presume to catch or cause to be caught any mack[a]rel, (except for spending whilst fresh,) before the first of July annually, on penalty of forfeiting all the mack[a]rel so caught contrary to the true intent and meaning of this act, and twenty shillings per barrel over and above for each barrel of the same; the one-half of the said forfeiture to be to her majesty for and towards the support of this her government, and the other half to him or them that shall inform and sue for the same in any of her majesty's courts of record within this province. [Passed November 11, 1702; signed by the Governor and published November 21, 1702.] — (Acts and Eesolves of the Province of Massachusetts Bay, vol. i, 1692-1714, p. 507.) 38. — Protests against GiGGiNa and seining in the present CENTURY. 1838-9. — Protests against gigging. — The Boston Journal protests strongly against the barbarous method of taking mackerel called "gig- ging,"* and urges that it is not only liable to censure on the score of hu- manity, but it is also impoUtic, and that if this destructive method of fishing- is generally continued a few j^ears longer it will break up the fishery. We have for a year or two past entertained a similar opinion, and probaibly the complaints now so frequently made by the fishermen that, though mackerel are plenty, they "will not bite," is owing* to the custom of "gigging." There is hardly anything which possesses life that has so little instinct as not to become very shy under such barbar- ous inflictions. It is obvious that all which are hooked in this manner are not taken on board ; the gig frequently tears out, and thousands, millions of these fish are lacerated by these large hooks and afterwards die in the water.— (Newburyport Herald, Gloucester Telegraph, Sept. 23, 1838.) The following j^rotest appeared in the Gloucester Telegraph, Wed- nesday, August 7, 1839, it being a quotation from the Salem Register : "All the mackerel men who arrive report the scarcity of this fish, and at the same time I notice an improvement in taking them with nets at Cape Cod and other places. If this speculation is allowed to go on with- out being checked or regulated by the government, will not these fish be as scarce on the coast as penguins are, which were so plenty before * The method of capture called "gigging" here is undoubtedly gaffing, since a fish- gaff is even yet called a "gig" by some of our fishermen. EEPORT or COMMISSIONEE OF FISH AND FISHEEIES. [122] the Eevolutionary war that our fishermen could take them with their gaffs'? But dariug the war some mercenary and cruel individuals used to visit the islands on the eastern shore where were the haunts of these birds for breeding, and take them for the sake of the fat, which they procured, and then let the birds go. This proceeding finally destroyed the whole race. It is many years since I have seen or heard one except on the coast of Cape Born. In 1692 the General Court passed an act prohibiting the taking of mackerel before the first day of July annually, under penalty of forfeiting the fish so taken. In 1702 this act was re- vived with additional penalties — besides forfeiting the fish and ajiparatus for taking, 20 shillings per barrel, and none to be taken with seines or "A FISHERMAN "Maeblehead, August 3, 1839." 1859. — Protests against the use of seines. — A petition is now before the Committee on Fisheries, in the House, to abolish the catching of mack- erel in seines on our coast. As mackerel can now be caught only in this way, and many of our people are interested in this business, it becomes highly important that any such stupid petition should be prostrated at once. Mr. Gifford has asked for a delay in the petition, and Mr. Atwood has written to show the nature of the business upon our coast. One thing is certain, if we do not take the mackerel in seines or nets we shall get none at all. — (Provincetown Banner, February, 1859.) 1870-1882. — Protest against the purse seine.— ^ince the general adop- tion of the purse-seine no year has passed without a considerable amount of friction between fishermen using this engine of wholesale destruc- tion in the capture of mackerel and menhaden and those engaged in fishing with other forms of apparatus. Petitions to Congress and State legislatures have been made from both sides, and in some instances laws have been passed by State legislatures prohibiting the use of menhaden seines within certain specified tracts of water, such as the Chesapeake Bay. These laws, while especially antagonistic to menhaden fishing, were aimed chiefly at the purse-seine as a means of capture, and would doubtless have been equally prohibitory of mackercd fishing with purse- seines had this been attempted within the limits. In 1878 a delegation of fishermen from Portland, Me., and Gloucester, Mass., visited Wash- ington for the purpose of securing the passage of a law prohibiting the use of purse-seines in the mackerel fishery. In. 1882 the clamors of shore fishermen, especially on the coast of New Jersey, led to the ap- pointment of a committee of the United States Senate, which at the time of printing this report is engaged in taking testimony regarding the effect of the purse-seine upon the menhaden fishery, and incident- ally upon other fisheries of the coast. The labors of this committee will probably result in the recommendation of some form of legislation which will apply, in part at least, to the mackerel fishery. In the summer of 1882 a serious commotion was caused among the [123] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERIES. mackerel fishermen by the aunouucemeiit of the intention of a unmber of menhaden fishermen to employ their steamers and nets in the mack- erel fishery. It was the impression among these men that the mackerel were to be used for the mauufacture of oil and guano, but this has been denied by Capt. David T. Church and other representative men, who, reasonably enough, state that they could not aftbrd to use so valuable a fish for this purpose, and who claim that they have an undoubted right to use their steamers in the ca|)ture of mackerel for sale fresh in the markets and for pickling. As a matter of record we reproduce the following jjaragraphs from an editorial in the Cape Ann Advertiser, July 14, 1882: " It is not a difficult matter to anticipate the result if this class of steamers engage in this branch of the fisheries. There is no reason to doubt their ability to catch almost or quite as many mackerel as they have formerly caught menhaden. Several of them are large, capable of carrying 2,800 barrels of fish in bulk. These carry a double gang of men, and apparatus to correspond. During moderate weather, when mackerel generally school th<; best, and sailiug vessels find it difficult to move, these steamers can i)lay around the fleet of schooners, catch al- most every fish that shows itself, and carry them away to be used, not for food fish as they were intended, but for oil and guano, to enrich a few men at the expense of many." "If the steamers were to engage in the mackerel fishery, selling their catch for food, and w^ere obliged to spend the requisite time for dress- ing them, w^hich would debar them from an overcatch and carrying them to market, thus placing them on somewhat equal footing with the other fishermen, there could be no reasonable objection to their employ- ment; but it certainly seems, in view of this startling innovation, that some decided action should be taken by 'the powers that be' to pre- vent the catch of mackerel for the puri)Ose of manufacturing oil and guano. Thej^ are altogether too valuable for such a purjiose, and the risk of breaking up the schools and driving them almost entirely from our waters, as has been the case with menhaden, is altogether too great. "Unless some action is taken, and taken at once, and stringent laws enacted, we may confidently look forward to the destruction in a few years of ofte of the important industries of New^ England and the per- manent and serious injury of large communities which now derive a considerable part of their support from the mackerel fishery." REPOET OF COMMISSIONER OF FI8H AND FISHERIES. [124] O GC CO P^ o O o I— I < CZ2 H O O o > Q <1 o > p s H Q < cq O S o o w 02 w •a8H ■aniBA ^ ■*+ ■ r- IC ■9Si!nnox •S[ass3A •n8j\[ jTsaS JO aruBA ■anxBjV •aSBauox ■SI9SS9A I 55 ::? 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[126] 1 -is o " 1 :i : 00 •aSunuox cc r*i 10 1 00 00 ■ t- 00 co" o3 0° j •siaesa^ ' 00 ■ 10" ■aaK Ort OJ CO ^ rt '^ .-T CO aScuuox ic CO 00 00 ■^ 10 CJS oi (-.^ CO t-^ (M D' 00 >-HO «3 rl to" to' to in CO •epssaj^ tO.-'OSiM t~TH t- tc 5 - 1 2 CC H 1 E a d (C £ s ii i' ^ . K.) i^-S rr, \t w =§1 H ^ C ..a t; 0. H "2 ^ >i a g S^S H tc D f=< © .a J3 =4-5.-, W a 2 i-l ati ^ a cT ^ ?, s 9'^ ^ £_a js M 3 IS 3.S -< CO 'M " -.a a ■* 3 r-T co" i •>J^ E 1 3 ^ ■^ m CO CO M a a t> in -* i-( 05 •3 H I '-' > i • IN ; ^ ;3 10 S 3 a cs aj 1 : ;??! : S be a s a a a : IM bX)3 1 EH 2 m in 9 t> l> 1^ . a a te ? •* CO . a a a a OD 4) H t^ ■* Td > _, S -* 3 © a ;:5 CO CO 5* CO a CO cs co' a 3 t- 05 H Oi I-l !> » ® 00 1 l> ■«*»-< -^ a T-T co- in in CO 000c -* ^ -*0 01 CO CO ■ w r- CO t^ ^ « CH H CO rH 0: (M > • ® 1 .2 15-2 ^tii 2 H a > ? a 3 ?^ 30 1 [127] histoey of the mackerel fishery. 42. — The products of the north American mackerel fishery FOR 1880. (With tables ) From the earliest settlement of the country the laaclcerel fisheries have been extensively prosecuted by a larae number of people living- along the New England coast as well as by many of the inhabitants of the British Provinces. The catch has varied greatly from time to lime, and seasons of extreme plenty have often been ibllowcd by those of remarkable scarcity. Various theories have been advanced to account for this fluctuation. Many have been inclined to attribute it to over- fishing or to the apparatus employed in the fishery, M'hile others claim that the movements of the fish are affected by natural causes, such as tem])erature, currents, the presence or absence of food, and the like, over which man has little or no control. Whatever the causes that influence the movements of the fish, the fact of great variation in the abundance of the species from time to time remains. In 1804, according to the returns of the various fish inspectors, 8,079 barrels of mackerel were packed in Massachusetts, while in 1814, only 1,349 barrels were put up. In 1831 the quantity was increased to 383,058, this being the largest amount ever inspected in the State. A ])eriod of scarcity followed, and between 1839 and 1845 the inspection returns show an average of only 67,674 barrels annually. About 1860 the fish were again abundant, and for eight years the quantity packed averaged 246,877 barrels. This period of plenty was in turn followed by one of scarcity, which culminated in 1877, at which time only 105,017 barrels were inspected, and the fishery was practically a failure, resulting in great loss both to fishermen and capitalists. Fortunately this condition of affairs is at an end, and the fishery is again in a prosperous condi- tion; the catch of the New England fishermen at present, if we include the fish sold fresh, bei.ng larger than at any time since the origin of the fishery. In 1880 the New England mackerel fishermen met with marked success, though those of the British Provinces were not so fortunate. By the mid- dle of March a number of the Maine and Massachusetts vessels sailed for the South to engage in the spring fishery, and by the 20th of the following month the last of the fleet, which consisted of 64 sail, averag- ing 65.66 tons each, were under way. The season opened with a haul of 25,000 mackerel taken off' the Virginia capes on the 2d of April. These were carried to New York where they met with a ready sale at good figures. From that time mackerel were taken frequently, the fleet working northward with the fish as the season advanced, reaching Long- Island about the last of April, and Cape Cod a few weeks later. The season was not a very satisfactory one for the Southern fleet,- as the catch was small, and the fish were of poor quality, a majority of the \essels en- gaged making comparatively light stocks, while many of them scarcely paid expenses. As the summer approached, the fishing improved greatly, the fish increasing both in number and ?i.iaiity, and the vSouthern fleet REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [128] was joined by a large number of vessels from the \-arious fishing- ports. Later, as the vessels arrived from their trips to the codfish banks, many were fitted oat to engage in tlie mackerel fishery, and by the 1st of August the fishing was at its height, the fleet numbering 408 sail, averaging a trifle over 50 tons apiece. Of this number 343 were provided with purse- seines for engaging in the ofif-sh^^e fisheries, while 125 fished with hook or net chiefly on the inshore grounds. The value of this fleet, including the fishing gear and the outfits, reached $2,122,360, and 5,043 men were employed. A little later in the season about 25 of the vessels pro- ceeded to the Gulf of KSaint Lawrence in the hope of meeting with better success; but few fish were seen, and the venture resulted disastrously to a large majority of them, many failing to pay expenses, while a few re- turned without having caught a fish. These vessels on their return at once joined the home fleet, and meeting with good success, most of them were enabled to make good the loss which they had previously sustained. About the 1st of July an unprecedentedlj' large body of mackerel entered the Gulf of Maine, many of them visiting the shore- waters, en- tering the various harbors and coves, where they remained for some weeks. During their stay in these iu-shore waters thousands of men and boys engaged in their capture from small boats, and in many localities a ma- jority of the male population participated in the fishery to a greater or less extent. The pound -nets along the southern coast of ISIew England were peculiarly successful, while large quantities were taken in the trai)s and weirs between Cape Cod and Penobscot Bay. Probably not less than 10,000 people along various portions of the coast of Maine were en- gaged in mackerel hooking during some portion of the season, though many of them fished chiefly for pleasure, while others caught only limited quantities for home supply. About 3,500 followed the business regularly for sometime, many of them reahzing considerable profit from the work. In Massachusetts a similar condition of affairs existed, and thousands of persons engaged in the fishery from small boats to a greater or less ex- tent, fully 2,000 fishing extensively for profit. Most of the fish taken by both the vessel and boat fishermen were of uniform size and of excellent quality. Few extremely large ones were secured, while there was also a notable absence of "tinkers." Over two-thirds of the catch were branded as "twos," many of them going as "extras." During the season, which lasted till the 1st of December, nearly 132,000,000 pounds of mackerel were taken. Of this quantity the Massachusetts fishermen caught 95,000,000 pounds, and those of Maine secured 31,000,000 pounds, the bulk of the remainder being taken by the citizens of Xew Hampshire and Connecticut. Over 75 per cent, of the entire catch was salted, about 22,000,000 pounds were sold fresh for food, nearly 5,000,000 ])ounds were used for canning, and the rest were sold for bait or for fertilizing purposes. The value of the catch, as placed upon the market, was $2,000,534. The following table shows in detail the extent and value of the fishery for the United States during the year: [129] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. Tabic showing, hy States, the qiiantitij of maclcerel taken hij the New EiHjland fishermen in 1880, and the value of the same in the condition imchich they tvere placed upon the market. Total. Disposition of catch. Stato. Pounds of round mackerel taken. "Value of mack- erel as sold. Pounds used for pickling. Pounds used for canning. Pounds used fresh for food. Pounds used fresh for bait. 0=*- »i Total 131, 939, 255 $2, 606, 534 103,142,400 4, 957, 455 22, 239, 400 1,100,000 500, 000 Maine 31, 694, 455 2, .573, 000 95, 528, 900 89, 000 1, 303, 900 750, 000 659, 304 48, 181 3, 858, 342* 1,669 24, 976 14, 062 27, 342, 000 ^, 379, 600 72, 153, 900 1, 252, 455 3, 000, 000 193, 400 18, 170, 000 89, 000 37, 000 750, 000 100, 000 i," 000,' 000 Massachusetts 3, 705, OOO'- 500, 000 1, 266, 900 (?) * Ineludinp,- both the fre.«h and salt mackerel used for canning;. As already intimated, there was a great falliug off in the Provincial mackerel fisheries during the year, the bulk of the catch, which amounted to over 70,000,000 pounds, according to the Canadian Fishery Eeport, t being taken by the shore fishermen of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. Of the entire quantity 233,609 barrels were pickled. In the Canadian report the average price of the salt mackerel is given as Jfe9.25 per barrel, but as the fish were much inferior in quality to the American catch, these figures are evidently incorrect. Statistics show that 105,730 barrels of the above, equal to nearly one-half of the catch, were mar- keted in the United States (and it is fiiir to presume that these were of average quality), where they were ordinarily sold at lower figures than the fish taken by the ]S"ew England fleet. If we suppose the Canadian fish to be equal to those taken on our own shores (a supposition which is hardly warranted), the value of the catch, as giyeu by the Canadian aii- thorities, must still be reduced by $818,662, as the average price of the New England fish during the season was only $5.75 per barrel. The following table shows in detail the extent of the catch for the several Provinces : t Supplement No. 2 | to the Eleventh Annual Report of the | Minister of Marine and Fisheries | for the year 1880. =;== Fisheries Statements | for the year | 1880. Otta-wa: | Printed by MacLean, Roger & Co., Wellington street. | 1881. EEPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [130] 'I?^ rao.y jjodajj; neipeaeo jD'aSuj c pp.53, 76, 100, 118. 165 215 249 269 1 •aniBA. 00 o -J. :d 05 Canned macker •ai30 jad aoijd 9§Ba8AY 13 m •dn !jnd subo jo .laqtnn^ o 03T* CO 00:0' -T)iess mackerel are made from any grade, but principally from numbers two and one fish, free from the heads and tails, and with the blood scraped off. EEPOET OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [140] The size aud material of packages for pickled mackerel are regulated by law. The Massachusetts statutes require that pickled fish be put up in tierces contaiuiug each 300 pounds; in barrels, 200 pounds; half-bar- rels, 100 pounds, or in packages containing a less quantity, upon which the weight of the fish therein is legibly branded. Large quantities of mackerel are put up in a sort of firkin, culled a kid or kit, which holds about 25 pounds, or an eighth of a barrel. Quarter-barrels are also used to a considerable extent, and for the last two or three years packers have used tin cans containing about 5 pounds of fish each. All packages, except those containing less than 25 pounds weight, must be made of sound, well-seasoned wood, and be well hooped. The staves may be of either white or red oak, spruce, pine, or chestnut, and must be 28 inches long. The heads may be of either above kinds of wood, planed, and when of pine must be free from sap or knots. They must measure seventeen inches between the chimes. Each tierce, barrel, and half-barrel must be well hooped with at least twelve hoops, three on each chime and the same number on each bilge. The barrels must contain not less than 28 nor more than 29 gallons ; the half-barrels not less than 15 gallons, and the tierces not less than 45 nor more than 46 gallons each. Each cask must be made in a workmanlike manner, and be branded on its side, near the bung, with the name of the maker. All casks not properly made may be rejected by the inspector. New Hamp- shire laws require rift timber for staves. In Maine poplar staves are also allowed. Barrels for packing fish are manufactured in various parts of New England, but most of them are made in Maine, Bangor being the head- quarters for this industry. They are sent to the fishing ports either put together ready for use or in shooks that are made into barrels at the cooper-shops in Gloucester and other places. The demand for barrels at the fishing ports sometimes exceeds the supply, so that their value is greatly enhanced. In 1881, during the height of the season, they fre- quently sold at over a dollar apiece, but the usual price for some years past has been from forty to sixty cents. Old barrels that have served one or more trips on the vessels for holding salt or fish are often repaired and sold at cheaper rates. While Trapani, Cadiz, and Liverpool salt are used in salting mack- erel, Liverpool salt is more generally preferred, as it keeps the fish in better condition. The salt is taken from home by the mackerel vessels. It is carried in barrels that are stowed in the hold until occasion comes to use it, when it is emptied and the barrels are used for mackerel. The quantity of salt required to prepare a barrel of mackerel ready for branding is about 108 pounds. On the vessel it is customary to u^e one and one-sixth bushels of salt for stowing down each barrel of fish, or 3^ bushels for three barrels. On shore one-half bushel is used for each packed barrel, and as there is a shrinkage of one-tenth in packing, we find the total quantity of salt required to produce a barrel of packed [141] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL TISHERY. mackerel is 108 pounds, or three jionnds over a bushel and a half of salt. The entire shrinkage on mackerel from the fresh to the packed state is 33 per cent. The cost of packing mackerel varies with the price of barrels, salt, and labor. During the war it was very high, and it continued so until about 1876, when it was reduced to about $1.75 per barrel. In 1880 it varied from $1.30 to $1.50, and in 1881, owing to a large demand for barrels for the increased catch of fish, packing advanced to $2 during the height of the season, and averaged about $1.75. This cost of pack- ing includes all the expense incurred in preparing the fish for market after they have been received from the vessel in sea-packed barrels. The packer is generally a deputy inspector, who is also part owner of the fish to be packed and inspected. He therefore realizes a profit both in the packing and in the sale of the mackerel. In some cases, however, the packer is not at all interested as an owner, but is hired as ji deputy inspector to prepare the fish for market. With a gang of men he goes to the wharf where the mackerel have been landed from the vessel, and being provided by the owners of the fish with barrels, salt, pickle, and culling and weighing apparatus, he performs the work, and charges from 50 centsto $1 for assorting, weighing, packing, coopering, and branding. He may also make a profit on the labor in addition to his lawful inspec- tion fee. The inspection fee, exclusive of the labor and cooperage, is 9 cents per barrel in Massachusetts and New Hampshire, of which amount the personal inspecting officer is entitled to 8 cents and the general inspector to 1 cent. In Maine, where there is no general inspector, the fee is 7 cents per barrel. This fee is to be paid by the owner of the fish or the per- son hiring the inspector, and may be recovered of a purchaser. In settling with the crew of a mackerel vessel under the old methods of capture, the share of each man depended on his individual catch of fish. At the present day, when seining is the almost universal mode of capture, it is impossible to follow the old way of determming the shares, what the men I'eceive depending on the total catch. One man may receive a half or quarter-share because of his inexperience, while another may receive a share and a half for his unusual activity or some other reason. Th.e extra half share, however, would be paid by the owners of the ves- sel as a premium for the best work. Barrels and salt for use on the vessel are provided by the vessel- owners, who also furnish the apparatus of capture and the provisions for a trip. Stock charges or the expense of bait, if it be used, harbor dues, and some other items are paid one-half by the owner and one-half by the crew. Several other items, called the crew's expenses, as the wages of a cook, the milk and water used on the trip, the cost of hoisting the mackerel from the vessel to the wharf, towing, and extra labor for scraping and tarring are paid entirely by the crew. When the mackerel are packed and sold, the fishermen are entitled to EEPOET OF COMMISSIONEK OF FISH AND FISHEEIES. [142] oiie-Lalf of the net proceeds of sale, and the vessel-owners to the other half. The difference between the gross and net proceeds is the cost of packing, includiug the barrel and the stock charges. Thus, a trij) of mackerel may be sold for |5,000. The stock charges may be $300 and the cost of packing $600. The net proceeds would be $5,000, minus $900, or $4,100. One half the net proceeds, or $2,0o0, is the owner's share, and the other half the crew's share. From the crew's half must be deducted the crew's expenses, which may be $150, thus leaviug $1,900 to be divided among the men. Prior to 1872 a settlement with the vessel's crew for a trip was not made until the mackerel were inspected and sold, which might be sev- eral months after the trip was completed. As a general rule, the ves- sel-owner packed and purchased the catch very soon after it was landed, and then, having settled with the crew, he waited for a favorable time to put the fish on the market. The crew have, perhaps, a legal right to take their half of the fish, after deducting stock and packing charges, and may sell that half whenever they please, but in ])ractice the owner of the vessel usually sells the fish for the crew or buys them outright. The captain of the vessel may act as agent for the owner in selling mack- erel away from home. Since 1872, and especially during the past two or three years, many trips have been sold " out of pickle " immediately after being landed. The crew at once receive their share of money, and may proceed on another trip, and the fish may not be packed and put upon the market for several weeks, or even months. In selling out of pickle a barrel of mackerel is reckoned at 200 pounds of fish as they come from the sea- packed barrel, without being drained of pickle or the salt washed off, though the fishermen sometimes complain that there is a pretty thorough drnining and washing before the fish are weighed. The price paid the fisherman is so much per 200 pounds of fish, exclusive of the barrel, which is furnished by the purchaser. Mackerel bought from the vessel out of pickle are sometimes re-sold before being properly culled and inspected according to the letter of the law. The practice of selling out of pickle is often an accommodation to the fishermen, as it does not require them to wait for weeks or months for their money. It is also often a source of considerable profit to the purchaser, who, by careful culling, may realize a far. greater proportion of good grades of fish than was estimated in buying them without being assorted. A considerable source of profit to the dealers is the practice of buying inspected barrels of mackerel and then re-packing them, perhaps mak- ing a few more barrels of the better grades, or packing them as mess mackerel by cutting ofi' the heads and tails and scraping off the blood. There is a loss of about 25 per cent, in weight from ordinary to mess mackerel, but usually a more than proportionate increase in the value of the fish. [143] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. There has been considerable discussion as to the relative merits of mackerel taken with the purse-seine and those caught with the hook, and interesting experiments were made a few years ago to test the keeping power of the two kinds. An experienced fish-dealer of Boston states to.Capt. J. W. Collins that he very carefully salted and pickled a half-barrel of each kind, using the same quantity of salt on each. He headed the half-barrels up and set them awaj^ about the 1 st of October, and when he opened them about the 1st of the following March he found a marked difference between them. The flesh of the hooked macke^l was firm and in fine condition, while the flesh of the seined fish was short and mealy, retaining little or no firmness. He thinks the same difference will hold good in most cases. The same gentleman also made very careful experiments as to the comparative merits of Iresh and salt water for pickling mackerel. He salted and pickled two half-barrels, using fresh water for one and salt for the other. He put them up in the fall and opened them the following July, when he found a marked difference in them. Those filled with salt-water pickle were in excellent condition, while the others had a dirty scum on the pickle, and the flesh was dark and somewhat slimy ; the skin had a whitish, discolored ap- X)earance, and the fish were thought unfit to eat. He says that in 1879 fresh water was extensively used in making pickle for fish, and thinks that when the fish are kei)t for any length of time they are unfit for food ; hence the sale or market for pickled fish is injured. Concerning the relative quality of hooked and seined mackerel, it ap- pears certain, frop the statements of many men of large experience, that the former are superior, and the reason is a simple one, namely, only a small quantity out of the entire school of fish is caj^tured, and these are carefully handled, while in seining the entire school of perhaps several iiundred barrels is caught and the fish are necessarily allowed to remai«t'" ^br a considerable time without care, so that many of them may become soft and greatly inferior in (Quality to fresh mackerel. With proper care she seined mackerel may no doubt be as good as the others. There is a great difference in mackerel taken at different seasons of the year. Those caught in the early spring are very lean and shrink when pickled. As the season advances they grow fatter, and in the fall are at their best; so that the large fish taken in September and October grow heavier rather than lighter in i^ickle. The care taken of mackerel in the early years of the fishery may be judged from the following instructions to the masters and crews of Massachusetts mackerel vessels, which appeared in the Gloucester Tele- graph May 26, 1832. It is dated Boston, May 2, 1832, and signed James Barry, inspector- general of pickled fish: "The mackerel fishery has already' become a very important item in the catalogiie of the staples of our State; and, if we may judge from its rapid progress in past years, is destined to become one of its greatest sources of wealth. Your attention is requested to the following facts and re- REPOET OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [144] marks: Mackerel should be split as soou as possible, and, after the blood has been soaked out of them, immediately salted with such salt as is suitable for the pupose ; my own opinion is in favor of Liverpool or Cape Cod salt. It is necessary that it should dissolve as soou as possible. Eastport salt, so called, must not be used; it will not save the fish; it has proved destructive to fish and to meat. I have instructed my depu- ties not to pack mackerel struck with that kind of salt. Mackerel should be well salted in the first instance ; it is a mischievous error that lisher- man have folleu into by salting their fish too slack, as has often been the case; and another by usiag the plough, which has given to the fish a false appearance, and h.as been a source of mortification to the fishermen ; and they have in a great many instances found fault with the inspectors when the fault belonged to themselves in not taking that care of the fish which it was their duty to do, and which in many cases has been a ruinous business to purchasers. By a law of this commonwealth the inspector is required to throw into an inferior quality all mackerel which liave been plowed, cut, or mutilated for the purpose of deception. It can be of no advantage to the fishermen, and I trust will never again be done. I have strictly forbidden any deputy inspector from packing any mackerel with the gills or entrails in them. They must be cleansed by the fishermen before they are oifered for j^acking; otherwise they will be rejected. You must be aware how much better a fare of mackerel are, and how much more salable, when they are brought into market clean and well struck. " My hope is that you will take this subject into yoi^ serious consider- ation and remedy the evils which have existed, and which I think you will do if you wish to insure the sale of your fish and have a due regard for your own interest. Those of you who are acquainted with me will do me the credit of seeking the welfare of the fishermen, which is so nearly connected with that of the inspector. '' Wishing you success in your business and prosperity in your homes, I remain, your friend and humble servant, "JAMES BA^.EY." The following item appeared in the Boston Atlas July 15, 1845 : "For the last twenty years scarcely a year has passed but there has something new taken place in the inackerel fishery which had a bear- ing on the inspection laws. The mackerel are fatter or poorer, larger or smaller, plenty or scarce, some one of which are different from the previous year, and thus it is impossible to make a law to meet all these changes in every particular. Whenever a change takes place its first operation is generally in favor of one or the other, until an alteration in the law takes place or interest dictates a remedy. Such has been the ca*e the present season in relation to the South Xo. 3. " Heretofore all mackerel taken south of Nantucket have been denomi- nated Block Island, and considered to be of inferior quality; so much [145] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. SO that it became necessary to designate tliem from the Xorth No. 3's hy the word ' South.' Now it is the reverse. "This year the fishermeu found more of the middling-size mackerel at the south and in the latitude of Block Island than formerly, and, as the law did not oblige the inspector to cull these mackerel and make two numbers, the fishermen insisted upon their being packed and branded according to the letter of the law under the brand South No. 3. "As soon as those mackerel came into market and the true condition of the fish became known the prices began to recede. Upon learning this fact, it was immediately recommended to the fishermen and inspectors to cull their mackerel and make two qualities of South No. 3, which was, I believe, generally adopted. Thus we shall have four qualities of No. 3's, when, in fact, we ought to have but two, viz, large and small. I have thought proper to make this statement to inform the consumers and dealers in fish against any error they might be led into, supposing that all the mackerel i)acked in 1845 branded South are all large fish. "E. H. LITTLE, " Inspector- General of Fish. "July 14,1845." Capt. N. E. Atwood, of Provincetown, Mass., gives the following- ac- count of the past and present methods employed for curing mackerel by salting and pickling': "Some sixty years ago the method of catching mackerel with 'jig; came into general use, so that iu 1820 a large fleet of vessels were en- gaged in this branch of the fishery, fishing oif'the coast of Massachusetts and of Maine through the summer and autumn. Before the jig was- introduced the quantity of mackerel taken was comparatively small ;. they were mostly caught by trailing while the vessel or boat was sailing- through the waters, only a few being captured in nets. When the jig came into use the way of fishing on board of mackerel vessels was by hauling down the jib and laying the other sails in such a w^ay that the' vessel would drift squarely to leeward. Bait chopped fine was thrown overboard iu very small quantities, so as to keep a small string of bait going from the vessel all the time, and the school of mackerel, meeting this bait, would follow it up to the vessel and bite at the jigs, so that the fishermen would not have to wait for a bite while the fish was inclined to take the hook. In this way a number of barrels of fish could be taken in a short time, and a crew of ten men could catch iu an hour or two from ten to twenty barrels, sometimes more and many times much less, or very few.' As soon as the fish ceased biting, the crew engaged in dressing them, making three gangs of two or three men each, one man to split the fish and two to gib. The splitter as he splits them throws them into a gib tub ; the gibbers take each an empty binrel and put iu it two buckets of water ; they then commence to gib, taking up a single fish and opening it suddenly with a jerk, which causes them to break lengthwise along the lower end of their ribs if they are fatv REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [14G] thus making a crease on each side, but if tliey are poor they will not break. He then takes out the entrails and gills and. throws tl'e fisli into a barrel flesh down, and open ; if one or more should, be put in shut up the blood would not soak out. When the barrel is about level full he tllLs it with water, and it is then left for the blood to soak out of the fish. The gibber then fills another barrel in the same way, and so on until all the fish are dressed. After washing the decks, the next thing is to shift the fish into clean water, as that in which they have been soaking has become very bloody. Taking an empty barrel and. putting in it two buckets of clean water, the fi.sli are taken out one by one, and if any of the entrails or gills have been left in by the gibber, it is removed, so that the fish is thoroughly cleaned. At the same time that the fish are examined and cleaned the rimmer is used, plowing deei)er the creases in them, which makes them look fatter, so that when the in- spector culls them and puts thein up ready for market they may have a larger proportions of Ko. I's and and No. 2's. The rimmers are of va- rious kinds and shapes; some are made wholly of wood ; others have the end tipped with pewter and fine teeth on the edge, so as to make the crease look rough, as though it was broken naturally; others have a knife in the end, which cuts them smoothly. There are other kinds of rimmers and other ways of rimming too numerous to mention, but the object is to make them look fatter than they really are, and thereby gain in number of fat fish or in better quality, as this crease is an indi- (jation of their fatness. After the mackerel have been in the second v/ater a short time they arc ready for salting. They are salted in tight barrels, so as to hold the pickle, which Ii:eeps them from rusting, using salt enough to preserve them well until the end of the voyage. " When the vessel arrives at port the fish are taken out of the barrels and assorted or culled by an authorized inspector, agreeably to the Massachusetts insi)ection law. The inspector puts them up with his name on the barrels, and then he becomes responsible for their con- dition and quality. The above is the whole process of curing mackerel, and if so cured, and the barrels kept tight and full of pickle, they will Jieep in good condition a long time. '• While jigging was the principal way of catching mackerel they were taken in such a way ard in such quantities that they could be dressed before they became soft ; but since seining has come into general use the quality of mackerel is much inferior to what they were before. "The seining vessel may be on the fishing-ground and cruise for v/eeks and not get a single fish, for they may keep down and not show themselves on the toj) of the water. Then a day may come when mack- erel will come up and large schools of them may be seen in every direc- tion. The seiner then throws his seine around a school, and if he is fortunate enough to. inclose them, he hauls in the purse lines, gathers in the net so as to bring the fish into a compact body, and then com- mences to bail them out on deck with his scoop-nets. In this way large [147] niSTOEY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. qnantities of fish are cangLt in a single haul, sometimes liimdreds of barrels. Having sncli a large qnautity, and Imndling them so mncli, tlie luen cannot dress tliem before they get softi When they are dressed and salted they are headed np in barrels and brought into port, and when opened for culling and inspection they are found to be ragged and soft, and donot compare in quality with the jig mackerel of former years. "One more fishery I will mention; that is, when the macherel arc passing off the coast late in autumn. A large number of gill nets are then set in our bay and kept there night and day. The fishermen visit them d^ily, as often as the weather will j)ermit, and take out the fish that may have been caught during the night. The weather is often windy and rugged, so that they cannot go to their nets for several days. The fish are injured by remaining in the nets any considerable length of time after they are caught. Mackerel taken at this season of the year are not of the best quality, for, even if they are taken out of the nets as soon as may be, on the following morning after they have run in, and dressed at once and put in water to soak, the water is cold, and as the blood is already chilled, it will not soak out of the flesh of the fish, so that they will be dark colored. When the water becomes cold the mackerel lose their fat fast, so that those that are caught here as they are passing oif late in ISTovember and earlj' in December, many of them have little or no tat in theni, however large the creases may be that have been made by the fisherman's rimmer to indicate their fat- ness. They are inferior fish, and often fail to give satisfaction to the parties who buy them." 48. — Inspection laws. Statutes regulating the method of packing pickled fish are in force in many of the States, but the only ones governing the manner of prepar- ing salt mackerel are those of Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Ehode Island. Nearly the entire catch of the mackerel fleet of the United States, with the exception of fish sold fresh, is packed in Mas- sachusetts and Maine, and thence shipped throughout the country. As there is no national law governing the proper preservation and requir- ing uniform grades of mackerel, it often happens that fish packed accord- ing to law in New England are repacked in other States and sold under false or misleading brands, much to the injury of the original packer. In some of the States outside of New England, as in Pennsylvania, there have been laws requiring fish that have been legally inspected in other States, but rejjacked in that State, to be reinspected. The Penn- sylvania law was repealed in 1874. The law^s of Ohio require the in- 'spection of all jiickled fish except shad, mackerel, and herring. In New York there is a law on the statute-book which declares that pickh d fish intended for foreign exportation must be inspected, but this law is entirely inoperative. The laws of Michigan permit the inspection of EEPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [148] fish when desired by packers. Fish- inspection laws are in force in 'New Jersey, Virginia, North Carolina, and Michigan, and also in the city of Cliicago and some other large cities, but they do not concern the mack- erel trade, except that the sale of damaged fish is generally forbidden. We give in the appendix to this rex)ort, first, the existing laws of Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecti- cut; secomi, some of the repealed laws of Maine, Massachusetts, Con- necticut, and Pennsylvania; and, third, the laws now in force iu the Dominion of Canada, as also the old law of the Province of Nova Scotia. In early colonial days it became necessary to enact laws for the proper regulation of the trade in fish, and to prevent deceit in packing- them. Accordingly, as early as 165 L we find that the general court of elections held at Boston ordered that in every town within its jurisdiction officers should be appointed whose duty it was to see that the barrels of fish be properly packed, containing only one kind of fish, and those well cured. Each town was to make choice of a proper person as inspector, and within one week after the choice he was to be presented before a mag- istrate by the constable and take the requisite oath for the performance of his duty. Eefusal to take the oath incurred a penalty of forty shil- lings, and another choice v^as made. The oath was a strong one, and required the officer to swear by the living Goreservation, necessitating the breaking of the original seal. But this we ax)prehend is not seri- ous. As at ijresent conducted, we learn from our most intelligent and reliable fish merchants that the office of a general inspector is of no sort of benefit to the fish interest, and ought to be done away with, or place in'the office some one who will execute the laws of the Commonwealth without fear or favor." On the same date as the preceding article we find the following editorial : "A petition is in circulation in this city, and has received a large num- ber of signatures, for the repeal of the law providing for an inspector- general of fish. The petition sets forth that ' said officer is no benefit or advantage to the fishing interests of Massachusetts, and that the fees as at present paid to said inspector- general is a tax upon the business from which the fish-producers and dealers receive no benefit.' '' Once was the time when a deputy fish-inspector's brand on mackerel had some significance, and the buyer could rely upon it in the purchase [157] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. ' and selling of fish, without even opening the paclaige. That time has gone by now, as the brands are counterfeited by dealers South and West, the fish oftentimes repacked, and poorer qualities substituted in brands branded the best. This has become a serious detriment to the business, and now there is really no further need of an inspector-gen- eral of fish. Of late years the office has become a sinecure, from the fact that it has become mixed up in i^olitics, and given to men wlio know nothing of the bnsiuess, and whose principal duty is ro receive their fee on the number of barrels of mackerel inspected by their several deputies. '^ There is need of some protection to the many well-disposed, honest men engaged in the mackerel and pickled-fish business along the sea- coast. As a class they are strictly honest, and take great jjains to pat up their fish in the best possible manner, making a conscientious cull, which will bear strict investigation, giving a full equivalent for the price received, and securing thecoufldeace of the consumer in all cases where they are fortunate enough to get the original package. Very many of the first-class dealers, West and South, who have a business reputation w^hich they value far above the fevv^ dollars which they might make in selling inferior articles, send direct to Gloucester for their goods, and in this way they get vfhat they pay for and secure their owii trade from im- position as far as may be. But it is very difficult to counterbalance the other class who make it a business to defraud. Something must be done to remedy this evil, and when the fishing inspectorship is abolished, tlien we hope the fishing dealers will counsel together and take imme- diate and active measures for self-iarotection. Have a law which will make it comparatively easy to convict a guilty party of fraud in brands or quality. Our corresi)ondent, ' W. S.,' in another column, offers some practical ideas on this subject which are worthy of attention." A correspondent writes to the Cape Ann Advertiser as follows, under date of Portland, Me., February 15, 1875 : "I was highly gratified to read in your last issue of a movement on foot to abolish the office of general inspector of pickled fish. The strongest argument used in its favor last winter in our legislature was that our old mother, Massachusetts, had such a law and it worked well, and no one complained. Statutes, hundreds of years old, were produced to establish this fact, Cut all of no avail. We accomplished our purj^ose in defeating it, and the bill to abolish the office was passed almost unan- imously. It now only awaits the governor's signature, and then there will be abolished a nuisance we have been obliged to suffer for thirteen years. The office expired by limitation in this State last May, and through the efforts of parties opposed to the office the governor and council were persuaded not to make an appointment, thereby giving an opportunity to appeal to the legislature. We have suffered no detri- ment in not having a general inspector, but have got along much better by allowing the deputies to act on their own responsibility. As a proof EEPOET OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [158] of this assertion, I will state that I purchased 23,000 barrels of mackerel, and having shipped them, the only deduction called for was $12. I as- sure you we feel relieved of this burden, and our friends in New York and Philadelphia are not the least afraid to trade here now, notwith- standing we have no general inspector." An editorial in the same paper on March 5, 1875, says : " The hearing on the petition for the abolishment of the oflflce of gen- eral inspector of fish came before the senate committee on Friday last. Messrs. J, O. Proctor, of this city, Charles Eopes, of Salem, Franklin Snow, and others, of Boston, were present, and opposed the petition, arguing that without a general inspector there would not be any redress for buyers of pickled fish in case of fraud. "Mr. George Steele, of this city, was presentto defend the petition, and give any information to the committee why it should be abolished. He argued that there was not the least necessity of such an office. Each packer of fish should be made directly responsible for his own brand, and should not be held accountable for pickled fish after they have been sold and left his premises. This would aftbrd great protection to those in the jjacking business. As the law now operates, it holds out inducements for unprincipled dealers to tamper with the brands, or take out mackerel and report them short weight, more especially if the price decreased after purchasing. If a packer was disposed to cheat, he could not follow it up any great length of time, as no one would pur- chase of him at full market rates ; consequently his brand would al- ways beat a discount, and no man having even the pretense of honor about him, could afford to be thus classed among business men, and trickery would very soon find its level. He advocated a trade-mark which should protect its owner everywhere in the United States, the same as x>atent-medicine and other trade-marks protect their owners, and make it a crime for any one to counterfeit or interfere with for im- proper purposes. He cited instances where such trade-marks were in themselves very valuable, as the articles they covered could always be relied upon. The paying out of $3,000 to a general inspector of fish, who did not know enough of the business to cull a triio of mackerel, he considered entirely wrong. The office was not needed. Let insp*ectors be appointed by the selectmen of towns or mayofs of cities, to be held responsible to the State authorities if need be, and all fees arising therefrom be paid into the treasuries of said towns and cities. This would be just and satisfactory. Mr. Steele met all the objections of his opponents in an able manner, and another hearing was ordered for Thursday next, when it is hoped that the entire number, or at least a majority of those who signed the petition, will attend, and by their presence and voice add testimony toward the abolishment of an office which is nothing more or less than a sinecure. "The State of Maine has passed a law providing for the appointment by the governor of inspectors of fish in those places where pickled fish [159] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. are cured or packed for exportation, to liold office five years. These inspectors are to make annual returns to the secretary of state." In the Advertiser of March 12, 1875, is the following letter written to Mr. George Steele, of Gloucester, by Mr. E. G. Willard, and dated Port- land, Me., March 1, 1875 : " Dear Sir : I noticed the hearing you had Friday before the commit- tee, in the Boston Advertiser, and was astonished to see the parties' jiames who were present in opposition. We had no opposition from a l)urchaser of fish in Maine ; the opposition came from the late general inspector and a part of his deputies, who were not disposed to cull the fish according to the law of the State. With these parties we had much trouble and expensive law suits, in which we beat them; thus showing that the decision of the general inspector amounted to nothing. " I have been in the business of purchasing pickled fish, as well as dry, the last twenty years. The past ten years I have i)urchased one-half of the pickled fish packed in the State. • " We had no general inspector till I had been in the business seven years. During this time we had no trouble about the cull, nor did we have any until after we got a general inspector, when trouble commenced, and grew worse and worse, till it culminated two years ago, when our business stopped altogether; no one would buy here, the cull was so poor. "The office terminated in this State last May, and we were determined not to have another appointed if we could prevent it. The governor and council gave us a hearing, and they concluded not to make an appoint- ment; and we went on last season without a general inspector, and had no trouble. There was a much greater catch last year than the year be- fore — 45,000 barrels against 32,000 — and parties that withdrew from the market two years ago, returned last year, and have been buying in our market since, and some 28,000 barrels were sold last week. A general inspector is a general nuisance, and no honest inspector wants a guar- dian. . . " My ownership in fishing-vessels is large. I have an interest in twenty- three vessels. The best argument to use is, let the parties opposed show any good the office is to any one ; what benefit any one receives from it. Our law was a copy from yours, and a decision of the general inspector amounts to nothing ; either party aggrieved can appeal to the courts, and the opinion of the general inspector amounts to no more than that of an}^ other man, as we i)roved in the cases we had here. Our mackerel here are nearly all j^acked in barrels. Several parties here repack in halves, quarters, and kits ; Dana & Co., largely for the West. Our depu- ties gave no bonds last year, but will now get their commissions from the governor, and give bonds to the mayor and aldermen, or selectmen of towns, rated according to their business. In fact, we get right back where we were thirteen years ago. Our committee was unanimous at the first meeting, and the change was put right through and is now a EEPORT OF COMMISSIONEE OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [160] law; and I will guarantee that there will never be a general inspector in this Qtate again." The question of abolishing the office of inspector-general of fish came before the legislature of Massachusetts in April, 1875, and that office was continued. A communication in the Advertiser of June 4, 1875, in discussing the wants of Gloucester in the regulation of the trade iu pickled fish, says : " What Gloucester really wants is a closer relation between producer and customer, or, in other words, we want to sell our products directly to the man who supplies the customer. We are entitled to the profit on our goods that our advantage as producer gives us, without having to divide that profit with any middle-men. We want to bring the customer here. Now, if we are going to do a regular distributing business as well as producing, we must do it on business principles. We must have a regular standard qualit}^ of our goods to quote to the trade ; a standard that is known and established by law, so that when your customer at a distance buys your goods without seeing them, he must know what he is buying ; and further, there must be some one iu position when any ques- tion shall arise on the quality of the goods, as between buyer and seller, who must settle the dispute and whose decision must be binding on both jiarties. This position must be filled by a i^erson of large practical expe- rience and sound judgment ; and though you call him inspector- general or not, 3^ou can confine and limit his powers and duties to this one special duty, making him simply referee, with no power to harass or to confiscate. The interest of yourself, as well as your customers, demands such pro- tection, which must neccessarily be mutual. We want an iusi^ector- general just that much and no more. " Outside of this State there is practically no inspection law touching our goods. So, to more rigidly enforce the law as it stands is to enforce it against ourselves and in favor of outsiders. Any law that says to the man who packs mackerel in Gloucester, you shall put those fish only in such sized f)ackages as are mentioned and no others, no matter if you do brand the exact weight and quality on each package, or whether your customer desires that size or another, is unnecessarily stringent and despotic; especially so when anywhere outside the State the customer can be accommodated with the same goods in just such packages as he wants. That portion of the law should be abolished. We should have the unquestioned right to put our fish in just such packages as our cus- tomers want, provided the quality and the quantity is branded on the package, as on all other kinds of provisions. " To resume : We must not abolish the law ; it is the x)rotection our customers have a right to ask. We must not abolish the office of in- si^ector-general, for we need him to enforce the law in good faith as well as our customers. " Let the law be plain and simple. Let the inspector-general be only referee for the buyer and seller, and let any man put up his fish in just P61] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. such packages as be chooses, with the quality and quantity branded on each package. Won't this come nearer what we want than 'no law' or too much law*?" A seizure of Gloucester pickled mackerel occurred in Boston in the fall of 1875. The Advertiser of September 17, 1875, in discussing this seizure, says : " Washing off the salt which may adhere to recent packed small mack- erel, and the draining of the pickle therefrom, would, as we are informed by practical inspectors, cause the confiscation of nearly if not every barrel examined, that is, if the very letter of the law requiring 200 pounds of fish was executed. Some might not fall short but a few ounces, others as many pounds ; still, whatever the shrinkage, however small, the mackerel, under the present law, could be confiscated, and thereby come into the hands of the official. * * * "It is full time that this law was removed from the statute books, So long as it is there and administered, it will prove, in the hands of un- principled men, a drawback upon any place engaged in the fisheries. It affords a weapon which can be used against fish packers at any time by parties who may wish to do them an injury. Not only does the in- spector-general and his allies have a chance to seize mackerel, but pur- chasers anywhere and everywhere, in case of a sudden decline in prices, have only to write to those of whom they purchased : " 'Your mackerel are short weight; make me so much allowance on a barrel, or back they will come to you.' What protection has the fish dealer at headquarters, under such a law ? None at all. Fish with his brand upon the barrels may come back at any time unless he will con- sent to settle any trumped-up claims. There would not be the least objection, if mackerel were examined on the wharves at the time of i^ack- ing or shipping. That is the time to make such examination, if any. But this getting them away first is perfectly ridiculous, and altogether too one-sided to be long borne. " Let each packer have his own brand or trade-mark. Allow them to put up such sized packages as their customers require, branding the weight in a conspicuous place, so that it cannot easily be erased. Then each man would stand or fall on his own merits. If there are any wash- ing off the salt and draining the pickle — not because the purchaser had made com^Dlaint or had any suspicion that he was to be defrauded; but the law gives the officials liberty to seize, open, confiscate! And the latter put money in their pockets. We are not sorry that this case has occurre^, for it needed something of the kind to wake up our people. They begin to see this blue law now in a light which never before dawned upon them. They begin to realize that at the instance of any jealous fish dealers out of the city — and there are such — their frauds in the business, they would soon be discovered and honest dealers bene- fitted, as the trade would soon learn of them and give their brands the preference. Then again, let all sales be made from the wharf or store- EEPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [162] house, the packages to be weighed by a sworn weigher before they are shipped, and after that to be at the risk of the buyer. Some such system as the above will have to be agreed upon ere the business can be con- sidered a really safe one, and the sooner those engaged confer together and resolve to have the matter presented before the legislature, with a view for the abolishment of the law, the better it will be for all inter- ested. Mackerel can be seized and tampered with until their reputa- tion is affected, and Gloucester lose the prestige which she is gaining so rapidly. Will our business men stand that f Can they suffer it t We opine not, and they will say so most emphatically ere long." In the spring of 1879 some amendments were made to the Massachu- setts inspection laws. One of these amendments permits the packing of pickled fish in smallpackages of any size which are properly branded. Another amendment repealed the section that required the word " for- eign" to be stamped on barrels of dutiable imported pickled fish. The Boston Commercial Bulletin in Februarj^ 1879, discussed the reasons for abolishing the of&ce of inspector- general, and said, "that the whole system of inspection of mackerel at the present time is a per- fect farce, and rather than have it carried on as it is, it would be better for the trade and the public to have the offlce of inspector-general abolished, and the system done away with. In that case the packers would do their own branding; and buyers, in making their purchases, would place faith in the truthfulness of the brand only according to the reputation of the packers." VII. STATISTICS OF THE INSPECTION OF MACK- EREL FROM 1804 TO 1880. [By A. Howard Clark.] L.— STATISTICS OF MAINE, MASSACHUSETTS, AND NEW HAMPSHIRE, AND TOTAL STATISTICS. 46. — Statistics of Massachusetts. The inspection of pickled mackerel in Massachusetts is exhibited in three statements. The first statement shows in detail the number of barrels packed in each inspection port of the State during each year from 1804 to 1881 ; and for the years from 1804 to 1878, was compiled by Mr. Alexander Starbuck from the official returns deposited by the inspector- generals in the office of the secretary of state of Massachusetts. The statistics for the years 1879, 1880, and 1881 are from official documents, signed by the inspector-general. From a review of this statement we find that in the earlier years of the mackerel fisherj^ nearly forty fish- ing ports were engaged in packing mackerel, but during recent years the business has been concentrated to a dozen or fifteen places, the [163] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. ports of Grloucester and Boston packing by far the greater part of all the pickled mackerel put up in the State. The second statement shows the total number of barrels of each grade of mackerel packed in Massachusetts during each year from 1804 to 1881, and also the total value of each year's inspection since the year 1830, The quantities of mackerel in this table are from the preceding table. It shows substantially the total quantity of pickled mackerel sold for exportation from the State as well as for consumption within the State; though perhaps 5 per cent, of the total number of barrels packed escapes inspection. From a review of this statement we see that there has been a very great fluctuation in the extent of the mackerel business. The smallest number of barrels was i3acked in *814, and the largest number in 1831. The year 1851 was a prosperous one, and also the year 1870. During the past four or five years an extensive business in fresh mackerel has been developed, so that in 1881 about 125,000 barrels were sold in a fresh condition. If this, quantity be added to the amount inspected, it shows a total catch by Massachusetts vessels nearly equal to that of the year 1831. The third statement shows the number of barrels of mackerel rein- spected in Massachusetts during the years 1850 to 1853, 1859 to 1876, 1878 to 1881. It represents barrels of mackerel that are repacked in smaller packages, and may include fish already accounted for under the head of "inspected," while a very small fraction may consist of im- ported fish repacked. These statistics are compiled from the official documents, signed by the inspector-generals. EEPOET OF COMMISSIONEE OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [164] "S • ^ I ^ -I i ^ Mr, o i \ m % 1 % 9^M Q -S Ir. H h ■ OQ ti S-^ S ^ ^ S (C H S g= 1^- -a S fe SS^-e-p - g s ^ [165] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. S? CO t*co CO L^CO CO (M lO i> -.•2 -§35 t. IS^^SS^ g3£' P « P^.Sf SB'S G-d p a &:;:q i- t>? ? 3 § > » o 5 a bc.^ . . . ct fflS rs c3 © cti • a : » a P 2 KEPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [166] o 00 1 i in O 1-1 1M" »— 1 03 t- ^ ' m oj ^ M • r-(C^(MCO iHr-T ■ rH 5 05 00 o r-T (M 00COO3 ^H CO t- CO rHt-in IM c4 in 5 r«4 t-OJOO"* T— 1 1:^ ••^ ^ cqinoj in iH o S CO HO CO -«i-<«-^■(^f CO CO 05tO '• 1-H O ■ 05 r(ei ca o o" I-l CO ino rH 00 IM rHin (N r-T OO ei s to 00 CQ s o oco eOTji r-( OJ (M tA CO CI5 S inr-t in (MOO (Mt-( :s5 CBtO I IH CO • 1-1 • 00 1 in lO 5 t-ro CO 00 r . CO ■ 1-i iH s :^S .'o t-r-(0O OOOITH CO(M 1 to ■ i s o > c id 3 a i ? 5c 3^ 5y c t 5 J c 5P: c j c ■a ! 1 i J C ? 4 ■f 5 p. 6 p < J • c : & • c 1 a ■ c 3.5 :'? ' ? !,!: rE 3 ;■ li Z 3E a ■A Si J p a ;; •r ;.p H P 1 r is [167] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. 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PI o 1 cS-^ ■ * ' 6 llli 1 £171] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. .g I • lo CO tn t> 05 CO • m TJ CO -;*♦ ro CO lO O O rH ■ t> t~ I> Ci <0 C^ CI O 'M coco O^ CN iH ' OS r- Tt» ■ CO CO CO ' tH CO Id CO t>"co"oo • O CO -^ OS CD Oi ■ CC —I CO t^ • lOCO • CO CO CO 05 . in CO rH X • iH CD C5 ly? .(NCDCS O • t-'r-Ti-T CO cn 'CI • CO CO O CD-^ O i CO to (M O O VO . »-' i-iCO CD t- lO CO ■ T*< CO t^ lO CO CO • CS O (M CO(M (M • 1-4 OO t- '^ ^ CO ■ OC lA CO 00 Oi CO CO O OOO CO lO • -^iHtJiCOCD S'S o °^ 2 t? :(^ ! c3 »H • • CO 1N»^fc=ll ^S^5l^||SSI^§^w51pS<2wMlHfil CS © cS ' ' tJ I • I ' m K n § S EEPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [172 J ^ - ^ s "3 o H CO o to to 7,136 1,079 3,499 2. 064 113, 175 TjiOS WOC3 03 00 rH IM iH to rH iniMcq o in C0~O5"T:t^C in t- o Tjl coo t>o> c^ 1-^ a^ CO H;cIr^a-el hm O O rH 05 C^ CD COf~CO00 l> o in ■* in in -^ o'ln'T*" rH -*1 CO CO -*- Hd 00 rH CQ(M IMrH HI 00 C^CO - 00 00 COCO co" c-" OS Ol COtH CO to O CO CO T-l rHrHTh COOO th" CS" ^co CO CO coos rH 00 CO O 00 »n CO •'Ji O CO in'Nco" ^ Ho in o Ccf 0(M t>05 i-i 1 o H g s" « ^i to 00 CO O^ TQ T-I,-I(M OCT 00 (M to" 00 00 00 rH O ^ rH CO t^ rHOO^ -*^"c-r COrHrH rH co- CO H<" rW OS 00 co" in m ■* r-T HSJr^ia CO T~i ai CO 00 CO 00~ CO in co" rH t-oot- in CO iH OinrH Hid 00 co HOI O rr in 05 OS rHtO -1 CO-* CO oo~oo"Th in CO r-T HI im" to in CO oa 00 00~ 5 3 HlCl-«a to 03-* ocoth O -WHM rH CK 00 •* in O ^ 05 00 rHt- oo"^"-*" OS CO r*M CO CO rW rHCO 00 00 - 2 ■* H|0> (NOO 00 '"' 00 o" 00 oin ■*COIM c»^ .n oo CO 00 co'cfcf HI o in 00 CO CI rH- rfti to CO in CO rHIM 00 iH 3 o H i" " N 03 to com to" (M g (M -*" -to COTjt co'i-T to oo in :s" en Hci H)C1 0(M rH 01 in C3 rH CO coin r- coH<"m" COrH rH HI 00 CO H- to- His 1 rtm c^ O CO tH rH to" c- co t-" toco 00 in" rtta -<* CM t- in to 00 in m CMrHCO o"in"Tir in en 00 CO 00 ^ in i ci to to o" co" tH in CO i-H (>" ii CO co" CO rH O O ocoooo cain-*(M co'co't-" CO o rH I-H rH CO 00 co- S" - to tOCT to" toe- cdS 03 lO C3 r*n-i:CTr*Srto (N to HI to in 00 in un t-05 in oTnco" HI in Hi HI co in" OJ 5; IM j 1 J C I i 3 3 3 c p 1 a 1 i c + 5 0. c- r 1 £ a — .c 1 c C c (2 > o i C o > G > ■p £ : r i p C- c a * H c c z, _c '> c E '5 "p -*- "1 & c a. C3 1 -a CL s c £ 42 1= 42 a o «2 a 1 ; aj o O [173] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. 05 00 05 O i-H t-T 00 CO co" I- —lOO OS t-- 1^ r-T lo" 00 •<* -* ; CO OS 1 o of!? CO to re t- o" in Hm CO-* 1 -* . - a> in 5oJ3 Ot-I in" HCI COIM CO-* to 1-1 Hn rHiM OCO l^ O OS CO IM TJ1 to -rji c-fto" HlwHcl OS t~00 OCM - inS IhiH -* -*"r-riM" HmHm CO m Soo 00 CO i CO r-l (M CO t- 1 t~ ■ 1 T-l 05 be o 3 r-T 00 OS-* IM in t-OS rH"-* (M i 1 ^in rH05 Hci o O oT CO HM O lOOO ca 00 t- in t- ■'^ co" HwHcl moo o c- HcMc* 00 1-1 r- OOO c-j r- o in in rH to in CO to CO''o"Os"r-riM" SM 1-1 CM to OS Tvl Til m CD -* if 'm"a His o m CM 00 m • ;CO 00 J e CO CO «o^ to 00 to" HM t^ to o 1-1 ^IM CO CO HciHis i-msHM CD CO 00 mm CO CM OS 1-1 o T}l coco OSIM m'tOTi'" ih" rt in i-TrJ" -*" •CO CO i-T IM s ) !oo ■ . 00 N 05 IM 05 CD t* Til of in to" His OOOS t- t~cnc- IMt- t-( ooo cioiM in"co" OOCMOSOO t- Cl -* t^ O 00 CO CO 00 to iH xmco r-T I— 1 CO CM 00 m s m" Hc< .00 to CM ?3 rH • ■ lOS IH OS oo" CO CO o to" HclH«-*« to 00 00 tO^ O) in 55 OOOS os" Him Hel comom t- CO t-(M rHCM cf rn" tH iH Hcl 00 ■h" tiMm 1 CO t- • OS His m • • iHa . . •o • • |CM 1 00 M in OS in" t-H 1 o EH oo CO CO ^00 to CO HO in m HciHci to to o HSHM 00 -* (MtO C^l OS ofoo" rHlM Hn OS IM -* in 00 mcoto-* J3 iM'orirr-*"co" in 1-1 (-1 CMIM m"cM" §8 OS • His • l> CD OS . ooooo .mrfiOO coin om • 00 00 ci 1 T-i cqt- CO^ of CO 1-1 o inoo !M o t- co" 00 -H 00 1-1 N"i-r -* Cq IM CM to CO m IM OS m t^ toco TfiOlM -*"cs"m"w"i-r CMOS -*m -*o 1 i 5C So I • i I;: :)0 5a 3> j i ! ! 1C D Q 5^ J : C , 1 I ! 4- e HP i 5 1 •■': ' -1- 5'c! I ji- 5& i a-' t.: ^6 '■1 - 1 h i at 1 3, ■ : : a REPOET OF COMMISSIONEE OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [174] CO r-t 11 5 o (M cr iC c CO o coin TO &i -a o H o r-i 03 O h!o co" 0-* (NCO CO in OOCT r*lHtl rttl corti in o CO OOOuo-* t- CO O O r^Ti^ Co"rH"co"rHr-r HW TO CO rH-* ■^eg" r^-fclHtal ei CO O rH o TO TO CO ei Tj( CO Ti< O rH rH rH TfT « o" Hid to" 00 r-i -*1 CO CO CO to oo C-IO HlWr^ClHiffl rH eg t> fM t>» C- e-J ^ O rH t-CO-*rHO0 CO"cDrH H!o t-QO in 00 rHM eg"rH ooinrHeg-*eD OOCOC-CO CO eg in M 00 s HP QO Hln s ■*" t-oo t-r-l Cli-I rH r* T^CO"rH ■*!> ■*rHT)l t-OCO r^ TO rH 00 TO 00 in CO - to CO to oo" to ■* t-C3 oin -*co CO-* t- CO O CO t- in TO eg c- o c^jcooTOjg efrH Htei inTO l>-oo ■*ej r*l o to" ■*eg t^rH CM eg eg ' in HMtD o 1-t ■* in im" 00 o> to" mt-co egrHin 00 eg •^ 3 o o § CO (m" CO (N" HCI OO 00 th co"ro" HJCIHCI r C^CO ooo o o in HiCl O 00 O 00 o rH t^ r- -T CM in o m i> t- o"in"eg" rn" H» ii i (M" r<0 r— TO Ol> t> in • eg e4 5 =2 in co" HBl o in" 05 HftiH!?:* in rH eg to t-"tdin CO r*l-fclrto-to 1^ o CO o r^ C~ 00 00 CO to t-OrH t-CO rH-rH"cc"rH"eg- ■*"eg i eg" TO m" ■CO ra i oo" 1^- (SO 00 CJ 00 CO g rto rto, c- toin o rH in oi m rH -^ CO CO CvTcgrH rtor*l TOC3: in-*0 o o m -H -H in c- CO CO 00 oiniH rH"rH- r*M CO CO r#» o in ii" c4 OStI< i CO o OO to O CO 00 rw O co"in"eg" in in 00 toco t-^io^'cg OC-ttC- rH co'TO"eg ih" Hd in CO 00 00 rH r*l in 1 rto CM 00 •*" •rW • CO - Hid CO 00 Ho CO o (M eg in m 1 rH in (M C^ rH O ■M ^ ■ CO CO in rH CgOo"rH" r*J r^e1He»-^cl 00 in TO O rH O CO CM oo rHrHrH-* CO io"eg"eg eg;!? S?2 eg ■*" CO o CO I ,H 1 p 1 i 3 5 3 1 c t 1 12 1- C c 5 E- a 1 t, P > (2 •1 c: a 1 c c _c t c c c 1 0. H P r C c a. 'Z > c E P- 1 c c £ a. c c 4 c '> c E- p. i p 1^ 5 1 c: 0. c p 1^ C > cS 1 C c 1 ci: c 0, •1 J > p il [175] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. S* COO'<* CO CO CO CD »n c-1 CD C3 o CO lO -^ CO O CM lO t-CO Ci CO lO 'OOSCOCflOO coio coooooo CD t-H CO CO CO O CO t- C^ OJ lO CO O '^ 005 Tji O CO 00 rH CO O t-COt-H CO CD Ci CO O O t- ID t> -^ rH O CO CO CO CO r-T ri CO 05 CO TT^Cg CO lO o"cooo t- irt O O (M X CO OS 00 t^ r-HCO O -^ 00 CO t> CO coco t^r-t 1 CO OHM 05 CO .-H CO O iCl o C^OlOrH CO OS rH — O) -H CO CD 00 C- -^ CZ> O t- r-l CO uO t^ COCO r^'^ se -«^ 0-* ira CO MOO C3 O •t^ Cl Ci 1— ( Oi-H a3i-i t-iH (OOOO t- OQOCM lO O CO t> CC l> 00 t' IHOS »H 05 li5 !M Oi t^ 00 o in 00 -* t-cocooo CO O (Tl ■<}» 00 ■2^ a^ N^hIzhPF EEPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [176] lO CD OS moo-* OD to o c^ 00 CD 00 C^ rHMi-H -^ t:H CO T-H ^H -ga: ID cS ^0 CD ■^■ti r- tj © 58 O g m «+» b. o P^; FsomO [177] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. 00 "3 o H o o 00 t^ 00 OQ- rdt-OO ocso C32 1-1 irT oc 00 00 00 (MO ■* t-ri>--i-r tHi-I cs I- co'io" OS 00 CO -M OS -C rt t- 00 t- rH OS cs-m-<=' 00 m" C!5 in 05 lO" r-fclCn^ 03 O co-oT Ci iO CO o CO OS -c-M 1* O rH CO in CO 00 co'gs- in r-i rH r-TlM- HciH-J ^ I--. CI li-c:>COrH CO t- -•* M HO. CO CO oo" ■*in O 35 ' (M 04 i.O (M rJ.-t LO" H t> OS H- OSC^J CO 00 CO m cs-co-th- r« OS CO CM - CO oc' (M -* 00 r-T CO- 00 IM C*» CO- in ^ i> -^ inoo C-rH O CO IM--H- 00 OS OS CO rj L-JCOHtSL-JOS 0000 CO 00 ■* T* CO OS ofrH r+« CO -* 00 1 o H r co co- r^C^-tCT CO CO CO ^ cooo OS CJ CI ■*■*- OS CO CO i-Tr-T co iH —1 r- 00 1-1 ■^cfiH- 00 ^ lO CM- CM T-H ol lO (M 1-1 ca 00 t-co OS — IM t~00!M i-TiH' COUO tM -* mm os 00 in OS 00 oa 000 OS rH TO 00 - CO 00 00- M 00 CO -^ 00 rH co- IM 00 o cn LO CO t- rH cfi-T -*i 00 ro m CO CO m -*1 CR 10 t-00 ■* I- OtH WrHiH- CO 00 00 o CO CO t~CC o CO 00 (m" es (M t^ OS in CO OS CO CO M f~ in iH iH cf co- moB 0(M m iM !M —coo 00 CQ iH CM CO OS im' 00 o CO- 00 (M 05 N OS iH c4~ ir- CO r~ OS t- coos Ol CO CO iH^ OS -* CM OS coc-os t- -;»< tH OS ^ C- L- CO cT a> 00 o ^ CO oa coco >H (M iH in CO coco iH CvTm' m CO-* CO CO CM »H 00 Tt< ^COCO 00 .H CM OS I 3 J 3 ■1 H c II ,2 =' > > a 1 Ct 1 a 1 a i 6 > B M cS J 5 p > c:i c 6 c DC c S > C3 m "c i £ c 1 p > I ci 5 1 0! "i a P 1 c J rifi CJ = d o i' cs l> cS rf 1 1 P 4^ 2 m c3 p c3 173 (0 EEPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [178] CO TJ CO CO OlCSClCOC^JCOOOCO 1 CDOlCO T-1 c in CO OS .-1 '-C CO r-H O CO O —1 C^fMCli— (iCriOGOCDCO 005 OOC-ICOC'JCDO CD i—t CO CD C5 CO CO (^J CO T-H OiH CO rH CM 00 (M i-Ti^f oOr-'Tt-CDOO-rf-^O'^ C-JOiCOOOiMOOOO' O CO t^ (M CO ■«# lO 00 cico" i-'OCi-^:riCOI>-00 .-.Oi-H-<#:ooiot-.-o cocccioox-^r- carf Ci CT '*'~ im" 'sf o" iH r- IT- O t- '^J^ oo o c; "^ C -rt O tr- O -^ CO C >—* OS 00 t- lO <-i CD t~ L-- C35 (M CD OO i-( i-l 'X t-" ic co" co" CO co" f- CC lO -^ t^ o ■^ O t- I—I 00 o O "3- oc — I -^ no "^ -^ T-l lO tH lO crirfio^ co~ ir~ O Oi o o cj C5 t-^ "^ CO lO CD O ^ n (M rf 00 (M Ol CO O C5 OS CD CO CD 1-H CD C- CO CM O CD (M o; 00 CO ir^ CO t> o ir^ CO CO i-H lO (M ir:; ^ o CO ■^ CD Tt- "tji 1— I uO CO O CO CD 1—1 CO r-T cd'-im" f-TcT t-^ CD Oi 00 00 o in o CO CO . -rji »^ CD • (M '. Ol ^ CO ' ■ CO' t> r-T • coco -t— COOOC^CIC^ r-( lO ■ T*< -I -t< 'M 00 OJ cot^ •cooooT'^cd' • ■-#"-* CO »0 m rH ■ CO OS CJ 1— I CO Ol • r-( CO ^1 O t* M< . '<*' ^ -^^ CO — CO - CO -tH t-- 00 -^ >o . CM O I- ;0 CO -^< I T-iMH'i'HiWKlco-iiiNHa: 300 -- COCO ^ -5 CO 00 00 Tfi I^ ■ O lO -^ "^ ■* c. . lO CO 00 00 Tfi I^ ,_,,_l .T:Jio -d^ cs *o . .— < t-^ CD CO CO CS . CO l.O 00 t> 00 CO ! c> oo'"i.-'~o "^o" t^tft • Oi m T-< t^ t^ "^ CD C-1 ' r-l C'l C* C-1 CO tr:) CDG^ .CDOOCiCOOCO OO -— I . CO O C CO r-^ O . ■•*< r* -rti 05 05 O 1 Tti iC 1 00 (M t-- CO CO CO • ?— I O -M iH ■ iM rH rti rH CO CO . CS in . OS '^ 00 O t; CD ■ OCO .COi— iCO-^OiH ■COOS ■05C00it~-Ot> ■ CM (M • I-" CO • (M 00 ■ Oi CCI CO lO tJ^ UO ■ ■^^ CO ■»*' -^ o OO . LO CO CO X CO O ' OO rH C0*"C0 -rt""^ - CO OS rM I CO >r: >::*< lO 00^ . tH O "-I CD . CO CO O 00 T-i ^1 CO CD !>• ' r-l C3 . ^ l>. t^ .CO . 00 o r- ' T-i . CD CJ O ■ (M • CO CO CO 1-1 rH T iC-ICDlOnTiOCw .000 ■t-CDiMCO'^'-H . t- (M C5 < I— CM CO ' -tJh'co" . -srH lO O I> C5 Ci < CO CO . O CO 00 'M CO -M • O lO lO CO O CO O CO ■ i-H rH - lO CO"t> i-Tio'fM' ' 3-5-to CO o S ® ,3 0-7^™ ;zi ^^-p;^ O 3 « M-3 S O M P C?? Fd O o St; E-r 3 SX- 2pft;; 15 CO rl a « PMOK "! s s a " a s> cs =5 o t> cc 5 n^ ^ o a FoacoO EEPOET OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [180] i "is o H en c: oc 00 ca t~co co"-h" oc c^ 1 00* cou- rid IMOO -<^ C3i co" L- in to ^ m CO o CO coco CO to oo'cf QO" co- •* 00 CO co~ oc H moo r-- in c^ i-H Kifi CM CJCM - CO CO * o o s o" 1-4 wwnfo lOCO Si ^ CO 00 5?» o ir:> CO CO in (^CM CO 00 CO O ^H o o in ■"aTi-Tin'TiH" c^ to" CO CT CO o O of Oi-I CO t- si" r-lCO CO m CO in o 1-1 Ol rl O t~^C- 1-1 t' ^ "V CO 1 cr t O Oi 05 cq CO o C-1 00 CO C5 O 05 r-1 u*0 oio^Tj'rtKiOHl,!' CO !M 0(M C OO O O O ^ n^ ^ (M COTflC^ O 00 o H CO c<- CO o" OOO o 00 CO co" c^'co 00 CO co'c-- 00 lO J-fi-H" HO) wloo ^*0 CO 00 CO 00 00 o IM 05 00 CO CO CO t-tMCslO'*!M oo" cffrTt^t-^ •* 00 05 o o CO 00 co" CO CO co" t-co T-H I— t OOl-O in 1-1 CO iH A CO r^ in 00 [M m --H t> 03 CO lO CO Oi-H re CO CO CO 00 o o 3 CO ^ CO o OOl OOJ co-co" 00 uo OJ CO t- IM nil)' i-W-ccit-to oc C<1 CO t^ iH 05 CO ^ CO CO C^J t- ^ 1-1 in in CO o cf CO-CO iri Sco 05 CO- CM CO Oi-O 1-1 03 nla5-*N O S3 Hcc .Htoa r^co 00 o t* in CO CO CO in CO COCO 05 i-H lO CO CM M csf rt i-T ■ - -5 in o of 1 co~ T-To" 00 CO OS CRO CO ^ r-Tr-T oca 05in O (M CO CO CO 00 .-o in o CO to CO in 00 CO of r-Ti-T 00 T-l 3 o H o 03 .-1 !0 O 00 lo'oo" ««0 Oi 00 Ci CO r-l CO t- CO-rH CO a> 00 -*NicpD-HWrth#-*:«rt^ CO ^ O 00 c^ cni CO m CM t> -^ oq ih" 7f oo" in" c-f o" 1-1 rt 1-1 rt ■^ o IM" CO iH 00 :o 05 00 O ^ CO c= CO CO LO O CO -* IMC0 03 O CO -Has o 05 co~ 00 CO cb 05 oo" C*»-«< CD — CO CO i~iH CO coin ria c!H-: CO b -*- in"i-r^-'*" tA o CO CO P !- a. a £ c p C ■£ £ .1 'c 1 I 'Z V. c £ 1 c: £ a i a. £ f 1 c 1 £ 1-^ _2 p 1 c p 1 c a. 5 P 4J 1 £ 3 o p CO a o o [181] HISTOEY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. o o> lO C5 OC 7-1 O lO OS CO CI W T-J O m CO ic "^ o CO ^ ro ^ t^ — 4 T*- «D O O O CO 00 lO CD CO CO t- CO C<] CO C-li-iC^ (M Tf"-^ coor-r^co05 ot- coooto:3::o rH r-H • t^ r-i r> t-( O 05 C5 »-l CO (M Tf CO (Tl CO CO O — O CI CO '^ O I^ 'O ■^ UO O 00 o o id~ cT co"c4" O 00 oo'cT C5 Cd t^ o LO r-H !>■ T-H lO lO O r- ( CO ■— I CO lO CO CO 00 lO C^ rH t>. t> cTirfo'co'rH'Go' O t- CO 00 "^ CO O IC d i-l lO CD H « CO W CD -<** OC) lO lO C3"-4" Co' CO CJ CI t-00 C5-^ 1 rf h- lO O CO t>T-lC3 -^ CO CS '<^ t- CD l-^ CO i-H lO CO CO t- Cd ^ CO u^ CI o t- ^-3- ;= ^ w p a ^OWfiC^^Su^QStcWtHW^HliHOHPlii^wSizifi^ccLcO KEPOET OF COMMISSIONEE OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [182] U [183] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. o I-H s CO T-H 3 o H 1 to o 05 OO . 1- 05 05 . O 00 to- .>og I ■ lO I to m as •*io T-l T-H 05 O OJ to to O 1^ Ot ':}! to CO CO CJ to to lO-to-cTo oq 1-i •* IM to • ' 1-1 05O1 X 1-1 i-T oT iHi-T irq 00 o C5 ■ to rj i-H ■ C-O -!•- i cJ lO" = ■ ^ to O ■ (M to C^ r-( l-O 05 . s m r— o -M to C3 — — 1 O f o O 1-1 ^ O 05 03 00 OO-rHTjTof - £5 o" oUrtco M 00 n t~ . O OS t-T ' of i< 1 " OJ ■ o W-1 I> ^ ■M l^ O Ol ? 1 to o jt t^ =; to t- o to IC C/J o 'if io-i-Ttji-c^- o ~3 o © ft s o 3 c llaii 4 'I i I' c p: a > c C 5 c > St J 5t^ c 4.9 & ■ ; o ; a S 2 .7 si . a J "a .£/ 2C 5 EEPOET or COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [184] ^M . i^Mdco . « 0» . . . tH HW H« • c*onW-»rH I f • » • • t . C4 CD . . . . i . -H 1 , . T-t -.^ Tf. . -* CD Cl OJ ■ , ... . , . . • CD ..•.CMi..-*CO m • CO -* o CO . «M . . . i-w . . t 1 3 CD 1 IQ CO • • i . . . CO . ■ . .Tt< . • < • ■ . ■ CO Til ' - - • • ..•■.-ii«.in_ •• _ 1 _ . -co" 1 03 1 1 I CO 1 I I I o _ ■ t-ca • • ■••■-••• t- in • Tj* CO o ■-.:*< . • 'in . . . . t- • fH • • . . . CD • . • CO . . . .Tt< . . ■ ....... Hit. Aa '• 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 Ihc) 1 1 • 1 i 1 1 r^« . Hldr^.J.-RiHH' ■ . . . r tH CO C5 C>J .O . . .00 . i . . ci CO O) ■ l> CD • , . . . OS 1 . • Tj< o • . 1 . • • • cj.oor-icDco|ca|;; : ::: co" ■ rtCo" • 1 ■ ; I os" 1 . j T-TiH ' i ; 1 1 I ; co" 1 cf i III I.I! CO • rH < .» "5 i : 1 I I 1 "h 1 1 1 -WI.-JW 1 ! 1 1 1 I 1 "ICO ' nli'fiKJL.^looH.J' . H^ . . " c^ . ■ • -<* . »iO IC^ . ..iiC-...^TH O .COCQCOOO .CO . . .t- . . . CM ,-t .COTii . . . i . 05 . . . Tj. lO cq .CO— IO.-I .CO . . 'O ' . ' »~* C5 • OCM • .... .-1 ... t- 00 ■••••• . rH .COOOrHt- .CO ' . -co • ■ • • o" -* ' lO'co" ' I 1 . 1 00 1 . 1 rHCq" 1 . I 1 1 1 ■ C-T 1 CO-rHCo'rH '• ' \ ' '•'•'• 00 ■ • ■ ■••CM ... Hto c;1t)i i HiCI?S-# . -C« . 1 i . .11 THHtc^O • 1 . i i • ' r^^t-iMicWHWHOTHHt . OH" 1 . i . CO T)< . CD lO . CO . . I . O . . . — 00 CD in CO T-l 00 05 . tH .... CI Tl< .-.*[> > ^^ . . • . CS . . ■ O CM CO rH O CO C: O .05 . . • . ^ CO . t- in * r^ . i • .CO . * . C^ O in Tj-rHOO O . 00 . . • • o H CD 00 • lO r-l CO • • ' iCi OS t- t-Tj(inTj< . ; ; ; ; ! ^1 ! I ! '. " ! I ! : ! ! 1 : ! rj H^ ■ ; 1 1 ; rtiN 1 1 1 rnc-105T)>^CD .CO . . . . 00 TlH rH 00 rH . 05 ... . in CO C.) T-H . oq C3 . ; ; ; : CD . . . 00 t~ . ■ • . • . o o in 005 • ; ; ; ; cT 1-i • CO ' .... co" 1 1 1 r-TcO 1 1 1 1 1 1 TjT TjT rH 1 1 1 1 1 CO • '^. : : : ' ': th1t)( HM 1 -*OH:03 . i . . . cttt 1 1 1 KM i 1 1 1 1 ; Hlcl-fto«lTl'H:ocAO . ... t- . 1>00 .1-1 . . . ■ m..irHCO CM CO CD tC — t^ . O . . . CO CD . 00 t^ . C^ i . » . CO..it^CD cq in — Tf in . -# . . . c4 Ti* . to CO • 1 . . . CO...CO00 in t>o>corH . cq . • • CO OQ • i-(00 C^'.tHrH in in " '-' ; III -<*HM . rt^^jt . . . in . CM-* . -* . . . O . . . 03 T). ...... OOC-C3t-OOS . 00 . . . CJ J , — 1~ .a. . • . OO...OrO CM 005l>M.m... ,.; tr- t~ .c; *H . . . • o. .■!-(-* cs locD-^cs.ini.' tc" i co~af 1 ; ; ; t-...CMCO||;|.| i> cocq corH . ; ; ; io ; „ ; ; ; ; HO 1 1 1 M 1 1 1 I 1 1 -4-* kSo . r+tf'^M ,.^r '. . I t-to 1 ir„torfi.-*a-«3 . C3 O l> . O OD , t- . . , m...c?jCM..ii.. T* . CM CC rH 00 . O . t-CO irH . • . CO...CJCM t- CM th — in . CO 00 . OS C5 • CJ . ' ' t- 00 O c~ 00 ; TjT c-" I ■^"i*" ; ; I ; cj 1 1 1 oo'oo" 1 1 1 1 1 1 co~ i>ri>rt.rco" • ca ! iH • ! ■ . Hicq 1 . -«1 1 -4CT .... rthl ■* . .00 1 iH ■ . . ■ co' •^ rtli- r^« . HlCTrtW . ... «W . . . HiTJt . . 1 1 1 1 HtoNB 1 Ol p. . C^l CD . O . . . O0...CO00 1 1> 05 CO CO CO . CD .05 . cq . < • lO.i.CDrH ■ TH in CO CO cq . •rA O rH cq • S CO CO* ' "" ; ill TjT . . . .-Tsm" 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 "~ cq'rHrH-rH • I "^ 1 III «M «!tJ. . H«-.H . Hlci . . . N» 1 1 1 1*0-;^ 1 1 1 1 . 1 1 r*0 u-J00Hl.J'«*otMeo . CD 05 . CO .-1 . ^ • • • . O in in Tf cs . "^ — . . OC O .CI . • . L^ CD .-^^ in . 00 ^1 . 05 CO ■ t- • • . CD . CO O . ... cD...cor^ CM ■ . • t- C J :§ T«C5 o r- . OC TH 05 05 . tH cq .n g ; 1 i ; c~.||.-icq;|..-. 1 "^ THcqcq rH . CO I 1 >, 1 1 • . u ■ • I I.S ; : 1 I d 1 1 o . . -J . . CD . . M . . ''■::•'::':■=!•; ■!='•.:::•:, . d ; : a a Cm o '3 o H 1^ 5 1 2< . '^ • If 1 ' ^ ■ Si -2 til ^5^ Beverly Salem Marblehead Me.dtbrd ... Boston , Dorchester a Quincy Weymouth. . 1 a fs- Scituate Duxbury Plymouth . . Sandwich . . . Barnstable . . Yarmouth. - 5 a ■ i : t J p ^ ^ I [ 5 Is: -1 c i a IP : 1 I'g " ^ -c2- "5 c > 1) 111?. 5 S [185] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. 03 00 3 o o IN to ■ c^ to . COCJ . icTco" • 03 CO 1 is is lO v-i • Ss o ■ CO'Oi" i CO ; oo CI CC CO • O O »-0 D- 1 a5co"oi>" ; i-fc) in o (M" IS" • m •* '• -to 1 . 00 • to . ;^ i ■ t^ • "^^ i in ' 00 Oi oo in rH . O to O .-H • in r-1 1-1 i-H 1 CO 1 m ; ei to 00 '. o in '. o '■ ao^ ' 03 ! r-Too"" • A 1 :g : ofco" ' Kco O 00 CO o~ ux '■ T* un CO CO . t- O CO CO . incoco to . cor-fcoecf CO ■ CO ■ in ' |- ei d o CO ■ 00 »n t ta • to 05 ■ r-T ' N to" ■ CO ■ CO I o ' 1-^ • , CO '• n .-. CO '■ o o i co"T)r i CD i-T dH-HeirHWr** > CO ^ CO 5-1 . CO 03 to 1-1 in CO -* 05 O5"i-rco"co" • 03 ! r+:i i . in . 1 "^ 1 iH CO ■ (M ro CSl ' 03 T— 1 o • '. .4SI '. ■* • o ■ T-t o m '*i-H « CO in" CO 00 05 i-i in" co"o4~ ^ ? ; M ; 30 CO T-i o o 00 01© '• „a to • CD t- 05 , to — ' CO 00 '• 00 ■ m CO t^ 05 00 to en t-T co'i-T r-O cq (M CO '-ci'jn CO ■ too 00 CO • -* o ^ C-: t^ oac.a iM">-r (M CO co" "^Hwloo -tot-to T)i inco CO c- 00 men Orji lOCO t-^ T-Ti-T CO 1 TP • -• 00 . xiHin lO . iH to of ■ ofo" 00 'hoi CO CO COltO ecWi CO cjin o iH in — ^ oi CO 1-1 OJ CO to"— "co".-h" 03 ' KM 1 ■ c-1 • . 00 1 CO "3 o H CO o" to ■ t~ --1 t> ■ to'co" C5 - ■ o , ^ ^ oo" c-c- irioT CI in C-IC^OO 02 rH CO PI COCO in 'HI t~-"co"co"in" 00 co" '■ H« • . in • '■ CO ; "* HIM 00 5^ S : c^ . ^ 00 i oo C0 03 iH t- iHCO CO HlCl C-1 I-l c« o 00 . r* I^ ^ .coo o ' .^ uo cf ; oo" O CO cf-*" CO CO o CO w4sjH»Nxn|m 05 ^ -f t^ t- iM o; in . in t^ in CO TiT CO Co" i i-h" icS? i ■ CO 1 CO CO r^i x CI O T 1 CO t~ CO ■ r-i Ml^ ' in" o b CO CO tHN" 1-1 ■ in in CD CO CO ■ 05 i-H O C*" l-TrH" 1-1 ! ^ 1 T-4 o CO ' CO (M GO ■ .— O cq ■ CO 'O co" ; TjToo" 05 is • oS '.*1H* ■ C4 O • (n'co" Clio . «to i?r ! cfin 00 to" oo 00 CO O CO o ■ in rji 00 00 co" l>"r-H"CO~T-r ! H.» . m ■ .^ ' 05 • . lr~ 1 • r-H ■ § +3 o & H VI o o o H 1 ; =< . ' t- li is 3^ a If >> J =10 a;: > 3 h ig _ p : S p i^ c ! P 2 ■^ a J-'-" 5 ? ^ t iJ C o p. a- 02 CC so o -sa o EEPOET OF COMMISSIONEE OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [186] 1 '3 o H i 3 co" 05 in C- OJ CD CO CO l>" CO § oj .n co is rH-in CD •* o co" (M OS CO CO CD [--* in 00 co"co-cDio- i-H O O i-T ^ .^51 ! OS C4 =5 in « in CO CO o in ? o CD OS i-T CO OS t-(M cq- in in r-iTflCt»*-Cl-«0 o H CO 1 i co- cD'r-- o CO CS CD O co- c:ot-pM;o Tt* [- CD L^ t~ o c:s c-i CO CO OS en in co'i-Tin' ^ Tli HW o CO m CO CO CO co- co p-to CD 00 ci 5< oj o" co m CO Sl 00 00 os- 00 CO — 00 lo in in 00 l>Tq-in-r-r o CO M CD 00 c5;o co- CD 00 O 00 of CO- CO in CO in" in i O CD 00 CO icj in cw»!io«>ci''rc in CCS -M — Ol CD CO .-O in — CO C35 t---i-riM-T~r 00 - o co r-i nieoeiw CD -* Has OS CD CO t- r-l (cq- -*- in" OS o CD- (M CO CO r-^ OS 00 t^ " a. 1 B X c 6 > 5 1 > c C > iC! a o > P a o •1 03 C« 1 5 4J IB p p. a O 1] 1 "3 o 1 a ■o 3 r 'Si a o a b o s a CD O 02 C o "H O [187] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. 00 "3 o CO o f ■If ■ t- ■ r-T "1« . 5 : lO" i th" I ■ CO ■ ^ oo" ^^^^2» : CO c= ^ c« ' .-1 00 coo . o'r-.'o",-r '• • CO -*■ • -o o \ (M ! ! - r-i O co" • s O ' o" '■ g : ;- CO ■ 1 - :D ■ 00 o . o" i iff : p? o" --Is mIo ' C- CO t~- oo • ^ O O CO . rH 00 c-l CM . co" co"i-r ' i-i -* .COOT CO ■ ,-1 m (M 'OX CO ' CO ■ co" ■ rH ■ 00 t>- • • cr CO • • in CO CM ■* ■ o ' (m" O — ■* CI o OJ ro o . •^a^ X o cs ■ OO'r-l'co" • CO 1 o H irf" 00 -El ' ^*-K (M • 0- i- 1 c 12 3 7 % c c 1 a C3 S S 5 o - c I : - — ■1 I 2 p r- II ^ — 1 s E iz s 5 & c c T* : < c ■Iq. EEPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [188 J :^ 00 □0 T-f 3 o H o 00 ci C CM c3oC C-4 > T*i CO CO" CO oo" CO CO rH in un r- rH C4 m 00 .^ rH Cl . m I- 00 in ai Ha i Hici «3|» CO . coTKocq Oi ■ cc C) r-l o ^ ■ r-,inrt-rH CO- i CQ-rHCfrH- iH 1 t3 1 t-" i co- C] -W ^ HWHIc^Hieinnj CJ -*-*in CJ rH- I CO "3 o a c c r r-T ! rnoT ca 00 CO~ (M Oi cf in Oi . t> coooin CJ . Tj* O 1^^ t^ CO .TT'CiOiCO OJ- ' t--rH-in r-T Tii i c co" Oi ** in 1^ • t-co ooo CCI ■ t^ CJ l> CO 00 . C-CQCO CO o t -^ 3 Oi" CO in rfcl ' rUCl .^B rH CD rH ca m CO ca CO CJ 00 CO OU 00 r1 -^ ■*- rH" CO" (N 1 » . 02 T-i co- ■ eg oo Oi o 00 ■ in o c/, un CO rH ^ CO O r-1 t^ CO t^ 00 co" 1 ca' rH - o CO ^(M — . , (M ,i< co co- o Oi ^W ■ ntoH^colxrtio CO ■ OU CO t^ CD CO . Cl c: t ' o . ri CJ CO in 00 "3 O o - 00 r^ CM co~ ' inio Oi rns) co < 00 Ci CQ- 00 CI C4 ■ r.to „to„l= c-M ■ - (M . in rH rH Oi in Tt^ •^ • rti « in . CO Oi r- cc o in o T-i rH Ccfco" in oo" o ca o o Oi -^ : r^Hx-g CO ■ CO 00 -T rH O ■ C3i C 1 '^ CD c- ■ Cl o: t- 00 t~- '. CD-rHCO" N 05 O . Srt ^ .COCO Oi ^ CT 00* Oi in . r> in CC CD Cl . Ci in rH in CO . C^OO O [~ CO i t--rH ■*- - i 00 o" CO CO . O 00 o . t- o rH '• •* rH rtjx 00 -*- O CI I* CO rH . CO O O f*< CD . ca o 00 in -* ■ ■* c-caTl< co" 1 cf ca- a. c c P. • +- c E- [3 = ^1 5 C > s k 25 p .5 S o 5 5 : > '■^ ■ y ■ o § gl Is C O no > o 5 •a © E cc ro ci oi ■P "3 o p 6: ct ;5 , & 1 c ■ c 0.5 s cc: a E rH l£ 5 ;2i "5 s M CO s cc ■ p • & ll [189] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. 00 00 1 r«J> to" lO CM iH Cr 05 <= cr 1 5 oc to c n CM O 05 inoa to"os"c ■* t*3 o 05 05 CM CO 00 CJ ^ m i oc 02 of CO oo" CM •*• to to to" to in CO t* 1— J 05 ^ too> co"in"t-^ 1m" lO oT i-H t- o CO o cq CO o" o to co" O rH 00 co" 1-1 ^S3 to CM in eM"co"cQ rH in in 05 O oo" in in" 1-H -*1 o r*l r CO cb" CI N in 00 too -* rH COCICM t- in t-"to'in~ Td5 oi" O5 00 CO r-l eg '^ oo" 1 2 CO o r*a HiSl eg r-l rH I> OS CI CO .H CO "to CD 05C0 (M CO CO CJ Ha in r«3 co" ►-ft to in CO o tSoo Soo cf co^cTcf ci CI 1 1M» (X. 00 c:^ -* rf CO in CM co" CO r«J cT N33r+j»We5W O rH O CO to to CD I^ o inr- OJ cfcf-^r-T - o" s to ■*" >* rW3 o to i-te-WHW •n '^ — 1^ tH" C5 "3 o H ca OS o Hto CJ CO oo" 00 co" in CO -* to" OS Scs in -*"in"crco" ■* CO m « -1* § 00 lO 00 in 1= o" § CI lO •* rH CO — 1 o Tji O CMCO i> CO o; CO rHcq'in co" ci CO r-l 53 o o -fciH» .-ICO co" CO CM oT CM 00 CM co" o 00 o 00 CO in -< to -r coin -^ in ca in cq'cifin'cf C3 00 -1* co" ■* CM CJ O O CO ■* lO " 00 ^ CO corn CM p a" 1 D ^ Eh c t- ? ►^ c C c -pi 1 c- a ■1 a. 1 ■^ ;- =£ ^ c c c 1 1 > G £ 3 :? c > i- (5 £ > c 1 a: c £ t- 1 E- 6 c n c c E i: p c c 1^ c £ r- c g c c p c- 6 a: S c ;- c 1 EEPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [190] MACKEREL INSPECTION IN MASSACHUSETTS. Statement II.— Showing the total number of barrels of each quality of pickled mackerel inspecteclin Massachusetts from 1804 to 1880, and the total value of each years insueotion from 1830 to 1880. Year. 1804- 1805. 1806. 1807. 3808. 1809. 1810. 1811. 1812. 1813. 1814- 1815 1816. 1817 1818. 1819. 1820. 1821. 1822. 1823. 1824. 1825. 1826. 1827. 1828. 1829. 1830 , 1831. 1832. 1833 . , 1834., •1835.. 1836., 1837., 1838.. 1839.. 1840.. 1841. 1842. 1843.. 1844.. 1845.. 184G.. 1847 . . 1848.. 1849.. 1850.. 1851.. 1852.. 1853.. 1854 . 1855.. 1856.. 1857.. 1858.. 1859.. I860.. 1861.. 1862.. 1863.. 1864.. 1865. . 1866.. 1867.. 1868.. 1869.. 1870.. 1871.. 1872.. 1873.. 11-74. 1875.. 1876.. Barrels of mackerel inspected. 1, 631i 6,226 1,787 2, 518i 2, 563J 2, 756 2, 353i. 2,462 1, 305i 2, 4134 2, 274i 3,078 2, 54 Oi 4,770 1, 368^- 6,023 1, 0004 2, 1544 900i 1,231 89 5464 3, 225J 5,4564 8, 694 i 9, 264i 10, 4064- 5, 267A 14, 410 11, 16^4 19, 614 36, 5214 12, 455 34, 8114 7, 400i 32, 103i 20, 035 66,6814 19, 804 62, 0474 45, 2464 75,221 29, 640 109, 840 43, 499 80, 584 81, 3574 69 335 63 2354 110, 6664 54 184 77, 098 47, 8684 104, 5694 70, 198 171, 186 28, 679 97, 2194 54, 5594 98, 9274 80, 433* 93, 5iH4 45, 605 57,2714 53, 6iJ54 60, 558 24, 573 61, 027 37, 968i 28, 588 22, 217* 22, 037i 19, 3514 11, 049 23, 747 10, 649 29, 363 22,496 32, 759 13, 088 28, 8434 22, 515 28, 083J 88, 6234 44, 430f 70. 005 104, 1501 76, 0064 113, 093i 79, 9794 61,404 81, 962 88, 401 44, 909 90, 7654 102, 467A 84, 030i 67, 0714 49, 015§ 24, 584 30. 595g- 46, 242i 29, 3021: 91, 122g 89, 333f 76, 819g- 84, .519f 45, 2184 75, 347f 21, 929g 61, 330 12, 0604 58, 8281 122, 837 70, 8774 100, 280f 81, 902f 78, 38S§ 67, 9854 136, 0751^ 103, 383i 137, 746i 153, 723i 63, c62A 150, 322g 36, 3]9ig 122, 8081"^ 46, Or!84 93, 091^4 42, 262„''n 72, 924 A- 92, 0194 66, 046^;; 189, 422| 105, 187fg 85, 867|5 71, 86B|Z 54, 370SS 83, 687^ 63, 88854 112, 97114 71, 44244 33, 106| 19,270iB 30, 869tg 96, 7724g 4,228 2,907 4,4894 3.9104 3, 4724 5, 242 10, 0094 2, 726" 1,6:^5 7034 7, 3774 13, 010" 21,688 20, 7754 43, 9754 68, 3744 71, 5054 73, 578" 63, 1544 71,183" 114, 9044 34, 6.574 39, 612" 63, 4224 94, 695" 156, 0254 142, 1644 96, 5534 69, 4454 78, 8924 91, 924" 60, 187 52, 5574 44. 184 30, 0134 20, 091 21,141 23, 684 18, 604 35, 023 85. 5934 65, 076 71,760§ 107, 0584 65, 584 87, 604 135, 597-i 44, 8084 39, 897 55, 133f 90, 1934 47, 981 1 38, 2574 32, 33213 22, 207-1 50, 578| 22, 486 100, Oil 102, 601 J 33, 21 2i 39, 2663 41, 784J 41, 04844 44, 077^4 60, 7174 63, 019J 68, 3224 -5 55, 6O34 37. 795sg 73, 966iV 73, 424s5 93,4814g Total value. Total. 21, 658 4144 2,210" 19, 843| 3, 378J 1, 338f 178 711 1, 9924 4,1181 3, 441£- 633J 5621 280 144 244|- 2694 4i8.Ji 6254 3, 549J 334 38-4 1154 3761 4, 261^5 4, 818i 7, 8574 8, 573* 8. 226-1 9,305 7, 6294 8,825 12, 5524 17,401 5,881 3, 756* 1, 339" 16,0594 30, 969 37, 362 46, 348 100, 111 115,641 111,0094 160, 2944 145, 006 191, 6.504 254, 384i 158. 740* 190, 3044, 237, 3244 225, 977 308,4634 383, .5484 222, 452 222, 932* 2.52, 8794 194,8004 174,4104 138,1.574 110, 7404 74, 2684 50,4914 55, 537 75, 543 64. 451 86, 3814 202, 302| 179, 511f 251,9174 300, 130f 208, 950 242. 572 329, 2444 198, 120 133, 3404 135, 349J 211, 956 J 214, 312f 168, 7051 IS^eoCf'Sj 99, 715| 235, G85J 194, 283f 260, 864| 306, 94.2t8; 274, 3574 256, 7964 231, 696,5. 210,314,15 180.0.5644 234, 210f 318, 521f 259, 416J- 181, 956bV 18.5, 7484 258, 379f| 130, 06254 225, 9424^ [191] HISTORY OF THE MACKEEEL FISHEEY. MACKEREL INSPECTION IN MASSACHUSETTS.— Continued. Statement II. — Showing the total number of barrels inspected, ^c — Continued. Barrels of mackerel inspected. Total value. 1. 2. 3. 4. Total. 1877 18, 015J 14, 0945 9, O.'cg 20, 4534 15, 598i 37, 286|g 48, 170g 91, 113^ 104, 434 J 139, 586 37, 700J5 70, 175J 54, 806i 99, 554iJ 98, 861J 12, 094| 11, 785i 352J 19, 51 6 J 2, 127§ 105, 097/^ al44, 226| *155, 297§ 243, 958J- 256, 1734 $1, 137, .516 1 0'i4 144 1878 1879 1880 1 474 152 1881 1 601 081 (I The reports of the Boston fish linrean give the number of barrels packed in Massachusetts in 1878, 144,205 b.arrels ; in 1879, 150,125 barrels ; in 1880, 255,986 barrels ; in 1881, 269,495 barrels. These tiguies for 1880 and 1881 are probably nearer than the inspection returns to the actual product of the fishery, since some 5 per cent, of the catch escapes inspection. EEPOET OF COMMISSIONEE OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [192] «. a 2 ^ '^ "^ o a g o 21,608 13, 467 19,772 11, 662 '^5C03-^COC<1^00^00iCOT-^oOoc^lOO- ~OjCOocOt-irtCOOt-OOa>C2«cot i-(M t-oCOoo-^COCOrHOOOt'U;t-'^CO:OQOcr -* i>-" "S o" cf cq i-T ^" as o" o" co" o" ££!--•■■ uf co" i> COr-l'2i-l(MCOincMi=fflMCOm;3cO^-*Cr ' ■* o rt"clwl00Hi«-t5i Kii LO CO lO 00 r-( IC "^f O IC O CO r-. T-t CTr-T rH cq • • • ■ rW i (jq ■ CO tc lO O (M OO CO Ol im'-h-co-c^" COlOCCC^OC^t'O — ,— tCOOSC'JCO"— 'CCCQIO ooaDT+iocC'CO(MC:^co"oro'"co'"rH" HrtrW HW (MUT lpI:- l>• 00 in OS oo" t>cn' oo" c003COOO-#mcoOcclO-X>C6CO.-I^CO T^COrH»r3CCCMOOOOCMlOCiTj co"o~io"i>i-H crTirT-Hco''ori>co''c--''^''iri':d'c!5' rH i-H rt rH rH i-H rH nH ,-1 rt COM ^CB C-l — 00 CO 00 m m m r>^o"cq*~cr r-i en {M o CO Tf C^ ai t- ^^ C- ^ tH f-HcMtcj-^t-iocMcot'-t'aDmoir'cot^coi-H CO^Or-iC;^t^OOOCOO>^ = I>C600-*OJ ^^ o" »" r-" of co' T^" T^' of -<^ cT cjT i-T i^" cT cf rjT r-T rH rH Ca — < -* rH rH — 1 rH rH rH rH o p. >^ s ■ "i |2; O -* »-IC^3 0r-1^(^3I:-lOCQC5CDCsi ^ 1 0, ! i Cs'rH oj i-iTTL':CC^«l>CO00t-TH Xf 1-1 rH <-( CVJ .-H r-H "# OX)0>.— ir-'^fC^iO "f«--oc^cOftt^ot'(^]t-clcO'^ooc■-Occc5 ■*!>■" ■o" to c r r-' o" cq to cT irT rt" ffi o" irf lo" o r co' COrHr-rHC^lCO"^^COrH(MCOC^TrOOTf<3ioO ic c; o; 6i -^ CO -^ rH Tli lO CO UO 00 '— lO Tti Cf r-T JC ■* O ' • rH (M . ; ■ rj( CS OS OS 1 M coooSSSco?jo^?i^«S"5^^S OOrHCOtCti^ LOCOC-r-t>rHrJi^C^TfOOO- o" u-i" co" co' u:) c-T C-." •* as" cq" CO c-" o" icf oT o" cf c= tH rr rH rH »- ' ■^ O (M GO CO. O C^J lO 00 -^ CO i-f t-'t-^os^oo" M „W3 r-to Oe^KOntet-to^lo'- "l-rWnh<»(*0Kft3"l-Hrt;'# HMMlT*Hj53t-ia!rla3^^uMacW.«i^'~ (MIMt~0:C0OOt-C0rHOC0M-:rOOt-cr ■^cocooocofMinoTj'^moT^-^-^t'Ocr INOOmoOCOC-COCCOtOOCOTfCMCOOOOOC i> co" in in t>" --" 00 ■* rH" co" o:' t-' cq' --o ■* 'I'" o" j\ H|M r*OU*0 ,-1 in — lO CO CO --I r- CC rH t^ CO cD'os'i-Tt-*" tH. r^ol«oo^^~r-,ocooo7JlnrH-^■co:co;; ■* tt^lnI>a^l^r!^l■To■■oc■■T)■■"o^oo■■o'Tl>''c^^oo■'co"o• t> X '^ o t- -o '^ I— 1 m CD t- OOCD O co" CO in" in t^ 1 a cr c- oc != a cr cc IT oc c oc i 5 C! t; a cc a OrH (> 00 cj oc rnrH r- 1 ^ iciec t- l> cc s [193] history of the mackeeel fishery. 47. — Statistics of ^iaine. The mackerel inspection of tlie State of Maine is exliibited in two statements, showing the total number of barrels of pickeled mackerel packed within the State for a series of years. The first statement shows in detail the number of barrels of each grade of mackerel inspected in the several inspection ports of the State during the years 1804 to 1820, and from 1864 to 1878, and was compiled by Mr. Starbuck from the original returns of the inspectors, deposited in the ofiBce of the secretary of state. Until the year 1820 Maine was a district of Massachusetts, but since that year has been a separate State. For the years from 1820 to 1864 the original returns could not be found, and it is probable that the returns of many years between 1864 and 1878 exhibit not more than 50 per cent, of the actual number of barrels of mackerel packed in the State. The second statement shows the total number of barrels of each grade of mackerel packed in the State during a series of years, and is com- piled from the following sources : 1804 to 1820, from the official inspec- tion returns; 1825, 1834, 1836 to 1838, and 1851, from Sabine's report on the American fisheries ; 1864 to 1878, from the official inspection re- turns; 1879 to 1881, from the annual reports of the Boston fish bu- reau. A review of the statement indicates that the mackerel industry of the State was more extensively prosecuted in 1881 than during any pre- vious year. KEPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [194] a s -f =4 ft n ^ =1 'ci J y M s 13 fii w o "3 e5 oo o H o t- CO CO «• -* ■* N t- in tH OS "3 H 05 i-H ri c4 s tc to r-5 >* CO 1 O H OS i CO s t^ c4 S! •* s -5 t> 05 to CD 00 t H to o It- CO r-1 CO . ffq" 1-1 s Tfl - 1 cs CO CO in 00 3 o H CO o 55 CO a> CO CO CO ss o4 CO 00 in - i Oi 00 1 o H ?3 CO 00 CO CO pi CO to to -i s to CO < « 1 J tf « 1 < p 5 5 5 ^ 1 o 1-1 4^ |3 Cm a S 3 i "a M 11 7. 6 1 c c g n ce c tS i c 1 0. 1 E c c C 1 £ J3 1 02 a C © 1 g 03 [195] HISTORY OP THE MACKEREL FISHERY. a \6 00 "3 o H ^ • « tr- 00 ■ 113 -^ io . ca I CO !in ; (M 00 3 o o O rH CO o O r3 - 03 o t- Si tr- CO t-1 io eq ^ 3 - Jo o '^ '^ m ^ > s ^J g a 1 3 s-sl"^ 1 1'3:§ ai^ i^ o-e c^l S5 [197] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. ^ 00 o H S • -» o • coco in r-H CO — t CO 00 i-( Co'r-T C5-<*00 -T -H 05 -*i-r «W«4D •eg So' co" CM ■* CO 1-4 00 CO C«3 T-H in o -(CI CM coco CO O O rl WC1-in <*j in CO(M COCq -<* ^ti — i —1 co" iH CO 00 CO cooq CO CO CO -liejr^ei CO C3 O m-^ o C» 05— 1 T^C8r-ICl CM-* 00 ocqoo ^00 CO CO C- co t- 05 "o H o oco coo cT en 05 cs in CO ocot- t^ inoTj- co-a'coc-i ci" •^— IC-1 D- ocot- ococo ■*co in-- ^co CO "^ CO CO in CO in CO 00 ^ CM cq CO CM ■<^ CO C5 O C5C-J CO c-— icq CM CM coco CM i 3 O H in— 1 coco C5 o in CO caco o~ 1-1 CO •*0 CO-* C-] -Tti in -;t< CO in CM r-T r-T i-Tin t- cq -* s tH t- •* CO CO r-ICQ -* 1-1 CO T-1*-00 o lysis' r-T C5 00 c < c c 4 1 c 2 = d a c o a ■J2 1- o ID r. 5 s p 1 Ci! a a 4i c a. C > CS w o cS J £ s o as c 1 a o c. o o 54J c p 5 o -ip CD o o hi r P '' I- 1 e 5 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [198] •« C^I 05 CO T^ COO*r-t CD tH ^H =^ =s [199] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. r- i-iO C5 O C5 r-i O 00 05 ~ O CO 04 O TH CO COM O rH 00 C5 TtH C5 « Ci O CO CQ .•I O t~ IM i-l iO Ci CO cs O C5 C5 lO (M lO O i-t -^ t^ t-00 c-^ t-ooo o CO ro COM aM ci yA> "S c |a s ^3 >3c Ice?; EEPOET OF COMMISSIONEE OF FISH AND FISHEEIES. [200] CO "a H O 00 -«1 OS ^ CO 00 00 00 e CT CO O 1-1 i-h" - o 00 CO o CO o H oo Tjiao i-lip Oi 00 TO •<# " TO IM (M ffQ o o no O O oi O •a d?o 00 C5 CO o 00 o o O CM Wi-T o 00 O CO CO CO o H o oo oo 00-* ooo c= ^ [-1-1 i-t -* era 05 in 1-1 o CO '-' l-^ c4 -* C5 O lO o 1-1 CO TO "2 o rttio CO CM c~o t- 00 l> o i-lr-llO 1-1 or J J 3 3 c c p c t a t S 1 C 1 T R c J c3 1 Id "a H a: 03 CD J c a C c P o o o •c S ffi <4^ g t 3 a 1 > 1 a C3 E o H o a o a £ O -^ H > o o O P o m -(J o p a B .to c w P i o [201] HISTOEY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. (O fc. S ,-r"^ ^i d 3 rt • • • • :^ ^ 9 2 S « >!-e^ P ■g •.oE"i-i^ . -o. -hi •fltnSS'SoiS 5^ P P s g g 2^ s s s i^ a s.s^ °t^ ■5 5:3 5 S S g- a g'gi" i» m g bo cS cS f; CB r3 _ ■3 U n a CO ri = u )^ ■A uj fe; "3 "cB V^ r1 ,= -* ^J 1— ( t~(M ero «•« -» REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [202] MACKEREL INSPECTION IN MAINE. Statement II. — Showing the total numher of harrels of each quality of piclcled maclcerel inspected in Maine from 1804 to 1820, and from 1864 to 1881. Tear. Barrels of mackerel inspected. 1. 2. 3. 4. Total. 1804 .' 19 212 130 406J 43 14 72 100 134 461 203 158 116* 424 66 22J 380 186 497 144 2''2 1805 83 403 1806 2464 1, 599i 109 1807 769 1808 1809 4 44 203 248J 15 10 24 2 90 311 1,766 4,037 404 496 1810 1811 489 1812 8794 76 1813 1814 10 1815 75 274 300 381 999 165i 72 53 230 170 2,557 788J 171 1816 329» 1817 6"0 1818 862 1819 5,322 4 991 1820 1825 33 065 1834 40 661 1836 25 228 1837 22 462 1838 24 312 1851 31 472 14, 677J 34, 7055 31, 711 21, 0605 17, 9465 13, eM^^j 13, 135^=;, 23, 39117- 10, 013-J 12, 7693 25, 193J 2, 221 1, 9051 5, 792J 1, 478§ 30, 1711 13, 868 6, 141| 8,043 6,363 12, 410/^ 32, 613,3, 18, 41715 6, 162J 6, 8452^ 14, 326 1,433^ 9, 2931 9, 941^ 5,874 4, 881J 5, 6355 6, 756g 4, 320| 4, 4641 10, 201Jg 6, 555^ 6, 793| 5,626 2,579 4,222 5,848 11, 2304 9, 423i 16, 082^5 674 6 i8i 250-1 49, 7974 54, 2151 44. 627 J 33' 675| 1865 1866 1867 1868 28, 774J 37, 166J 52, 304i\s 1869 939J 1870 1871 48, 603ij"i5 22 173 1872 371 1873 22 \Q'i\% 1874 43 741| 1875 9, 502^ 22, 4294 22, 157| a 23, 434f & 58, 249 6 86 338 1876 1877 1878 1879 1880 1881 6116 762 a The returns of the Boston Fish Bureau give the inspection this year 48.263 barrels. 6 From returns of the Boston Fish Bureau. The State inspection returns for 1879 could not he found. For 1880 the returns bj' the inspectors to the secretary of state give the number of barrels at 72,71425, which is believed to be inaccurate. 48. — Statistics of new Hampshire. The statistics of mackerel inspection in New HamxDsliire are in a single statement which shows the total number of barrels of mackerel packed in Portsmouth, the only inspection port of the State, during the years 1830 to 1852, 1861 to 1881. These facts are compiled from the following sources: 1830 to 1852, from Sabine's Eeport on the American Fisheries; 1861 to 1877, from original returns of inspectors copied by Mr. Starbuck; 1879 to 1881, from official documents signed by the secretary of state of New Hampshire. In a foot-note is given the number of barrels packed in the Slate during the years ending December 31, 1878 to 1881, as re- ported to the Boston Fish Bureau. [203] HISTOEY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. Statement showing the total nuviber of barrels of picJcled macJcerel inspected in Neiv Hamp- shire from 1830 to 1852, and from 18(51 to 1881.a 1830 1831 1832 1833 1834 1835 1836 1837 1838 1839 1840 1841 1842 1843 1844 Barrels. 20, 300 21, 450 21, 700 19, 375 18, 200 15, 300 9,450 5, 225 3,420 700 630 1,100 1, 050 1,175 1,240 Tear. 1845 1846 1S47 1848 1849 1850 1851 1852 1861 1862 1863 1864 1865 1866 Barrels. 1,075 1,369 2,008 2,400 2,867 3,125 3,073 2,140 15 65 300 45 200 Tear. 1867 572 1868 1869 157 1870 3 700 1871 2 071 1872 1 878 1873 2,398 1874 5 519 1875 3 415 1876 5 351 1877 643 1878 62,252 63,435J 6 5,967 65.385 1879 1880 1881 Barrels. a The inspection year ends on May 1, from 1869 to 1877, and on June 1 in subsequent years. 6 The annual report of the Boston Fish Bureau gives the number of barrels packed in New Hamp- shire in years ending December 31, 1878, 4,000 barrels; 1879, 6,225 barrels; 1880, 7,550 barrels; 1881, 5,400 barrels. 49. — Statistics of the united states. — totals. The mackerel industry of tlie United States, as far as pickled mack- erel is concerned, is exhibited in a series of statements which show the total number of barrels packed in the United States, and the im- ports of mackerel from the Dominion of Canada. Several statements gathered from Canadian sources are also included to show the mack- erel industry of the United States as compared with that of Canada. Statements I to III show the number of vessels employed by the New England States in the Bay of Saint Lawrence and American coast fisheries, and the total catch of salt mackerel by these fleets during the years 1879, 1880, and 1881. Statement IV shows the quantity and value of pickled mackerel pro- duced by the fisheries of the United States for the years 1831, 1834 to 1838, 1851, 1864 to 1881. From this statement it appears that more mackerel were packed in the year 1881 than in any year, with the excep- tion of 1831, in the history of this fishery. If to the quantity of mack- erel salted there be added the quantity sold in a fresh condition, which was from 150,000 to 175,000 barrels, the total catch of mackerel by the American fleet in 1881 represents not less than 150,000,000 pounds of round fish, a larger amount by 30,000,000 pounds than was ever before- taken in a single year. Statement V shows the total quantity and value of pickled mack- erel produced by the fisheries of the United States as compared with the production of Canadian fisheries during the years 1873 to 1880, from which it appears that during this period the United States have pro- duced 1,809,333 barrels, valued at $16,083,453, and the Canadian fish- eries have produced 1,320,217 barrels, valued at $12,717,576, making the total for both countries 3,129,550 barrels, valued at $28,801,029. Of the American production not over 260,000 barrels, valued at about EEPOET OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [204] $2,500,000 were taken by American vessels in the Bay of Saint Law- rence. Statement VI shows the number of bari'els of pickled mackerel re- ceived at Boston from IJnited States and foreign ports during each month of the years 1878 to 1881, also the total receipts during the year 1877. From this statement it appears that the mackerel industry of Boston is increasing in importance, especially in the receipts of Ameri- can mackerel. Statement YII shows the price per barrel of the several grades ot mackerel during the first week of September in each year from 1830 to 1881. These values may perhaps be generally taken as the average value for the year, though in some years, as in 1881, the price rapidly increased later in the year, when a large part of the product was placed upon the market. Statement YIII shows the number of barrels of pickled mackerel im- ported from the British E'orth American provinces during the years 1821 to 1841, and from 1850 to 1881, also the value of each year's impor- tation from 1850 to 1881. Besides the quantity of mackerel imported in 1872 from these prov- inces there were 1,504 barrels, valued at $11,214, received from England, Scotland, British West Indies, France, and Portuguese possessions, making the total importation 79,235 barrels, valued at $449,625. In the year 1873, 1,191 barrels mackerel, valued at $4,679, were received -from the Danish West Indies and England, making the total importa- tion for that year 90,889 barrels, valued at $610,457. The entire impor- tation of pickled mackerel for the years subsequent to 1873 has been from the British North American iDrovinces. The quantities of dutiable mackerel imported since June 30, 1873, and included in the tabulated statement, are as follows : 1874, 190 barrels, $1,550; 1875, 59 barrels, $553 5 1876, 7 barrels, $48; 1877, 14 barrels, $148; 1878, 6 barrels, $67; 1879, 2 barrels, $14; 1880, none specified; 1881, 9 barrels, $97 ; total, 287 barrels, $2,477. The quantities of pickled mackerel imported from the provinces free of duty under the treaty of Washington since June 30, 1873, are as follows: 1874, 89,503 barrels, $800,920; 1875, 77,479 barrels, $584,283 ; 1876, 76,531 barrels, $695,412; 1877, 43,066 barrels, $372,260; 1878, 102,148 barrels, $907,246; 1879, 101,420 barrels, $649,721; 1880, 112,468 barrels, $493,059; 1881, 120,288 barrels, $614,729; total, 722,903 barrels, $5,117,630. ' Statement IX shows the quantity and value of pickled mackerel im- ported into the United States from the British provinces during the years 1856 to 1872, being the time of the operation of the reciprocity treaty, and from the close of that treaty to the beginning of the treaty of Washington. The statement also shows what would have been the duty on these imports during the period of reciprocity. These statistics are compiled from sheets published by W. E. Clark, and believed to be copied from United States custom-house returns. [205] HISTOEY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. Statement X sliows tlie quantity and value of foreign pickled mack- erel entered for consumption in the United States during the years ended June 30, 1872 to 1881. Comparing this Statement with statement VIII, it appears that the total imports from the Dominion of Canada, from 1872 to 1881, amount to 800,619 barrels, valued at $6,164,295, and the total consumption of Canadian mackerel during the same period amounts to 836,218 barrels, valued at $5,900,649. This shows that nearly the entire importation of foreign mackerel is consumed in this country; and such would naturally be the case since the imports are the best qualities of Canadian mackerel that are too fat for export to the West Indies or other foreign countries. Statements XI to XV, inclusive, show the production of mackerel by the fisheries of the Dominion of Canada, and the exports of mackerel from that country during a series of years. They are compiled from the annual reports of the department of marine and fisheries of the Domin- ion of Canada, the documents and proceedings of the Halifax Commis- sion, and a report by United States Consul-General Jackson, of Halifax, on the fisheries of Canada, and their value to the United States, printed in commercial reports of th€ Department of State for January, 1881. The first three of these statements show the total value of pickled and fresh mackerel, the value of mackerel exported to all countries, and the value of mackerel exported to the United States during the period from 1873 to 1879. From these statements we see that the loroduction is valued at $10,654,528, and the exports amount to $5,481,493, of which the United States receives nearly three-fourths, or $4,090,139 worth. Of the entire production only $115,918 worth of fresh or canned mackerel is included, of which $26,018 worth was exported to the United States, as follows: 1873, none specified ; 1874, from Xova Scotia, 26,390 pounds fresh, $2,689 ; 1875, from Xova Scotia, 1,008 pounds fresh, $126; 1876, from Xova Scotia, 22,760 pounds fresh, $4,632 ; 1877, from Xova Scotia, 8j976 pounds preserved, $1,051; from is'ew Brunswick, 703 pounds fresh, $62; 1878, from Xova Scotia, 54,200 pounds fresh, $1,266, 4,365 pounds preserved, $4,287; from New Brunswick, 87,883 pounds fresh, $5,099, 9,448 pounds preserved, $693 ; from Quebec, 10,738 pounds fresh, $654; 1879, from I^Tova Scotia, 39,700 pounds fresh, $2,632, 266 pounds preserved, $818; from Xew Brunswick, 52,786 pounds fresh, $2,009; total value, $26,018. The total yield of fish and fish products, by the fisheries of Canada, from 1873 to 1879, as given in official documents, was valued at $82,094,962, of this amount $40,802,322 worth was exported to all coun- tries, including $11,695,530 worth exported to the United States. Statement XIV shows the quantity and value of mackerel produced by the Canadian fisheries from 1869 to 1880, including those of Prince Edward Island since its entry into the Dominion in 1873. Statement XV shows the quantity and value of pickled mackerel 'Exported from the Dominion of Canada to the United States from 1873 to 1879, also from Prince Edward Island from 1857 to 1873, and from EEPOET OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [206] Newfoundland from 1853 to 1876. From this statement it appears that the total exports of pickled mackerel to the United States amounts to 528,272 barrels, valued at $4,068,925. Comparing this quantity and value with the imports into the United States during the same period as given in Statement VIII, by the United States Bureau of Statistics, we find the imports amount to 580,123 barrels, valued at $4,618,000. Part of the discrepancy between those two statements may be ac- counted for from the fact that the United States returns are for the fis- cal years ended June 30, while the Canadian returns may be for the calendar years. NEW ENGLAND MACKEREL FLEET, 1879. Statement I. — Showing tJie number of vessels and their catch of salt mackerel in the Bay of Saint Laivrence and American shore mackerel fisheries for the season of 1879, as re- Xjorted to the Boston Fish Bureau. [Compiled from aminal report for 1S79. ] Vessels. Barrels of mackerel. Bay. Shore. Total. Bay. Shore. Total. MASSACHUSETTS. 6 2 8 85 35 6 22 5 7 11 10 2 8 8 111 39 6 22 5 7 11 11 2 721 870 1,591 26 4 7,125 1,310 47, 085 48, 103 4,900 17, 200 4,354 5,688 10, 938 7,290 301 54, 210 49,413 4,900 17, 200 4 354 Wellfleet Chatham 5 688 10, 938 1 240 301 Total 37 193 230 9,396 146, 729 156, 125 NEW HAMPSHIEE. 9 9 6,225 6, 225 MAINE. Deer Isle * . 3 3 6 9 60 3 3 6 9 65 1,020 1,278 3,951 50, 600 1 020 1 278 Booth Bay 3' 951 Portland 5 1,400 52, 000 Total 5 42 81 283 86 325 1,400 10, 796 56, 849 209, 803 58, 249 220, 599 * Vessels packed out away from home. t Numerous vessels packed out in addition to home fleet. + "Vpssp1s mostlv naclied out away from home. m [2071 HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. m rrj g o o ^^^^ ^ h (- a- « o OJ W ,a.a o o ,a i> -3 n o -^ ^ a P. ;^ o j= m •^ T; a *: n 4) « tDMCO P 3 si ^ « d p: o ^ „ « g a o 2 £ S ^- = =£; *=^'^ 'S'cf Sj3 o p 5 o o « o « g ^ S^ o "^ r^ '^l c3 tfol OoyDO'MOr-COOOOi—IO ct lO CI o rr CO o CO c:; lO o t^t-OOOO'MOCMa..— iO C> -^ o" o" iri i> f^" oo" o o in o o o o o o o w to CD to (7^ CS ;:, Tji COOh-T^Ot-'CCOCOi— lO ccot--'^--: OOC0C0C5O '<#' — r lo" oT Tp" :o 2^ !>■ 05 X O O ITS OC lO O CO r-<0 O O CI o o o s ^ cj « a "^ 5 "*^ CO , CO ^ o 1 I ^ y 1= va ,:1 o e^ ,d o 3 .. 02 £} W c^ 2 43 03 00 a - ^ 3 O o K ■»-^^ •SAV9I0 JO OtDOOOOlOt^OOO iHOicroomooooOsDco TjiOC005COI>r-ICO (Mt>ooc-i-it>OT-iOffa r-l >-'00 CO rHlH OT^COCOOirir-HO o o com toco «0(M ' .0 ■* m in .-H --J ■ o -"ji r-( o t^ cq CQ (M COiH riin ' o rj< r-l in lA T-l to a, £ - o « o t» o s- ci ? rt B S S o?3 ^"P -S ' -^3 *= "S t3 -H ■ ^ B2!Cq«iJa«.2 2a •eS'§§§s|3^-a| ij^ cs o o o S o ^ S ^ g t< X !C o ® s g EEPOET OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHEEIES. [208] OS -tS =« S 5^^ ft ja 55 -^ ^00 3 a a iS'Oo :^ o ^'^ •moi •q^nos •/Bg; •SAOJO JO jgq •moj. w -g. OOP w C3 (S C3 B ftfto J r2:^ .^ IC O 0*00 CO o ascoco^l:~lXr-^OD"^(M CM CO O O ^ r • 00 10 • • .cso ot>coMt>-iflooaocoo (Mmc^OOSi-ii-lOSCOCCiCM OCCiOOOO OO-^iM 05 urs 00 to o 00 o ITS CD ■^ 03 C3 O #00rHm ti g ro ; o s o So-g £->• Poom^oo23*59-9 ■fi'S" cj s.a l-^ cj '^ o-2L^ »£ rrj g ^ ^ P ^CS'-'Ori,-.f-( |:^cjOooSo g ^ a ^ o g i^ti-i [209] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. MACKEREL FISHERY OF THE UNITED STATES. Stateiment IV. — Showinq the number of barrels and value of piclded mackerel produced by fisheries of the United States for the years 1831, 1834 to'miS, 1851, 1864 to 1881.^ Tears. Massachu- setts. Maine. 'Nevr Hamp- shire. Total quantity and value. 1831 1834 1836 1837 1838 1851 1864 1865 1866 1867 1868 1869 1870 1871 1872 1873 18.74 1875 1870 1877 1878 1879 igfeo 1881 Barrels. 283, 548J 252, 879i 174, 410 138, 1.571 110, 740 J 329, 244J 274, 357i 256, 7965 231, 696/g 210, 314Jh 180, 056iJ 234, 2105 318, 521g 259, 41 6 J 181, 956^5 185, 748i 258, 37911 130, 062|J 225, 94215 105, 097 1% 144, 205 156,125 255, 986 269, 495 Barrels. 44, 951J 40, 661 25, 228 22,462 24, 312 31,472 49, 797* 54,21.51 44, 627^ 33, 675J 28, 774^ 37, 166i 52, 304yV 48, 6035% 22, 173 22, 193^5 43, 7411 9, 502J 22, 4294 22, 157i 48, 263 58, 249 86, 338 116, 762 Barrels. 21,450 18, 200 9,450 5, 225 3, 420 3,073 300 45 200 572 157 3,700 2,071 1,878 2,398 5,519 3, 415 5, 351 643 4,000 6, 225 7, 350 5,400 Barrels. \ 449, 950 311 740* 209, 088 165, 844i 138, 4724- 363, 780^ 324, 454J- 311 0561 276 .52311 244 561,3; 208, 830IJ 271, 5:14^ 374, 525/^ 310, 091i 206, 007,V 210 3505^ir 307, 640-iJ 142, 9803^ 253, 72242- 127, 898/n 196 468 220, 599 349, 674 391, 657 Value. $1, 862, 793 1, 437, 123 1, .520, 069 965, 214 1, 156, 243 2, 484, 679 7, 001. 098 5, 729, 851 5, 161, 261 3, 174, 130 2, 924, 987 3, 762, 985 4, 400, 563 2, 668, 851 2, 205, 761 3, 167, 948 3, 163, 701 1, 439, 315 1, 853, 103 1, 384, 223 1, 408, 675 1, 268, 444 a, 398, 004 2, 447, 5.56 * The figures for the years 1834 to 1838 antl 1851 are from Sabine's Report on the American Pisheries ; for the years 1864 to 187'7 from the State inspection I'eturns ; for the years 1878 to 1881 from the annual reports of the Boston Fish Bureau. MACKEREL FISHERY OF THE UNITED STATES AND OF THE DOMINION OF CANADA. Statement V. — Showing the number of barrels and value of piclcled maclcerel produced by the fisheries of the United States from 1873 to 18sl, and by the fisheries of the Dominion of Canada fi-om 1873 to 1880. Tear. United States. Dominion of Canada. Total. Barrels. Value. Barrels. Value. Barrels. Value. 1873 210, 35o;3; 307, 640|-^ 142, 980iJ 253, 722§f 127, 898^% 196, 408 220, 599 349, 674 391, 657 $3, 167, 948 3, 163, 701 1,439,315 1, 853, 103 1, 384, 223 1,408,675 1, 268, 444 2, 398, 044 2, 447, 556 159, 530 161, 096 123, 654* 104, 356" 163,916 183, 919 190, 076* 233, 669" $1,615,552 1, 559, 551 l,23ii,545 992, 794 1, 639, 160 1, 766, 226 ■ 1, 745, 490 2, 162, 258 369, 8865^ 468, 736-;^ 263, 6341-J- 358, 078|5 291, SU^% 380,387" 410, 6754 583, 343" $4, 783, 500 4, 723, 252 2, 675, 860 2 845 897 1874 1875 1876 1877 3' 023! 383 3 174 901 1878 1879 3 013 9-34 1880 4 560 302 1881 Total 1873 to 1881. 2, 200, 99013- 18, 531, 009 Total 1873 to 1880. 1, 809, 333f 3 16, 083, 453 1, 320, 217 12, 717, 575 3, 129, 550ig 28, 801, 029 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [210] MACKEREL INDUSTRY OF BOSTON, MASS. Statement VI. — Sliotving the number of barrels of pickled mackerel received in Boston from home and foreign ports, from 1877 to 1S81, as reported to the Boston Fish Bureau. [Compiled from annual reports of Boston Pish Bureau.] 1877. 1878. 1879. 1880. 1881. M ft a . "St; 1- (51 PI ■s-g H a "S t! 1- 1° M ft Mop 'S"*H 272 371 842 740 3, 077- 2,299 774 5, 472 4,533 7,025 5,039 1,437 32,458 480 1,132 1,555 50 2, 160* 5,037 5,341 -21, 495 12, 109 15, 092 9, 383 4,405 611 1,417 3,868 1,606 1,183 2,843 1,505 5,158 5,035 4,934 2, 425 8,233 49, 413 3,484 1,490 4, 577 1,878 95 779 6,450 12, 290 13, 878 25, 600 12, 180 3,512 117 709 331 184 945* 1,679 4,166 10,158 9,412 4,934 2, 425 1,701 54, 002 3,576 3,947 2,012 138 178 6, 283 8, 222 14, 891 19, 713 30, 033 11, 532 5,205 211 1,202 3,252 464 2,161 3,269 10, 943 12. 678 20, 868 10, 391 6,574 1,640 69, 669 1,179 2,065 7,269 4,482 1,725 2,366 5, 766 3,931 12, 902 11, 550 5,356 3,259 Catcli of Boston fleet (20, 139) 55, 668 Total 86, 356 64, 339 78, 689 83, 231 84, 213 90, 763 105, 730 143, 319 61, 850 Grand total. 142, 024 143 028 167 444 196, 493 205, 172 *New. PRICE OF MACKEREL IN MASSACHUSETTS. Statement VII. — Shoivivg the price x^er barrel of each grade of pickled mackerel in th first week of September, from 1830 to 1881. [Compiled from tlie files of the Gloucester Telegraph and the Cape Ann Advertiser.] Tear. No. 1. No. 2. No. 3. Tear. No.l. No. 2. No. 3. 1830 $5 00 5 75 5 00 5 72 5 72 7 00 9 00 7 75 11 00 12 .50 V2 75 12 00 9 00 10 12 9 50 13 00 9 12 12 75 9 00 12 00 10 12 10 00 9 no 11 50 15 00 19 00 13 00 35 00 15 50 $4 50 4 75 4 00 4 72 4 72 6 00 8 00 6 50 9 25 10 50 10 50 10 00 6 00 8 12 7 50 10 50 6 25 8 25 6 00 7 00 8 12 6 50 7 00 9 50 12 25 11 00 8 00 12 50 12 50 $2 62 2 62 2 75 2 85 3 35 4 00 5 00 4 12 5 50 7 00 5 50 6 00 4 00 6 00 5 50 6 87 3 87 4 25 3 37 3 50 5 00 5 12 5 75 7 50 5 00 6 25 6 00 8 50 8 50 1859 $14 50 16 00 8 50 8 25 14 00 30 00 22 00 22 75 17 00 17 00 23 00 21 50 23 00 10 50 11 25 11 50 14 50 14 75 20 00 15 00 13 25 14 00 36 25 15 00 36 50 18 00 [16 00] 14 00 14 00 $12 59 8 50 4 50 6 00 9 25 20 00 15 00 13 25 12 25 33 00 11 50 11 00 9 75 7 50 7 25 9 25 9 50 12 25 12 25 8 00 9 00 11 00 10 25 6 75 12 50 8 00 5 00 7 00 6 00 $8 50 ]83] 1860 5 00 1832 1861 2 75 1833 1862 4 50 1834 1863 6 50 1835 1864 1836 1865 1866 1867 9 75 1837 1838 7 50 1839 1868 1840 1869 1841 1870— bay shore 1871— bay 3842^ 1843 5 50 1844 ... 6 25 1845 1872— bay 7 00 1846 shore 1873— bay 1847 9 00 1848 shore 1849 1874-bay 7 00 1850 7 00 1851 1875— bay 1852 . . 7 50 1853 1876 5 50 18.54 1877 1878 1879 , 1880 8 00 18.55 5 00 1856 3 00 1857 4 00 1858 , 1881 4 00 [211] HISTOEY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. UNITED STATES IMPORTS OF PICKLED MACKEREL. Statement VIII. — Showing the number of 'barrels of picJcled mackerel hnporied into the United States from the British North American Proinnces from 1S21 to 1841, and from 1850 to 1881, and also the value of same from 1850 to 1881.* Tear. Barrels. Tear. Barrels. Tear. Barrels. Value. 1 1 Tear. Barrels. Value. 1834 1835 1836 1837 1838 1839 1840 1841 223 8, 153 6,037 1,256 182 7,046 11, 823 10, 877 1850 1851 1852 1853 1854 1855 1856 1857 1858 1859 1860 1861 1862 1863 1864 1865 75, 326 102, 394 78, 334 54, 407 61,815 80, 012 62, 606 49, 477 67, 345 49, 086 63, 549 38, 023 37, 710 62, 767 80, 665 120, 067 $335,309 1 548, .5.53 327, 613 ; 329,210 ' 470, 916 427, 283 492, 802 1 457,074 664, 852 565,029 588, 969 269, 399 247, 678 1 402, 178 599,109 957, 411 1866 1867 1868 1859 1870 1871 1872 1873 1874 1875 1876 1877 1878 1879 1880 1881 56,613 iftnPS y.Trt 77 503 1 6~-T n9fi 41, 635 29, 701 .30, 712 29, 333 77, 731 89, 698 89, 693 77, 538 76, 538 43, 080 102, 154 101, 422 112, 468 129, 297 364 429 1821 1822 1823 1824 1825 1826 7 387 67 790 242 87 39 38 95 391 4,552 32 20 327, 079 346, !)56 254, 980 438, 410 605, 778 802 470 1827 385 S36 18'8 695. 460 379 408 1829 1830 907 3!3 1831 649 735 1832 493 059 1833 614, 820 *Tlie statistics in this statement are obtained from the following sources : For the years 1821 to 1841 fi'om Sabine's "Report on the American Fisheries " ; for the fiscal years ending June 30, 1850 to 18.55, 1867, 1868, and 1872 to 1881, from the annual reports of the United States Bureaix of Statistics; for the years 1856 to 1866, 1869, 1870, and 1871, from sheets published in 1879 by W. E. Clark, and believed to be compiled from United States custom-house records. Mr. Clark's statistics are the most reliable we have obtained for the years for which we quote them, as the returns of the United States Bureau of Statistics do not give the desired details lor those years. EEPORT OF COMMISSIONEE OF FISH AND FI8HEEIES. [212] /I 2 « 'S Ph ^ ^ CI n o 2 !>> ^ oS rf) ^ ""^ ^^ H <» S5W M ^ 00 o ri r« r-i +J flH e o-GlCOCS03t--iO' C3CO"<:fOSCrco'~co'~ijr5'"[r-r'^'"co'o Kr^co -^ i-T oooc:coc:pi>'0(Mvnco:Dir:)Ocooo-^ OC [Mir:it--^Ot-CiiOC^C:OOOSOOi-l-<*^t*t*OOCOOCOiO':D rHiO^JD'XiOOOOSl H (M Tj* lO 'd^ 00 to .. . jooooccoa(ncocsj05tMi?^os ■Ot-COC:COOOi:SIL--L"-iO(MCOOO ot-t-t-i>coir-ir-oocMOOiO-^(MCOiO ocioocs(Mt>■tM(^^oot^-c^IlOOcMOco -r*-!^]0"ococolOcot-^-.oo^-cooO'^c^^ ■^i-HL— OOt-U^CO-^C-O-^C-OOiOi-l lOt^CDOOOlCiMCMCOCOGlOCOiHtMCO C3000r-^CM— *Xll*■OQ-^t'^OCOTi^■-:J^^:OT— I !>,-.»— L— t:-~0i:0'-DQ0X>00L0O"^C0irj CO '^ co" :rf c^T x" t^ o irT C- <^. t— Oi CO'^OOOiCDOSOOlO'^Tj'-rJiCi O^i-lOOCOOO^T 400"^00(MCOOO • QOCOOr~OOODOO''^t-CSC "^C-OOOCirO'T^lOO — t'-'?-100C2COt^GS rx' ^ — CO ^-1 CO C3 ■* O -rf ifS 00 O ■^' lO l>- OD 05 COCOTt+Ti1'=?ir-ii-i(MO(MC ■ocDi— it-ciiootr-wcot-i— (O'^'— ICO' Tf c; CM o cj -^ CO I • oi:ocnoooT-i-^a5 I— tCOCOCO':J'COt^OO':DC5COOOO.L--(MC5i; r co" c:DlC"Of— 0«00:OC5i-iOO»0 (MCSCOCTKMC-t-CqtO^r-lT-lt-OOlOtM C0Tt((MOO050000C5rHOm.-im:0»t- o oo" c:c^t>ir::ocotMcoi> 3 g5 5: c coooir:>otDooc-;oooowtot--f-^ooooiA tocoio^if:r+«tOL':tr-os--^oo-^cqot^co tOOOt£JOiOOC- to 'J" CO c; ro'c-'o -* o'c-'i-i aS^na-. to to"-* os ,-r M-t^r^ot-csoC'-Hc^'MtoomoctooM CO'MCraCOCO (MCOlOCO ot^LriiccOT-Ht^ot'Coif^iHi-icot'Os^ CO i -* o ccTr- t5't> -^lo irf t>oo oTto 00 -^irTirf" a a $19, 272 6,024 9,700 3,094 4,610 5,346 4,426 4,324 1,932 8, 032 1,068 2,974 326 376 1,472 2,282 1,556 3 oo" c p f •^IO*OCiOOtOaOi-<(Mt-I>I>lOCOQOOOOO OG^COCCCCOfOr^,-(-*0000**OOOCO M — tOCOl-tOCOl-COlOCJCOr-fOOmCSCM co" cif-^t~ _ to"-* of M in co-Tf N c-f 1-1 ,- ci"-* to (N CO N ,H r-l ^ F-l CO i-H rH r-c m 9,636 3,312 4,850 1,847 2,305 2,673 2,213 2, 162 966 4,466 534 1,487 163 188 736 1,141 778 o" CO > 3 ■1 :::.;;:::;::;;:;;: LOU5t~00050r-aid . 724, 403i%'5j Value. $793, 764 586, 825 695, 847 373, 792f 907, 013 650, 048,: 492, 807f 6I5,063t Barrels. 39, 572 70, mu\ 1, 496i- 41 16 8* 6 O 63 12 8* 5, 115, 160iJ5l 111, SUj%% 785, 489/5% $223,6291^5 Yalue. $247, 796i%'% 523, 3571=5% 13, 325 524 70 105 67 127 Barrels. 39, 572 70, 651,'^ 90, 873J- 78, 132J 76, 598i%% 44, 178 102, 001 101, 4.52i%\; 112, 397|- 120, 361 836, 218yi Value. $247, 796J 523, 357f 807, 089 587, 349 695, 917 373, 8S7i= 907, 080 650, 067J 492, 9:!4,'^ 615, 161 1< 5, 900, 649jfif5 KoTE. — All tbe consumption of foreign mackerel as given in the above table for tbe year 1877, and subsequent to that time, and nearly all, if not the entire consumption for the year prior to 1877, is the product of the British Korth American provinces. MACKEREL FISHERY OF THE DOMINION OF CANADA. Statement XI. -Showing the total value of the production of the mackerel fishery of the Dominion of Canada, 1873 to 1879. Year. Quebec. Nova Scotia. New- Brunswick. Prince Ed- ward Island. Total. 1873 $61, 700 72, 780 $1, 411, 676 1, 234, 649 $35, 447 51, 280 $111, 512 221,761 $1, 620, 335 1874 1, 580, 470 1875 1, 245, 752 J 876 49, 750 53, 579 87, 360 60, 420 714, 263 1, 155, 140 1, 307, 611 1, 019, 640 30, 610 54, 476 97, 372 114, 676 203, 064 404, 620 291, 976 563, 411 997, 687 1877 1, 667, 815 1878 1, 784, 319 1879 1, 758, 150 Total 1873 to 1879 10, 654, 528 MACKEREL EXPORTS OF THE DOMINION OF CANADA. Statement XII. — Showing the total value of mackerel exported from the Dominion of Canada to all countries, 1873 to 1879. Year. Quebec. Nova Scotia. New Brunswick. Prince Ed- ward Island. Total. 1873 1874 , 1875 1876 1877 1878 1879 Total 1873 to 1879 f 2, 076 984 953 206 65 1,078 1,605 7,027 $673, 894 615, 992 509, 117 582, 155 442, 306 677, 550 651, 037 $10, 232 25, 123 30, 338 56, 979 46, 179 85, 239 83, 946 4, 152, 051 338, 036 $29, 830 73, 329 252, 839 108, 332 98, 383 279, 568 145, 098 987, 379 $716, 032 715, 428 793, 247 747, 672 586, 933 1, 043, 435 881, 746 5, 481, 493 [215] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. MACKEREL EXPORTS OF THE DOMINION OF CANADA. Statement XIII. — Shoiving the total value of maclcerel exported from the Dominion of Canada to the United States, 1873 to 1879. Tear. 1873 ]874 1875 1876 1877 1878 1«79 Total 1873 to 1879 Quebec. 984 860 206 • 21 1,088 1,394 Nova Scotia. $502, 226 518, 809 242, 704 415, 143 216, 170 473, 571 406, 024 5,493 2, 774, 647 ISTew Brunswick. $10, 232 25, 123 28, 978 56, 274 46, 023 84, 682 83, 605 334, 917 Prince Ed- ward Island. Total. $20, 440 73, 279 251, 232 108, 332 97, 359 279, 402 145, 038 $533, 838 618,195 523, 774 579, 955 359, 573 838, 743 636, 061 975, 082 4, 090, 139 KEPOET OF COMMISSIONEE OF FISH AND FISHEEIES. [216] is ^; 5^.§ 'k.i OCMOCsIkCOCNlOlCCSOeO rtO-^^«t-inoow,-(iv-;co ^C ■ O O^l UO 00 CD ioc~ ■ ococo CD in a •©m-BA rHr-T 1 C^-^-r-'cTo" rH CM . o O CK CD CD rH (M . C<1"<* (M lO CD w "c; «■ , ^'-^ O ^S CO t- ^ 00 C-l CJ KO O a 1 (N 'H ' 00 COOO 00 t- •siajj-Bfi j-i CO ■ CO "<3^ ■"* O O fi s aTc-" ' Koo'coo'c-f o) ' (^J ^ CO t-co t~0 1 OCD C3 o a ■ee- ; !zi "j-oocoiccoin^co, oocoiM >0 Ci CO O UO ro CD CO O to CO r^ (Mocoocqwostotou^^ O •etajjBa 1 -O" x" I n f-T cf rH o" 00 CD* r-f CD* s CO Cq r-1 ^ (M Cl t- rH CJ O 0> rHrHrHi-t rH i-l r-t r-H ■*o ■ia.ra5[0Bin psna'Bo Tt< t- o 0) ao Tisaaj jo 9ti[BA : ■93- 'o OOOOO • O kO O O OQ c- cc c; O r/3 • in CO CD CJ t~ •eniBA t^coiQt-t^ ■^:^T^lC)T^co a a . •a g 3 o tc"o"L-"rH cq" C5'co'';cro"o' cy COt-rHCOt- ■■*>OQ0CD-* t-OOOOQO 'iracoc3!c-it~ ■SpjJBJT l> CO "t t^ I^ t- -rt ir; LO rH CDCDC-r-cg •OSCOCDLOO s co'c-^r-To-i^r . ^"looac-'io- CS O ^ (M « H*in cot-ooo o 1 cot^t^r^i^t^i^t^t^t^t^oo 1 00 CO OC 00 QO 00 00 00 00 00 00 en 1 rH rH >-«> tH rH rH r-^ rH tH rH ^ tn .-•■S n't* -=2 co.K ca -ojB ©OQ cfl^ Si'^H §^ 5 o Cm e.4 o . * "cl E.2 Eh fl t- g ci . iS a> « o .a gs fHrS rf ci ca a "^ ciJS' en _H^ ° g >. ■§|3 -§'a ° S e ft «cS-s i^ rtCO o^oo" ftjj in _2 &g [217] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. MACKEREL EXPORTS OF BRITISH PROVINCES. Statement XV. — Showing the quanUtji and value of ■pickled mackerel exportedfothe United States from the Dominion of Canada, 1873 to 1879, also from Prince Edward Island, 1857 to 1873, and from ^Newfoundland, 1853 to 1876. Tear. Quebec. Nova Scotia. New Brunswick. Prince Edward Island. Newfound- land. Total. 2 -a t> o5 3 m a 6 "a > 3 aj 3 'a 3 > 1853 10 19 $48 144 1854 1855 1856 1857 3,048 4,078 3,243 3,471 1,143 2,321 3,402 6,583 16, 530 13,413 12, 302 11, 680 10, 242 13, 960 17, 216 9,126 2, 528 6,583 31,466 13, 276 10, 867 31,702 18, 526 $25, 000 38, 440 33, 891) 36, 760 11,525 19, 320 27, 045 42, 775 181, 675 79, 990 119, 195 161, 836 109,625 176, 280 146, 925 111,512 20, 440 73, 279 251, 232 108, 332 97, 359 279, 402 145, 038 1858 1859 1860 3861 1802 170 1,010 1863 1864 158 4 "17 9 '8O4' 916 244 28 950 24 1865 1866 . . . 1867 102 54 6,912" 7,328 1, 952 196 1868 1869 .. 1870 1871 1872 . . . .. 1873 1874 106 104 146 30 3 71 223 $940 984 800 206 21 434 1,394 77, 420 58, 385 35, 568 49, 407 27, 285 61,812 65, 949 $502, 226 516, 120 242, 578 410,511 215,119 473, 018 402, 574 1,276 2,561 3 375 7,122 5, 049 7,437 9,952 $10,232 25, 123 28, 978 56, 274 45, 961 78, 890 81, 596 81, 330 67, 693 70, 555 69, 841 43, 204 101, 022 94, 655 $538, 838 615, 506 1875 523, 648 1876 575, 323 1877 1878 358, 460 831, 744 1879 630, 602 VIII.— MATERIALS FOR A CHRONOLOGICAL HIS- TORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY OF NORTH AMERICA. M.— Extracts prom records and eeminiscenses op fishermen. 50. — Seventeenth century. The mackerel fishery has been of great importance to the United States both from a commercial standpoint and as a motive for the forma- tion of treaties with the Government of Great Britain and the establish- ment of rates of tariff intended to regulate the importation of mackerel from the British provinces. Its history from year to year has been so varied, the conditions under which it was prosecuted in successive years so changeable, that it seems worth while to present here a series of notes chronologically arranged which have been gathered from various sources and which illustrate the changes in method and in result which have been recorded by observers from 1620 to the present time. 1629 TO 1635. — Abundance op mackerel on the coast of new ENGLAND IN THE FIRST HALF OF THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY. Francis Higginson, in his "eTonrnal of His Yoyage to New England," 1629, speaks of seeing "many schools of mackerel, infinite multitudes, EEPOET OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHEEIES. [218] on every side of onr ship " off Cape Ann, June 26. [Young's Chronicles, 232.] Eichard Mather, in his " Journal," 1635, speaks of the seamen taking abundance of mackerel off Menhiggin (p. 470). 1671. — Eaely fishing on cape cod. In 1671 the code of laws for the government of the colony was revised and ordered to be printed under the title of "The Book of the General Laws of the Inhabitants of the Jurisdiction of New Plymouth." Under these laws, or "General Fundamentals," as they were called, provisions were made, as, has been suggested, "for the better improving of fishing for mackerel, &c., at the Cape." Penalties were imposed for taking them at other thm specified times, licenses were to be granted, &c., &c. It was now "ordered that the charges of the free schools, £33 per an- num, shall be defrayed by the treasurer out of the profits arising from the fishing at the Cape until such time as the minds of the freemen be known concerning it." At this time, also, "certain persons belonging in Hull petitioned the government for permission to fish at Cape Cod for mackerel, they hav- ing discovered a new method of fishing with nets by moonlight." — (Freeman's Hist, of Cape Cod, Boston, 1862, vol. i, p. 266.) 1677. — EeNTAL OF THE CAPE COD FISHEKY. In July, 1677, the records of the Plymouth colony show that the Cape Cod fishery was let for 7 years, at thirty pounds per annum, to seine mackerel and bass, to certain individuals who are named. They were restricted to take in the Plymouth colonists with them, and if none offer, to admit strangers. The profits of the hire which accrued to the colony were sometimes distributed to the schools. — (Massachusetts Historical Collections, iii, p. 220.) 51. — Nineteenth century. 1802. — Mackerel fishing in cape cod eay. The following paragraph is taken from the Gloucester Historical Col. lections, vol. viii, 1802, p. 199: " Provincetown, 1802. "The first mackerel which are taken to Boston market in the spring are taken in the harbor and yield a handsome profit, though the Boston marketmen purchase them at about ^ of what they are sold for. 300 barrels are every year pickled and sent to Boston. The mackerel, bass, and herring are caught with seines, of which there are about 50 in the town, and which cost $100 each. Another seine, worth six dollars, is made use of for catching mackerel in the spring, and herring for bait." 1804-1832.— -Price of mackerel in boston market. The average price of fresh mackerel in Boston market from 1804 to 1822 was six to eight cents apiece, sometimes ten j they were always sold by counts. — (Captain Merchant.) [219] histoky of the mackerel fisheey. 1804:. — Shore mackerel fleet of cape ann. ^' From 1804 to 1822," remarks Capt. E. W. Merchant, of Glouces- ter, "Cape Ann had a considerable fleet of vessels engaged in the shore mackerel fishery for the sole purpose of supplying the Boston market; seven oi^eight from Gloucester Harbor, seven or eight from the north side of the Cape." They preserved their fish in a peculiar way, which will be described under the proper heading. It is stated that the first shore mackerel fishing was j3rosecuted by the small boats, about the year 1800. The mackerel were caught mostly on the Inner Bank, and carried fresh to Boston market through the summer. Only the largest were saved, and these were sold for 5 or 6 cents apiece, and sometimes as high as 10 cents. Each boat was bal- lasted with pebbles; on this were placed hogshead tubs, each having a hole with a plug in it. These tubs were filled with salt water, and as soon as the mackerel were dressed they were put into the tubs, and the water changed every hour by drawing the plugs and allowing it to run off, until sufficient were caught to start for market, the changing of the water continuing until the boat arrived above the Castle, where it is said the water loses its coolness. The great object after catching the mackerel was to get them to market before daylight, in order to have the cool of the morning to sell them in. If a boat with three men and two boys stocked fifty dollars a week, it was considered satisfactory. 1804. — The introduction of hand-lining for mackerel from the decks of vessels. According to Capt. E. W. Merchant, the first man to introduce this mode of fishing was John Story, of Eockport, about the year 1804. 1818-1821. — The first voyages made for the purpose of salting mack- erel was in the summer of 1818, by Capt. Simeon Burnham, in the schooner " President," on a trip to Cashe's; consequently to Captain. Burnham belongs the honor of being the pioneer in this branch of the fisheries. It was considered quite an imjjortant event at the time, so much so that Capt. Benjamin Tarr was hired to go as navigator. Sev- enty barrels were caught on this trip, and they were packed in Boston. Two years after, this branch began to increase, and in 1821 several other jiggers * were added to the fleet. They carried six hands, and were ab- sent about a week. The jiggers were stowed with butts and wash- barrels, and no mackerel were headed up on board until about 1820. In 1821, Samuel Wonson, Elisha M. Oakes, Eobert Marston, Simeon Burnham, Samuel Brown, Nathaniel Blatchford, John Wonson, George *Tlie name "jigger" was first applied to tlie vessels engaged in jigging mcakerel. As these vessels were all, or nearly all, plnkeys previous to 1830, the name In later years came to have a more special reference to the style of craftthan to the particular branch of fishery in which she was engaged. Thus the term "jigger" came to be synonymous with " j)inkey," and was often used in that sense by the fishermen. KEPOET OF COMMISSIONEE OF FISH AND FISHEEIES. [220] Wonson, James Merchant, Epes Merchant, were the skippers of the jiggers which comprised the chief part of the mackerel fleet. These jiggers ranged in tonnage from twenty seven to forty- five tons. Prior to 1818 there were but few mackerel packed in Gloucester, that part of the business being mostly done in Boston. Moses Gilbert was the only inspector in town until 1828, and his accommodations were quite' limited. At this date several other inspectors were appointed, and the mackerel fishery began to assume quite a business importance. — (Fisherman's Memorial and ♦Record Book.) 1815. — The hingham mackerel fishery. In 1815 there were packed in HiDgham 5,C15 barrels mackerel, and in 1828, 32,313 barrels. There were 54 vessels employed, some for the season and some for a shorter time. There were 15 employed for the whole season, averaging 1.027 barrels each. The average number of hands were 8 to each vessel, making 432 in the whole. The quantity of salt used in striking and packing, allowing 18 hogsheads to 100 barrels, would be about 0,000 hogsheads. There is a company formed in this town who carry on this fisbing to some extent, besides several vessels fitted out by individuals. We un- derstand there is a mackerel comjjany in Wellfieet, in this county, extensively engaged in this fishery. We would like to hear with what success. — (Barnstable Journal, July 16, 1829.) 1815. — Invention of the mackerel jia. The mackerel jig is said to have been invented about the year 1815 by Abraham Lurvey, of Pigeon Cove, Cape Ann ; according to other authority, by one Thurlow, of Newburyjiort. 1817. — Beginning of the southern mackerel fishery. Capt. John Parsons, of Eockport, Mass., went South after mackerel in the schooner Defiance ; went as far south as Cape May, and took 60 barrels of fish^ all of which were caught bj'" drailing. 1821. — The large vessels of the Gloucester fleet. About 1821 the fleet began to enlarge. The "Volante," of 37 tons, a pinkie built by Mr. l^pes W. Merchant, was considered a very'large vessel ; then came the Independence, and afterwards the Columbus, a square- sterned vessel of 43 or 44 tons, built by George Friend, which was considered a very large vessel. These vessels went after mackerel to salt. Previous to that the entire Gloucester fleet had 'tended the fresh-fish market. Plymouth, Scituate, and Cohasset began salting mackerel in advance of Gloucester. — (Statement of Capt. E. W. Mer- chant.) [221] HISTOEY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. 1818-1836. — Mackerel fishery of hingham. Maclcerel Fishery. — We believe the extent to which this fishery is car- ried on from the towns of Massachusetts is not generally known. For ourselves we were not aware of it and of the importance of encouraging this branch of industry, which not only furnishes the means of employ- ment to a large number of persons, but is of great consequence to the commercial interests of the country in affording a good nursery for sea- men. We have seen a pamphlet recently printed containing "A state- ment of the quantity of mackerel packed from Hingham vessels from 1818 to 1828 inclusive." It appears from this statement that there has been in that town a gradual increase during the above period of ten per cent, a year. In 1815 the number of barrels packed in that town was 3,615; in 1828, 33,313. During the last year 54 different vessels were employed from that place in the business, some for the season and some for a shorter period. There were 15 employed the whole season, aver- aging 1,027 barrels each, the highest vessel having packed 1,728^. The average number of persons was 8 to each vessel, making 433 in the whole, to which if the nuoiber employed in coopering, packing, &c., be added, would exceed 500. The quantity of salt used in salting and packing, allowing 18 hogsheads to 100 barrels, would be nearly 6,000 hogsheads. The number of barrels packed in that town during the above period of years, 225,331^. The salt consumed for the same, 45,559 hogsheads. We have been informed that this fishing is carried on at Scituate, in this county, about as largely as in Hingham, and several vessels from other towns in this vicinity on the bay. A bill is now before the legislature of this State which provides for the repeal of the law requiring a reinspection of mackerel packed in other States when brought into this market.— (Gloucester Telegraph, July 18, 1829.) 1821. — Mackerel-fishing with the hook commenced in the province of Nova Scotia, and was prosecuted with great success in some of the har- bors of the Bay of Fundy. — (Journal and Proceedings of the House of Assembly of the Province of Nova Scotia, 1857, Appendix 75.) 1822.— First mackerel voyages from cape Ann to george's BANKS. In the year 1822, Capt. William Marshall caught a few mackerel on George's, which were the first, so far as we can ascertain, ever caught there by a Cape Ann skipper. Mackerel have been caught there every year since, more or less, and rank in quality among the best.— (Fisher- man's Memorial and Eecord Book.) 1823. — Introduction of the mackerel gaff. The mackerel gaff was introduced about 1823. — (Fisherman's Me- morial and Eecord Book.) REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [222] 1823. — Introduction of bait-mills. Bait-mills were first generally used by the Massaclinsetts mackerel fishermen about 1823. Previous to that time toll-bait had been cut with hatchets. ' 1825, — Mackereling in the gulf of maine. In 1825, Captain Merchant went mackereling in the "Hornet," a schooner of 53 tons. The season began May 15, the vessel having been previously engaged in cod-fishing. During the season the crew of 7 men and a boy landed and j)acked 1,304 barrels. They caught 700 barrels in Massachusetts Bay in seven weeks' time, and packed them in Boston, The season continued until the 24th of November, and by that time the crew were entirely worn out by their continued labor. A con- siderable number of vessels in this same year packed from 1,000 to 1,300 barrels each. The proceeds of the season's work exceeded $2,700, the crew making about $350 or $400 each. The vessel cost about $1,300, when fitted for the work at the beginning of the season. According to Captain Merchant the crews of mackerel vessels of Gloucester have made from $100 to $400 to the man during his expe- rience of sixty years. In war times their average returns were about $400 each. — (Eeminiscences of Captain Merchant.) IS25 and 1831. — Mackerel fishing- from cape ann. The seasons of 1825 and 1831 were the greatest known for mackerel up to this date. Vessels not over 50 tons landed upwards of 1,300 bar- rels, averaging through the fleet about 800. Mackerel continued in Boston Bay, near the land, in the year 1825, until the 4th day of Decem- ber, the crew of schooner "Frances Elizabeth" having caught 12 wash- barrels on that day. The catch was not so large as in '31, to each ves- sel, but the aggregate was much larger, and the mackerel of a better quality. These fish were so jflenty that the fishermen devoted the day to catching and the greater portion of the night to landing and dress- ing, and were completely worn out with their arduous labors. One morning during the first week in December, while the fleet were some ten miles off Eastern Point, the mackerel failed to come to the surface, after the usual throwing of bait. This was a pretty sure sign that they had gone, and the fishermen, whose sore hands and tired bodies bore evidence of the work they had accomj)]ished in mackerel catching, were heartily glad that at last the fish had taken themselves off, and many of the fleet hoisted their flags as a token of their rejoicing over the event of the mackerel's departure. The price of maciverel this year was $5.50 for I's; $3.50 for 2's: $2.50 for 3's, and out of this, $1.25 was paid for packing. — (Fisherman's Memorial and Eecord Book.) [223] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. 1815 TO 1820. — A MACKERELING TRIP IN THE EARLY DAYS OF THAT FISHERY. "I was ten years old when I made my first fisliing trip. We went to Cashe's in a deck-boat of 20 tons. Capt. Daniel Eobinson was skipper and I was cook. There were six of us, all told. We went at the hah- es, and all shared alike, the privilege of cooking and the glory of being skipper being considered in those days ample compensation for any ex- tra labor or responsibility. We took about 40 barrels of mackerel, sav- ing only the large bloaters, which we slat into the barrels; the small fish Ave slat into the lee scuppers and stamped them up with our boots for bait with which to toll the fish. Afterwards we chopped bait with a hatchet, until Gunnison, of Newburyport, invented the bait-mill, a god- send to the fishermen, who could now smoke and spin yarns while on watch, instead of cho])ping bait. A story is told on the best of author- ity, of one skipper, Andrew Burnham, who had been a great "killer" in his time, that after the bait-mill came into use he was unable to sleep without the sound of tlie hatchet chopj)ing bait, to which he had been so long accustomed. It is said that they tried pounding on the anchor stock, and tramping with their big boots on deck above his head, but all to no avail. There was an element lacking in the noise they made, and' he wooed the somnolent god to no effect, and was obliged to retire to private life on a farm, in the 'second parish', I believe. "We cooked in the old-fashioned way, in a brick fireplace with a brick chimney, and a wooden smoke-stack or funnel, which was intended to carry off the smoke, but did not always do so. The crane, pot-hook, Butch oven, and trencher were all there, and all brought into ase, as I well remember. We baked short-cakes on the trencher, bread in the Dutch oven, and hung our kettle on tlie crane, with the pot-hook, to make coffee or tea. "We had fine weather, and everything passed off finely excejjt the smoke, which refused to pass oif at all, and under a less resolute com- mander than Skipper Eobinson would doubtless have assumed command altogether. No casualties occurred except the burning of a few short- cakes, while 'Bijah (it being his first voyage) j^aid tribute to father i^ep- tune, and was himself again. We were gone three days. Arriving on the fishing grounds we made but one 'berth,' catching and dressing un- til everything was full, when we hoisted the foresail, for jib we had none, and bore away for 'Squam, arrived in the channel, dro])ped anchor, furled the sails, and went home to see the folks." — (The Old-time Fishery at 'Squam, by Gideon L. Davis, in the Fisherman's Own Book, pp. 41, 42.) 1819 TO 1859. — EEMlNISCENfJES OF "UNCLE^ GEORGE DAYIS CON- CERNING THE EARLY MACKEREL FISHERIES OF ANNISQUAM. — FIRST BAIT-MILL ON CAPE ANN. — SOUTHERN MACKEREL FISHERY, ETC. " Uncle" George Davis, of Annisquam, Gloucester, says that in 1821 he helped make the first bait-mill that was ever made in Gloucester. EEPOET OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [224] They had been made in JSTewbuiyport in 1820. At that date, or about 1824, there were six vessels of from 40 to 50 tons went as far south as ]Sew York for mackerel. " I commenced mackerel fishing in 1819 ; built a pinky and went south; chopped our bait ; worked sometimes all night ; called 125 to 150 barrels a good trip for three or four weeks ; sold no mackerel fresh in those days ; all salted. The first trip was usually sold in New York ; the next one brought home to Gloucester. In 1859 'Squam had twent^'-five to thirty sail of mackerel catchers. Shore fishing was then first rate." — (Notes of A. Howard Clark.) 1828. — Close of the mackerel season. — poor success of the FISHERY. The mackerel fishery is about terminated for the season, and we are sorry to say that anticipation in this article has not been realized. We believe other towns mal^e a like complaint in regard to the failure of the fall fares. This will necessarily enhance the prices, and in part bal- ance the failure in the number caught. The loss, however, falls upon those who are immediately engaged in takiug them, and consequently deprives them of that on which they depend for a livelihood, as they seldom hold on in order to speculate. — (Gloucester Telegrai)h, ISTovem- ber 22, 1828.) 1828. — The mackerel fleet. The Gloucester Telegraph, June 21, 1828, states that from three hun- dred to four hundred mackerel vessels were often seen at anchor in Gloucester Harbor at one time. 1830. — first voyage from cape ann to the gulf of saint Lawrence. The first trip to the Bay of Saint Lawrence for mackerel, from this port, was made in 1830, by Capt. Charles P. Wood, in the "Mariner." She was absent but four weeks, and came in full of large fat mackerel. This created quite an excitement among the fishermen, and the next season the Bay fishing commenced in good earnest. The vessels at first made but one trip, and finished uj) their season's work on this shore. Two hundred and fifty barrels was considered a good trip for a vessel of forty or fifty tons. As soon as the business was found to be profit- able, vessels of a larger class were added to the fleet, and it has gradu- ally increased from year to year until the i^resent time. — (Fisherman's Memorial and Eecord Book.) 1830. — Comparative scarcity of small mackerel in Massachu- setts BAY PREVIOUS TO 1830. Captain Merchant, of Gloucester, states that small mackerel were very scarce in Massachusetts Bay until 1830. He also says that small [225] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. inackerel always lead the large ones in their approach to the coast. When he was in the habit of fishing on George's he went there about the first of June, and always caught " finger mackerel" before the large 4)nes. — (ISTotes on the Mackerel Fisheries, by G. Brown Goode.) 1832. — Markets foe mackerel. In 1832 the demand for mackerel was much greater than the supply, according to Captain Merchant. Philadelphia bought two-thirds of the entire catch of Gloucester, which amounted to 320,000 barrels. 1826. — The following account of a mackerel voyage on the coast of ^■New England in 1826 is from the pen of N. E. Atwood: "The first year that I fished for mackerel on this coast was in 1826, and having changed from the laborious and exposed business of cod- fishing on the Labradqr coast, I took a good deal of notice of what passed, and, consequently, I still remember a good deal about the voy- age. We sailed from Provincetown on the 28th of June, and went down to a point some twenty leagues northeast of Cape Cod. "On the day following we saw one school of mackerel, and, getting into it, we threw out bait, and caught, well, some 3 or 4 barrels. That was the first school which we met with ; and this happened on the 29th of June. It was the last school we saw until the 13th of September, my birthday; this was a very large school. In five weeks we caught 238 barrels of mackerel, and, although it was early in the season, still they packed very well. After they were packed we went out again and secured 250 barrels where we saw the school of mackerel on the 13th of September." 1827. — Price of mackerel. In 1827-'28, according to Capt. William H. Oakes, the price of !N"o. 1 mackerel ranged from $4.50 to $5.50 per barrel, while No. 2's sold for $2.50. 1828. — Mackerel, sales, prices, etc. A large quantity of mackerel are afloat amounting, perhaps, to 1,500 barrils. The sales have been extensive, though at rather lower prices. The current rates have been 4f to ^ for I's and 2's, and in some cases $5. — •(Gloucester Telegraph, Ax)ril 19, 1828.) 1828. — Scarcity of mackerel. Our fishing vessels the past week have returned with very few mack. €rel. Some have brought in only 25 or 30 barrels after being absent a week or ten days. What have been caught were packed out as No. 3's, and very likely the fish have struck off in order to fat for No. I's and 2's- We advise dealers to hold on to what they have, as there is likely to be a scarcity this season. — (Gloucester Telegraph, July 12, 1828.) kepoet of commissiokee of fish and fisheries. [226] 1832. — Failuke of mackerel on the western coast of nova scotia. — importance of the american mackerel fishery. So far this fall the mackerel fishery on our western shore has been an entire failure. Some idea may be formed of the extent to which this fishery is carried on from the United States by the circumstance of 360 vessels having left the port of Gloucester for that purpose on the night of the 28th ultimo. — Halifax, November 20. — (Gloucester Telegraph, De- cember 1, 1832.) 1833. — Disinclination of mackerel to take the hook. Thesefish [mackerel] are taken in much less quantities this season thus far than usual. The complaint of the fishermen is not so much that they can't find mackerel, but that they " won't bite " when they find them. This again makes the salt manufacturer.complain that his com- modity is less wanted, and consequently the price is reduced ; and when our fishermen and salt makers are disappointed and have hard luck makes sorry times on Cape Cod. Some of our shoresmen, however, the onion growers, have good crops and they obtain a fair price for them at market. And the sea-serpent, or something else, has driven on shore upon the cape, at several places, a considerable number of black fish^ the blubber of which makes very good oil, and some of these fish have a considerable quantity of it. — (Barnstable Patriot, August 28, 1833.) 1833. — Great abundance of mackerel in Massachusetts bay. Mr. S. B. Brown, writing of the early fisheries of Gloucester, says: "The next year [1833] I went to Gloucester, hunted up my old skipper^ who was still master of the same boat, and went with him that season. " I recollect well the great school of mackerel that struck Middle Bank that year. September 22, at 10 o'clock at night, there were some two hundred sail at anchor, 25 miles southeast of Eastern Point light,, in a dead calm, when our skipper sang out, 'Here they are, boys,' at the same moment every vessel in the fleet commenced the catch. We fished for three days, and filled everything, even our boat, and struck on deck until we were in fish knee deep. Then, a breeze up, we ran in and packed out 280 barrels, and returned to the bank just as the wind left us. We fished three days more when they struck off as suddenly as they had come."^-( Fisherman's Own Book, page 197.) 1834. — Mackerel fleet in the gulf of saint lawrence. According to Captain Atwood the fleet of American mackerel catch- ers in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, in 1834, consisted of six vessels, three of which belonged at Provincetown. They secured full fares, and re- turned in a very short time. [227] history of the mackerel fishery. 1834— Scarcity of mackerel on the new England coast. The Gloucester Telegraph of September 3, 1834, copies the following extract from the Hingham Gazette: '^A Halifax paper states that herring and mackerel are very plenty this season. Our fishermen have never found mackerel more scarce than during this season. We hope the fall fishing will be more productive." 1835. — Inspection of no. 4 mackerel begun. Tinkers. — The legislature has concluded that the little fry caught by our mackerel fishermen, commonly called "Tinkers," shall be separated from those of a larger growth and packed by themselves, and branded No. 4. The distinction between No. 3 and No. 4 will be, we suppose, only in the size of the fish, without regard to the fatness. Something- was said about making all those No. 4 which should be less than six inches long from tip to tail, but it was finally left rather indefinite, so that each inspector will have to exercise his own discretion and judg- ment as to what constitutes a "tinker." — (Barnstable Patriot, October 21, 1835. 1835. — Oapt. N. E. Atwood's experience in the mackerel fish- eries OF THE GULF OF SAINT LAWRENCE. "In 1842 I was first master, and in 1835 1 first came to the gulf for mackerel. When we arrived there we could hear of no mackerel any- where. We went toward the Magdalen Islands, and about 8 miles off from them to the southwest we got a large number of ma past. On Sunday last (in these times people will fish on Sunday) at least 150 barrels were taken just off the shore opposite Eastern Point,, by wherries and a few larger craft ; and for size and fatness, the sample* which came under our observation were altogether superior to any wo had ever before seen. One of these beauties was exhibited by a gen- tleman, which weighed ujiwards of three pounds, and the fat upon him measured an inch in thickness. — (Gloucester Telegraph, September 12;, 1838.) The [mackerel] fishermen have brought in larger fares the last week. The vessels that have cruised around the shores of the Cape, have taken from 100 to 150 barrels during the last four weeks. The vessels in the Bay of Pundy are reported doing well; those off Mount Desert and the eastern shore have taken very few fish. — (Yarmouth Register.) 1838. — Prosperity of the mackerel fishery. "The Fishing- Business. — Joyfully do we announce prosperity in this- line of the business. Our bay seldom exhibits its late appearance, dur- ing the week past, from our office window. Oftentimes we could numer- ate 100 sail of fishermen, and on Saturday, Monday, and Tuesday lasty. 200 to 250 sail were counted, making a splendid sight. Mackerel have bitten for the past week remarkably well. Considering the industry and enterprise which lie at the root, no more imposing appearance can be witnessed than that of 200 or 250 sail of vessels sijreading" their bleached canvas to the wind, and gliding gently along on the coasts On Saturday we understand that the schooner 'Roxana,' of Wellfleet^ was run afoul of by the ' Columbia,' of Dennis, by which accident she was dismasted. We t.o not learn that any other serious injury was sus.- tained." — (Barnstable Patriot, September 12, 1838.) [233] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHEUV. OVERFISHING DESTROYING THE MACKEREL FISHERY. After commenting on the great demand for mackerel in the West, \t (the Newburyport Herald) says: "It appears now almost reduced to a certainty that the time is not distant when, if we are not compelled in a great measure to abandon the business, it will be prosecuted as an un- certain one, and by a greatly decreased number of vessels and meu. There is of late not more than one successful season out of ibur." — (Gloucester Telegraph, August 18, 1838.) 1838. — Captain atwood's experience in the mackerel fisher- ies OF the gulf of saint LAWRENCE. My brother and I bought a little vessel and fished around home, and we finally concluded to go to the Bay of Saint Lawrence. We did so, and stopped there some six weeks. Q. When was that? — A. In 1838. We stopped only six weeks, and we got only about twenty barrels. Q. Where ? — A. We were at the Magdalen Islands all the time. We had poor sails and a poor vessel, and we found it much safer about the Magdalen Islands. We always considered it safer than in the bight of Prince Edward Island. Q. And twenty barrels were all that you got that year *? — A. Yes. We came home about the 20th of September. We went to the bay iii August, and we remained there, I think, abo«t six weeks. — (Proceed- ings Halifax Commission.) 1838. — Appearance of mackerel in barnstable bat. Mackerel have made their appearance in the bay (Barnstable Bay) in considerable quantities. On Thursday we saw from the Highland a fleet of about 100 sail lying from Gurnet to Manomet, making a beau- tiful appearance. They were apparently taking fish. We noticed also* a great number of small boats among them. We learned at Plymouth that boat fishing had been a very good businessfor the last week or twOy some individuals clearing $30 per day each. The mackerel taken are of the best quality. * * * — (Hiugham Patriot.) Provincetown, September 9. — The mackerel fishermen are doiu^ well. It is estimated that 3,000 barrels were taken in Barnstable Bay on Friday last. One vessel took 70 barrels on that day. — (Gloucester Telegraph, September 12, 1838.) 1838. — A big fleet in barnstable bay. The mackerel fishermen have continued to do a little better of late^ though we suspect not near as well as is generally supposed. We have been informed, on what we esteem good authority, that the average number of barrels taken on Friday last would not exceed ten per vessel. EEPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [234] Some, it is stated, procured large fares (such, for instance, as the Ino, which took 150 wash-barrels), while others did not catch a. fish. For a week or two past the bay has been thronged with fishermen . On Tuesday last 280 sail could be distinctly seen. — Yarmouth Register. — (Gloucester Telegraph, September 19, 183*8). 1838. — Scarcity of mackerel in bay saint lawrence. Captain Morgan, of schooner " Cossack," of Beverly, cod-fishing from the Bay Chaleur, arrived here yesterday, reports that he was in the harbor of Castle Eock (?) the 25th August, with 120 sail of mackerel catchers. Mackerel were scarce, and none of the vessels in the harbor exceeded 30 barrels, except two. Caj)tain M. left the Gut the 3d of Sep- tember ; saw a large number of vessels every day, but could hear of no vessels doing well. — (Gloucester Telegrajjh, September 22, 1838.) 1839. — Abundance of mackerel in the bay of fundy. The Saint Andrews Standard says : " Our bay and coves have been literally swarming with mackerel during the past week. Large quan- tities have been caught in the weirs at Bocabec and along the shores." The fishermen along our coast complain that the mackerel have all gone away. It appears from the above that they ai-e on a visit to the British provinces. 1839. — Mackerel fishing from cape ann. Cape Ann, says the Telegraph, as everybody knows, has always taken the lead in the mackerel fishery, having a much larger number of ves- sels engaged in it than any other place ; and the crews have in times past made their calculations to land by this time and have landed their 200, 250, or 300 barrels each, whereas the largest fare that has been brought in this season is 73 barrels, and the whole catch packed out probably does not exceed 500. — (Barnstable Patriot, September 4, 1839.) 1839 AND 1840. — Captain Atwood's experience in the mackerel FISHERY. In 1839 I went in my own vessel, the "Lucy Mary," which was the one in which I first went to the bay, to the Grand Bank. Mackerel were scarce, and the prospect was discouraging, so I went cod-fishing, curing the fish myself. I then hauled the vessel up and did not go for mack- erel until 1840. I did not then go to the Grand Bank, and having no fish to cure I had to go mackereling somewhere. There was at the time no ^encouragement to fish for mackerel, either on our coast or in the Gulf of 200 quintals of codfish. Four Gloucester vessels reported as seized and condemned at Halifax for alleged violations of the treaty]. — (lb.) 1842. — Arrivals from george's. Six schooners, reported in Gloucester Telegraph of August 10, 1842,. arrived from George's Bank with fares of mackerel ranging from 20 to 140 barrels each. August 18, five schooners from George's with fares varying from 25 to 120 pounds. [237] history of the mackerel fishery. 1842. — Success of the south shoremen. We learn from a frieucl at Plymouth that the cod and mackerel fish- ermen at that place have been unusually successful thus far this sea- son. — Bay State Democrat — (Gloucester Telegraph, August 27, 1842.) 1842. — Arrival of mackerel catchers For the week ending September 7, 1842, eight mackerel schooners are reported in the Gloucester Telegraph, with fares ranging from 5 to 126 barrels, the tot£^l being 416 barrels, or an average of 52 barrels each. The following vessels [23 in number] have arrived since our last Wednesday's paper, with fares varying from 10 to 100 barrels and up- wards. The above are the fleet that sailed from the 1st to the 10th of August. — (Gloucester Telegraph, September 14, 1842.) 1842. — Poor success of the bay men. Arrived 24th, schooner "George Parker," from Bay Chaleur, 8 barrels mackerel. The G. P. brings accounts of Gloucester vessels, three months out, with less than 30 barrels. — (Gloucester Telegraph, October 26, 1842.) 1842. — Scarcity of fall mackerel on new England shore. No mackerel of consequence have been caught the last three weeks. — (Gloucester Telegraph, October 8, 1842.) Arrived 20th, about 150 sail of mackerel fishing vessels ; report mack- erel very scarce, none having been taken for the past fortnight. — (Glou- cester Telegraph, October 22, 1842.) 1843. — Unfavorable outlook for the mackerel fishery. A writer in the Gloucester Telegraph of August 30, 1843, says : "At the present date the catch of mackerel falls far short of last year's, but it is very uncertain how it will terminate. The prospect is considered by our mo^t experienced fishermen as not encouraging." » 1843. — Success of the hingham fleet. We are ha^jpy to hear that this business, so important to our town, bids fair to be more successful this season than it has been for many years. Our mackerel vessels are returning with fuller fares than usual at this season of the year, some of them lately arrived having brought in from 80 to 100 barrels. — Ringham Patriot. — (Gloucester Telegraph, July 15, 1843.) 1843. — Abundance of mackerel on nova scotia coast. The Halifax papers state that the coast of Nova Scotia is now visited by mackerel and herring in larger quantities than ever were known at this season. In the Straits of Canso the people are taking them with seines, a circumstance without a parallel for the last thirty years. — (Gloucester Telegraph, August 10, 1843.) eepoet of commissioner of fish and fisheries. [238] 1843. — Scarcity op mackerel in nova scotia. Captain Stephens, the commander of one of the provincial revenue cruisers, published a letter in the last Acadian Recorder, which states that * * * the mackerel fishery in the spring proved remarkably unsuccessful, not more than 500 barrels having been taken, where up- wards of 23,000 barrels were obtained last year. The subsequent catch has, however, been more abundant. — (JSTewburyport Herald, September. 1843.) 1843. — Small catch of mackerel by the new England fleet. Mackerel sell on arrival at last week's quotations. (No. 1, $10 ; No. 2, $8 ; No. 3, $5.75 per barrel.) There has been no great accumulation this week, and we quote the article as before. The catch will probably fall one-fourlh to one-third short of what it was last year. — (Gloucester Telegraph, October 30, 1843.) 1843. — Failure of the mackerel fishery. The mackerel fishery, says theHingham Gazette, has thus far proved a poor business. Some vessels arrive in port with hardly fish enough to pay the expenses of the trip. — (Barnstable Patriot, October 4, 1843.) 1844. — Doings op the mackbrelmen; poor catch. The mackerel fishermen have done but little lately. Most of the vessels heard from are clean, or nearly so. So says the Yarmoutii Eegister. — (Gloucester Telegraph, July 24, 1844.) The mackerel fishermen have been very unsuccessful for the last two months, the catch, which commenced well in the early part of the sea- son, having suddenly declined. A schooner arrived at this place on Tuesday from a six weeks' cruise, with only six barrels of mackerel on board. — Yarmouth Eegister. — (Gloucester Telegraph, Augiist 21, 1844.) 1844. — The mackerel fishery of hingham. The Hingham Patriot publishes a list of 23 vessels from that port which have been employed in the mackerel fishery during a part or the whole of the last summer, with the number of barrels of mackerel packed by each, amounting in all to 8,097 barrels, or an average of 356 barrels to each vessel. There are five other vessels owned in Hingham, whose names are not given, which packed 1,170 barrels, making in all 9,267 barrels. — (Gloucester Telegraph, November 27, 1844,) 1845. — A GOOD HAUL. "We learn that Holmes & Co., at Manomet Ponds, who were seining for menhaden, on Thursday afternoon last, in drav^ing their seine, found thev had inclosed about a hundred barrels of mackerel. Barrels and [239] HISTORY OF THE MACKEEEL FISHERY. salt were sent from town yesterday morning for tbe purpose of packing them. — (Plymouth Memorial, July, 1845.) 1845. — Mackerel abiindant in Gloucester harbor. For a few days past our harbor has been filled with mackerel, and. on Monday about 400 barrels, it is estimated, were taken in seines, vessels, boats, and on the wharves. Upwards of a hundred barrels were taken in a seine at one haul. Considerable many were taken yesterday, but not in such quantities as on Monday. The visit of this fish to our har- bor has afforded rare sport to such of our inhabitants who have never been a mackereling, but it will not last long, as the fish will take a start- off in a day or two. — (Gloucester Telegraph, July 9, 1845.) 1845. — Canning of mackerel. In an extract from theEastport Sentinel, published in the Gloucester Telegraph of August 30, 1845, mention is made of the packing at East- port, by Messrs. Treat, Noble & Co., of 3,000 cans of fresh mackerel. 1845. — Mackerel in the bays op maine ; A big haul at prov- INCETOWN. » . Our piscatory visitors have nearly all left us and gone "down east.'^ The Belfast Signal, of Thursday last, states that mackerel are quite plenty in that bay. The Yarmouth Eegister is informed that at Provincetown, week be- fore last, they seined about 1,00® barrels of mackerel at one haul. Those who took them gave half for dressing, but they were enabled to save only 500 barrels. — (Gloucester Telegraph, July 23, 1845.) 1845. — Abundance of mackerel on the new England coast. So many mackerel have not made their appearance in our bay [Ips- wich Bay] for many years before ; while the fishermen who have gone down to the Bay Chaleur, the principal place of the fishery, have had less success. It will be seen by an item in the ship news, that the Gloucester fish- ermen, who came in full at the close of the week, report about 500 vessels busily engaged in fishing in the bay. The mackerel brought in now are mostly branded small No. 2. — Newhuryport Herald. — (Gloucester Tele- graph, September 20, 1845.) 1845. — No MACKEREL ON GEORGE'S. Arrived at Hyannis 9th, schooner "Eesolve," and two other mackerel catchers from George's Bank; absent ten days; caught nothing. — (Glou- cester Telegraph, September 16, 1845.) REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [240] 1839 to 1846. — Nova Scotia fisheries. The exports of mackerel from the port of Halifax during the years 1839 to 1846 inclusive, show that considerable attention was given to this fishery on the coasts of Nova Scotia thirty years ago.* No. of barrels. 1839 19, 127 1840 25, 010 1841 - . - 35, 917 1842 54, 118 1843 „ 71, 854 1844 50, 698 1845 38, 320 1846 .....: 82, 645 1847. — Scarcity of mackerel. The catch of mackerel thus far this season, says the Gloucester Tele- graph, has been small in comparison with that of the two past years. The number of barrels taken on the coast has greatly diminished, and the prospects being so unfavorable, many of our vessels have gone to the Bay Chaleur. The fares that have arrived at this port are readily sold at good prices as soon as landed, and are immediately shipped to the great markets of New York and Philadelphia. — (Barnstable' Patriot, October 6, 1847.) 1847. — Unprofitableness of the mackerel fishery. Mackerel fishing has not prospered to such a degree as the cod-fish- ery, none of the small number of crafts engaged in the business from this port, having obtained a fall cargo. — (Barnstable Patriot, October 13, 1847.) 1847. — Abundance of mackerel about sable island. Mackerel were very abundant in the vicinity of Sable Island, and the fisheries committee of the house of assembly of Nova Scotia urged the granting of a bounty to all vessels engaged in the deep-sea mackerel fishery. This was not adopted. — (Journal and Proceedings of the House of Assembly of the Province of Nova Scotia, 1857, Appendix 75.) 1845 to 1848. — Importance of the mackerel fishery. From the Barnstable Patriot we quote the following review of the mackerel fishery of Massachusetts from 1845 to 1848 : "The yearly inspection of returns of maclterel, show plainly that there is no more important branch of the fishing business carried on in this * Inspected. [241] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. State than the mackerel fishery. From 1831 to 1840, the dep-eciation m the catch was 333,225 barrels; and from 1840 to 1845, the increase was only 36,270 barrels, during which, a period of thirteen years, the business had become nearly prostrated, and with it nearly all those who were engaged in it. In 1845, unexpectedly large shoals of mackerel ap- peared on our coast between Cape Ann and Cape Cod, of a small, uni- form size, about 12 inches in length, but very fat. Owing to these fish being so near home, but little or no time was lost by the fishermen in going out and returning with fnll fares, except the delay in procuring barrels to put their fish in. At the close of the season the inspection returns showed an increase of 110,122 barrels from the previous year. This gave an impulse to the business. " In 1846 this great shoal of mackerel did not return again on our coast, which disappointed the hopes of the fishermen, especially those who depend upon their small boats for a living. At the close of the season the catch had fallen ofl* 28,439 barrels. Not being so easily discouraged by this depreciation in one year, they entered into business with reneweu energy and enterprise, and were crowned with great success during the next year. In this year, 1847, the fishermen did not find any mackerel on our coast of much account, until late in the season, when a large school appeared off Cape Cod, called the 'Chatham school,' from which great quantities have been taken of the best mackerel that have been in the market for many years. All other mackerel, elsewhere, bore no comparison with these, either for size, fatness, or goodness. Unfortu- nately, however, for the Newburyport and Gloucester fishermen, they were nearly all in the Bay of Chaleur; for the mackerel which they brouglit home were of an inferior quality. This great difference between the two kinds caused much complaint, and created for a time some little excitement and feeling among the dealers both at home and abroad, which resultedin establishing a greater confidence in the different brands, and a more uniform cull, and a higher standard of inspection in 1848. "The inspection returns in 1848 show that the increase is 67,518 bar- rels. More than one-half of this number are No. 3, and only one-quarter are No. 1. This great increase of No. 3 is owing chiefly to the mackerel which came from the Bay of Saint Lawrence, denominated 'Bay Cha- leur,' being a poorer quality than those taken on our coast. For the last two or three years the mackerel in that quarter have been depreciated gradually both in size and quality. Formerly the best mackerel we had in the market came from that place, and they demanded the highest price, and were very much sought after, on account of their suj)erior size and fatness. "At one time the George's mackerel were all the rage, on account of their size ; but within the past two years the Chatham mackerel have taken the lead, with the exception of that extraordinary fat school which appeared oft' Gloucester early in September. The mackerel taken from this school are said to be su])erior in size and fatness to any ever before EEPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [242] or since taken by our fishermen. It is estimated that there were up- wards of 50,000 barrels taken from this school by our fishermen in the course of ten or fifteen days, which inspected nine-tenths I^To. 1, and this accounts for the increase in their number ; otherwise there would have been a great deficiency in this branch. "The increased consumption of No. 1 mackerel up tothis time had been fully equal to the supply, according to the best information obtained on the subject ; but the Nos. 2 and 3 mackerel coming more directly in com- petition with the English fish, on account of the low rate of duty, it is fair to calculate that the j)rices will rule much lower than the usual dif- ference between the jSTo. 1 and 2, especially in those years of a large catch. "The English mackerel which have come into this market under the brand of iSTo. 2 are of a fair quality, but none are fat enough to make No. 1, compared with the present standard of our inspection; therefore there will be less inducement for the trade to speculate in English mackerel with a view of re inspection, as formerly." — (Barnstable Pa- triot, January 31, 1849.) 1848. — Large school of mackerel in the south channel. The largest school of mackerel Captain Harding ever saw was in the south channel about the year 1848. It w^as a winrow of fish. It was about half a mile wide and at least 20 miles long, for vessels not in sight of each other saw it at about the same time. All the vessels out saw this school the same day. 1848, — Abundance of mackerel in the gulf of saint Law- rence. A gentleman who came up from Point Escuminac a few days ago says that the Prince Edward Island Gazette informs us that during the last fortnight there have been from 40 to 50 American schooners about two miles from the Point, the crews of which had been busily engaged in catching mackerel, and so abundant are the fish that they have hired I)ersons from the shore to assist them. Some of them had 300 barrels on board. — Halifax paper. — (Barnstable Patriot, September 20, 1848.) 1848.— Immense schools of mackerel off cape ann. — supposed EARLY departure. The mackerel which were reported in such immense schools off Cape Ann week before last have been completely broken up or quitted the shores. The vessels took but a few last week. It is about time for mackerel to make their annual visit to the shores of Caj^e Cod. We have no fear that our fishermen will fail to bait them well and see that they don't suffer for want of salt. — (Barnstable Patriot, October 4, 1848.) [243] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. 1848. — A LATE SCHOOL OF MACKEREL OFF CAPE COD, AMD GREAT ABUNDANCE. In 1848 large mackerel kept in close to Cape Auu. Two hundred and fifty vessels. Pilot found them abundant 2Qth November off Three- light Nauset. One hundred and fifty vessels. Captain Wixon, schooner " Hamilton," of Dennis, in debt $250 Sep- tember 15, and towards the end of the season made three trips (Novem- ber) without taking off his oil clothes ; made $900. 1849. — Scarcity of mackerel in the early^ summer. The vessels that have arrived in this vicinity from mackerel voyages have brought in very small fares. The Yarmouth and Dennis fleets, which have just arrived from a two months' cruise, have packed, at an average, about 50 barrels to each vessel. — (Barnstable Patriot, June 27, 1849.) 1849. — Abundance of mackerel off the coast of maine. Mackerel catchino. — A fleet of nearly 200 vessels, says the Port- land Advertiser of the 13th instant, was in the offing on Wednesday after mackerel. The mackerel were very abundant, and took the bait well in round the shores and reefs. — (Barnstable Patriot, July 25, 1849.) 3849. — The mackerel fishery. About 150 fishing vessels came into our harbor on Saturday p. m., 21st July, there being an appearance of a st.orm coming on. This was quite an unusual circumstance for this period of the year, as the mack- erel are not in any quantity off* our cape until the latter part of August and during the months of September and October. These vessels, we learn, had on board from 10 to 40 wash-barrels each, which they had taken during the ijrevious week or ten days, which was rather slim do- ings. There had been two arrivals this season from Bay Chaleur, and although they had an average fare, the men employed made poor wages in consequence of the low price of the article. We understand that but few vessels have gone to the bay this year, in consequence of the poor luck they have experienced at that place for a few years past. — (Glouces- ter Telegraph, August, 1849.) 1849. — A BIG FARE FROM THE BAY. September 26, 1849, the schooner " Canton," Capt. Edward Watson, was reported arrived at Gloucester Monday week from Bay Chaleur, vdth 600 barrels mackerel, the largest number of barrels ever caught and brought into that jiort by one vessel uj) to that time. The " Canton " was REPORT OF COMMISSIONER 07 FISH AND FISHERIES. [244] 100 tons burden, manned by 18 hands, and had been absent three months. She reported very few vessels at the bay, and the prospect good. The whole Gloucester fleet at that time were on this coast, and were doing very poorly, and the prospects were not favorable for a heavy catch. At Gloucester there were 200 sail of Cajje Cod vessels at anchor in the harbor, and many vessels had arrived at that port, absent four or five weeks, with only 40 barrels of mackerel. The trips averaged about one- third No. 1. 1849. — Fall mackerel pkhery of cape cod bay. The mackerel fishermen in several of the towns of the Cape during the months of October and November brought in good fares, which has helped to make up for an otherwise poor season's business. We learn that the mackerel caught off Chatham by fishermen in the south part of Dennis and Harwich during these months amount to more than $100,000, The vessels packing at the new establishment of Messrs. Fred. Scudder & Co., in the south part of this town, caught during the same time mackerel to the amount of more than $10,000, and several vessels pack- ing at Messrs. Baxter & Bragg's returned with some thousands in value. All this was earned after many of the vessels of the Cape had hauled up. — (Barnstable Patriot, December 12, 1849.) 1849. — Eeminiscewces of capt. j. w. collins. The mackerel off the New England shore in 1849 were all large fish and fairly abundant. That summer I made my first trip mackerel fish- ing, going out as one of the crew of the pinkey Walker. We fished off Mount Desert Eock, and caught 40 barrels of fine, large mackerel in three or four weeks. At that time each one of the crew was provided with a hogshead tub to strike their fish in; the mackerel were salted in butts, which were stowed on their heads in the hold, the catch of each one of the crew being counted by the splitter and placed to his credit. The pinkies of those days had no cabin aft, all hands sleeping in a dingy little cuddy forward, where the meals were also prepared and eaten. 1850. — Scarcity of mackerel. — influence of bluefish on the movements of mackerel. The following extract, copied from the Newburyport Herald by the Gloucester Telegraph of September 4, 1850, gives an idea of the mack- erel fishery at that date : ^•We have never known fresh mackerel so scarce in this market in the season for them as they have been this year. Up to the present time no good mackerel, suitable for the table, have found the way here; and considering how very desirable they are in dog days as an article of food, it is quite a calamity to the lovers of good fish. Some attribute the scarcity of mackerel in our bay to the presence of the bluefish. [245] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. which within a few years have visited our shore and rivers in great abundance. From the movements of the bluetish in our rivers, and their savag^e treatment of the smaller fish which come in their way, we are not surprised that the mackerel should give them a wide berth. " Fresh mackerel are not very scarce here, but the amount of fares of salted ones this season have been very small. Yesterday made thir- teen days since we had an arrival of a fishing craft witli mackerel of any description, either from our bay or from the Bay Chaleur. We think they cannot be plenty upon any of the usual fishing-grounds. "If they are not taken more plentifully in course of the next six or eight weeks, the catch must be very limited and the season an unpro- pitious one for those engaged in the mackerel fishery." 1850. — EeMINISCENCES of CAPT. J. W. COLLINS. In 1850 I went as one of the schooner " Mercy and Hope " to the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, starting on our trip about the 1st of June. The mackerel were large that year in the Gulf, but not very abundant. The fishing- grounds over which we cruised the most were round Gaspe, Bonaventure, Bay of Chaleur, off Point Miscou, the West Shore, and around the north cape of Prince Edward Island, and on Banks Bradley and Orphan. We were absent from home sixteen weeks, and succeeded in taking only 175 barrels of mackerel with a crew of eleven men, all told. In the fall of the same year I shipped in the schooner " Three Sis- ters," and we fished from Portland to Chatham. An enormous school of mackerel was found by the fleet off Cape Cod, near Chatham, that tall, some time from the 1st to the 15th of November. The fish, which were exceedingly fine and large, took the hook very readily, and large catches were made by most of the vessels, some of them succeeding in obtaining a full fare in three or four days' fishing. The fleet was a very large one, and was estimated to be about 700 sail. Sharp vessels were then just coming into use, and the "Mary S. Won- son," " Jennie Lind," and a few others of that class were looked upon as very remarkable for their beauty and sjjeed. We did not reach the fleet until the "spurt" was nearly over, and, in consequence, did rather poorly. Our skipper, feeling rather chagrined at his ill luck, determined to stay on the fishing-ground in hopes that he could catch some fish from a later school. In this, however, he was disai)pointed, since we caught no mackerel of any importance, though we did not leave the fishing- ground off' Chatham, except for a harbor in stormy weather, until the 5th day of December. 1850. — Slim doinos of the cape cod fishermen. Our mackerel fishermen, we regret to say, are doing a very slim busi- ness this year. A gentleman who has lately made a tour of the Cape informs us that there are not at present U,000 barrels of mackerel in the EEPORT OF COMMISSIONEE OF FISH AND FISHEEIES. [24 6 j country. Two years ago, at the same season of the year, he counted over 20,000 barrels on the wharves of the Cape. A much larger fleet is now engaged in the business than at that time, and its failure this year would greatly depress our enterprising capitalists. We hope, however, that that last resort of our fishermen, the school '"oft" Chatham," will not disappoint their reasonable expectations. — Yannouth Begister.^- (Gloucester Telegraph, October 12, 1850.) 1850. — Scarcity of mackerel off cape ann in late autumn, arrivals from bay, prices, etc. The arrivals of mackerel the previous week have been very small. Our vessels are doing nothing. Many of them for the last ten days have not salted one barrel. There are now in this port some 200 sail of mack- erel vessels waiting for the fish to come on this coast. There have arrived from Bay Chaleur since our last report about 1,800 barrels, and sales have been made at $8.75 for Xo. 1, $7 for 2's, and $5.12^ for 3's. There now remain about 1,200 barrels in first hands, which are held at higher prices. There are now but 16 vessels to arrive from the bay, and five which have just sailedfor that i)lace. — (Gloucester Telegraph, October 26, 1850.) The arrivals at this port since our last have been very light. The catch in Massachusetts Bay and on the coast of Maine has entirely failed for the last mouth past. There have been received from the Bay Chaleur this week about 400 barrels. Within a few days more desire is manifested to purchase, and sales have been made at $9 for 1, $7 for 2, $5.12^ for 3, and $4 for 4, leaving but lew in first hands, which are held at higher prices. — (Gloucester Telegraph, November 0, 1850.) 1850.— Quickest bay-trip ever made. The clipper schooner " E. W, Merchant " arrived from the Bay Chaleur on Friday last with about 200 barrels of jnackerel, having been absent from this port only 27 days, which is the quickest trip ever made from this place. Beat that who can. — (Gloucester Telegraph, ^sTovember 20, 1850.) 1850. — Close of the mackerel season. — last arrival from the bay. The mackerel season has about ceased. The vessels are now hauling up as fast as they arrive. For the last two months not enough has been caught by the Massachusetts Bay fishermen to pay the outfits for the time. The last vessel from the Bay Chaleur arrived on Friday last. — (Gloucester Telegraph, November 20, 1850.) Our mackerel season has closed with the Massachusetts Bay fisher- men with a smaller catch than any season since 1841. The few vessp'-^^ that were so fortunate as to go to Bay Chaleur have made fair voyag* (Gloucester Telegraph, November 27, 1850.) [247] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. 1841 ao 1851. — Captain Atwood's experience in the mackerel FISHERIES. " I went again to the Gulf of Saint Lawrence in 1841, when we fished off the Magdalen Islands. We got about 100 barrels of verj^ ex- cellent mackerel. They were about all No. I's, I think; there were very few Ko. 2's. The next year I also went in the same " Lucy Mary" to the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, fishing off the Magdalen Islands. I was in the bay in 1841 and 1842. We staid there until the end of the season, but secured only 60 barrels. I was then master — that is, my brother was not with me, and I was master of the vessel. I went home with 60 barrels. This was my experience in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence up to 1842. I was there since, in 1851, when I was in a schooner called the "William Gray," 58 tons. She* was a small and dull-sailing vessel. I thought vre would be much safer off' the Magdalen Islands, and so I went there, as I had done during previous years. I staid there until the middle of September, but was not very successful, getting only 90 bar- rels ; so I concluded to go over to Prince Edward Island and try there. I did so, and the next day after my arrival I found that I was in more danger at this place than at the Magdalen Islands, for I was that day cast away, and I lost my vessel. " Q. When vt^as this "? — A. In 1851. I was cast away on Fish Island, at the entrance to Malpeque Harbor. " Q- Was this in the great gale, or previously ? — A. It was two weeks before the great gale. I cleared up my wreck, saved what I could, took the mackerel out, and shipped for home, going on board another vessel. I was off the mouth of Saint Peter's Harbor when the great gale came on, and we were then cast away again. So I was cast away twice in a fortnight. This seemed to prove to my mind that Prince Edward Island was more dangerous than the Magdalen Islands. "Q. You speak of fishing at the Magdalen Islands being safer than at Prince Edward Island; explain why it is that you think sol — A. Suppose we were at the Magdalen Islands and it looks stormy. If the wind is blowing on shore Avhere we are, we just run round to the other side of the islands and anchor under the lee. If the wind blows up and it becomes stormy, we are there very comfortable, and night or day we hold ourselves in readiness tt) g(.',t under way and get to the other side again in case the wind should happen to change. Thus I have been round and round the islands time and time again. " Q. Are the Magdalen Islands regarded by the American mackerel fishermen as a safe place? — A. Yes, I think so. " Q. And as safe as any in the Gulf? — A. I think so; to a person well acquainted with them, they are considered as safe as any i)art of the Gulf, and I consider them, for my part, safer. I do not know that every- body is of the same opinion, but I think this would be the case if they are thoroughly acquainted with the matter." — (Statement of Captain Atwood before the Halifax Commission.) EEPOET OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [248] 1851. — Cape Cod towns built up by their fisheries. Wellfleet, like Provincetown, says the Yarmouth Eegister, isahnost entirely built up by the fisheries. Last year some 17,000 barrels of mackerel were packed in the town, and a large quantity of cod and other fish were brought in by Wellfleet vessels. * * * — (Gloucester Tele- graph, June 4, 1851. 1851. — Good catch at Yarmouth, nova scotia. The Yarmouth (N. S.) Herald states that large quantities of mackerel have been taken in that vicinity.— (Gloucester Telegraph, June 18, 1851.) » 1851. — Small receipts of mackerel and unusual scarcity. Mackerel continue to come in slowly, and have been sold at $4.75 per barrel for new No. 3. — (Gloucester Telegraph, July 9, 1851.) The quantity of mackerel taken by our fishermen so far this season has been unusually small. During the last fifteen days less than 200 barrels have been i^acked, which includes only 2^ barrels fat mackerel. About 75 sail of Cape Cod fishermen made a harbor here on Wednesday, who report mackerel uncommonly scarce for the season. — (Gloucester Telegraph, July 12, 1851.) 1851. — Big mackerel catch at nova scotia. — yankee clippers at gaspe. From Halifax papers we learn that the catch of mackerel off the east- ern coast of Nova Scotia has been very great this season. The Gaspe Gazette of July 10 says : " Great numbers of American schooners are busily engaged catching mackerel in our waters. Nineteen handsome looking Yankee clippers, some of them with their colors flying, as if in mockery of the Canadian Government, might have been seen the other day from our office windows, fishing within a short distance from land."— (Gloucester Telegraph, July 26, 1851.) 1851. — ^Arrival of bay mackerel. Mackerel have been arriving more freely within a day or two from Bay- Chaleur, and prices are a shade lower. — (Gloucester Telegraph, Sej)tem- ber 20, 1851.) 1851. — Extraordinary large and fat mackerel from sable ISLAND. A gentleman yesterday assured us that he had seen in the stores of H. Lyle, esq., mackerel taken at Sable Island a short time since that had at least an inch thickness of fat on them. Some of these delicious fish weighed as much as 7 pounds ! — Halifax Chronicle. — (Gloucester Tel- egraph, October 8, 1851.) [249] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. 1851. — Terrible disaster to the bay fleet. In the Gloucester Telegraph of October 11, 1851, is reported a dis- patch from B. H. IS^orton, esq.. United States consul at Pictou, Nova Scotia, which states that 100 sail of American vessels (all mackerel catchers) and probably more than 300 lives were lost in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, principally on the north side of Prince Edward Island, in a terrific northeast gale, which had swept with almost unparalleled vio- lence the waters and coasts of that region on the 3d and 4th of October. The Telegraph of October 25 gives the loss of lives, as then ascer- tained, as 100. 1851. — Reminiscences of capt. j. w. collins. In 1851 the mackerel, though abundant off the New England shore, were of small and medium size, and were so low in price that the ma- jority of the fleet went to the Bay of Saint Lawrence, where large fish could be obtained. About the 1st of July I shipped in the schooner •' Brutus," about 40 tons, old measurement, and made a trip mackerel- fishing in the Bay of Fundy. Having obtained a fare in four or five weeks, we packed out in Portland, and thinking we might do better else- where, we went to the Bay of Saint Lawrence. There we caught a trip of 160 barrels in about three or four weeks' time, taking these almost wholly in and about the bend of Prince Edward Island, a large part of them near Malpec. We left the fishing- ground on our return home about the last of September, just in time to escape the terrible gale which wrought such devastation among the large fleet of American mackerel schooners which at that time were in the bend of Prince Edward Island. It is now a matter of history that the northern shore of this island was strewn with the wrecks of vessels and bodies of drowned fishermen which were lost in this October gale. Never before had such a terrible disaster occurred to our fishing fleets. So great, indeed, was the loss of American vessels that this particular gale has been known to the resi- dents of that province as the YanJwe gale. 1851. — Vessels in the mackerel fleet. The following table, comi)iled by Mr. Alexander Starbuck from official records, gives the number of vessels, tonnage, and number of men in the crews of the mackerel vessels composing the fleet in 1851 : Ports. Number of vessels. Tonnage. Number of crew. MASSACHUSETTS. 7 12 28 4 2 19 44 59G 701 1, 918 2.59 74 1, n46 2,885 8,5 97 339 47 U Chatham 230 Cohasset 561 EEPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [250] Ports. Number of vessels. Tonnasje. Number of crew. Massachusetts — Continued, Dartmouth Dennis Eastham Essex Gloucester Harwicli Hingham Lynn M auchcster '. Marblehead Martlia's Vineyard Nantucket Ne wburyport Orleans Plymoutb Province-town Eocliport Salem Scituate Salisbury Truro ■. , "Wellfleet Yarmouth Total Massachusett.s OTIIEE STATES. Maine* Now Hampshire Khode Island Connecticut Maryland Total other States Grand total 1 47 3 1 241 48 37 4 1 1 6 3 67 5 6 61 42 1 13 4 f2 79 14 117 3,096 170 71 13, 639 3,231 2,492 107 45 30 421 168 4, 343 336 561 4, 322 1,537 80 715 305 3,626 5, 411 990 le 585 23 10 2, 326 577 491 33 U 5 65 30 707 54 65 688 283 9 119 48 581 852 169 53, 712 9.117 3,019 515 479 1,551 141 44G 84 71 255 25 5,705 881 59, 4 17 *One of the writers, who was familiar with the mackerel fisliery at this time, takes the responsi- bility of saying that there were probably 200 vessels on the coast of Maine in 1851 engaged in the mackerel flshei-y, and that Mr. Starbuck's table in this respect is incomplete. 1852. — First mackerel of the season. — prices. Several lots of new No. 3 have been received, tlio first of tbe season, and sales have been made at $5.50, and some a shade uuder. — (Glouces- ter Telegraph, June 9, 1852.) 1852. — Mackerel reported plenty at western nova scotia. The Yarmouth (N. S.) Herald of the 5th instant says : "We rejoice to learn that the mackerel fishermen [gill-netters] at Tusket Islands and other parts of the coast between Yarmouth and Cape Sable hav^e taken good hauls within the last few days." — (Gloucester Telegrai^h, June 19, 1852.) 1852. — Successful seining- at isle of shoals. Great quantities of these fish [mackerel] have visited our shores the past few weeks, and the fishermen at the Shoals have been doing a smart business. These fish are rather shy of the hook, but are taken in seines [251] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. in great numbers. One or more fishing-smacks may at all times be seen at Star Island or Smutty ^NTose, waiting for a freight of mackerel for Boston market. The musters of these vessels, as soon as a good haul is made, purchase the mackerel of the fishermen as soon as they are taken from the net, and immediately set sail for Boston, where they arrive by the time the splitters have prepared the fish for market. Five or six thousand are frequently taken at one haul of the seine, and sell at from 1^ to 2 J cents apiece. Several seine-owners have already made $1,000 each since the coming of these fish, and those engaged in setting and hauling not infrequently bag $10 or $15 for a day's work. * * * — Portsmouth Messenger. — (Gloucester Telegraph, July 31, 1853.) 1852. — First seizure of an American vessel for fishing off prince edward island. Schooner " W. R. Burnham" has arrived at Boston from Prince Edward Island, having on board two of the crew of schooner Lion, of Brooklyn, which vessel was taken into Charlottetown by the Nova Scotian armed cutter Telegraph for violation of the treaty. This is the first instance of seizure for fishing ott" Prince Edward Island. — (Gloucester Telegraph, August 11, 1852.) 1852.— British cutters in bay of saint lawrencb disguised to insure the capture of american schooners. An exchange paper says : " Captain Whitraore, of Deer Isle, Maine, states that the commanders of the British cruisers in the Bay of Saint Lawrence are in the habit of disguising their vessels as fishermen, so as to decoy the American vessels within their reach, when they become fishers of men and of prize-money. This is true ; and some of the tricks resorted to in years past by some of the i)rovincial officers would dis- grace any sailor. The present year the colonial vessels are said to look more like common merchant vessels than armed cruisers, and are dis- tinguished from others only when they have the pennant up, which is not always the case."— (Gloucester Telegraph, October 18, 1852.) 1852. — American mackerel schooners not permitted to fish in BAY CHALEUR, and OTHERWISE ANNOY'ED BY BRITISH CRUISERS. Schooner " Mary Mies," Captain Pool, arrived yesterday from the Bay of Saint Lawrence. Captain Pool informs us that the steamship " Devas- tation " will not allow the fishermen to fish in the Bay of Chaleur. He and others were driven out. There were plenty of fat mackerel there, six and seven miles from the shore, and had he been allowed to fish he could have filled his vessel with three or four hundred barrels, whereas he only brought home one hundred. The captain of the "Devastation" told Captain Pool that he should not allotv them to fish in the Bay of Chaleur^ or within three miles of any of the bays. EEPORT OF COMMISSIONEE OF FISH AND FISHEEIES. [252] The officers of tlie steamer were making every effort to catch the ves- sels, and resorted to many tricks in order to entrap them. Captain Pool states that the steamer had several times come suddenly round Point Miscou (in order to catch the American fishermen unawares). Among other things, the officers of a cutter, when they boaided a ves- sel, even if she were six or seven miles from the shore, would feel of the fishing-lines to see if they were W7e^. — (Gloucester Telegraph, August 21, 1852.) 1852. — Scarcity op mackerel. The Gloucester Telegraj)h says returns of mackerel at that port for the past year fall short full one-half of what the receipts were last year; cause, trouble with the English. Prospects for remainder of season not favorable, and if vessels now out return with more than half a fare it is more than is anticipated. — (Barnstable Patriot, August 28, 1852.) 1852. — Arrivals from the bay. — reported interference op BRITISH cruisers. There have been several arrivals from the Gulf of Saint Lawrence since our last, and they confirm our previous statements in regard to not being allowed to fish in the Bay of Chaleur. * * * These vessels were obliged to return home without obtaining a full fare; could they have fished in the Bay of Chaleur they would have filled their vessels with fat mackerel. * * *— (Gloucester Telegraph, August 25, 1852.) 1852. — A SCHOOL OF MACKEREL OFF CAPE ANN. Quite a " school " of mackerel have been around our shore during the week past, and our Eockj}ort friends have reaped a rich harvest. Some of the boats from our harbor have taken large quantities, but we under- stand they had struck off yesterday. — (Gloucester Telegraph, August 28, 1852.) 1852. — Reported scarcity of mackerel in the bay. Two or three vessels have arrived since our last, but they bring no news of importance, except a scarcity of mackerel. — (Gloucester Tele- graph, September 18, 1852.) 1852 — The mackerel season drawing to a close. — small catch of the fleet due to trouble in bay of saint lawrence. The fishing season for mackerel is fast drawing to a close, and there are but few weeks left before the vessels will be hauled up. The re- turns of mackerel this year at this port fall short full one-half of what the receipts were at this time last year. This, owing mainly to the trouble at the Bay of Saint Lawrence, the vessels being obliged to keep farther from the shore than they heretofore have done, for fear the offi- [253] HISTOEY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. cers of the cutters would say they were within the limits, and seize them. Kot being allowed to flsh in the Bay of Chaleur is another cause, as our vessels in years past have sometimes obtained full fares theie, and would have done so this year could they have fished in that bay, as it was fall of mackerel. Last year at this time many of the vessels had returned from their second trips, but now there are many who have not returned from their first, and there will be but few who will make more than two. The prospect for the remainder of the season is not very favorable, and if those vessels now at the bay return with more than half a fare, they will do better than is now anticipated. The fish at this season tend mostly in-shore, and at the best fishing grounds there are two or three cutters who will keep the Americans oft", and they will therefore not be able to do much. The quality of mackerel this season has been different than for a few years past. Those brought from the bay have been very large and handsome, and commanded high prices; while those taken oif our coast have been smaller and not of so good quality. Sales have been made this week of several trips of bay mackerel at the Ibllowing rates: No. I's, $12; li's, $10; 3's, $0.75. Shore mackerel have brought $9|, $7|, and $5^ for the three I^os. — (Gloucester Telegraph, September 25, 1852.) 1852. — Loss OF MANY MACKEREL SCHOONERS IN THE BAY. The Gloucester Telegraph of October 30, 1852, reports the loss of 21 vessels at Souris, Prince Edward Island, in a heavy gale which took place on the 15th of that month. The vessels went into that harbor with the wind NE., but it shifted suddenly round to the SSW., and they could not get out. 1852. — EEMINISCENCES of CAPT. J. W. COLLINS. In the spring of 1852 I went south on a mackerel trip in the schooner "Science," of about 50 tons, old measurement. We started about the 1st of May, and were gone four or five weeks, bringing to Boston a fare of 4; sea packed barrels. Our fishing ground was from Barnegat to Block Island, i hough we caught but few mackerel south or west of Fire Itslaud. At this time all of the vessels belonging to Ils^orthern Kew England i)orts salted their spring catch of mackerel, and generally packed them north of Cape Cod. A considerable number of sloop smacks, belonging at Noaiik and New London, Conn., engaged in the spring mackerel fishery to supply the New York market, taking the fish in alive in their wells. Their crews fished with poles, as anglers do for trout, being thus enabled to drop the mackerel into the well without touching them, even from the extremities of this vessel. In June we went to the Bay of Saint Lawrence, where we caught about 150 barrels, being absent from home nearly seven weeks. The mackerel were of large size that year in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, but not very abuu- EEPOET OF COMMISSIONEK OF FISH AND FISHEEIES. [254] dant. Off tlie E"ew England coast tliey were very plentiful and in fine condition, though of medium size, scarcely any, or none, being large enough to pack for No. I's. After returniug from the Gulf we fished off the New England coast from Mount Desert Eock to Cape Cotl, though Ave did the best off and around Monhegan Island during the month of August and early in September. At that time a large fleet was fishing oft" the Maine coast. 1852. — Mackerel fishery of new Brunswick in 1852. Perley, in his Eeport on the Fisheries of New Brunswick for 1852, says: "It must be considered settled that the mackerel fishery as a branch of business cannot be said to exist in New Brunswick, although the eastern shores of the province and the whole Bay of Chaleur offer the greatest facilities and most abundant sux^ply of fish. " It is highly desirable that something should be done to encourage and promote this fishery, which evidently offers such ample reward to the energy, enterprise, and industry of the people." — (Page 16.) 1853. — The armament in provincial waters for brbakino up the american mackerel fishery. The St. John New Brunswicker, of the 31st ultimo, announces the ar- rival at St. John of H. M. ketch " Netley," which is to be stationed in the Bay of Fundy for the protection of the fisheries this season. H. M. screw steamship " Plumper," fitting out in England, is also expected to be stationed in the bay. H. M. steamers " Basilisk," "Vixen," and "Dev- astation" are to be stationed at Newfoundland and in the Gulf; and four brigan tines or schooners are to be immediately fitted out at Halifax for the Gulf, each under the command of a lieutenant in the navy, with twenty-five picked men in each from the flag-ship " Cumberland." These vessels, says the Brunswicker, with other arrangements for an efficient boat service at several of the most favorable resorts in the Gulf for American mackerel fishers, will doubtless prove the means of preventing encroachments this season, and tend greatly to break up the American mackerel fishery in the Saint Lawrence. — (Gloucester Telegraph, June 4, 1853.) 1853. — Mackerel in western nova scotia. The Yarmouth Herald says: "We are glad to hear that mackerel have been abundant at the Tusket Islands during the past week. In tvs^o days two seines secured over 600 barrels. Within the last few days a considerable quantity of small mackerel and fat herring have been caught in this harbor." — (Gloucester Telegraph, July 16, 1853.) 1853. — First arrival from the bay— reported scarcity of mackerel. The "Leonard McKenzie" arrived at this port on Sunday from the Bay of Saint Lawrence; reports mackerel as not being very plenty, and the vessels were not doing much. — (Gloucester Telegraph, July 20, 1853.) [255] history of the mackerel fishery. 1853. — Mackerel in Gloucester harbor. A large school of mackerel has been in our harbor this week, which has given our shore fishermen a good benefit, and many of them have improved it. The fish are larger than those here a week or ten days previous. — (Gloucester Telegraph, July 30, 1853.) 1853. — Successful purse-seining on new England shore. The Newburyi^ort Union states that the schooner "Ada" [arrived] at that i)ort on Wednesday with 320 barrels of mackerel. This is her second trip in our bay, in both of which she has taken 500 barrels ; most of them have been caught with a seine. What other mackerel vessel has done as well as that this year '1 — (Gloucester Telegra^jh, August 3, 1853.) The ISTewburyport Union states that the schooner "Ada" has comi)leted her third trip in eleven days, with 300 barrels, making a total of 850 barrels in less than two months. We do not recollect that any vessel from this place has ever done so well before ; and at the present prices of mackerel she will pay a handsome profits to her owners. — (Gloucester Telegraph, August 13, 1853.) 1853. — Arrivals and reports from the pay. There were several arrivals yesterday from the Bay of Saint Lawrence. * * * In some parts of the bay mackerel were plenty, in others they were scarce. — (Gloucester Telegraph, August 17, 1853.) 1853. — Success of the swampscott mackerel seiners. The schooner "Eomp" and the schooner "Vanguard" of Swampscott arrived home last week, having been engaged in mackerel fishing oft Boone Island a few days x)ast with remarkable success. One of the boats took at one haul of the seine ninetj^-four wash-barrels of mackerel. In one day she took 155 barrels. — Lymi Bay State. — (Gloucester Tele- graph, August 31, 1853.) 1853. — Eeceipts and prices. Mackerel remain without change. The arrivals continue moderate for the seasen. Sales of large for 113.00, $11.50, and $8.12^, and shore at $11.75, $9.72, and $7.50 per barrel.— (J6.) 1853. — Extreme high prices consequent upon the scarcity of mackerel. The scarcity of this article (mackerel), and the poor ijrospect, both in the bay and off our" coast, has caused the prices to reach a higher point this season than ever before known. A trip which arrived on Saturday morning, was taken up at $15 J per barrel for No. I's, and other num- bers in proportion. — (Gloucester Telegraph, September 11, 1853.) EEPOET OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHEEIES. [256] 1853. — Areiyals from the bay. Quite a number of vessels have arrived since our last from the Bay of Saint Lawrence. * * * Fish are reported scarce, and but few of the vessels are doing anything. — (lb.) 1853. — The shore fleet. Our harbor was filled up on Thursday with about 200 sail of fishing vessels. It was the largest fleet which has been in this season. * * * — (Gloucester Telegraph, October 8, 1853.) 1853. — Destructive gale and loss of vessels at the bay. The Gloucester Telegraph of October 8, 1853, contains a report of several mackerel schooners in the Bay of Saint Lawrence during a heavy gale which occurred on the 29th of September. 1853. — Arrivals from the bay. About 25 vessels have arrived homefrom the Bay of Saint Lawrence since Saturday morning. They bring no news of importance, but all report stormy weather and a scarcity of mackerel. — (Gloucester Tele- graph, October 26, 1853.) 1853. — Review of the mackerel fishery for 1853. The season for mackerel is fast drawing to a close, but about six weeks remaiuiug before the vessels will be hauled up. Present ai)pear- ances indicate that the catch will be very small compared with last year. At this port not more than one third as many mackerel have been packed as there were up to this time last year. The vessels which return from the bay do not average half a fare, and those which are fish- ing off this coast are doing no better comparatively. There are no mackerel around our Capes, which is unusual at this time of the year. This scarcity of the article has carried the price up higher than ever before known, and the tt ndency is still upward. Sales have been made in town, this week, of bay mackerel at $15| for No. I's, $ i3| for 2's, and $8 J for 3's; shore do. at $14 for I's, $10| for 2's, $7^ for 3's, and $o^ for 4's. — (Gloucester Telegraph, October 5, 1853.) 1853. — Reminiscences of capt. j. w. collins. In June, 1853, I went to the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, in the schooner " Valiant," leaving home about the middle of June. The mackerel were large that year in the Gulf, but rather scarce. Some of the vessels succeeded, however, in getting fine fares, but we were not so fortunate, since we brought back only 60 barrels of mackerel, though absent from home six weeks. Medium-sized mackerel were quite plentiful "off the coast of Maine in August and September, and some of the vessels did [257] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. quite well. A curious thing, however, in connection with the shore- fishery that year was, that while mackerel could be caught to a consid- erable extent close into the shores of the out-lying islands and around the ledges, but comparatively few could be taken farther out to sea. The consequence was that many of the vessels were provided with boats in which the fish were caught. This was especially the case with those fishing round Monhegau Island, where a small tieet of vessels lay in the harbor, and the crews went out in boats round the island, catching the mackerel close into the rocks. The vessel I was in was one of this fleet. On several occasions we found excellent good fishing in our boats, frequently not more than a stone's throw from the surf on the shore. 1853. — Success of the spring- mackerel fishery on the coast of the united states. Several mackerel catchers have returned to Provincetown to pack, with liberal success. A large quantity of mackerel have been caught in and about the harbor in nets — prospect for fishing remarkably good. — (Barnstable Patriot, May 31, 1853.) 1853. — Newburyport vessels in the gulf of saint laavrence. The Newburyj)ort Herald, of Friday a. m., has a letter dated Cascum- peque. Prince Edward Island, September 15, which says : "It is blowing a gale from the northeast, and this harbor is full of vessels, say 120 sail. Hereby I send you a memoraudum of Newbury- port vessels and their catch of fish. These vessels aie all here in the harbor: 'Gentile,' 230 barrels; 'Paragon,' 100; 'Arctic,' 190; 'Equa- tor,' 130; 'Lydia,' 370; 'Palm,' 60; 'M. C. Ames,' 20; 'Augelia,' 70; 'Ada,' 12; there is quite a fleet near Graspe and some at East Point. As a general thing the fleet has been unfortunate." — (Barnstable Patriot, October 4, 1853.) 1854. — Abundance of mackerel on the new England coast. Mackerel were unusually plenty on the coast this year. Old fisher- men declared them to be more so than at any other time within twenty- five years. Considerable quantities were taken from the wharves in Lynn. — (History of Lynn, Lewis & Newhall, p. 439.) Mackerel. — We learn from the Salem Register that mackerel continue abundant in the waters near the city. On Tuesday week, a leviathan of the mackerel species, three pounds in weight, was caught near Black Rock, and on the same daj^ two others Aveighing five pounds each, were captured off Tompkins Island. A correspondent of the Herald says that mackerel had made their appearance in great numbers during the past week at Danversport, and they have been caught by the bushel from the wharves and boats. — (Barnstable Patriot, August 8, 1854.) REPORT or COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [258] 1854. — EeMINISCENCES of CAPT. J. W. COLLINS. In July, 1854, I again went on a mackerel trip to the Gulf of Saint Lawrence in the pmkey " Julia Ann." The Gulf mackerel that summer were large, though rather scarce on the greater part of the fishing grounds. A tieet of about fifty sail, of which our vessel was one, did remarkably well in August on a small spot of shoal ground lying off to the southwest of Cape Gas])e, and known to the local fishermen as Yanliee Banh. Instead of fishiag here as in the usual manner, by lying to and drifting^ the vessels were all brought to anchor at a short dis- tance from each other, and, while fishing, lay sprung np. As a rule the mackerel would take the hook only at night and early in the morning, at which times they would bite, perhaps, for an hour or two, while dur- ing the middle of the day scarcely one could be caught at all. The weather at this season was exceptionally fine, and the fleet lay for some Aveeks contentedly at anchor. Each morning more or less mackerel would be taken, and when they ceased biting, these were dressed and salted. In the same manner the fishermen were almost always sure of a "sundown spurt." Many of the vessels did excellently well, catch- ing more than 200 barrels of fine large mackerel, for which they ob- tained a high price, and we, ourselves, succeeded in taking over a hun- dred barrels, with a small crew of nine or ten men. This amount, to- gether with the fish we had ijreviously caught, made us up a line tare of 150 barrels, for which we Obtained a high price. This year the schooner "Game Cock," of Hingham, was provided with a peculiar form of spring seiue, by which it was expected that a school of mackerel which had been tolled alongside of the vessel might all be caught at oue time in the net. The schooner was provided with long outriggers, irom the bow and stern, by means of which the net could be drawn outward from her side, underneath the fish, in such a manner that they might be inclosed in a bag of netting — the edges of which would he at the water's surface — before they would be aware of it. This contriv ance did not, however, succeed very well, and no attempts were made to use it, that I am aware of, after this summer in the bay. 1854. — Poor quality of the mackerel taken in the gulf of saint lawrence. The Gloucester Telegraph says that " in previous years the quality of mackerel taken at the Bay of Saint Lawrence has been mostly large and fat, but this year it has been different. In 1853 Gloucester re- turned over 20,000 barrels of No. 1 mackerel. This year there will be returned scarcely 5,000 of that No. 1" — (Barnstable Patriot, December 26, 1854.) 1855. — Mackerel fishery of cape cod. Several mackerel fishermen arrived at different harbors on the Cape last' week, having from 150 to 180 barrels each. The prospect of the iishermen is generally very good. — ( Barnstable Patriot, August 28, 1855.) [259] history of the mackerel fishery. 1855. — Spring fishing in barnstable bay. For a week past our bay has been enlivened with the presence of quite a fleet ot vessels and boats, engaged in taking mackerel. They are quite abundant, and the most encouraging fares are realized. Yes- terday a fleet of nearly two hundred sail was in sight from our office, and we learn that most of the crews have averaged sonic thirty barrels per day for some days past. Persons in boats have, in many instances, taken several barrels, and last week Capt. Ainslej' Howes, of Dennis, took seven barrels in a single day. These are lucky times for our flsher- men. — (Barnstable Patriot, May 20, 1855.) 1855. — Reported abundance of mackerel south. The Newburyport Herald learns from one of the crew of the schooner " Flying Cloud," who arrived home by laud on Friday, that all the vessels were rapidly filling up, and that the catch of mackerel out south, this year, will be greater than for many years past. He reports the mackerel to be of large size and of good quality, the coves and har- bors being literally swarming with them. — (Gloucester Telegraph, June 6, 1853.) 1855. — First arrival from the south. The schooner "Leader" arrived at IsTewburyport on Saturday. The Herald says that this is the first of the fishing vessels arrived from the southern coast. The fleet are reported as doing a fair business. The "Leader" packed out 101 barrels. Only $6 per barrel offered for the catch. — (Gloucester Telegraph, June 13, 1855.) 1855. — Only moderate fares obtained by the southern fleet. The Newburyport fleet of southern fishermen are fast arriving home with moderate fares, and, at the present prices of mackerel, making but small profits. Several of them by falling in with fish ofi' Cape Cod, on their way home, were able to add something to voyages that otherwise would not have paid. — (Gloucester Telegraph, June 27, 1855.) 1855. — Arrivals from the bay — unprofitable trips. Several vessels have arrived within a few days from the Bay of Saint Lawrence with tolerable trips of mackerel, so lar as quantity is con- cerned, but the quality is poor, and the price is so low that hardly one of them will pay their expenses. This, however, is better than last sea- son, when many of the vessels came home with only from 15 to 40 bar- rels each. — (Gloucester Telegraph, August 1, 1855.) The Newburyport Herald states that the fishermen of that port are fast arriving from the Bay of Saint Lawrence with about average fares, and report the fleet not to be doing more than that. If prices keep up they will barely make a living business, and if they decline the fisher- men will come out at the close of the season where they have often been of late years, without enough, take the fleet together, to square their bills. — (Gloucester Telegraph, October 3, 1855.) EEPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [260] 1855. — Large hauls in Halifax harbor. The Halifax Colonist of the 3d instant says : " Large hauls of mack- erel have been taken, within the last few days, along the shores from the head of the Basin to Portuguese Cove, wherever there was a seine set. Some of these iish will make superior l^o. I's, and the quantity taken is valued at a very large sum of money." — (Gloucester Telegraph, Novem- ber 14, 1855.) 1855. — The baymen. All of the bay vessels have now arrived home but three, and those, we understand, are on their way. A larger quantity of mackerel has been taken this year than last, and some of the vessels have made a good year's work, but the average of the vessels is not much better than it was in 1854, the expenses of the business being so high and the quality of the mackerel being so low. The season closes later this year than usual, some of the packers having several trips still on hand to pack out. — (Gloucester Telegrapli, Kovember 28, 1855.) 1855. — EeMINISCENCES of CAPT. J. W. COLLINS. The spring mackerel on the southern coast, in 1855, were small, aver- aging 12 inches or less in length. They were fairly abundant, but being so small, and also very poor, were low in price and scarcely worth catching. In the summer mixed mackerel were very abundant in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence. It should, however, be mentioned that but few of these were of large size, that is, of suitable size to cull as No. 1 fish. The great majority of the mackerel were of small size, ranging in length from lOJ to 12 inches. These were exceedingly plentiful, and, especial- ly during the early part of the season, took the hook very readily, so that some of the vessels succeeded in obtaining full fares in a very short time, in fact, in some cases the only limit being the time required by the crews to catch and dress the fish. I went south early in May in the schooner " Matilda," about 45 tons, old measurement. We fished principally at Sandy Hook and along the back side of Long Island. The best day's fishing (about 30 wash-bar- rels) was obtained a little to the westward of Montauk Point. We were absent about four weeks, bringing to Boston a fare of about 50 barrels of salt mackerel. About the middle of June I went to the Gulf of Saint Lawrence in the same vessel. Our skipper had been one of the " lucky ones" who had succeeded in getting a fare of large mackerel on Yankee Bank the previous summer, and being fully impressed with the idea that he could again do the same, and thinking the small mackerel hardly worth sav- ing, he made it a rule to throw away all but the largest fish during the first trip ; thus, it frequently happened that, from a catch of twenty to [261] HISTORY OF THE MACKP:EEL FISHERY. twenty-five barrels, we would not save more than two or three barrels. The result of this was that a large part of the best fishing season passed away almost unimproved by us. In the end, after four months absence, we had to return home with only 160 barrels of mackerel, considerably less than a full fare. 1856. — Eelative importance of the shore and gulf of saint lawrence mackerel fisheries. According to the Cape Ann Advertiser, the shore mackerel fishery in 1856 was very unsatisfactory, the mackerel refusing to take the hook. The bay fishery was fairly successful. 1856. — The mackerel fishery of new enoland. The Gloucester Advertiser of January, 1857, reviews the season of 1856 in the following manner : "The first trips to the bay were very successful, and the prosiiect to the 1st of September very encouraging. The catch of mackerel ex- ceedingly large. Mackerel, however, have rated low, and the poor success of the last trips to the bay proved very disastrous, and rendered the closing up of the season's work very j)oor. Many of the vessels have not paid their current expenses, and empty barrels and salt are left on the owners' hands." 1856. — Eeminiscences of capt. j. w. Collins. In the summer of 1856 the small mackerel which were found the year before in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence had increased in size so that they ranged in length from about twelve to twelve and a half inches ; though at this time, scarcely any large fish were found in the schools. In July I went on a mackerel trip to the Gulf in the schooner "Good Intent." After trying a week round the northern ])art of Prince Edward Island and on Bank Bradley, we went to the Magdalen Islands, where, about the eastern end of the group, we found mackerel abundant, and suc- ceeded in obtaining a full fare in two or three weeks. After return- ing home and packing out our trip, we fished ofi" the New England shore but found mackerel rather scarce, and, like those in the Gulf, of medium size. Many of the vessels did excellently well mackerel fish- ing in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence this year, bringing home two full fares. 1857. — Slim doinos of the southern fleet. Accounts from the southern fisheries have been received. The Bos- ton Traveller says the catch has been very slim. A few vessels from jSTewburyport were reported. The "Atlas" had the largest number, 80 barrels ; " Eoanoke," 24 ; " Tyro," 10. The two first weeks of this month being considered the best of the fishing season in those waters, there is EEPOET OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [262] a slight chance of their being able to increase their catch sufficient to meet their exj^enses. As a general thing the southern fishery does not pay to follow. The fleet to these waters every year diminishes, and will eventually be abandoned. — (Gloucester Telegraph, June 10, 1857.) 1857. — The price of mackerel enhanced by the demand for shipments to california and australia. The active demand for mackerel for shipment to California and Aus- tralia, says the Boston Traveller, and the comparatively small catch thus far has caused an uj)ward tendency in prices, and speculators are now paying for No. 2 $12.50, large 3's $9, and small 3's $8 per barrel, which are higher prices than we have ever before known. Heretofore Philadelphia has controlled the market for these fish, but the New Yorkers are now attempting to get this trade in their hands, and it is resulting very favorable to the fishermen. As new markets are being- opened for shipment, an impetus will be given to this branch of busi- ness heretofore unknown. Additions are making to the fleet in all our fishing ports, and upon the arrival of the bay men theie is considerable competition by the New York and Philadelphia agents to secure fares. * * * — (Gloucester Telegraph, August 5, 1857.) 1857. — Unfavorable reports from the bay. A vessel arrived from the Bay of Saint Lawrence yesterday reported that the vessels have done but little during the last four or five weeks. Mackerel were scarce and the weather very rough. During one fort- night but two days were obtained in wiiich the vessel could go out to fish. Some of the vessels were coming home with half fares. — (Glou- cester Telegraph, October 3, 1857.) 1857. — Mackerel schooners stranded in the bay. A dispatch received in town this morning reports that eleven [Glou- cester] vessels went ashore at Cheticamp last Thursday * * * — (Gloucester Telegraph, November 3, 1857.) 1857.. — High line of the biackerel fleet. Capt. George Janovin, of the schooner "Eleanor," which arrived yes- terday, has made three trips to Bay Chaleur, and packed out 660 barrels of mackerel. This being the largest fare caught. Captain Janovin will be entitled to wear the laurels tor this season. — {Rewlmryport Herald. — (Gloucester Telegraph, November 14, 1857.) 1857. — Eeminiscences of capt. j. w. collins. This was another year when mackerel were plentiful in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, and at this time a considerable percentage of them [263] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. were of suitable size to be packed for large fisb. As in previous years a large fleet of vessels went to tbe Gulf. In July I went to the bay in tbe pinkey "Einaldo," 33 tons, old measurement. We fished principally along- the north shore of Prince Edward Island from Eastern Point to Cascumpec. We succeeded in getting a full fare of mackerel — about 150 barrels— in five or sis weeks, with a crew of seven men all told. I left the " Einaldo " in the Strait of Canso on her return home, and shipped on the schooner "Mary Ellen," of Truro, Massachusetts, and returned again to the Gulf During September and the first part of October, we fished on the north side, or in the waters terme58. — Small spring catch. The Hyannis Messenger says that the catch of mackerel up to the present time has not been a quarter of what it was last year. — (Glouces- ter Telegraph, July 3, 1858.) [265] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. 1858. — The spring fishery at the magdalen isla:^ds. We subjoin an extract from a letter dated Port Amherst, Magdalen Islands, Tth June. * * * We are now taking large quantities of mackerel ; in fact the greatest quantity ever taken here will be this spring. About 50 sail of strangers are now fishing here. * * * — (Gloucester Telegraph, July 7, 1858.) 1858. — The bay^ mackerel fleet from Gloucester harbor. T\^o hundred and twelve of the fleet liave gone to the Bay of Sahit Lawrence, and are manned by 2,550 men and boys. — (Gloucester Tele- graph, July 24, 1858.) 1858.— Slim doings of the early bay fleet. Schooner "John Gerard," from Bay Chaleur, mackereling, ;uii\ cd at Newburyport 21st instant, and reports sailing with a fleet of 25 vessels, the largest catch of which was 80 barrels. As none of the fleet have arrived here, it is supposed they are Cape Corobable that these mackerel were a part of the school that a short time thereafter were found close in to the shores. 1859. — Prices for mackerel caught m 1858. Mackerel, no sales reported some small lots are held at $16.25 and $14.20, l^os. 1 and 2.— (Cape Ann Advertiser, May 13, 1859.) 1859. — A GOOD TRIP FROM THE BAY. — BIG STOCK. — OTHER ARRIVALS. PRICES, ETC. Schooner " C. C. Davis " from the Bay Saint Lawrence, arrived yes- terday with 250 barrels of large mackerel. Advices from the fleet there are a little more favorable. — (Cape Ann Advertiser, ]Srovember4, 1 (Cape Ann Advertiser, April 25, 1862.) 1862.— Vessels an® men engaged in the Gloucester mackerel fisheries. About 350 sail of vessels engaged in the fishery, from this port, aver- aging twenty men to a vessel, making an aggregate of more than 4,000 men that are required to man the fleet.— (Cape Ann Advertiser, May 8, 1862.) [281] HISTOEY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. 1862. — Fleet fittings for the bay. — success of the southern mackerel fishery. — large fleet in gloucester. Quito a large fleet of vessels will be ready to start for the bay imme- diately after the 4th. The southern mackerel fleet have mostly returned from their first trips with average fares, and many have gone on a second trip, as mackerel are plenty. Shore mackereling will be prosecuted quite extensively this season. Large fleet of mackerelmen were in port on Wednesday, mostly south- shore vessels fishing on the shore. It is unusual to see a fleet of mack- erel catchers in our harbor at this time of year. — (Cape Ann Advertiser, June 27, 18G2.) 1862. — The early bay fleet. Quite a number of vessels are fitting for an early trip to the bay ; will be ready to start June 1 ; no arrivals yet from the southern mack- erel fleet.— (Cape Ann Advertiser, May 23, 1862.) 1862.— The mackerel fishery in the gulf of saint lavstrence. — favorable reports. Advices from thebay report vessels doing well. July 1 " Bridget Ann" had 150 barrels; " Cyrena Ann," 175 ; " Wide Awake," 130 ; "Electric Flash," 120 ; " Ocean Gem," 60. Weather unfavorable the past fortnight, and the mackerel taken thus far were rather poor. — (Cape Aun Adver- tiser, July 25, 1862.) 1862. — First arrival from the bay. One fare of 200 barrels of mackerel has arrived from the bay. Sold at $4f and $3^ per barrel for large and medium 3's. The shore fleet have not done much of late. — (Cape Ann Advertiser, July 18, 1862.) 1862.~-G00D fares from the bay. — PRICES AND QUALITY OF MACK- EREL BETTER THAN IN 1861. There has been quite a number of arrivals from the bay during the past fortnight, bringing in good fares. The quality of mackerel is said to be vastly superior to those of last season, and the prices are higher than last year. — (Cape Ann Advertiser, September 12, 1862.) 1862. — Mackerel abundant in ipswich bay and at cape cod. — TEN arrivals FROM THE BAY. Shore mackereling good the past week. Ipswich Bay ha^ been swarm- ing with mackerel, and the mild, pleasant weather has been very favor- able. A large school of mackerel have made their appearance at Cape Cod. Previous to the present month the catch has been small. Bay REPOET OF COMMISSIONEE OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [282] trips arrive slowly, as most of the fleet will remain late in order to fill up with fat mackerel. — (Cape Ann Advertiser, October 10, 1862.) Mackerel were quite plenty in the bay on Wednesdaj^, and the shore fleet did a good day's work, some of them catching as high as 70 vv^ash- barrels. The mackerel are quite large, and the best of them sell readily at $11 per barrel. — (Cape Ann Advertiser, October 17.) The Newburyport Herald says: "The mackerel have been swarming in our bay for the last ten days ; 200 vessels and any number of small boats were fishing. Vessels take from 5 to 40 barrels apiece. On Tues- day the fleet numbered 4,000 vessels, and the fish were so plenty that the ' Live Yankee,' with only 4 hands, brought in 10 barrels." — (Barn- stable Patriot, October 14, 1862.) 1862. — A BIG CATOH BY A HOOKER. Schooner "Nor' Wester" arrived from the Bay of Saint Lawarence yes- terday. The day before leaving she took 123 wash-barrels of mackerel, the value of which is $1,000. — (Cape Ann Advertiser, July 14, 1862.) 1862. — EeMINISCENCES of CAPT. J. W. COLLINS. In the season of 1862 mackerel were quite plentiful in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, where the larger part of the fleet were engaged iu this fishery. Off our own coast there was a school of mixed mackerel — much the greater portion being undersized — while among them were some very large fish. After making two trips' cod fishing to George's I took charge of the schooner " Hattie Lewis " and sailed for the Gulf of Saint Lawrence on a mackerel trip early in June. We fished principallj^ on Bank Bradley, about the North Cape of Prince Edward Island, oft" Point Miscou and in the vicinity of Point Escuminac, taking a part of our fare, however, in the latter locality. On our first trip we caught 208 sea-packed barrels, which were nearly all No. 3's, and started for home early in July. After landing our fish we went back oil a second trip to the Gulf 5 obtained a fare of 200 barrels and left the bay early in October. In the latter part of the fall we fished off Cape Ann and around Cape Cod. On one occasion we found mackerel quite plenty off Chatham and got 50 wash-barrels in one day ; though the majority of these were undersized fish there were a few among them remark- ably large 5 some specimens which I weighed, after they had been salted for a number of weeks, turned the scales at 2^ pounds. The following day we could find no fish in the same locality but struck mackerel in the afternoon about 25 miles in a southerly and easterly direction from Chatham, nearly down oft' the fishing-rip. These fish, which were moving quite rapidly in a southerly direction, were quite different from those caught the day before, since we did not find any large sized ones among them. On the third day the mackerel were gone, and although we ran to the southward 15 or 20 miles farther we [283] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. did not succeed in finding them. I have never, at any other time, with the experience of twenty-two years in the mackerel fishery, caught mackerel so far south in the fall as we did on this occasion. The exact date of this last catch I do not now remember, and can only say that it was some time about the middle of November. 1863.— First mackerel in Massachusetts bay. The first mackerel were taken in the vicinity of Gloucester May 2G. 1863. — Southern mackerel fishery. There will be but few vessels engaged in this branch of the fishery the present season, owing to the low price of poor mackerel and the great expense which attends fitting out vessels for this business. Salt which sold last year for $2 is now worth |4 per hogshead. Barrels have also advanced considerably; in fact, everything in shape of outfits for mackerel trips has nearly doubled in price. There is but one vessel fitting away at the i^resent time, and we are informed that not more than six vessels at most will prosecute the business this season. — (Barn- stable Patriot, June 9, 1863.) In May. 1863, the southern mackerel fleet was reported as doing a good business. The first vessels came into Gloucester June 1 ; average, 100 barrels each, which sold for $9 and |6. 1863. — ISTewburyport mackerel fishery. The mackerel fleet have all arrived with good fares, which have all commanded good prices. We have had fewer vessels in the bay this season than for several years before ; we think only eleven. The busi- ness had been too poor, the wages and outfits were too high, and there was at one time great danger from Confederate pirates, but the busi- ness has been very prosperous to those engaged. Other places have also fewer vessels this season; the aggregate catch, therefore, notwithstand- ing the success that has attended them, will be small, and consequently the market is very active. The number of barrels packed here will not be far from 6,000. As we are constantly having new markets open for our fisheries, the prices will be likely to advance even upon the present high rates. The last sales were |28 for mess, $12.25 for I's, $10.25 for 2's, $8 for large 3's, and $5.56 for small 3's. Captain Brown, of the " Sea Spray," considering the time engaged, made the best trip, stocking $6,260.— (Barnstable Patriot, November 17, 1863.) 1863. — Dearth of experienced mackerel fisherinien. In 1863 there was a decided dearth of experienced fishermen at Glou- cester and other New England ports on account of the numerous enlist- ments in the Army. The three hundred vessels fitted out that year for the mackerel fishery in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence were obliged to fill up a large portion of their quota of 4,000 men from green hands. EEPOET or COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [284] 1863. — Eeminiscences of capt. j. w. Collins. In the summer of 1863 mackerel were abundant in the gulf of Saint Lawrence and comparatively scarce on the Kew England coast. In July I started from Gloucester in the schooner " Sea- Witch " on a mackerel trip to the Gulf. We fished about Bank Bradley, North CajDC of Prince Ed- ward Island, and tlie Magdalens, securing a full fare of 250 barrels in four weeks. The last catch of the trip was made off to the eastward of Entry Island, Magdalens; we got more than 60 wash-barrels 5 not only enough to fill all the barrels we had on board, but also our yawl-boat and every other receptacle we could find which would hold the fish. Eeturning again to the Gulf on our second tri}3, we found good fishing off the Magdalens for a few days, when, the mackerel slacking off, we ran clown to Sydney, on the east side of Cape Breton Island, where the year previous some of the mackerel catchers had obtained good fares. There we also met with good success, as did the fleet of some 60 or 70 vessels which were fishing in that locality. Again we obtained a full fare of 275 barrels in about four weeks' fishing. After returning home and packing out our mackerel we spent the remainder of the fall, some four or five weeks, in fishing off" Cape Ann and Cape Cod, but mackerel being scarce we succeeded in taking only about 30 barrels. The fleet off our own coast engaged in the mackerel fishery that fall compared with that in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence was small and unimportant. 1864. — Haewichport mackerel fishery. Our mackerel catchers are beginning to report themselves. The fol- lowing schooners have arrived at Harwich Port : The " Diadem," Bob- bins, with 90 barrels; "D. Ellis," Baker, 110 barrels; " Prince Laboo," Nickerson, 175 barrels; "E. S. Hammond," Cahoon, 150 barrels; "S. Smith," Taylor, 110 barrels ; the "Electric Spark," Godfrey, 125 barrels. Others are expected soon, besides several George's fishermen, which are reported to have good fares. — (Barnstable Patriot, June 13, 1864.) 1864.— Mackerel fishery. OiTR BAY FLEET. — About twenty-fivc of our bay fleet have arrived since our last issue, bringing full fares, and several fares have been sent home by vessels remaining in Bay Saint Lawrence. The prospects seem good for a fair season's catch. The market is active, mackerel being in demand at prices much in advance of those of any year within the memory of the oldest inhabitant. The exi3ense attending the prosecu- tion of this business is larger by one-half than in ordinary times, all kinds of vessel's gear and supplies of every description being held at enormous rates, and unless good prices for fish are sustained there will be but a small margin for profit. But with present prices and good luck in the way of a catch, we may set the season as a good one. — (Barnsta- ble Patriot, September 13, 1864.) [285] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. 1864. — Mackerel fishery in the gulf of maine. Macterel appeared on the coast in great abundance during the early* part of the autumn. The crew of the little fishing schooner '' Minnehaha," of Swampscott, on the 18th of September, off Boone Island, caught 350 barrels, and the crew of the " Flying Dart," of the same place, at another point, took 130 barrels in some four hours. — (History of Lynn, Lewis & Newhall, p. 478.) 1864. — Gulf of saint laweence mackerel fishery. From the bay. — Quite a number of baymen have arrived the present week, and a large portion of the fleet are on their way home. They report mackerel very scarce for the present month and but little doing. In view of these facts the market has been a little more active for the past week, and quite a number of transactions have been effected at $12 and $15. Shore has also advanced in price, and the prospect now is that still better prices will be obtained the coming month. Mackerel are a staple, and there will doubtless be quite an active demand for them during the fall and winter months. Our fishing firms acted very wisely in not sacrificing their mackerel at panic prices, as we believe they will yet obtain a fair equivalent for them and be enabled to make a very good season's work. — (Cape Ann Advertiser, October, 1864.) 1864. — Reminiscences of capt. j. w. collins. Mackerel have rarely or never been more abundant in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence than tbey were in 1864, while on the New England coast but little was done in this fishery. I sailed for the bay for mackerel in the schooner "Sea- Witch" early in July, passing through Canso about the 10th of the montb. We fished over the same ground that we did on the first trip the previous year, obtaining a full fare of about 275 bar- rels short of four weeks. We were absent from home five weeks and three days. My own share, exclusive of captain's commission, was $175. We returned again to the bay, having secured another fare about the last of September, and learning that the prospect on our own coast was poor, we went to the Strait of Canso, where we shipped 200 barrels of our fish on board a freighter and seat them home, while we refitted and returned again to the bay. During the last of September and early part of October the weather was stormy and the mackerel did not appear to take the hook so well as they had previously. A few of the vessels, however, in the mean time, had found very good fishing off Cheticamp, but that locality being so dangerous in the fall, when heavy gales are liable to come on very suddenly, and losses had so frequently occurred in previous years, that the fishermen, as a rule, did not care to take the risk of venturing on that inhospitable shore. For about two weeks after refitting in Canso we did poorly, getting only 60 barrels mackerel, but immediately after we, together with 50 or 60 other vessels, struck a REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [286] heavy body of mackerel at Margaree, on the north shore of Cape Bre- ton Island. Our vessel was small, being 49 tons, new measurement, •but with a crew of ten men we caught 100 wash-barrels the first day at Margaree, while several of the larger schooners, carrying crews from sixteen to nineteen men, secured catches ranging all the way from 100 to 150 wash-barrels. Strong winds and stormy weather prevented us from fishing for a couple of days after this, but in the two or three fine days which occurred during the week we succeeded in obtain^g more than enough mackerel to fill all the barrels we had on board. Our catch for the season, from July to October 20, amounted to about 775 sea- packed barrels. Some of the largest vessels of the fleet, which re- mained in the bay the entire season, landing their fish and refitting at Canso, were reported as catching 1,200 or 1,500 barrels. These vessels, however, began their season's work early in June. The great abun- dance of mackerel brought down the prices very much in the fall, so that 'No. 1 fish, which brought more than $20 per barrel at midsummer, were sold for about $14 in November. In the chapter on "Financial profits of the mackerel hook-fishery," printed above, may be found an account of several large stocks made by vessels fishing in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence in 1864. 1865. — First arrivals from the bay of saint Lawrence. There have been five arrivals from the Bay of Saint Lawrence the pres- ent week, all bringing good fares. The mackerel are mostly 3's and will meet with a ready sale, as the market is quite bare. The prospect for a successful season's catch is most encouraging. — (Cape Ann Adver- tiser, July 21, 1865.) 1865. — Abundance of mackerel on the coast of maine. — big catches WITH A PURSE SEINE. The Portland Argus of Wednesday says that mackerel were never more plenty than at present. A vessel went out last Thursday and secured 110 barrels, returned to Portland, discharged, and was off again on Saturday. On the latter day she secured 120 barrels. They were caught by seining, and the top of the water is said to be literally cov- ered with fish. — (Cape Ann Advertiser, July 21, 1865.) 1865. — Arrival of baymen. — prices. — the shore fleet. The baymen have arrived pretty freely the past week, with good fares. The mackerel are mostly poor, and do not bring very remunera- tive prices. Last season the first trips were sold at $13 and $11 for the large and medium 3's; this year they have been sold for $8.50 and $6.50. Most of the vessels will return home to refit instead of landing their mackerel at the bay, as was the case last year — a project which resulted very unfavorably to those engaged in the business, as the expense of [287] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. freighting the mackerel home and the bad condition in which most of them were in on their arrival here materially lessened the profits of the voyage. Fat mackerel have not yet made their appearance in the bay. The shore fleet are doing moderately well, and the mackerel are- of mucli better quality than those brought from the bay.— (Ca})e Ann Advertiser, August 4, 1865.) Twenty-four hundred and three barrels of mackerel have arrived here from the bay this week, having been freighted home. They have found a ready market. — (Cape Ann Adver- tiser, September 29^ 1865.) The bay fleet have come home along quite freely the present week, some hundred sail having arrived in i^ort, and the balance are now ou their way home. Although the weather of late has been such that .but few mackerel have been caught, yet the fleet, on the whole, will make very good trips, and the season wind up prosperously for those engaged in the business. Mackerel are now selling at very fair prices (No. 1 at $16.50, No. 2, $13.50), and the prospect is that they will advance rather than decline. The shore fleet have not done much of late, bnt they may have a streak of luck yet if the weather continues favorable. — (Cape Ann Advertiser, November 3, 1865.) The baymen have all arrived home, the last of the fleet arriving yes- terday. Last year at this time there were 35 sail in the bay, the last vessel arriving as late as the 12th of December. — (Cape Ann Adver- tiser, November 17, 1865.) 1865. — Abundance of mackerel in ipswich bay. A large school of extra fat mackerel have made their appearance in Ipswich Bay, and the fishermen are paying their respects to them in a most complimentary manner. They are real "bloaters," and fetch the highest price. The weather is all that can be desired, and the fisher- men will take every advantage which the season offers. The shore fleet are doing better and the mackerel are working up this way. — (Cape Ann Advertiser, October 6, 1865.) 1865. — Eeminiscences of capt. j. w. collins. The year of 1865 was another remarkable season in the mackerel fishery of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, and in this respect it almost rivaled the previous year. About the middle of June I sailed for the bay in the schooner "Mary Ellen," hailing from Halifax, Nova Scotia, but owned in the eastern part of the province. We caught three fares of mackerel during the summer, making a total of above 900 barrels. The fish during the early part of the year were, as usual, found most plentiful about the North Cape of Prince Edward Island, along the west shore and on Bank Bradley. I recall one occasion, while lying becalmed between North Cape and Point Escuminac, of seeing a REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES, [288] remarkable display of schooling mackerel. As far as the eye could ex- tend from aloft, in every direction not bounded by the land, large bodies of mackerel could be seen at the surface of the water like dark- ened spots on a disk of silver. The previous year I had witnessed such a display on the north side of the eastern point of Prince Edward Island, when, for at least a distance of 20 miles up and down the island, and, perhaps, even farther, mackerel could be seen schooling in great bodies at the surface of the water 5 their frequent rushing sounding like the noise made by heavy showers striking on the water. For a greater part of the month of August and until the middle of September, in 1865, the weather was extremely rough in the bay, and the mackerel catchers were, in consequence, prevented from fishing a considerable portion of the time, the catch during this period being slight compared with other portions of the season. During the fall an immense school of biting mackerel were found on the north side of Prince Edward Island along its entire extent, but more especially in the vicinity of Malpec, where had gathered a fleet of perhaps 300 or 400 sail of vessels. Indeed, so abundant were the mackerel off Malpec in October, and so eagerly did they take the hook, that some of the schooners secured almost a full fare in a few days' fishing. The only trouble was to be able to catch and cure the fish fast enough, and at the same time secure an oppor- tunity of stowing them below, ilearly every vessel in the fleet could be seen with their decks filled with barrels of fish, which wer^ stowed in every available place. Great risks, too, were taken by the fishermen in remaining on the fishing-grounds at night, since at that season a heavy gale was liable to spring up at any time, and shoukl they have been caught on a lee shore in their lurabered-up condition there is no doubt but what the result would have been extremely disastrous. As it was, however, no losses were met with in this case. The last impor- tant catches of the season were obtained between the eastern point of Prince Edward Island and the Cape Breton shore, at which time the fish were moving very rapidly to the southward. There can be no doubt but that this school of mackerel could have been followed much fiirther had the weather not obliged the fishermen to seek shelter. In the paragraj)h on the financial profits of the hook-fishery is an ac- count of the " Kit Karson" bringing home to Gloucester 591 barrels of mackerel on her first trip, which she made in about ten weeks. Her net stock amounted to $6,512. 1866. — Reported abundance of mackerel on the new England COAST. Mackerel are reported to be quite plenty. A large fleet of vessels are engaged in taking them. Quite a number of them have been taken in nets by the fishermen in some of the lower Cape towns. — (Barnstable Patriot, June 12, 1866.) [289] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. 1866. — The outlook for the bay of saint lawrbncb fishery. The mackerel fishery in the Bay of Saint Lawrence will be quite ex- tensively prosecuted the cominji^ season^ notwithstanding the rejieal of the reciprocity treaty. From 30 to 40 sail of vessels will be added to the fleet, and although the business will be attended with considerable risk, yet our fishermen are not scared at trifles ; they will keep a sharp lookout for English cruisers and get good trips in spite of them. A few overventuresome ones may get seized, but we believe the most of the fleet will come out all right; strict vigilance will be required, and we think our fishermen will not be caught napping. The mackerel, in the first part of the season, are mostly caught outside of the prescribed limits ; but it is in the fall of the year, when the fish play in round shore, that most of the difficulty is apprehended. — (Cape Ann Advertiser, April 13, 1866.) 1866. — The spring fishery. Quite a large fleet of vessels from this port are now engaged in the menhaden and early shore mackerel fishing, and are meeting with fair success. The early bay mackerel fishery will be quite extensively pros- ecuted, and the fleet will sail earlier than last season. Several vessels are now fitting away and will leave the latter part of this month. No serious trouble is apprehended from the provincials. — (Cape Ann Ad- vertiser, May 18, 1866.) 1866. — First start of the bay fleet. The first of the bay fleet sailed on Tuesday and others will soon follow. It is about three weeks earlier than they started last season. — (Cape Ann Advertiser, May 25, 1866.) Considerable activity now prevails at our wharves in fitting out ves- sels for the bay. Having finished their George's fishing they are now discharging their ballast and having a general overhauling and painting up, which usually occupies about a fortnight. With the new vessels added to the fleet the present season we shall have about 400 sail in the business (from Gloucester) — the largest number that ever sailed from here. A few of the vessels have already left, and by the last of this month we shall have quite a large fleet in the bay. Some of the vessels will probably make three trips if they are fortunate enough to find mack- erel plenty and are not molested by English cruisers. — (Cape Ann Ad- vertiser, June 8, 1866.) 1866. — The southern fleet. A mackerel fleet of a hundred vessels, with a thousand men, rendez- voused in the harbor of Newport, E. I., last Friday. — (Cape Ann Ad- vertiser, June 1, 1866.) REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [200] The fleet of southern mackerel catchers have mostly arrived home with moderate fares. The highest trip we have heard of is 175 barrels, but the fleet will not average more than 150 barrels to a vessel. Good prices are obtained and they will make a fair business of it. — (Cape Ann Advertiser, June 15, 1806.) The southern mackerel fleet have mostly arrived home with light fares; sales of large and medium 3's at 112.50 and $11.50. 1866.— Scarcity op mackerel in the bay early in the season. Eeceut advices from the bay state that mackerel are very scarce and the fleet have done nothing as yet. Last year the mackerel made their appearance there quite early, and the first vessels arrived home about the 1st of July with good fires. — (Cape Ann Advertiser, June 29, 1866.) 1866. — American vessels permitted to fish in Canadian wa- ters ON purchase of a license. The honorable Sir Frederick W. A. Bruce, the British minister, ac- credited to this government, by an official note of the 24th instant, announces that the Governments of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick have agreed that the possession of a license issued by Canada to fish shall entitle the holder, during the season of 1866, to fish in the waters of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia as well as in those of Canada ; the holder of a license from the Government of Nova Scotia or New Brunswick, if any such shall be issued, being entitled to fish in Cana- dian waters as well as New Brunswick. The notification is supplemental to one issued early in June, by P. Foster, esq., commanding the Canadian Government schooner "LaCan- adienne," employed in protecting the fisheries, who was authorized to issue fishing licenses on the payment of 50 cents per ton measurement of the vessel to which they were granted, to remain in force during the season, and conferring the same rights, so far as Canadian fisheries were concerned, as were conferred by the reciprocity treaty to the United States fishermen. — (Cape Ann Advertiser, June 29, 1866.) 1866.— Unusual scarcity of mackerel in the bay, prices, etc. The bay men have about all sailed, and our warves and railways now present a ^ery quiet appearance. It is full time that some of the early fleet were at home, but as mackerel have been unusually scarce the pres- ent season there will probably be few arrivals before August, when busi- ness about the wharves will be more lively. Last year most of the fleet arrived home in July with good fares, and many of the vessels made three trips, but the prospect now is that the first fares will be light and prices rule much higher than last season. The shore fleet pick up a few mackerel, and they are readily disposed of at very remunerative prices, which are steadily advancing, showing in very light receipts. [291] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. We quote N'os. 1, 2, aud 3, at $18, $16, and $13.— (Cape Ann Adver- tiser, July 20, 1866.) 1866.— First arrival from the bay. Schooner " Wingaersheek " arrived at Annisquam on Friday last (July 20) from the bay with 313 barrels of mackerel. This is the first ar- rival of the season, and the mackerel were in good demand. The 2's were sold for $16 and 3's for $13. This is quite an advance over the price obtained for the early trips last year, when they were sold for $11.62 and $8,50. Other vessels are daily expected to arrive, and as mackerel are scarce the triY)S will be in good demand and bring very remuner- ative prices. — (Oax)e Ann Advertiser, July 27, 1866 ) 1866. — The bay mackerel fishery. Since our last issue 14 vessels have arrived from the bay, averaging about 200 barrels apiece. They report seeing plenty of mackerel, but they were rather backward about biting. Most of the vessels that have been spoken have from 150 to 200 barrels, and the prospect for the fall catch is considered very good. Out of nearly 400 sail of vessels in the business, but 20 have as yet arrived home, and during the coming three weeks there will undoubtedly quite a large number arrive to fit away for their fall trips. Some of the fleet, in order not to lose any time, will ship their mackerel home by the steamers and refit from there. Prices have slightly declined the present week, but there are so few mackerel in the market that they will have a tendency to advance rather than decrease in price. Shore mackerel continue scarce, and are in good demand. — (Cape Ann Advertiser, August 10, 1866.) 1866. — A BIG HAUL IN A PURSE-SEINE. Schooner "Oconee," engaged in shore mackereling, arrived at this port on Monday with 240 barrels of mackerel, which she obtained in three seiniugs. At the third haul it was estimated that there were 500 barrels in the seine, and the pressure was so great that it burst while drawing it up, aud a large portion of the mackerel escaped. They succeeded, however, in saving about 140 barrels, all large and fat. The "Oconee" was absent but ten days, and will make a very handsome stock.— (Cape Ann Advertiser, August 17, 1866.) 1866. — Comparative scarcity of mackerel. Twenty-one vessels have arrived from the bay since our last issue, making a total of 79 that' have thus far arrived home, leaving about three-quarters of the fleet tbat will make but one trip. There is quite a marked difference in the appearance of our wharves at the present time compared with last season. Here and there a vessel may be seen discharging her mackerel, but most of the wharves have decidedly a EEPOET OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [292] deserted appearance. Last year at this time about all of tlie baymen had arrived from their first trips, and the cnllers, coopers, and packers were up to their eyes in business. Should the vessels succeed in getting good trips this fall, they will make a fair season's work if mackerel con- tiuue at present prices j but the aggregate catch will fall far short of last year's, and the business prove far less lucrative. The shore fleet have met with rather poor success the past fortnight, and but few mack- erel have been landed. — (Cape Ann Advertiser, August 31, 1866.) 1866. — Mackeeel in Gloucester harbor. Mackerel have been quite XDlenty in our harbor the present week, and the small boats have done a very good business in catching them. Some of them were very large and fat. — (Cape Ann Advertiser, September 7, 1866.) 1866. — Decided advance in prices. The market continues firm and prices are greatly advanced on those of last season. Ko. 1 are $6 higher ; No. 2 show an increase of $5 and No. 3, $3.75. About 2,000 barrels (bay) in the market. Last sales at $22.50, $17.50, and $13.25 for ISTos. 1, 2, and 3. Shore in light receipt; sales of No. 1 at $22.75.— {Ibid.) 1866. — The mackerel fishery. There have been 42 arrivals from the bay since our last issue, the ves- sels averaging about 200 barrels apiece. About one-third of the fleet have now arrived home from their first trips, and as the season has now become so far advanced there will probably be but few, if any, more arrivals for the present, as it will be too late to return for a second trip. Mackerel have slightly declined the past week, owing to the late arriv- als, but the probability is the pricjes will again advance, as the stock on hand will not begin to supply the demand constantly being made on our market. Some of the shore fleet have done pretty well of late, but the seiners have not met with ver\^ good luck. — (Cape Ann Advertiser, September 14, 1866.) 1866. — Kough weather in the bay. — the fleet expected home. There have been seven arrivals from the bay the past week, one at Auuisquam from her second trip, and six at this port from their first trips. They report very rough weather in the bay the past month, and there is scarcely one day out of a week that is suitable for fishing. The vessels that have arrived home during the pa&t fortnight will not return for a second trip, but will make up their season's work on this shore. The shore mackerel fleet have not done much lately, but there is yet opportunity of doing something next month should the mackerel con- tinue on the CQast. * * * [293] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY, It will be busy times on our wharves next month, as there are upwards of 300 sail of baymen that will probably arrive home during October, and the work of culling, packing, coopering, &c., will call for quite a large force of men. — (Cape Ann Advertiser, September 28, 1866.) 1866, — The shore mackerel fleet. The shore fleet of mackerel catchers, numbering about 400 sail, have been off the Cape the present week, the mackerel having struck this way. On Saturday last there was pretty good fishing in Ipswich Bay, and some of the vessels did well. There does not appear to be a large body of mackerel off shore, but they cruise in single schools, which is not so favorable for a big catch. On Tuesday afternoon about J-00 sail came into our harbor and remained over night, leaving at daylight on Wed- nesday morning. They report mackerel rather shy, but consider the prospect good. — (Cape Ann Advertiser, October 5, 1866.) 1866. — Success of the shore fleet. The shore mackereling fleet found very good fishing on Saturday, Sun- day, and Monday, in Ipswich Bay, some of the vessels catching as higli as 40 and 50 wash-barrels of large fat mackerel. Monday night it com- menced blowing heavily, and the larger portion of the fleet came into our harbor, where they remained through Tuesday. — (Cape Ann Adver- tiser, October 12, 1866.) 1866. — SUNDAY keepers. About 100 sail of the mackerel fleet, designated as " Sabbath-keepers," lay at anchor on Sunday evening on the verge of the outer harbor, stretching across from Norman's Woe to the Point. At early dawn they made sail and joined the remainder of the fleet off Eockport. — [Ibid.) 1866. — High line of the fleet. The schooner " Waterfall," of Southport, Me., claims the flag for being " high line" of the fishing fleet this season. Her fare since the 10th of June last is 810 barrels of mackerel, about two-thirds of which are Ko. I's. Whether or not any of the Cape Ann vessels Avill exceed this remains to be proved. — (Cape Ann Advertiser, October 12, 1866.) A paragraph is going the rounds of the papers stating that schooner "Lucy J. Warren," of Deer Isle, Me., is "high line" of the bay fleet this season, having landed 846 barrels of mackerel since June 17. We happen to ffnow of two vessels belonging to this port that have done much better than that, viz, schooner "Electric Flash" has landed 923 barrels of mackerel m two trips to the bay, and the "Wildfire" has landed 875 barrels. The " Electric Flash " consequently has the honor of being " high line " of the bay fleet the present season. — (Cape Ann Ad- vertiser, November 2, 1866.) EEPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [294] 1866. — ARRIVAL HOME OF THE BAYMEN. The bay men have come in qnite freely the past week, 93 sail having arrived since our last issue. The vessels that have been absent all the season bring in pretty good fares, but the second trips are rather slim, some vessels bringing in as low as twenty-five barrels. We should judge the aggregate catch would prove full one-third less than last season,- but the increase in price will probably make up the deficiency in catch, so that the trips will average about as well as last year. There are now about sixty vessels to arrive, which will close up the business for the season. Prices continue firm at $18 and $16, and the market is quite active. The prospect now is that the supply fox fall and winter consumption will prove far less than the demand, aud that prices will advance rather than decline. — (Cape Ann Advertiser, November 2, 1866.) 1866. — Eeminiscences of gapt. j. w. collins. In the spring of 1866 I engaged in the southern mackerel fishery, in 1 he schooner "Lizzie F. Choate," starting on our trip early iu May. We fished principally about the south side of Long Island, from Sandy Hook to Montauk, and in the vicinity of Block Island and Noman's Land. Mackerel that spring were not inclined to take the hook very readily, and therefore we obtained only a small fare of about 45 or 50 barrels. We were absent from Gloucester about four weeks, part of which time was occupied in obtaining a supply of menhaden at Seaconnet Eiver, to be used for mackerel bait in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence during the summer. After returning from the south we went to the bay, where we arrived about the middle of June. On our first trip we fished almost exclu- sively between Bonaventure and Prince Edward Island— that is to say, OD Bank Orphan and Bank Bradley; off ISTorth Cape of Prince Edward Island; along the west shore, from Point Escuminac to Point Miscou, and to a limited degree in the Bay of Cahleur. We succeeded in catch- ing 275 barrels of mackerel, arriving home about the beginning of September. We reached the bay on our second trip on the 13th day of September, proceeding immediately to the Magdalen Islands, where in five days we caught 115 barrels of tine fat mackerel. After that the fish discontinued biting in the vicinity of the Magdalens, and we ran across to the north side of Prince Edward Island, aboat North Cape and in the vicinity of Malpec, where mackerel were found quite abun- dant, and where a fleet of about 3U0 sail had collected. Here we did quite well, so that when we had been in the bay eighteen days we had between 250 and 300 barrels of mackerel. At this time we were oft" Mali)ec, and a strong blow from the southwest having come on, we went in there with the fleet (which numbered about 250 or 300 sail) for the purpose of filling water, which we stood much in need of, expecting, [295] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. as a matter of course, that we would be able to return to the fisMng- grouud in one or two daj'S at the farthest. The wiud came out to the northeast on the following day, and continued in an easterly direction almost nuiuterrupted for nearly two weeks. All of the vessels, includ- ing our own, were kept in harbor almost as if we had been in i^rison. During the time, however, the fleet managed to get out for a few hours on one or two occasions, but an easterlj^ wind springing up before the vessels had an opportunity^ of getting- an ofling compelled them to run back again in the harbor, since it would have been extremely hazard- ous, to say the least, at this season of the year, to have remained out during the night on a lee shore so notoriously dangerous as that on the north side of Prince Edw^ard Island. Though the easterly winds were not so extremely heavy, their long continuance made a heavy swell, which broke with great violence across the bar at the entrance to Mal- pec Harbor, and rendered any attempt to get out exceedingly risky. On one occasion a vessel which started to pass the bar with a light breeze was carried into such shoal water by the current and undertow that she grounded on the sand, and was only saved from destruction by the eftbrts of her own and the crews of various other vessels. While this large fleet was thus kept in harbor, a smaller number of vessels, some 30 or 40, which were around the north cape of the island, succeeded in obtaining a. very large catch of mackerel, nearly every one of these vessels getting a full fare in two weeks. By the time the larger fleet was able to leave Malpec the schools of mackerel in that vicinity and about North Cape had evidently departed, and the vessels scattered in different directions, according to the judgment of the sev- eral skippers, some of them going to the Magdalens and the others in the direction of the east point of Prince Edward Island and the north shore of Cape Breton. However, by this time it was late in the season, and the weather had become so boisterous that fishing could be carried on only on occasional days. A few good catches of mackerel were ob- tained about the Magdalen Islands after this, which x)ractically finished the season's work. On the whole, we secured a fare of 315 barrels, and left the bay about the 20th of October. The mackerel caught in 1866 were of large size and of good quality, but were far less abundant than during the previous year. 1867. — The spring mackerel fishery. The southern mackerel fishery is being prosecuted by the usual num- ber of vessels, and late advices represent the prospect as good. Some of the fleet are landing their mackerel fresh, and obtain very good prices. Mackerel are also reported xerj plenty off Cape Cod, and some pretty big- hauls have recently been made by the Provincetown seiners. The pros- pect for the shore mackereling fleet is certainly most encouraging. The bay mackerel fishery will be quite extensively prosecuted the present season, but the vessels will not engage in it so early as they did EEPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [286] last year. But few, if any, of the fleet will sail before the middle of June. There will probably be some 400 sail of vessels employed in the business from this port. — (Cape Ann Advertiser, May 24, 1867.) 186 i". — Alaege bay fleet. Considerable activity now prevails at our wharves and railways, as the early mackerel fleet are getting readj'^ to start, and in about a fort- night quite a number of vessels will be on their way to the Bay of Saint Lawrence. * * * We shall have the largest fleet of vessels engaged in tbe bay fishery this season that has ever prosecuted it, and most of them will make two trips. The shore mackerel fishery will also be extensively prosecuted. — (Cape Ann Advertiser, June 7, 1867.) 1867. — Unusual success of the southern fleet. The southern mackerel fishery has proved very successful this season. The fleet have arrived home with good fares, averaging about 200 bar- rels each. Most of the vessels are now absent on their second trip, and the prospect is said to be very encouraging. It is seldom that the fleet make but one trij) out south, but this year mackerel are sufiiciently plently in those waters to warrant the undertaking. We learn that one vessel has arrived at Newburyport with a second fare, having landed upwards of 500 barrels on both trix)S. — (Cape Ann Advertiser, June 14, 1867.) 1867. — The bay fleet. — scarcity of mackerel. Some 50 sail of vessels have left for the bay this week and others will speedily follow. In the course of a fortnight there will be from two to three hundred sail of vessels in the business. Advices from the early bay fleet represent mackerel rather scarce, and the prospect not very encouraging. The highest trip reported was 50 barrels. — (Cape Ann Advertiser, July 12, 1867.) 1867. — A GOOD SCHOOL ON GEORGE'S. Mackerel have been quite plenty on George's lately, and those of the fleet who were lucky enough to be there did well. About a dozen ves- sels have arrived, averaging about 200 barrels each, which were quickly disposed of at remunerative i^rices. — (Cape Ann Advertiser, August 2, 1867.) 1867. — American mackerel schooners fishing in the gulf of saint lawrence required to pay license to the canadian government. In 1867, after the expiration of the "reciprocity treaty," the Canadian Government imposed a tax of 50 cents per ton on all American vessels [297] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. for tlie privilege of participatiug in tlie inshore fisheries of the Domin- ion. For this sum a license was granted which, for the purpose above specified, continued good for the year. Afterwards this tax was in- creased to $2 per ton. Capt. Fitz J. Babson, collector of customs of Gloucester, Mass., writes : " This tax was considered as an onerous burden by American fishermen, but was submitted to, more in order to prevent capture and confiscation than for the fishing privileges accorded ; upon the increase of this tax American vessels generally refused to pay it, preferring rather the risk of annoyance and cai^ture." 1867. — First arrival from the bay.— reported scarcity of mackerel. Schooner "Addie M. Story" arrived from the Bay of Saint Lawrence on Tuesday, with 250 barrels of mackerel, having been absent about eight weeks. This is the first arrival of the season. Captain Eowe reports mackerel scarce and the fleet not doing much. The prospect now is that most of the vessels will make but one trip. — (Cape Ann Ad- vertiser, August 9, 1867.) 1867. — Arrivals from the bay. Seventeen vessels have arrived from the bay since our last issue, making twenty in all this season — less than one-half the number that had arrived last year u^) to this time. About 3,500 barrels have thus far been landed, which is exceedingly slim doings. The fleet come along very slowly, and the prospect now is that a large proportion of them will make but one trip. — (Cape Ann Advertiser, August 23, 1867.) Fifty-three vessels have arrived from the bay during the past week, leaving about twenty sail to come. About 12,000 barrels of mackerel have been brought in by the above fleet, averaging 230 barrels to a ves- sel, most of which have been in the bay all the season, making but one trip. The market is rather quiet the present week and buyers are not disposed to purchase very freely. Holders are firm at $15 for No. I's, although a few lots caught early in the season have been sold at $14. — (Cape Ann Advertiser, November 8, 3867.) Forty vessels have arrived from the bay since our last issue, bringing about 8,000 barrels of mackerel. — (Ibid.) Thirty-eight vessels, with a total of 7,000 barrels of mackerel, had arrived from the Bay of Saint Lawrence during the month of August. — (Cape Ann Advertiser, August 30, 1867.) 1867.— Good mackerel fares from George's. Schooner '^B. K. Hough" arrived from George's last Friday and the "Kearsarge" on Monday, with full trips of mackerel. These vessels have made two trips to George's the present season, landing in the ag- gregate 1,180 barrels of mackerel. — (Cape Ann Advertiser, September 6, 1867.) REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [298] 1867. — Small catch of mackerel by the bay and shore fleets. Mackerel still continue very scarce, and the receipts of both shore and bay are very light. The eastern fleet are doing but little, and the i)ros- pect of a successful fall catch is anything but encouraging. About 2,200 barrels have arrived from the baj^the past week, which have been quickly taken at advanced prices. We quote sales of Ko. I's at $21,50 to$2L; No. 2's, 113.50 to $13.25, Shore very scarce with slight ad- A^ance. Least sales of No. I's at $18.50 ; No. 2, $13,25, The mackerel catch this season will probably be fully one-third less than that of last. — (Cape Ann Advertiser, September 27, 1867.) BOYS IN THE MACKEREL FISHING, James S, McDonald, about fourteen years of age, has caught the X)resent season 36 barrels of mackerel, and James Babson, fifteen years of age, 40 barrels. — (Ibid.) 1867, — High line of the mackerel fleet. The Newburyport Herald states that the schooner " Tanny " takes the palm for this season among the mackerel fleet, having lauded 910 bar- rels, which stocked $13,000,— (Cape Ann Advertiser, November 15, 1867.) 1867. — Review of the mackerel fisheries. The shore mackerel and seining business has been largely engaged in, but has x>roved far less remunerative than last j-ear. The southern fleet did remarkably well ; but the shore fleet has not done as poorly for many years, Tlie bay mackerel fishing has proved rather unprofitable the present season. Less than one-third of the fleet have made two trips, and the catch will fall far short of last year. — (Cape Ann Advertiser, November 22, 1867.) 1867. — EeMINISCENCES by CAPT. J. W. COLLINS. Toward the latter part of May, in 1867, I started on a mackerel trip to the Gulf of Saint Lawrence in the '^Lizzie F. Choate." We arrived in the bay about the 1st of June ; but, notwithstanding we cruised over all the fishing-grounds usually resorted to at this season, we failed to catch any mackerel until about the middle of the month, and none were taken by other vessels, so far as we could learn, any earlier. Mackerel that year were all large size, as during the two i)revious seasons, but were apparentlj' not so plentiful as the year before. We fished on the ground usually resorted to in the early summer, but obtained the best catches in the deep water between Bank Orphan and Bank Bradley, where, on one occasion, we took, in a single day, 50 or 60 barrels of [299] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. miickeiel. Having obtained a fare of 300 barrels about the middle of August, we returned Lome, arriving in Gloucester on tbe 2(3tli. We packed out our fish and again went back to the bay on a second trij). After arriving in the bay the second time we fished principally about the Magdalensand the north shore of Prince Edward Island, especially in the vicinity of Malpec, and the North Cape of the island. On one occasion during the fall, while fishing near Cascumpec with a large fleet, a smart northwest gale came on very suddenly in the afternoon, and most of the fleet went into Malpec. We also made an attempt to enter the harbor, but owing to the crowded condition of the vessels in the channel and the danger of being injured by a collision, decided to run out again and lay by for the night, which we did. During the night the iron plate on the stem to which our jibstay set up, was carried away and obliged us to go into harbor the following day for repairs. We were detained in Malpec several days on account of the strong winds and stormy weather. After leaving the harbor we ran up to- ward North Cape, trying the ground with the fleet, but failed to find mackerel in satisfactory numbers. We therefore ran across to the Magdalens, where we continued fishing with indifferent success until well into October. Being caught out in a northeast gale, which came on suddenly one afternoon, we had our sails badly torn, and were obliged to run across the following day to Port Hood for shelter, from which place we proceded to Canso for repairs and to land a sick man. Leaving Canso, we ran across again to the Magdalens ; but not finding any mackerel, returned to Port Hood. In the mean time, during the four or five days while we had been absent at the Magdalens, a fleet of vessels had found mackerel exceedingly abundant about Margaree Island and Cheticamp, on the north side of Cape Breton, and had ob- tained exceedingly large catches, in some instances almost entire fares having been caught in this short time. The day on which we arrived at Port Hood, with other vessels from the Magdalens, the wind was north- east, blowing a strong breeze, and most of the vessels which had been engaged in fishing along the Cape Breton shore ran into Port Hood for a harbor. On the following day, the wind having changed to the south- west, Ave, together with many of the other vessels, ran down to the north- eastward, along the Cape Breton shore, past Margaree, to Cheticamp where we found a fleet of about 75 sail of schooners busily engaged in catching mackerel, which were biting eagerly just off the mouth of the harbor. Although we did not reach the fleet until about noon, and had consequently but few hours to fish, we succeeded in taking 75 wash-barrels of fi ne large mackerel. That n ight most of the fleet lay to off Cheticamp, preferring to do this instead of anchoring in this one-sided and extremely unsafe harbor. On the following morning it was found that the body of mackerel had changed its position considerably, and the fish were first found off" the eastern end of Cheticamj) Island some six or seven miles from where they had been taken the iDrevious afternoon. By this time a REPOET OF COMMISSIONEE OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [300] fleet of 250 sail or more had gathered on the fishing-ground ; the wind blew a smart breeze from the southwest, and the mackerel, which were near or at the surface, were moving northeastwardly in the direction of Cape Korth. The fishermen, feeling that it was their last chance of the season to obtain any fish, made every possible effort to improve the op- portunity, and the scene soon became wild and exciting in the extreme. The vessels crowded closely in masses wherever the fish were biting best, the eagerness of the fishermen rendering them in many instances reckless to a fault ; booms and bowsprits were carried away ; sails were torn ; boats smashed up ; and in some cases the broadsides of vessels were crushed in, leaving them almost in a sinking condition off a rock- bound and dangerous coast many miles from any safe harbor. Though the mackerel bit very eagerly while alongside the vessel it was impossi- ble to detain them in their onward course for any length of time. The consequence of this was that the vessels were in constant motion, shift- ing continually to leeward in the direction which the fish were going. Most of the vessels obtained good catches, and we succeeded in taking about 50 wash-barrels during the day. That night a considerable por- tion of the fleet i^assed around Cape Breton, but, owing to the strong winds which prevailed for several days thereafter, no reasonable oppor- tunity was ofiered for x)ursuing the mackerel any farther, and the vessels were obliged to seek shelter in Sydney Harbor, the season by this time becoming so far advanced that there was no reasonable prospect of any more mackerel for the year; thei'efore, as soon as the state of the weather permitted, most of the vessels started for home. We arrived in Glou- cester early in November with a fare of 375 barrels. 186S. — The spring mackerel fishery. The southern mackerel fishery will be extensively prosecuted the pres- ent season. Some of the fleet have already commenced to fit away, and by the latter part of the month there will be quite a large fleet in readiness to start, — (Cape Ann Advertiser, April 4, 1868.) The southern mackerel fleet have about all sailed. There are from 40 to 50 vessels in the business this season — a much larger number than have ever prosecuted it before. — (Cape Ann Advertiser, May 8, 1868.) The prospect of a successful catch of mackerel by the southern fleet is quite encouraging. One vessel arrived at New York on Friday, after two days' absence, with 10,000 mackerel in number ; another had taken 50 barrels in a week's cruise. — (Cape Ann Advertiser, May 22, 1868.) The fishermen are having a lively time of it in Barnstable Bay. On Monday 5,500 mackerel were taken, which were shipped to Boston. Three hundred barrels of mackerel, passed over the Cape Cod Eail- road, Tuesday and Wednesday of last week, for New York and Boston, caught by the Cape fishermen. — (Cape Ann Advertiser, May 22, 1868.) [301] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. 18G8. — Increase in the price demanded por license to fish IN BRITISH WATERS. Information has been receved at Ottawa from England that the British Government has agreed to fix the tax on American vessels fish- ing in Canadian waters at $2 per ton, and that the three warnings here- tofore reqnired to be given to American fishing vessels will be dispensed with. * * * Our fishermen would not object to a reasonable tax, but $2 per ton is altogether too much, — (Cape Ann Advertiser, May 15, 1868.) 1868. — First arrivals of the southern fleet. Two eastern vessels have arrived at this port from the south the present week with about 150 barrels of mackerel each. These are the first arrivals of the season, and the mackerel met with very ready sales. IsTone of the Gloucester fleet have as yet arrived. — (Cape Ann Advertiser, June 5, 1868.) 1868. — Mackerel plenty off boston. Mackerel havebeen quite plenty in the bay (Massachusetts Bay) the past week. The school has mostly tended off Boston harbor, and there has' been a large catch. They have been retailed for 3 cents each, and the demand has been quite lively. — [Ihid.) 1868. — The mackerel fishery" ; fitting away of the bay fleet ; seining to be tried in the bay. The George's fishery is now slacking up a little and some of the ves- sels are hauling off, preparatory to fitting away for the bay of Saint Lawrence. A few of the fleet have already sailed, and by the last of the month there will be quite a number of vessels on their way there. The bay fleet will be quite as large as it was last season. * * *_ ^ new feature will be introduced in this branch of the fisheries this season; that of seining. Some seven or eight vessels are to engage in the bus- iness, which it is expected will prove very remunerative. It is an ex- periment that has never tried, but we see no reason why it should not prove as successful as seining on this shore. Should the vessels which are to engage in it find it profitable, it will no doubt be more exten- sively engaged in another season. The southern fleet having had very bad weather through the month of May, are rather backward on their trips this season, and but few of them have arrived home. Another week will probably bring along most of the fleet in time to fit for the bay. — (Cape Ann Advertiser, June 12, 1868.) 18Q8. — The southern fishery^ Some fourteen sail of vessels have arrived from the south the present week with good fares of mackerel, averaging about 200 barrels ecah. REPOET OF COMMISSIONEE OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [302] The mackerel sell readily at remunerative prices (from $6.50 to 19.75), and the business bids fair to i)rove as successful as last season. Some of the vessels have sailed on second trips, but most of the fleet will fit away for the bay on their arrival home. — (Cape Ann Advertiser, June 19, 1868.) Schooner "Cyrena Ann" arrived from a southern mackereling cruise on Tuesday, with 325 barrels of mackerel. About 100 barrels of the trij) were taken on George's, which were of good size, and the first caught there this season. Cai)tain El well has been absent about six weeks, and the vessel will probably stock rising $3,000. This is the best mackerel trij) of the season. — (Cape Ann Advertiser, July 3, 1868.) 1868. — A GOOD TRIP FROM GEORG-E'S. Schooner ''Maud Muller" arrived from George's yesterday with 200 barrels of mackerel, having been absent about three weeks. She spoke several of the Gloucester fleet on the banks, all of which are doing well. — (Cape Ann Advertiser, July 31, 1868.) 1868. — Unfavokable eepoets from the bay. The reports from the bay are not so encouraging as could be desired. Mackerel are scarce, and the fleet doing little. The catch last season showed considerable falling off from the previous year, and appearances would seem to indicate a light catch this season. — (Ibid.) 1868. — Mackeeel abundant on geoege's. The mackerel fleet on George's are meeting with excellent luck of late, and some very good fares have been landed the last week. The mack- erel are of good quality, and the vessels are doing much better than those that have gone to the bay. One vessel which started for the bay stop- ped to try for mackerel on the banks, and returned home on Monday, with 230 barrels. The eastern shore fleet are also doing better of late, and the prospect now is that the home-catch will prove far more remun- erative than the bay the present season. — (Cape Ann Advertiser, Au- gust 7, 1868.) Excellent success of one of the shoee fleet. Schooner "Eureka" is high line of the mackerel fleet from this port, having already landed 800 barrels thus far this season. She has made four trips and her net stock is $904. — {Ibid.) 1868. — Fiest aeeivals feom the bat. — eepoeted scaecity of mackerel in the gulf. — peices. Schooner "A. H. Wonson" arrived from the Bay Saint Lawrence yesterday with 200 barrels of mackerel, having been absent nine weeks. This is the first arrival of the season, and is about a week later than [303] HISTOEY OF THE MACKEREL FISHEEY. tlie first arrival last year. Captain Webber reports mackerel very- scarce, and the fleet not doing mucb. He beard of no vessel baying over 100 barrels. — (Cape Ann Advertiser, August 14, 18G8.) Scbooner '' Sargent S. Day" arrived from bay, on Wednesday, witb 125 barrels of mackerel, having been absent since the 1st of June. This is the second arrival of the season, and rather a poor fare ; but there are many of the fleet who have not done as well as this. * * * Last year 38 sailing vessels arrived during the month of August, averaging about 180 barrels each. The scarcity of mackerel causes prices to rule high, and bay 1 sell at $25.25, against $18 last season. The shore fleet bring in some pretty good fares lately, which meet with ready sale. — (Cape Ann Advertiser, August 21, 1868.) 1868.— Arrivals from the bay. Twenty-one vessels have arrived from the bay since our last issue, averaging about 150 barrels each. The total number of arrivals thus far this season is 41, and an aggregate ,of 6,000 barrels of mackerel, against 65 vessels and 13,000 barrels up to this time last year — quite a large falling off". — (Cape Ann Advertiser, September 11, 1868.) 1868. — American vessels not troubled by English cruisers in the bay. Thus far, the mackerel fleet fishing at the bay have not been troubled by English cruisers. There seems to be a good feeling prevalent in that quarter, and the American fishermen catch mackerel whenever and wherever they can prevail ui)on them to take the hook. — {Ibid.) 1868. — Mackerel in Gloucester harbor. Mackerel made their appearance in our harbor on Satui-day for the first time this season. They were of small size. The schools have also shown themselves several times this week. — (Cape Ann Advertiser September 18, 1868.). 1868. — The baymen. — doings of the shore and George's fleet. There have been but few arrivals from the bay the past week, as those of the fleet that intend making two trips have about all arrived home. Several of the vessels which had small fares have shipped them by steamer, and refitted there for a second trip. Less than one-fifth of the fleet will make two trips, and there will be a great falling oft' in the catch from last season, providing all the vessels get full fares this fall. About 1,000 barrels of shore have arrived the past week, but the George's fleet have done nothing, the mackerel having left the banks. — {Ibid.) EEPOET OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES, [304] 1868. — Influence of the mackerel fishery on the welfare of THE FISHINa towns. The success of the mackerel fleet, both at the bay and off-shore, is looked forward to with deep interest. There is much depending upon the fall catch. — (Cape Ann Advertiser, September 15, 1868.) 1868. — Scarcity of mackerel attriruted to bluefish. Bluefish have, been unusually plenty on this coast the present season, and the fishermen attribute the scarcity of mackerel to this fact. They are great destroyers of smaller fish, especially of mackerel, and when- ever they come, the " small fry " get away as soon as possible. — (Cape Ann Advertiser, September 25, 1868.) 1868. — Successful catches made by the ^seiners off the new england coast. — unfavorable news from the bay. The weather the past week has been very favorable for the shore fleet, and the seiners have had pretty good luck, some of them taking from 100 to 150 barrels in one day. The mackerel, however, do not take the hook very readily. They are of large size, and if the good weather holds on the fleet will yet have an opportunity of making up a fair sea- son's work. The baymen are picking up a few mackerel when the weather is favorable ; but the catch there will not be large, and those vessels that succeed in making even one good trip will be fortunate. Late advices from there are not very encouraging. — (Cape Ann Adver- tiser, October 2, 1868.) 1868. — Arrivals from the bay. — slim doinos. Fifty-six sail of vessels have arrived from the bay since our last issue. most of them with light fares. There are upwards of 100 sail yet to ar- rive, most of which will be along by the middle of the month. So fixr as we can learn the v^essels will average about 150 barrels each, which is rather slim doings for those that have been down there all the season. There will be quite a falling off" in the catch — fully one-half — (Cape Ann Advertiser, November 6, 1868.) A large portion of the bay fleet have arrived the present week, leav- ing about 10 sail to come. In consequence of the light catch the market is very active, and fares are sold as soon as landed. Prices are improv- ing, sales yesterday being effected at |22, and the probability is that they will go still higher. — (Cape Ann Advertiser, November 13, 1868. 1868.— Sad results of the failure of the mackerel fishery IN 1868. Themackereling season is rapidly drawing to a close, and with some few exceptions the profits are on the wrong side of the ledger. Every- [305] HISTORY OF THE MACKEEEL FISHERY. thing has been done within the power of mortals to render the season a successful one. The vessels have been ou the ground early and late, and in some instances days have merged into weeks without having a real lively catch. This has been exceedingly discouraging, no one can deny. * * * That there are very many families in this town who have no money wherewith to support life the coming winter, on account of the poor re- turns of the mackerel season, is also a fact that stares us in the face in these dull and cheerless days of November. * * * The fishermen with families dependent upon them for bread are eager and anxious to be earning. It is no fault of theirs that they have not a balance of two or three hundred dollars whereby to meet the wants of their l^milies. They did their best and failed. Such men are deserving of praise and substantial encouragement. * * * Let us hope that winter fishing will yield good returns ; and it hardly seems possible that there can be another unsuccessful mackereling sea- son to follow in the footsteps of the past three years.— (Cape Ann Ad- vertiser, November 13, 1867.) 1868. — EeTMINISCENCES of CAPT. J. W. COLLINS. During the early part of 1868 I was engaged in the cod fisheries on G eorge's and Western Bank ; but leaving this fishery, I started for the Gulf of Saint Lawrence on the schooner "Glenwood"in July. ^ We fished about the north side of Prince Edward Island, on Bank Bradley along the west shore, in the Bay of Chaleur, and about the Magdalens. Mackerel were large, but perceptibly scarcer than for a number of years previous. Having obtained a fare of over 200 barrels, we returned home in the latter iDart of August to pack out our fish and refit for a second trip to the bay. On our second trip we fished chieflj'^ about the Magdalens, though to some extent off east point of Prince Edward Island and along the north shore of Cape Breton. We obtained a fare of good barrels, and arrived home about the middle of November. 1868.— Mackerel fishery on the French coast. The mackerel fishing on the French coast is at present exceedingly good. Two smacks have just returned to Dieppe, one with 12,060 fish and the other with 18,525. Also a boat belonging to Boulogne has brought in nearly 18,000.— (Barnstable Patriot, May 12, 1868.) 1869. — AjMERICAN vessels in the gulf of saint LAWRENCE." The following statement of the number of fishing vessels in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence mackerel fishery and the American shore mackerel fishery, was submitted by David W. Low to the Halifax Commission :* Barrels. 194 vessels in Gulf, average catch 209 barrels 40, 546 151 vessels off shore, average catch 222 barrels 33, 552 Mackerel caught by boats and some eastern vessels, packed in Gloucester 19, 028 * Documents and Proceedings Halifax Commission, 1877, U. S. edition, p. 2595. EEPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [306] 1869. — Mackerel fishing in cape cod bay. Three thousand mackerel were taken in the last weir at Provincetown in two ni^ijfhts.— (Provincetown Advertiser, June 23, 1809.) 1869. — Fall fishery in cape cod bay. M. L. Adams caught, on Thursday morning in his weir, eight tons of mackerel, and Thursday evening, 2,200 mackerel. — (Provincetown Ad- vertiser, November 10, 1869.) 1869. — High price for mackerel. « Bay mackerel have advanced to $28 per barrel, $1.10 more than they sold for last year at this time. — (Cape Ann Advertiser, April 30, 1869.) 1869. — fresh mackerel in boston. Presli mackerel have made their appearance in Boston market the past week, and are selling for 30 and 35 cents apiece. — (Cape Ann Ad- vertiser, May 7, 18 )9.) 1869.— GOOD catches of the provincetown gill-netters. The several Provincetown mackerel fishermen, which have been ren- dezvousing in Barnstable Harbor, have been very successful the past week. On some days they have averaged 2,000 [mackerel] to a boat. They are taken by nets. — (Cape Ann Advertiser, May 14, 1869.) 1869. — Early appearance of mackerel off cape Ann. — good catches by the seiners. Mackerel have been quite plenty off this shore the past week, and the seiners have made some pretty good hauls. One vessel belonging to this port took as high as 120 wash -barrels on Monday ; and others from 20 to 50 wash-barrels. ISTone of the southern fleet have as yet arrived. One Gloucester vessel has been into New York with a small fare which were sold for $500. Mackerel are earlier than usual oii'shore this sea- son, and the prospect for the home fleet is very encoui aging.— (Cape Ann Advertiser, May 28, 1869.) 1869.— First arrivals from the south. — prices. 'Schooner ''Hattie Lewis" arrived at this port on Saturday, from the south, with 205 barrels of mackerel, and the "Northern Light" on Wednesday with 50 barrels. Yesterday the schooner "Colorado" ar- rived with 250 barrels, and others of the fleet are daily expected. These are the first arrivals of the season, the mackerel selling for $8 and $10 per barrel. The reports from the fleet do not indicate a very heavy catch thus far, but there is yet time for the vessels to make fair trips before fitting for the bay. — (Cape Ann Advertiser, June 4, 1869.) [307] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. 1SG9.— Big catch o a weir at cape cod. About 100,000 mackerel were taken in the " Philip Smith weir," at Eastham, week before last, netting the owner about $7,000. So says the Barnstable Patriot. — (i bid.) 1869.— Effect of the reciprocity treaty on nova scotia. The Halifax Chronicle, in speaking of the great need of a reciprocity between the Dominion and the United States, has the following signifi- cant article : Our rulers should have common sense enough to cease prating about the Dominion dignity, and to make some strong effort to renew the reci- procity treaty, the abrogation of which has reduced this country and the other maritime provinces tp a state of comparative destitution. From the making of the reciprocity treaty until its abrogation, Nova Scotia increased in wealth and population at a most extraordinary rate; from its abrogation until the present we have retrograded with the most frightful rapidity. Want of a good market has depreciated the value of our coal mines, has nearly pauperized our fishermen, farmers, and miners, and should this want not be supplied in the only way it can be, by anew treaty with the United States, Kova Scotia will in five years be one of the least desirable countries to live in on this continent.— (Cape Ann Advertiser, July 2, 1869.) 1869. — The bay fishery. — oood catch on George's. A dispatch was received in town on Monday by the owners of schooner "Finance," stating that she had landed 260 barrels of mackerel. Some good fares of mackerel have also been taken on George's lately.— (Cape Ann Advertiser, July 30, 1869.) 1869. — First arrival from the bay. Schooner "Carleton" arrived from the bay on Wednesday, with 300 barrels of mackerel. This is the first vessel that has arrived from there this season. The ''Carleton" made her trip in less than six weeks.— (Cape Ann Advertiser, August 20, 1869.) 1869. — Arrival of the baymen. — inferior quality* of bay MACKEREL. — PRICES. — SUCCESS OF THE SHORE FLEET. The bay fleet have not come along very freely the present week, but nine vessels having arrived since our last, making 22 in all that have arrived thus far this season. The fares average about 250 barrels, and the mackerel are of fair quality, but not so fat as those caught on this shore, and do not bring so good prices. Bay ones have been sold the present week for $18 per barrel, $4 less than the first trips that were brought in. Some of the fleet have shipped the mackerel home EEPOET OF COMMISSIONEE OF FISH AND FISHEEIES. [308] by steamer and refitted in the bay for another trip in order to save time, and the prosi:)ect for the fall catch is considered very good. A large portion of the fleet went into the bay late in Jnly, and will make but one trii5. The shore fleet are doirg fairly of late, and the mackereling season bids fair to be a successful one. — (Cape Ann Advertiser, Septem- ber 10, 1869.) 1869. — High line of the bay fleet. Schooner " Finance," of this port, has recently landed her second fare of mackerel, 250 barrels, at Charlottetown (Prince Edward Island), mak- ing in all 510 barrels landed thus far. On her last trip she took 130 wash-barrels in one day. She is now out on her third trip, and bids fair to make a great season's work. — (Cape Ann Advertiser, September 37, 1869.) 1869. — Success of the wellflbet schooners. teen thousand barrels have been landed on the wharves, and 3,500 bar- The mackerel catchers of Wellfleet have done remarably well. Six- jen thousand barrels havt rels are now afloat. — {Ibid. 1869. — The batmen. Seven of the bay fleet have arrived since our last issue, bringing about 1,700 barrels of mackerel. — {Ibid.) 1869. — Great disaster to the shore mackerel fleet. A terrific hurricane swept the coast of New England on the 8th of September, causing great loss of life and property in the mackerel fleet. The gale came on so suddenly and unexpectedly that the vessels were not able to reach a harbor in time to escape its fury, and being caught on a lee shore many of them were driven ashore. The Cape Ann Ad- vertiser of September 10 and 17 gives detailed accounts of the losses. 1869. — Small fall catch in the bay. — light fares brought home by baymen. The prospect "in the bay in the early part of the season for a success- ful catch of mackerel was most excellent, as many of the vessels ob- tained good fares on their arrival there ; but the September catch fell off amazingly, and for the past month the vessels have done nothing at all.— (Cape Ann Advertiser, October 28, 1869.) The bay fleet have mostly arrived home, there being but about forty sail now absent. The fares brought in are very light, ranging from 20 to 100 barrel*, and the market is quite firm at advanced prices. ISTo. I's are selling the present week at |25 per barrel, and IsTo. 2's at $15. Shore mackerel are out of the market. The last sales of Ko. I's were made at $26.— (Cape Ann Advertiser, IsTovember 12, 1869.) [309] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. 1869. — Eeminiscences of capt. j. w. collins. HaA'iug spent the greater -pavt of the fishing season in the pnrsnit of codfish on George's, Western Bank, Cape North, and the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, I did not engage iuthe mackerel fishery in 1869 until August, ■when I went to the bay in the " Glenwood." We fished principally about the Magdalens and along the west shore between Escuminac, Point Miscou, and oif the North Cape of Prince Edward Island. The best catch of mackerel which we obtained was in Miramichi Bay, eight or ten miles off shore, about the middle of September. At this time we had taken, in three or four weeks' fishing, 14'0 barrels of fine large mack- erel, notwithstanding the fact that these fish were still less abundant than they had been the previous season. A strange thing occurred in the mackerel fishery of the Saint Lawrence in the fall of 1869, since the mackerel appeared to leave the bay much earlier than usual. After the middle of September but few fish were obtained by any of the fleet, and none secured large catches. Though we remained in the bay until the ]niddle of October or later, and made every effort to catch fish on all of the principal grounds, yet we succeeded in -taking only five barrels in addition to what we previously had, and this amount was a fair average for the fleet. Some four or five vessels, as it was reported, caught 30 or 40 barrels each off the North Cape of Prince Edward Island about the last of September or beginning of October ; but, so far as I was able to learn, no other catches of importance were made after the middle of September. The vessels that went to the bay early endtigh to obtain reasonably good fares before the mackerel left the fishing-grounds were partially remunerated for the loss of time by the advance in the price of the fish, which resulted from the small catch. 1870. — Small number of newbitrtport vessels engaged in the SOUTHERN mackerel FISHERY. The Newburyport Herald of the 29th ultimo says: '^The southern fleet will be remarkably small this season, some of the vessels which usually go south engaging in the herring fisheries at the Magdalen Isl- ands. This business is thought by some to be more profitable than the early mackereling triijs." — (Gloucester Telegraph, May 7, 1870.) 1870. — Success of the gill-net fishSry" in barnstable bay. The Cape Cod Gazette says : " Six mackerelmen have been doing a brisk business in meshing mackerel in the bay off Sandwich." — (Glouces- ter Telegraph, May 18, 1870.) success OF TWO " SOUTH-SHORE" VESSELS. Schooner "Isaac Somes," of Harwich, with a crew of 19 men, has landed this season 1,800 barrels of mackerel; stocked, $15,875; aver- age stock among the crew, $886. REPOET OF COMMISSIONEE OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [310] Schooner " Mary B. Taylor," of the same port, with a crew of 23 men, landed 1,912 barrels of mackerel ; stocked, $17,400 ; average stock among the crew, $756.30.— (Gloucester Telegraph, i^ovember 23, 1870.) 1870. — Notes on the southern mackerel fishery. A Newport correspondent says that " the mackerel fleet as yet, ac- cording to the most reliable news, have done but a slim business. Some 30 sail of vessels were at Newport on the 17th instant, ready to proceed to sea, having obtained bait from the Vineyard Sound fish weirs." — (Gloucester Telegraph, May 25, 1870.) 1870. — First arrival prom the south. The schooner " Geo. S. Low " is the first to arrive from the southern mackereling grounds, bringing 190 barrels of mackerel of good quality for the season. — (Gloucester Telegraph, May 28, 1870.) 1870. — Success of the southern mackerel fleet. The southern mackerel fleet are meeting with a very fair success. There have been four arrivals at this port, bringing good fares. Nan-, tucket reports an arrival with 137 barrels, and the Newburyport fleet have averaged over one hundred barrels each so far this season. — (Gloucester Telegraj)h, June 4, 1870.) 1870. — Eeported small catch of mackerel in the gulf of saint lawrence. — profitable shore fishing. News from the Bay of Saint Lawrence indicates that the mackerel catch has been small so far this season, although large schools are re- ])orted in the waters about Prince Edward Island. The shore macker- eling business continues to prove profitable, and this, with the troubles in the bay, will have a tendency to diminish the number of vessels pur- suing the bay fishing this season. — (Gloucester Telegraph, July 16, 1870.) 1870. — Abundance of mackerel in Gloucester harbor. A school of mackerel was in our harbor yesterday. They took to the hook well, and good fares were secured by anything in the shape of a boat. — (Gloucester Telegraph, August 10, 1870.) 1870. — Fishing in Massachusetts bay. The Yarmouth Herald, of last Friday, says: " Mackerel are taken in considerable quantities in our bay, and cod and bass in our weirs." — (Gloucester Telegraph, May 18, 1870.) On Monday of last week the SwamjDscott fishermen made a good haul of mackerel oft' Egg Eock. One schooner took a fare of 80 barrels, another of 75, and six others made good trips. Some of the drag-boats brought in from six to eight hundred mackerel apiece from their net- fishing. — (Gloucester Telegrai)h, June 8, 1870.) [311] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. 1870. — Fall fishing in barnstable bay. The Provincetown uetters last week caught considerable quantities of mackerel in Barnstable Bay; 25,000 were sent to Boston by the steamer on a recent trip. — (Gloucester Telegraph, November 23, 1870.) 1870. — Spring mackerel fishery. Mackerel are finding their way along the coast in considerable num- bers. On Friday one of our fishing schooners arrived with a fare of 35 barrels which had been taken that day in her seine. The mackerel were large and handsome, though not fat. — (Gloucester Telegraph, May 25, 1870.) 1870. — Fishing in Massachusetts bay. Mr. William Stone, of Swampscott, had unusually good luck in his net- fishing week before last, making, including JMonday's and Tuesday's catch, over $200 by the sale of mackerel landed by himself from a dory during eight days. On Tuesday he caught over 500, which netted him 6 cents apiece. — (Gloucester Telegraph, June 15, 1870.) 1870. — Spring mackerel fishery in cape Ann bay. The fishermen at Scusset one day last week took 15,000 mackerel. — (Barnstable Patriot, May 31, 1870.) 1870. — First mackerel in Massachusetts bay. Capt. Miles Blanchard, ot Swampscott, caught some fine mackerel in the bay on Friday, the first of the season. — (Gloucester Telegraph, May 18, 1870.) 1870. — The mackerel fleet. On one occasion 625 mackerel schooners were anchored in the harbor at Gloucester. 1870. — The mackerel fishery. The Portland Press of the 10th says that for ten days past the mack- erel fleet had not met with a single mackerel until Friday morning, when they encountered great schools of them about 80 miles off the Cape. They had great luck, and for the next week we may expect they will spend the nights with us. The harbor is packed with their vessels ; some 400 sail arrived in the harbor yesterday afternoon, presenting a splendid sight as they came past the breakwater under full canvas at race-horse speed. — (Gloucester Telegraph, September 11, 1870.) 1870. — The mackerel fishery" of the gulf of saint lawrence. A fishing schooner arrived at Booth Bay on Sunday from the Bay Saint Lawrence with a fare of 380 barrels of mackerel. — (Gloucester Telegraph, October 15, 1870.) eepoet of commtssionee of fish and fisheries. [312] 1870. — Success of the swampscott market fishermen. One of the Swampscott fishing vessels, last week, with a captain and three men, caught more than 4,000 mackerel, some of which were sold on the beach for 20 cents each. Another caught 4,800 5 another, 4,000; one man alone, 900; a man and his son, 1,000; another man and his son, 1,400 ; and a single man and his dory, 800.— (Gloucester Telegraph, October 19, 1870.) 1870. — Gill-netting at dennis. — new yoek prices for fresh mackerel. The mackerel- netters of Dennis made one or two good hauls, and but for the unfavorable weather last week w^ould have done well, the prices of fresh mackerel in 'New York being from IS to 20 cents apiece.— (Gloucester Tel graph, j^Iovember 23, 1870.) * 1870. — The mackerel fishery from Gloucester. Fifty-nine vessels pursued the southern mackerel fishery in the spring, seven of them making two trips. Good fares were secured and the fleet was free from accident. The shore mackerel fleet was un- wsu'ally large during-the summer months, and proved successful. One vessel was lost in the business, the schooner "Day Star," 40.46 tons bur- den. The bay fleet was a very small one, owing to the difficulties ap- prehended and experienced from the course pursued by the Dominion authorities. This business met with serious embarrassments by the seizure of four of our vessels and the threatened seizure of others, and the business as a whole did not prove piofitable. — (Gloucester Tele- graph, November 19, 1870.) 1870. — General discussion of the mackerel fishery. The southern mackerel season was closed up during the early part of the month of July, eight \ essels arriving home from the south during the first ten days of the month, six of which were from a second trip. The whole number ol vessels reported as making southern trips in pur- suit of mackerel this season was 59, of which number seven made two trips each. These vessels met with a very fair success, and lound a ready market for their catch on their arrival home. The eastern mackerel fishing was actively pursued during the month, and a large proportion of the fleet secured excellent fares. The num- ber of fares landed at this port in July was about 80, and the market has been quite active, and the stock has been kept well reduced. Some 20 vessels have also been engaged in seining along the eastern sbore, ostensibly for joorgie bait, but some of them have made good hauls of mackerel in their seines, and have made good trips. The Bay of Saint Lawrence fleet has been constantly augmented, and [313] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. SO far as is kuown has been free from molestation by British cruisers of late. The fleet now in the bay is quite respectable in point of numbers, though probably not as large as the last few years. — (Gloucester Tele- graph, August G, 1870.) The shoi'e mackerel fishing is now at its height, and employs a large fleet from the Cape Ann and Cape Cod fishing towns. During the mouth of August 117 Gloucester vessels were reixirted as arriviug from raackereiing cruises east, 11 of which arrived twice, making a total of 128 fares of shore mackerel landed at Gloucester in August, against some 80 fares in July. Besides these, 17 vessels engaged in seining ar- rived during the month, many of which had secured good fares of mackerel. There were 20 arrivals Irom seining in July. The fleet has met with good success, although as a rule the mackerel have not been of a very good quality. The last week or two, however, has shown an improvement in the quality of the smaller grades, and the disparity of prices between the ones and twos will i^robably soon be lessened. No. 1 mackerel have commauded-good prices, ruling from $22 to $20 per bar- rel for shore, but most of the 2's have been closed out at $9.75 per bar- rel, and 3's have ruled at $0 per barrel since the 1st of July. The ar- rivals from the bay have not been numerous. Only 10 vessels have ar- rived here this season, and these have met with a moderate success, averaging about 2C0 barrels each. The bay mackerel received have been of good quality, and sold at $24 to $25 per barrel for j:so. I's; $12.50 to $13 for 2's, and $10.50 for 3's. Last year the number of arrivals from the bay to this date was 13. In 1 868 only 8 vessels arrived in August. In 1867 there were 51 arrivals, and in 1866 84 arrivals from the bay previous to this date. The aver- age fares of the bay fleet arriving previous to September, last year, was about 290 barrels. The Portland fleet are doing about the same as the Gloucester vessels, 13 arrivals having been reported, with a total catch of 2,384 barrels. Letters received at Newburyport state that 9 vessels belonging to that port had fares on the 15th ultimo ranging from 20 to 110 barrels, and averaging 55^ barrels each, and there has been one arrival from the bay, at I^ewburyport, with only 80 barrels. Three vessels have arrived at Booth Bay from the bay, averaging less than 150 barrels each. — (Glou- cester Telegraph, September 3, 1870.) 3870. — Reminiscences of capt. j. w. collins. In the summer of 1870 I started on a mackerel trip to the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, about the middle of June, in the new schooner "Alice G. Wonson." We reached the flsliing ground about the 25th of June. The mackerel in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence were large, but very scarce, and they did not seem to fatten so rapidly as in previous years. We returned home in August after an absence of eight or ten weeks, with a fare of 175 barrels of mackerel, which brought a high price, our No. EEPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [314] 1 fisli selling for $22.50 per barrel. After packing out our bay trip \re engaged in the mackerel fisliery off the ISTew England coast, fishing all the way from Mount Desert Eock to Cape Cod, though we caught but few^ mackerel east of Mouhegan. The fish o& our own shore in 1870 were of medium size, the greater portion packing for No. 2's. Mackerel were abundant, but did not seem inclined to take the hook very readily until they began moving to the westward along the coast toward Cape Ann and Cape Cod. Good catches were obtained oif Boone Island, Ips- wich Bay, and in Massachusetts and Barnstable Bays. We made two trips off shore, securing a catch of about 300 barrels. 1870. — The mackerel fishery of the saint lawrence.— hostil- ities OF CANADIANS CAUSES LOSS TO AMERICAN VESSELS. The following extract from the Gloucester Telegraph shows the con- dition of the Bay of Saint Lawrence mackerel fishery during the year 1870: " The Bay of Saint Lawrence mackereling season has closed, and the ill success of this branch of our industry is apparent at a glance. The hostile attitude of the Dominion Government had a tendency to deter many vessels from engaging in this fishing, so that the early fleet in the bay was quite small, and the success of the shore fleet later in the sea- son tended to still further decrease the num>ber of vessels engaging in the bay fishery, so that our fleet was smaller than for many years. The whole number of vessels reported as making bay trips this year is but 80, only three of which made two trips each, and none were allowed to ship mackerel home; whereas, last year, there were 194 vessels employed in the bay fishery, 21 making two trips, and 33 shipping their early trip home, and refitting in the i:)rovincial ports. '•'Four Gloucester vessels were seized this season by the Canadian authorities on the pretense of unlawful fishing; one of these was re- leased under a bond to pay whatever damages were found by the courts ; one was condemned and repurchased by her owners at a cost of nearly $3,000, and two remain in the hands of the provincials." — (Gloucester Telegraph, November 16, 1870.) 1871. — Lack of interest in the mackerel fishery exhibited by canadian fishermen. Mackerel Fishery. — Gaspe division. "In a special report on the duties performed by 'La Canadienne' in connection with the marine police, I shall have the honor of speaking of mackerel fishing by foreign schooners. This pursnit is not much fol- lowed by our own fishermen, ana has steadily decreased since 1869. The fish did not come near the shores, and not more than 100 barrels were caught in Bay des Chaleurs. It was more abundant in Gaspe Bay, the catch being 400 barrels over that of last year. Cod-fishing is the main occupation of the peoi^le in this division. This fish was so [SI 5] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. abundant, and the price of mackerel so low, that this may account for their not attending to the latter." — (Report of the cruise of the gov- ernment schooner " La Canadienne," in the Eiver and Gulf of Saint Lawrence, for the season of 1871, under command of N. Lavoie, esq., lisherj^ officer. Annual report of the department of marine and fish- eries, for the year ending 30th June, 1871, Appendix C, pages 19, 20.) Watsheeshoo District. Felix Sylvestre, overseer. " Mackerel abundant, but the fishermen of this division do not follow this fishing." — (Synopsis of fishery overseers' and guardians' reports in the Province of Quebec, for the season 1871. Annual report marine and fisheries, 1871, Appendix H, page 72.) MoisiE Division. F. Thivierge, overseer. Mackerel were abundant. The fishermen in this division do not, however, in general, follow this fishing, but one man took 01 barrels. — • {lb., p. 71.) Pabos Division. James M. Eemon, overseer. In "the mackerel fishing nothing is done beyond taking what is re- quired for bait. — (i&., p. 07.) Anticosti Division. " Although mackerel are very abundant around the island they are not much sought after, and only 20 barrels were caught at Salmon Eiver." — (Report of IST. Lavoie, commander government schooner "La Canadienne," of a cruise in the Eiver and Gulf of Saint Lawrence, 1872. Annual Report, marine and fisheries of Canada, 1872, Appendix B.) 1871. — Inferior quality of mackerel taken in Canadian WATERS. The following is taken from letters furnished by the county overseers of Kova Scotia to Mr. Rogers, the fish-officer of the i)rovince : " I am happy to be able to report a very large increase in the quanti- ties of almost all kinds of fish taken this year, and although prices have ruled much lower for most descriptions, the aggregate value is more than one million dollars over the previous year. Mackerel, particu- larly, show a very large increase, but being mostly the early runs, they are inferior in quality." — (Report of W. H. Yenning, esq., inspector of fish for Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. Annual report marine and fisheries, 1871, Appendix N.) 1871. — Bad season for mackerel in the gulf of saint Law- rence. These fish struck in on our shores about the middle of June in large quantities, and the first catches were taken in a very short time, some vessels taking 200 barrels in three weeks ; but the fish were poor, not EEPOET OF COMMISSIONEE OF FISH AND FISHEEIES. [316] making more than tlirees when culled. After that the catch was moder- ate, and I do not think that more than 30,000 barrels of mackerel were taken by the whole fleet. It has been a bad year for mackerel, the mar- ket prices, as a rule, being one-half below the average prices, and great numbers of American vessels were laid up by their owners, for the rea- son that the outlay required for fitting the vessel out for fishing being more than the proceeds of the summer work. — (G. V. Story, commander marine police schooner '' Water Lily," Pictou, November 27, 1871.) The mackerel fishery. — The Gloucester Telegraph says that the latest news from the Bay of Saint Lawrence reports a large number of American vessels on the fishing-grounds between Saint Margaret's and East Point, with mackerel scarce at the time. At Eustico mackerel catching was slack, and had been for a fortnight, though the few caught were larger than the earlier school. Mackerel were reported plenty at Port Daniel and East Point. All the fish were east of Eustico, and the Oascumpec boats reported neither codfish nor mackerel west. Sixty sail of vessels were reported at Magdalen Island on the 3d instant, with mackerel scarce, and reports from Bradley's, three days later, represent fish "few and far between." — (Boston Journal, August 26, 1871.) 1871. — EeAPPEARANCE of mackerel on the LABRADOR COAST AFTER FORTY YEARS' ABSENCE, "Mackerel, which for the last 40 years had disapj^eared from the waters of the coast of Labrador, returned this season and in as great abundance as formerly. I have seen as many as 400 or 500 barrels caught in one haul of the seine at Bonne Esperance and Meccatina. Several schoon- ers loaded at Seven Islands. Mackerel remained two months in the bay during the winter. A much larger quantity than was needed for their own use was caught at several ports along the coast, but prices were very low. There is no doubt that if codfish and mackerel continue to visit the waters of this division in as large numbers as they did this year, the coast of Labrador will assume au importance which may be- come superior to that of the Gaspe division." — (Eeport of the cruise of the government schooner "La Canadienne," in the Eiver and Gulf of Saint Lawrence for the season of 1871, under command of N. Lavoie, esq., fishery officer. Annual report of the department of marine and fisheries for the year ending 30th June, 1871, Ai^pendix C, page 26.) 1871. — Abundance of mackerel at small point, me. The Bath (Me.) Times says that ou Thursday, Small Point Harbor was thronged with mackerel, the like of which was never known, and count- less thousands of them were caught in seines, nets, and with hook and line. One fishing vessel secured a thousand barrels. Other vessels got several hundred barrels, and the citizens in that vicinity made free with that "school" without consulting the teacher. — (Germantown Telegraph, August 16, 1871.) [317] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. 1871. — ISTOTES ON THE MACKEREL FISHEIIIES, ETC., OF THE PROV- INCES OF NEW BRUNSWICK AND NOVA SCOTIA. In liis report for 1871 Mr. Yenning states that Mr. John Fitzgerakl, overseer for the western district, says: "The mackerel was more pro- ductive this year than it has been for the hist ten years, but the quality was very poor. The fall mackerel have been a total failure ; and as this fish, if of first quality, would bring a high price, the loss has been seriously felt by the fishermen. The mackerel that have been caught this year have brought a very low price, but when the large quantity taken is considered, the fishermen have no reason to complain." Mr. Daniel Dimock, overseer for the eastern district of Lunenburg, says: ''The shore fisheries in this district have been productive, more especially the mackerel." In same report, Mr. Yenning also stated that, " Overseer James A. Tory, of Guysborough County, says with reference to his district: 'The fisheries as a whole have been good this season, especially for mackerel, and although prices have ruled low they will compare favorably with the past.' " In same report Mr. Yenning further states that, "Mr. Francis Qui- nan, the officer in charge of Cape Breton County, reports as follows : ' The total quantity of fish taken is considerably above that of former years. The run of mackerel was abundant, but of small size ; the large brands were conspicuous by their absence; No. 3's ruled, and of their kind were good, but the price realized in our markets was less than iu years past.'" — (Eeport of W. H. Yenning, esq., inspector 'of fisheries for jSTova Scotia and 'Sew Brunswick. An. Eep. Mar. and Fish., 1871, Appendix ]S.) . 1871. — The mackerel fishery. The Cape Ann Advertiser of September 1 gives the following account of the mackerel fishery in 1871 : " The fisheries. — The bay fleet come along slowly. There have been but eleven arrivals thus far, the vessels averaging about 300 barrels each. The quality of the mackerel is not as good as those taken off this shore, and but few number ones have as yet been landed, but the catch of the present month and next will, no doubt, average much better. Prices rule low, considering the small number of barrels landed this year, and it will require pretty large fares to realize a paying season's work. Late advices from the bay report mackerel scarce. "The shore fleet have done rather a slim business the past month. Some of the seiners have made some good trips, but the hookers, with a few exceptions, have done very poorly, the mackerel not inclining to bite. Had it not been for the seiners the market would have been bare of shore mackerel ; as it is, the catch has not been half as large as it was up to this time last year. The mackerel average mostly ones and are very large and fat, the quality being much better than those caught off REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. f^l^J this sliore last year, but the prices rule much lower. No. 1 's are selling the present week for $11.25 per barrel, less than one-half the price they brought at this time last year. Unless mackerel come in more freely than they have, the season's catch will be light and prices must nec- essarily advance. "The George's fishery has been prosecuted through the season by a much larger fleet than usual, and most of them have realized very good fares. The catch is greatly in excess of that of last year, and although the prices have not been as remunerative, still the increase in catch will more than make up the difference, and the vessels engaged in this branch of the fisheries will make a very good season's work. "The Grand Bank halibut fleet have brought in rather light fares of late, and prices have ruled low. About thirty sail of vessels are now engaged in this branch of the fisheries, and the business, as a whole, has proved but moderately successful." (Boston Journal, September 22.) "Bay saint lawrence mackerel fishery. — The mackerel fish- ery for this season is rapidly drawing to a close. The shore fleet are doing but little, and may soon be expected in our waters for a week or two, preparatory to winding up the business for the year. The news from the bay indicates a scarcity of mackerel, and, as rough weather may soon be expected, a large portion of the fleet will soon be along. The number of arrivals from the bay reported at Gloucester this season has been fifty-two. The fares have been comparatively small, and the quality poor, while prices have ruled much lower than the past few years. The fares of 31 Gloucester vessels have been reported, ranging from IGO to 450 barrels, and averaging 247 barrels, which will probably be about the average of the fleet. Sixteen of the Portland fleet show an average of 211 barrels, and 11 of the jSTewburyport fleet show an average catch of 192 barrels. The average catch of the fleet from other fishing towns, so far as reported, is equally small; Booth Bay 227 barrels, North Haven 160, Wellfleet 140. Belfast 110, and New London 235. A Salem vessel has landed 307 barrels, and one Frankfort vessel is reported with a catch of 312 barrels and another with 620. Nineteen vessels re- ported at Port Mul grave show an average catch of 200 barrels." (Glouces- ter Telegraph, August 27.) 1871. — Fall mackerel fishery in cape cod bay. Dennis. — On Wednesday a. m. (8th) the fishermen took 300 to 800 mackerel each in nets. Barnstable. — Smith Bros, caught 1,200 yesterday (14th). — (Province- town Advertiser, November 15, 1871.) 1871. — In the Cape Ann Advertiser, of July 28, are the following re- marks upon the mackerel fishery: "The mackerel season has now commenced in earnest, and good returns are anticipated, as the season bid's fair of being a prosperous one. The prospect at the bay is very encouraging, many of the fleet [319] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. having already landed good fares. American vessels are subject to the same treatment as last year, if caught fishing within the limits ; but they have liberty to shii^ mackerel home, and y)urchase sup])lies tliis season, which will greatly add to their chances of making a good year's work. '■'■ The skipiDers will undoubtedly keep a sharp lookout and give the Dominion cruisers a wide berth, and we do not anticipate any diflBculty in those waters at present. Later in the season, when the mackerel tend in shore, it may be a little more difficult to obtain a fare, but we do not believe that the Dominion cruisers intend to annoy American fishermen in the manner which characterized last season. "The treaty has not been signed by the Dominion Government as yet, consequently it will not take effect this season. It is evident that the price of mackerel will not rule as high as last year, which will tend to bring about quick sales, as people can afford to eat these fish when the price is brought within their means, and the prospect for a lively market is quite encouraging. '^Altogether, the mackerel season, both off shore and at the bay, prom ises well, and we hojie that good trips will crown the efforts of all en- gaged in this branch of the fislieries." — (Boston Journal, July 29.) 1871. — EeMINISCENCES of C!APT. J. W. COLLINS. I was engaged in the halibut fishery during the season of 1871 until August, when I fitted out for a mackerel jcruise oft" the I^Tew England coast, still being the same vessel in which I had sailed the previous season. The mackerel were comparatively scarce in the fall off shore and disinclined to bite. We succeeded, however, in catching 175 bar- rels with hook and line, which was much better than the average for the time we were engaged. The last two days' fishing which we had were off Chatham. The first of the two days we caught 50 barrels be- tween Nausett and Chatham, and the following day we obtained 30 wash-barrels more about 15 or 20 miles ESB. from Chatham Light. The fish at that time moved very rapidly in a southerly direction. Many of the seiners obtained large catches during the fall, but as we were fishing with hook and line it frequently happened that we could get few or no mackerel, even where they were most abundant, and the seiners were filling up. 1872. — Good ltick of some of the market fisherivien. On Friday of last week the schooner "Yankee Lass," Captain Brown, took 60 barrels of mackerel off" the Highlands of Caj)e Cod, and sold them in Boston the next day for $1,500. A few weeks before the same vessel sold $1,200 worth, which she caught in a single day. Another vessel made $2,520 in a couple of days. In all these cases the market was bare of mackerel, and hence the high ]3rices obtained. The fore- EEPOET OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [320] going fares were sold fresli witliout dressing. — (Gloucester Telegraph, October 12, 1872.) 1872. — Mackerel fishery of provincetown. The Provincetown mackerel fleet, in the early part of last week, after a trial of two days witliout finding mackerel, broke in small squadrons and sought their home ports to haul up, or to engage in other i)ur8uits. It has hovered around Provincetown, and been in the harbor since August, taking bnt few fish. Inquiry at the packing establishments discloses the fact that the entire catch of that part of the fleet hailing from Provincetown will not much exceed 12,000 barrels. In 1870 the catch packed 37,552 barrels, and in 1871 it was 24,918 barrels. From information received, the opinion i)revails that the falling ofl" in the catch of the whole fleet will not be less than that part of it sailing from Provincetown. A very few vessels using seines have been successful, bnt those depending upon the hook and line, constituting much the largest part, will not, as a whole, realize a sum sulficient to pay ex- penses. — (Cape Ann Light and Gloucester Telegraph, May 31, 1874.) 1872. — Mackerel on the south coast of nova scotia. H. S. Jost, esq., overseer for the western district of Lunenburg County, Nova Scotia, rex)orts that mackerel are of a better quality than those taken in 1871, and have generally been sent to the United States, where a fair price has been, obtained for them. The hitherto uncertain fares in the JS'orth Bay mackerel fishing has had the effect of causing most of the ISTova Scotia vessels to seek other employments this fall. — (Eeport of W. H. Venning, inspector of fisheries for Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. An. Eep. Mar. and Fish., 1872, Appendix N.) 1872. — Disinclination of the Canadian fishermen to engage IN catching mackerel. Mackerel fishing is pursued only to a very limited extent in Gaspe Bay since the repeal of the reciprocity treaty, the few accidently caught in herring nets being used as bate for cod ; and even under reciprocity this kind of fishing was entirely in the hands of Americans, the Gaspe fishermen not catching the fish even for local consumption. For the space of about one month this summer mackerel was very abundant in Gaspe Bay, some catching as many as 1,700 in one day. Mackerel as well as salmon sold fresh, but prices being low, fishermen consideied it more advantageous to engage solely in the more remunerative pur- suit of cod-fishing. During September and October prices ruled higher, but mackerel had then left the bay. — (Eeport of N. Lavoie, commander of government schooner ^' La Canadienne," in a cruise in theEiver and Gulf of Saint Lawrence, 1872. An. Eep. Mar. and Fish. 1872, Ap- I)endix B.) f_321] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. 1872. — A BIG TRIP FROM GEORGE'S. Schooner " Volunteer," Captain Smith of this port, arrived from Creorge's on Friday with 340 barrels of mackerel, which were seined on the bank. This is the largest fare brought in this season, and the mackerel were all large and fat. — (Cape Ann Advertiser, August 16, 1872.) 1872. — A BIG SCHOOL OF MACKEREL — SUCCESS OF THE SEINERS. Schooner "Judith Ann," of this port, recently came across a big school of mackerel off Thatcher's Island, and had such a heavy draught of them that they were obliged to cut the purse-rope of the seine in order to save it. Out of the lot, estimated at 1,000 barrels, they succeeded in saving only 40 barrels. Several of the mackerel seiners had quite a streak o' luck last week, which will very materially help out their season's work. * * * Schooner " Isaac Somes," Capt. E. H. Taylor, was absent from Har- wich Port thirty hours, and during that time seined 250 barrels of mack- erel. This is reported as the largest catch in the shortest time this season. — (Cape Ann Advertiser, September 13, 1872.) 1872. — Reminiscences of capt. j. w. collins. In August, 1872, I went to the Gulf of Saint Lawrence on a mackerel trip in the " Alice G. Wonson." Mackerel were large though scarce, and as a result we cruised over nearly the whole of the fishing grounds in the Gulf from Bonaventure to Cape Breton. We did not succeed in obtaining any great catches, neither did we hear of many being taken. However, we secured a fare of 250 barrels of fine mackerel, for which a fair price was obtained, making the voyage, on the whole, a reason- ably profitable one. 1873. — The passage of the fisheries bill — anticipation of its being injurious to AMERICAN FISHERMEN. The bill to carry into effect the fishery provisions of the treaty of Washington, passed the House Monday by an unexj)ectedly strong vote, 145 yeas and 30 nays. The only amendment, which was offered by Mr. Buffinton, delays the date on which the duties on fish from the provinces are removed until July 1, and was agreed to both by the Committee on Foreign Affairs and by the State Department. General Butler opposed it, and denounced the treaty as very unfair to the United States. President Grant sent a special message to the Senate and House, in which he urged the passage of the bill. It will go into effect July 1. There are grave apprehensions that we have paid dearly for the whistle in the admission of foreign fish duty free ,- and the provinc- ial fishermen have thus obtained great advantages over the American, both on the lakes and sea-coast. Be that as it may, there is no help for EEPOET OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHEKIES. [3223 it now, and ere the end of the present year we shall probably know whether or not we can catch and sell tish under the disadvantages of this treaty as cheaply as our neighbors in the provinces can with the great advantages it affords them.— (Cape Ann Advertiser, February 28^ 1873.) 1873. — Sailing of the first of the southern fleet. A portion of the southern mackereling fleet have sailed the i^resent week, and others will soon follow. — (Cape Ann Advertiser, April 18^ 1873.) Two of the Newburyport schooners sailed on the 17th instant, for the south, on a mackereling cruise. — (Cape Ann Advertiser, April 25, 1873.) 1873. — First arrival of fresh mackerel in nbW york market.. The first fresh mackerel of the season were carried into New York on Thursday (May 1) of last week, by a Chatham schooner. She had 25,000, which were sold at 20 cents apiece. — (Cape Ann Advertiser, May 9, 1873.) 1873. — A BIG FIRST TRIP. Schooner " Fleetwing," of this port, carried into New York on Tues- day 52,000 fresh mackerel, which were sold for $2,657. — [Ih.) 1873. — ^FlRST MACKEREL CAUGHT OFF CAPE ANN. May 20, schooner "Sea Foam" caught about 200 mackerel, which^ being the first catch of the season off Cape Ann, sold for 10 cents apiece. Last season the same vessel also brought in the first fiire of mackerel, having been fortunate in securing 120 barrels on the 22d of May, which sold for $2.50 per hundred. — (Cape Ann Advertiser, May 23, 1873.) 1873. — First arrival in Gloucester of the southern fleet. — GOOD prices. Schooner "Emma Jane" arrived home from the south on Thursday last (May 19) with 170 barrels of mackerel, which were sold for $9.25 and $7.25 per barrel. First arrival of the season. — (Cape Ann Advertiser^ May 30, 1873.) 1873. — First start of the bay fleet. The first of the bay fleet sailed on Tuesday (June 3), and others will soon follow. Some 30 sail will be on their way by the middle of the month. — (Cape Ann Advertiser, June 6, 1873.) 1873. — Spring mackerel fishery. The fishing season has fairly commenced in Long Island waters, in the Great South Bay, and the other bays on the south side. Large num- [323] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. \ beivs of bluefishj weakfisli, and mackerel are taken daily. On Friday and Saturday the fishermen found it impossible to dispose of their catches, and most of those who had loads of mackerel were obliged to cast anchor and salt them. On Friday the fishing company at Southold caught 100,000 at one haul. — (Cape Ann Light and Gloucester Tele- graph, Gloucester, Mass., May 31, 1873.) 1873. — The southern mackerel fleet at Newport. One hundred and fifty sail of mackerel catchers put into Newport Harbor on the 5th instant, in consequence of thick weather. They re- port mackerel more plenty of late, the catch the previous days aver- aging about 25 barrels to a vessel. — (Cape Ann Advertiser, June 13, 1873.) 1873. — The southern mackerel fishery. — prices. — the bay- fleet. The ISTewiJort southern mackereling fleet has been doing only fairly. The " Miantonomoh " has taken three fares of fresh mackerel, caught by seine, into New York, of 45,000 fish ; the " Lizzie Thompson" has taken there two fares of 13,000 fish, and the " G. W. Brown" has taken two fares of 25,000, making in all 83,000 fresh mackerel taken into New York by Newburyport vessels. One firm has received $2,000 for fresh mackerel sold, and has about the same amount to come. By the hook the schooner " Matilda " has caught 12,000, and the " John Gerard " 8,000, and these also have been carried into New York. The southern mackerel fleet, as a whole, have not done so well this season as last. A large proportion of the fleet have sold their mackerel fresh in New York, and some of the seiners have made good stocks j but the hookers have done very slim. Some fourteen sail have thus far arriv^ed home, averaging about 100 barrels. The market being bearer of old mackerel, the new stock have been in good demand, recent fares selling at $10.25 and $8.25 per barrel, with prospect of advance on these prices. A large fleet will visit the Bay of Saint Lawrence the j)resent season. The early fleet have already sailed, and by the 1st of July there will probably be a hundred vessels in readiness to start. The shore mackereling fleet will be smaller than that of last season, and comprised mostly of seiners. — (Cape Ann Advertiser, June 13, 1873.) 1873. — The first fare from oeorg^e's. — a good haul. Schooner " Mary Odell," of this port, arrived from George's on Monday with 240 barrels of mackerel, the first fare from there this season. They lost most of the first haul they made in consequence of a shark going through the seine j ust. as they had commenced pailing out. After repair, ing the seine, they made another immense haul, filling all their barrels EEPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [324] and the dories, and let as many more go, being unable to take care of them. The mackerel were of large size and excellent quality, and the trip proved a j)rofitable one. — (Cape Ann Advertiser, July 18, 1873.) 1873. — A GOOD STOCK IN THE SHORE FISHERY. Schooner " Isaac Somes," of Harwich Port, engaged in the shore mack- erel fishery, has stocked about $7,500 thus far this season, and is high line of the fleet from that port. — (Cape Ann Advertiser, July 25, L873.) 1873. — Another big George's trip. Schooner "Eddie Pierce" arrived at Boston last week, from a three weeks' cruise, with 550 barrels of George's mackerel. She stocked $6,000 for the trip — pretty good returns for a short voyage. — (Gape Ann Adver- tiser, August 8, 1873.) 1873. — Shore and bay fisheries, prices, etc. The mackerel catch off this shore still continues light for the season. JSTineteen seiners have arrived since our last issue, five of which were from George's, and brought in good fares. The total catch for the past week has been about 2,500 barrels, which have been sold at $20 and $19 for No. I's; $12,75 and $13 for No. 2's. Schooner "Highflyer" arrived from the Bay of Saint Lawrence on Tuesday (August 5) — the first arrival of the season, and a week earlier than the first arrival last year. She brought in 225 barrels. Others of the fleet are on their way home, and daily expected. Two fares have been sent home per steamer. The quality of the mackerel taken at the bay early in the season is not as good as those taken off this shore, but those caught the past three weeks are said to be much fatter. — {lb.) 1873. — The mackerel fleet of newburyport, past and present. The Newburyport Herald says: Our mackerel fleet, which numbered 140 vessels forty years ago, is now reduced to about 20. — (Cape Ann -Advertiser, August 15, 1873.) 1873. — Light catch in the bay. On July 29 there were in the harbor of Georgetown, Prince Edward Island, about 50 sail of American mackerel schooners. The highest catch reported among them was -200 barrels, and the average fares of the whole fleet was estimated at 150 barrels. The catch of mackerel in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence has, up to this time, been light. The fish ap- pear to be abundant, but do not bite freely. — {lb.) 1873. — An old vessel makes a large stock in the shore mackerel fishery. Schooner "I. H. Horton," which recently arrived at J\^ellfleet from 'George's, has caught and landed 1,402 barrels of mackerel, stocking [325] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. $14,023, having been employed two mouths and ten days. This is the largest stock made in the mackereling business from any port this sea- son. The schooner is twenty-three years old, and owned by Capt. I. H. Horton, of Eastham. — (Cape Ann Advertiser, August 22, 1873.) Schooner " I. H. Horton "has recently arrived from her fourth trij), with 282 barrels of mackerel. The ^'Horton" has now landed 1,664 barrels, making her stock in three months $18,425. — (Cape Ann Advertiser, Sep- tember 12, 1873.) 1873. — Destructive gale in the gulf of saint lawrence. In the Cape Ann Advertiser of September 5, 1873, 36 Gloucester mackerel schooners were reported driven ashore in the hurricane of August 24 and 25, causing the loss of thirty -six lives. Besides these many vessels and lives were lost from other ports engaged in the mack- erel fishery of the Bay of Saint Lawrence. 1873. — Scarcity of mackerel off new England coast. — arriv- als FROM BAY, HIGH PRICES, ETC. Mackerel still continue very scarce off this shore, and some of the seiners have abandoned the business and fitted away for the bay. With the exception of a haul by one of the Swampscott boats, and one by a Harwich schooner Saturday on Jeffries, there have been no mackerel seined off this shore the past week. One George's fare of 240 barrels arrived on Tuesday, which were quickly taken up at $23.50 per barrel for No. 1, the highest price obtained this season. No. 2 sold for $13. Six bay fares, about 1,200 barrels, have arrived the past week, which have met with quick sales, Ko. I's selling for $14.50 and $15 per barrel. The market was never so bare of mackerel at this season of the year, and the supply for the fall and winter trade bids fair to be a meager one. — (Cape Ann Advertiser, September 12, 1873.) 1873. — A SCHOOL OFF CAPE COD. A school of mackerel struck the waters off Cape Cod last week. A Harwich schooner took 100 barrels, and other vessels shared in the good luck. — (Cape Ann Advertiser, October 31, 1873.) 1873. — Arrival home of the bay fleet. The bay fleet have come in freely the past week, 63 vessels having arrived since our last issue, averaging good fares. This leaves about 30 sail yet to come, most of which will be along before the close of another week. The vessels arrive on a dull market, and but few of the late fares have been sold, as holders are not desirous to sacrifice their mackerel at the prices at present offered, unless actually forced to do so. The stock in the market is held at $14 and $12 for Nos. 1 and 2,. which prices, if not higher, will no doubt be realized ere many weeks elapse. — (Cape Ann Advertiser, ISTovember 14, 1873.) REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [326] 1873. — The gloucesteii mackerel fisheries. The southern fleet iu the spring was of usual size — embracing 54 vessels — aiid fairly successful, marketing their early catch in New York a,t good prices. The summer fishery off the shores of Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts was of respectable size, and mostly engaged in seining of mackerel, with a very good average success, although a few vessels did not pay expenses. Eighty-six vessels engaged in this business. .Schooners "Beloidem" and "Empire State" were lost in this business. The Bay of Saint Lawrence fleet was unusually large, consisting of 185 vessels, against 60 last year. The catch was good, and the business would have proved quite successful but for the disastrous gale in August, Iby which so many vessels were wrecked or temporarily disabled in the heiiiht of the fishing season, materially reducing the receipts. Of the 185 Gloucester vessels engaged in this fishery 10 were wrecked, and are total losses, and three remain ashore at the Magdalen Islands, but are not abandoned. Twenty-six vessels made two bay trips each during the season, and the whole number of fares received at Gloucester this season will be 198 against 65 last year. — (Gloucester Telegraph, November 19, 1873.) 1873. — REMmiSCENCES of CAPT. J. W. COLLINS. During the first part of 1873 I was engaged in the haddock and cod fisheries. About the 25th. of August I started from home on a macke- Tel trip to the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, still being in the same vessel in which I had sailed the three previous years. We arrived in the bay soon after the first of September and immediately proceeded to the Mag dalens. There we had an opportunity of witnessing the great destruc- tion which had been wrought by the hurricane of the 24th and 25th of August. At the head of Pleasant Bay, and in Harbor Le Barre, some .20 or 25 sail of American mackerel schooners were driven high up on the sand ; many of them lying in such i>ositions as to render it ex- tremely doubtful if they could be again got afloat. Many vessels were also stranded on Prince Edward Island, some being lost with all hands, while the crews of others were fortuuate enough to escape. Some of these schooners we had an opportunity of seeing later on our trip. I have taken occasion to allude to this gale here, since it was one of the most disastrous which our mackerel fleet has ever encountered, result- ing in very great loss of life and property. The mackerel were scarce in the bay during the fall of 1873, and though mostly of a large size were not so fat as might be expected. We fished most of the time about the Magdalen Islands, visiting, however, other points of the bay more -or less frequently. We succeeded in obtaining a fare of 208 barrels, and ..returned home about the middle of November. {327] history of the mackerel fishery. 1874. — The southern mackerel fishing. — Light fares brought IN. Southern mackerel fleet are arriving boine, averaging light fares. The largest of the season, 300 barrels, was brought in by schooner " Falcon " on Wednesday, June 3 ; the trips will not average over 140 barrels. The business has been overdone this year. — (Cape Ann Advertiser, June 5, 1874.) 1874. — The spring mackerel fishery. The Cape Ann Advertiser of June 12, 1874, states that during the past week twenty vessels belonging to the southern mackerel fleet had arrived with light fares, the average quantity being 100 barrels. 1874. — Fishing in the gulp of maine. The Cape Ann Advertiser of September 25, 1874, states that there are from eight to nine hundred mackerel vessels between Portland and Mount Desert; the catch is light. 1874. — Successful George's trip. Schooner ^' Florence E. Tower," Captain Frye, arrived at Boston on Saturday (June 27), from a mackerel cruise to George's Bank. She brought in 450 barrels, the fare which has arrived at that port this season. * * Most of the fish were of good quality. Her trip this time was four weeks. — (Cape Ann Advertiser, July 3, 1874.) 1874. — High line of the seining fleet. Capt. Hanson B. Joyce, of Swan's Island (Maine), is high line of the seining fle«t this season. Landed to 9th October 2,300 barrels of mack- erel, the largest number ever landed. A small craft of 52 tons still follows the trade, and may get another haul. — (Cape Ann Advertiser, October 16, 1874.) ANOTHER GOOD CATCH. Schooner "John Atwood," of Provincetown, had landed up to October 9, 1874, 2,000 barrels mackerel. She took in all 2,100 barrels; was high line of the Provincetown fleet. — {lb.) LATE CATCH OF MACKEREL OFF CAPE COD. Schooner "Willie B. Wilbur" took with the hook 20 barrels of fine mackerel off Eace Point November 18, 1874. 1874. — A QUICK TRIP. Schooner " Florence Nightingale" left Swampscott Monday morning, August 24, on a market fishing cruise and arrived in Boston the next EEPOET OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [32 8 J morning, August 25, with 350 barrels of mackerel, worth at least $2,500 — a good day's work. — (Cape Ann Advertiser, August 28, 1874.) ONE OE THE LUCKY VESSELS. Schooner " Daniel Masey," of Portsmouth, IsT. H., has landed 1,800 barrels of mackerel up to August 25, and claims to be high line of the. fleet. — (Cape Ann Advertiser, September 11, 1874.) 1875, — The first appearance of mackerel. One of the first mackerel fares caught by the mackerel fleet was taken April 29, 1875, by the schooner "Cora E. Smith," of Gloucester, and sold at New York for $15 per 100. On June 6 a Newburyport vessel arrived at New York with 25,0006 mackerel. 1875. — American vessels in the gulp of saint lawrence. The following statement of the number of fishing vessels in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence mackerel fishery and the American shore mackerel fishery was submitted by David W. Low to the Halifax Commission : Mackerel inspected in Gloucester 93, 126' 58 vessels in Gulf, average catch 191 barrels 11, 078 117 vessels American shore, average catch 409 barrels 47, 853 58, 931 The average catch is based on the average catch of 84 vessels from 17 firms in 1869, and 28 vessels in bay and 62 vessels off American shore from 20 firms in 1875. These firms have done better than the- rest. — (Docs, and Prbc. Halifax Cora., 1877, U. S. edition, p. 2595.) 1875. — First mackerel of the season. The first catch of mackerel was brought to New York last week. The fish were of good size, but had not yet acquired that primeness and ex- cellence of savor which mackerel only acquire in colder waters. The fish were struck south of Cape Henry, and now some twenty smacks are- in search of the coming shoals. — (B. Phillips, in New York Times, May 9, 1875.) 1875. — Fishing in the gulf of maine. One vessel took 250 barrels of mackerel ofi" the point at Province- town, Saturday afternoon. — (Provincetown Advocate, October 6, 1875» 1875. — Sailing of the southern fleet. A large part of the George's fleet have fitted out to go south, mack- ereling. Several of the south mackerel fleet have sailed, and the balance will follow in a few days. They will tend New York market, selling their fish fresh. — (Gloucester Telegraph, April 21, 1875.) [329] HISTORY OF THE MACKEEEL FISHERY. 1875. — First pare of mackerel for the season — a big stock. To a Portland schooner, the " Georgie Willard," belongs the credit of landing the first fare of mackerel this season. The " Willard " arrived at New York on Friday (April 30) and landed her catch of 22,000 mack- erel, stocking over $4,000. 1875. — The SIRRING fishery. The southern mackerel fleet are meeting with fair success. Last week, Monday, the schooners " Bell of the Bay," and "Bloomer" arrived at New York with 200 barrels each, and schooner " Eoger Williams '* with 700 barrels. The "Bell of the Bay" had been out eight days^ "Bloomer " forty-eight hours, and " E,. Williams " three days. On Wed nesday the "William S. Baker" (six days out) arrived with 220 barrels. The first vessel to arrive home with a southern mackerel fare was the " Pathfinder" (on Friday), with 280 barrels. Schooner "James A. Stet- son" arrived from a southern trip on Sunday, with 250 barrels of mack- erel. — (Gloucester Telegraph, May 26, 1875.) 1875. — A GOOD CATCH AT NEWPORT. A fishing gang near Newport, Thursday, with a purse seine, passed it around a school of fish, supposing them to be menhaden. The result of their haul proved to be upwards of 14,000 mackerel, which were sold from 10 to 15 cents apiece. — (Gloucester Telegraph, June 9, 1875.) 1875. — Small catch of mackerel in june. Only 53 mackerel arrivals were reported for the month of June, with a total catch of some 7,000 barrels, less than one-half of the receipts for the corresponding month last year. Mackerel, notwithstanding the lessened receipts, have sold at some two dollars less than last June. — (Gloucester Telegraph, July 14, 1875.) 1875. — Small bay fleet. The Gloucester bay fleet will be smaller this season than for many- years. — (Gloucester Telegraph, July 21, 1875.) 1875. — Scarcity of mackerel off shore — big fleet on George's. The schooner " Mary B. Tower," from George's Bank, arrived at Bos- ton 28th ultimo, after an absence of thirty weeks, with 140 barrels of mackerel. She reports fish very scarce. Severel vessals had been out a month without taking anything worth reporting. Many of the ves- sels which had been cruising off the coast of Maine, finding no fish, -put off for the Banks. There were about 200 sail on George's on the 27tbi ultimo. — (Gloucester Telegraph, August 4, 1875.) REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [330] 1875. — First arrival from the bay. One arrival has been reported from the Bay of Saint Lawrence the past week, the first of the season, with 241 barrels. — (Gloucester Tele- graph, September 1, 1875.) 1875. — Scarcity of mackerel in the bay. — the fleet at the magdalbns. The Prince Edward Island Times reports no great catches of mack- erel this season about the island. The catch will not be above two- thirds of that of last year, but of superior quality. Eeports from all ^quarters speak of a small catch. — {lb.) But few mackerel are taken. Nothing has been done at Bay Ohaleur or Gaspe. The American fleet iu the bay almost wholly surround Mag- dalen Islands. — (Gloucester Telegraph, September 16, 1875.) 1875. — Arrival of the shore fleet. — small number of arri- vals FROM THE BAY. The mackerel fleet have mostly arrived from the eastern coast — 56 having been reported last week — and are now engaged upon the Cape Cod shore, meeting with moderate success in the capture of small mackerel. One arrival has been reported from Bay Saint Lawrence, making three bay arrivals this season, against 31 arrivals up to Octo- ber 1 last year. The mackerel fleet were reported off Plymouth on Sat- urday, and on Sunday there were 100 sail on Middle Bank, apparently doing well. — (Gloucester Telegraph, October 6, 1875. . 1875. — Mackerel passing cape cod. — a good haul. On Tuesday, the 5th instant, immense shoals of mackerel were seen passing down by Highland Light (Cape Cod), and were even so near shore that a stone might have been thrown among them from the beach. The schooner "Nellie T. Campbell" threw her seine around a school and scooped up many more barrels than she could handle, and after filling her decks full signaled to another vessel to come and take what remained in the net. — (Gloucester Telegraph, October 20, 1875.) 1875. — A BIO HAUL AT NEWPORT. A school of large mackerel were reported off Newport last week, and 125,000 in number, large ones, were seined on Tuesday. — (Gloucester Telegraph, November 3, 1875.) 1875. — HlOH PRICE OF BAY MACKEREL. At Newburyport last week bay mackerel were sold from $24 to $26 per barrel for choice mess; $17.50 to $18 for No. I's ; $14 to $16 for 2's, and $9, $11, and $14 for No. 3's.— (J6.) [331] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. 1870 TO 1876, INCLUSIVE. — THE MACKEREL FISHERIES OF PROVINCE- TOWN, MASS. "Going back to 1870, we had that year 41 vessels engaged in n)ack- erel fisning, not one of which went into the Gulf. They all iished on our coast. The aggregate quantity of mackerel which they all jiacked was 37,552 barrels. In 1871 we had still 41 vessels, which still continued to fish on our coast, having done i^retty well there the year before. None went to the Gulf. The aggregate catch which these vessels packed amounted to 24,918 barrels. In 1872 we had 3(> vessels, of which 3 went to the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, leaving 33 fishing on our own coast. These 30 vessels packed out 16,303 barrels, and the 3 vessels which went to the Gulf packed out 785 barrels, making an average per vessel of 261f barrels.. "In 1873, when the Washington treaty went into elfect, as we in- tended going to the bay, having now no fear of the cutters, we enlarged our bay fleet, and so 6 went there that year instead of 3. Two of these 6, or one-third of them, were lost in the gale in which so many vessels were lost. The vessels lost were the schooner " Helen M. Woodward," off the Magdalen Islands — the vessel was a total loss — and the "Carrie P. Kich," oif North Cape, Prince Edward Island; vessel and crew total loss. "The latter went -to the bay early in tlie year, and she had shipped some mackerel home before the gale took place. She was lost, with all she had on board. The whole catch of these six vessels that year was 845 barrels. In 1873 we had 38 vessels, and their total catch was 15,772 barrels, including the 845 barrels mentioned. In 1874 we had 35 ves- sels engaged in the mackerel fishery, and they packed out 23,098 bar- rels. Three vessels went to the Gulf, bringing home 590 barrels, which are included in the total catch of the 35 vessels, 23,098. In 1875 we had 37 vessels, which packed out 10,613 barrels. Two of them went to the Gulf, and they brought home 270 barrels, which are included in the gross amount stated. , " In 1876 we had 32 vessels, whose total catch was 16,150 barrels. Two of them went to the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, bringing home 202 barrels, which are included in the 16,150. These totals make a grand total of 144,406 barrels, of which 2,692 were caught in the Gulf of Saint Law- rence in 16 voyages during the several years I have named. The aver- age catch of these vessels since 1872, and since the fishery clause of the Washington treaty went into effect, was 146^- barrels per vessel, and prior to that the average was 261^ barrels per vessel, in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence." — (Statement of Captain Atwood before the Halifax Commission.) 1876. — The southern fleet. About 90 Gloucester and Cape Cod schooners, employed in the mack- erel fishery, were reported off Lewes, Del., on Thursday of Last week. — v(Cape Ann Advertiser, May 12, 1876.) eeport of commissioner of fish and fisheries [332][ 1876. — First American vessels in the bay. — failure of spring mackerel at the magdalens. The first American mackerelmen in the bay arrived at Port Mulgrave [Oanso] on the 13th instant. The first Gloucester schooner in the bay^ the General Grant, arrived the next day. Advices from Magdalen Islands on Monday report net macterel fish- ing a failure. — (Cape Ann Advertiser, June 23, 1876.) 1876. — A SCHOOL OP MACKEREL IN THE EEL GRASS. A school of mackerel became entangled in the eel grass in Ohauncy's Creek, near Portsmouth, the other day, and about 30 barrels were taken by hand. — (Cape Ann Advertiser, July 4, 1876.) SUCCESS OF A GLOUCESTER SCHOONER IN THE MACKEREL FISHERY. Schooner "Argonaut," Capt. E. A, Horton, landed from May 15 to July 21, 1876, 825 barrels of mackerel. — (Cape Ann Advertiser, July 21,, 1876.) 1876. — Extinction of the hingham mackerel fishery. Mackerel fishery at Hingham, Mass., once gave employment to 65 vessels ; now extinct. — (Cape Ann Advertiser, January 28, 1876.) 1876. — Mackerel fishery in Massachusetts bay. The Swampscott shore fleet, uj) to the 5th of June, was said to have had success. The best day's catch landed was 1,000 barrels ; this amount of course refers to the catch of the whole fleet. 1876. — The mackerel fishery in the gulf of saint lawrence. The first American mackerel vessels arrived at Port Mulgrave June 13, 1876; one from Boston, and one from Booth Bay. The first Glou- cester vessel arrived on the 14th. A fair catch of mackerel was reported at Canso ; on the 16th of June mackerel were reported on both sides of the Gulf. 1876. — The southern mackerel fleet. The Cape Ann Advertiser of June 19, 1876, remarks: "The southern mackerel fleet have met with good success of late, and a large fleet have arrived the present week, bringing fares of 200 to 400 barrels. There has been a reduction in price." 1876. — The gulf mackerel fishery. The Halifax Chronicle states that in 1874 there were 74 vessels en gaged in the mackerel fishery from that city. [333] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. In the Gulf of Saiut Lawrence, in 1876, the schooner " Samuel Davis," of Halifax, was high line, having landed 282 barrels of sea-packed mack- erel. 187G. — The spring mackerel fishery. Thirteen vessels of the Gloucester fleet were at Lewes, Del., April 22. At the same place, May 4, there were 90 vessels from Cape Cod and Gloucester. The Cape Ann Advertiser, of May 19, announced that the earliest sales, amountino- to about 400 barrels, brought $4 a barrel in New York; the catch so far having been very light. 1876. — Fall mackerel fishery. Eleven hundred and eighty-live barrels of mackerel were landed at Boston September 25 ; 700 barrels September 27 5 1,200 barrels Septem- ber 29. They were chiefly taken off Minot's Ledge, and sold at 12 to 14 cents for large, 3 to 4 cents for clinchers, and 1^ cents for blunts. An enormous school a mile long and half a mile wide was struck by fishing boats off New London, October 30, and though many of the nets had to be cut, because of the excessive weight of fish, 300,000 fish, worth $10,000, were taken. A gang from Wilcox's fish- works at Quiambog surrounded off Watch Hill, September 29, what they supposed to be a large school of men- haden. When the net was hauled they proved to be mackerel ; 120,000 of them were No. I's ; they weighed from 1^ pounds to 3 pounds each, and, at 5 cents apiece, were worth over $5,000. — (Cape Ann Advertiser, October 6, 1876.) Smith & Horton, of Bastham, caught about 2,000 barrels of mackerel in their weirs Friday, November 3. They were large fish. One hun- dred and twenty-five cart-loads were taken out, still leaving many more to be secured. — (Cape Ann Advertiser, November 10, 1876.) Mackerel plenty November 13-14 at Vineyard Haven. Small boats have been catching them for two or three days. — (Cape Ann Advertiser, November 17, 1876.) 1876. — Big trips of new England vessels. Schooner "Daniel Marcy," Capt. Abraham Cahoon, jr., of Harwich, ar- rived at Portsmouth 1st September, 1876, with 410 barrels mackerel, making total catch for the season 1,500 barrels. Captain C. claims to have been high line for 15 years. Schooner " Alice," of Swan's Island, packed out 2,700 barrels of mack- erel this year, and made another haul of 300 barrels, giving her a catch of 3,000 barrels for the season. She claims to have beaten the " Mary Odell," of Gloucester, and to stand high line in the New England fleet. Schooner "Eebecca M. Atwood," of Portland, has landed over 2,600 barrels at her home port this season. Schooner "Mary Odell," Capt. Geo. McLean, made a large haul of fat mackerel in Barnstable Bay last week, taking from her seine 300 bar- REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [334] Teis, which were all that her crew could handle, besides giving away 110 barrels to the crew of a Boston schooner, and losing several hun- dred barrels through a break in the seine. She had already landed 2,200 barrels, stocking'l 11,000 net (the crew sharing $436.90 each), up to September 22, and the next week landed two fares, one of 200 or 300 barrels; during the past week she has laade two trips into Boston. Her stock for the season is probably double that of tRe schooner ''Alice." — (Cape Ann Advertiser, October 6, 1876,) 1877. — The spring fishery. — arrivals of fresh mackerel in NEW YORK. The early arrivals at New York the middle of last week landed good fares, and prices were good considering the almost simultaneous arri- vals of nine vessels on Thursday and Friday. The schooner "Mary Odell" was the first to arrive, followed closely by the schooner "Seth Stockbridge" with 35,000 mackerel in number. The schooner "Mada- waska Maid " came next with 180 barrels, and the rest of the fleet had from 100 to 150 barrels each. The market opened with sales of large mackerel at 12 to 15 cents, but soon fell to 10 cents for extra large, 8 cents for large, 5 cents for tinkers, and 3J cents for flinks. — (Cape Ann Advertiser, May 4, 1877.) 1877. — A NOVA SCOTIA SCHOONER BOUND SOUTH FOR MACKEREL. — THE TABLES TURNED. Now that our Bay of Saint Lawrence fleet has dwindled to compara- tive insignificance, and no longer throw the bait that keep the waters swarming with mackerel, it looks as if the Nova Scotia fishermen would have to resort to American waters for a catch. One provincial vessel was in port a few weeks since bound south in pursuit of mackerel. — (Cape Ann Advertiser, May 25, 1877.) 1877. — A GOOD CATCH IN NOVA SCOTIA WEIRS. A good mackerel catch is rei)orted along the western shore of Shel- burne County, N. S. Some traps have taken over 1,000 barrels, and all others are doing well. — (Cape Ann Advertiser, June 29, 1877.) 1877. — A LUCKY HAUL AT FrOVINCETOWN. The keeper of Wood End Light, with the assistance of his wife, seined 4,500 mackerel the other day, which sold for $150. — (/&.) 1877. — A LARGE CATCH IN A CAPE COD WEI. The Yarmouth Herald reports that upwards of 1,400 barrels of mack- erel have been taken from the Sandford fish-trap this season ; value not far from $7,000.— (Cape Ann Advertiser. July 20, 1877.) [335] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. 1877. — Doings of the shore fleet. — small catch. The Boston Fish Bureau reports the catch of the shore fleet to Au- gust 1 at 34,657 barrels, against 113,246 barrels at the same time last year. The July catch was 6,614 barrels, against 81,103 in July, 1876. The reports from the fleet continue unfavorable, nothing being done except in the neighborhood of Block Island. The vessels there are re- ported with fares ranging from 25 to 160 barrels each. The schooner "Alice," of Boston, arrived at that port Wednesday, with 170 barrels large mackerel, caught off Block Island, the result of four weeks' fislhing. — (Cape Ann Advertiser, August 3, 1877.) 1877. — A BIG CATCH OF MACKEREL ON THE NOVA SCOTIA SHORE. The Halifax Herald reports a mackerel strike in the vicinity of that city. At Tom's Bay the boats landed over 300 barrels, which will aver- age No. 2. At Upper Prospect the catch averaged from 30 to 300 bar- rels to a seine, over 1,000 barrels being taken the first day after the fish struck in. The reports from all the coves in the vicinity were en- couraging. — (Cape Ann Advertiser, August 17, 1877.) 1877. — Small catches of the mackerelmen. The prospects of the mackerel fleet do not brighten. Out of 18 ar- rivals from ofi' shore the past week the only fares worth mentioning are 125 barrels in the "Argonaut," caught off Block Island, and 75 barrels in the " Volunteer," the rest of the fleet realizing less on a two or three weeks' trip than isoftentheresult of a half hour's good fishing. The news from the bay is not of an encouraging character. There have been six arrivals at this port to date this season, with an average of about 200 barrels each, which does not give the prospect for the rest of the fleet a flattering aspect. — (Cape Ann Advertiser, August 31, 1877.) 1877. — Failure of the bay mackerel fishery. — the fare of THE high line OF THE BAY FLEET COST MORE THAN IT CAME TO. Kecent arrivals from the Bay of Saint Lawrence report the mackerel fishery a failure there, as well as on our own shores, and some of the vessels had not seen a mackerel for a fortnight before leaving the bay. The vessels already arrived, representing the portion of the fleet meet- ing with the best success, report an average catch of 183 barrels, which would not be more than half a fare in ordinary seasons, and will not pay the expenses of the voyage, even at the present high prices. Un- less the majority of the fleet still remaining in the bay find better fish- ing this month, which is not deemed probable, most of the vessels will be obliged to return empty, and the mackerel fishery will prove a lamentable failure this season. The masters of the vessels returning from the Bay of Saint Lawrence agree in the opinion that the mackerel have left the bay. and that the REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [336] fall fishery will be a failure. The schooner " Cayenne " is high line of the fleet, and of her fare of 320 barrels sea-packed mackerel, only 45 bar- rels were caught within t'he three-mile limits. The vessel was chartered, and for two months the charter ^as $450 ; the use of seines and boats was $300 more, and the outfit of provisions; &c., $450 ; the crew were on shares, but, at the rates paid those hired by the month, their wages would amount to $960; to this add the captain's wages, $150; insur- ance on seines and boats, $30; salt used, $140; bait, $162.50; and ex- penses of barrels, packing, &c., $525, and we have a total expense of $3,117.50. The fare packed out 300 barrels, which sold for $2,845, leaving a net loss on the trip of $272.50. With such a record for the high line it will be readily seen that the failure of the majority of the fleet to secure fares will entail a serious loss upon this industry. — (Cape Ann Advertiser, September 7, 1877.) 1877. — Slim doings of the mackerel fleet. — the high liners. The shore mackereling fleet continue in the neighborhood of Cape Cod, meeting with indifferent success, and it becomes more and more apparent that the mackerel stock for 1877 will be the smallest known for years. Scarcely a vessel employed in this business will pay expenses. * * * The schooner "Alice," of Swan's Island, is high line of the mackerel fleet, having caught rising 1,400 barrels this season. The new schooner "William M. Gaflney" has made the best stock, her catch having realized about $10,000 since she came from the stocks, April j^g^ * * * The bay fleet report no catch of consequence since the sale a month ago. The prospect is that many of the vessels will be compelled to come home with very light fares. — (Cape Ann Advertiser, October 26, 1877.) 1877. — Unprofitableness of the mace:erel fishery in the gulp of saint lawrence from 1873 to 1877. The Bay of Saint Lawrence mackerel fishery to the G-loucester fleet has been a growing failure for many years, both in the number of ves- sels prosecuting it and in their catch. Excej^tional trips have been made at a profit, yet the average vessel has prosecuted it yearly with consid- erable loss. In proof of which, take an average bayman for an average season's fishing. Her expense account will average at least $2,600 (without charging interest on vessel and outfits, or for depreciation on hull, or any partial loss not covered by insurance). She must catch 400 barrels of packed mackerel, worth an average price of $13 i>er barrel, to pay her expenses. Any less number of barrels than 400 would only lessen the amount of her bills by the salt not used. The packing of a less num- ber of barrels and the master's commission on decreased amount of stock, the wear of the sails, rigging, cables, &c., would be the same; the crew must be fed ; the bait would be used in trying for fish ; so that any one [337] HISTORY OF THE MACKEEEL FISHERY. can estimate the loss to au average vessel whose catch or its value varies from the above estimate. Of 19 firms, including those that have been most successi'ul in the Bay of Saint Lawrence mackerel fishery, with 81 vessels employed hi that fishery in 1873, their average catch was 283 bnrrels to each vessel. In 1871, with 46 vessels, 358 barrels was the average ; in 1875, with 20 ves- sels, 195 barrels was the average ; in 1876, with 17 vessels, 124 barrels was the average; in 1877, induced by the encouraging reports sent from the Straits of Canso and other places, the fleet to the bay from the same firms was increased to 28 vessels, with still more disastrous results, the catch of those that have arrived or been heard from being far below that of last year, proving now to a certainty that the prosecution of the mackerel fishery in the Gulf of Saiut Lawrence by American vessels is a complete and utter failure. The same firms, during the above years, with 55 vessels employed on the American shore, in 1873 averaged a catch of 350 packed barrels of mackerel each ; in 1874, 63 vessels averaged 554 barrels ; in 1875, 54 ves- sels averaged 381 barrels ; in 1876, 57 vessels averaged 674 barrels. — (Cape Ann Advertiser, November 2, 1877.) 1877. — Large schools of mackerel seen off the new England COAST. The largest school Captain Harding ever surrounded and kept with his seine amounted to 300 barrels. In 1877 he lost a school off York, Me., which filled his net full. He saw a school oft' Block Island in 1877 which he estimated to contain 1,000,000 barrels. He could see onlj' one edge of it at a time. 1877. — Mackerel fishery in cape cod bay. Mackerel struck last week in unusual abundance. The like has not been known for years. The day will be remembered as "mackerel day" for a good many years. — (Provincetovvn Banner, July 18, 1877.) 1878.-^Mackerel fishery of new England. Mackerel fishery''. — The Bay of Saint Lawrence n^ackerel fishery by the American fleet opened last year June 7, when the first vessel ar- rived, and closed November 30, when the last vessel sailed for hone. The whole number of vessels in the bay was 273, of which 125 or 42f per cent, were from Gloucester. Wellfleet sent 29; Portland 15; Bos- ton 24; Booth Bay 12; Newburyport 10; Swan's Island 8; Province- town 8; Eockport, Deer Isle, North Haven, Southport, and Bremen, 5 each; Camden and Cohasset, 3 each; Salem, Eockland, and Dennis Port, 2 each; Dauversport, Essex, Harwich, Brooklin, Orleans, Truro, Belfast, Sedgwick, Hingham, Swampscott, Portsmouth, Viualhaven, New London, Bristol, and Perth Amboy, 1 each. Of the Gloucester fleet, 118 vessels are reported to have taken 28,847 barrels. Of these EEPOET OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [')38] 8,735 barrels, of a value of $30,725, were caught within the three-mile line. Taking this as a basis, and the American catch in the bay last year was 06,749 barrels of mackerel, of which 20,202 barrels, of a value of $84,848, were taken within the three-mile line, for which latter priv- ilege we have paid $450,000 in cash (without including interest), and probably as much more in remission of duties. — ( Provincetown Banner, January 30, 1879.) 1878.— Notes on the mackerel fishery. The southern mackerel fishery. — The fish dealers of Boston are exercised over the early catch of mackerel, which they think diminishes the later supply and aftects the market unfavorably. It would be diffi- cult to prove that the catch or market are iniiuenced either by the early fishery, or by the use of seines, as many contend. The demand for the first fresh mackerel of the season gives the business promise of success, and the quantity j)acked is not likely to interfere with the sale of the small stock of better quality fish remaining on the market from last year's catch. The Southern mackerel fishery will be followed by the usual fleet as the season advances. Quite a number of vessels are fit- ting away, and the "Moses Adams," Captain Jacobs, the pioneer of the fleet, sailed for the South Saturday. Schooners "Seth Stockbridge," "Crest of the Wave," "Smuggler," "Ada E. Terry," "Lizzie," and "Na- mari," have sailed the present week. Others are busy fitting out. The- fleet will comprise some 60 sail. The first southern mackerel caught last year was by the schooner "Seth Stockbridge," Capt. James Anderson, who arrived in i^ew York, April 25, with 35,000 in number. The mild winter gives promise that the first catch this year will be somewhat earlier. — (Cape Ann Bulletin, March 20, 1878.) 1878. — Arrival of mackerel on georoe's bank. Mackerel appeared on George's Bank about the 1st of June. The Cape Ann Advertiser of June 7 states that twelve barrels caught there were received at Edgartown the previous week. 1878.— Spring mackerel fishery. There were about one hundred and fifty sail of mackerel catchers at Newport on Thursday week, and the "high line" was 150 barrels. — {Cape Ann Advertiser, May JO, 1878.) 1878. — The earliest catch of mackerel. The schooner " Lilian," of Noank, Captain Latham, took 40 barrels small and lar'ge mackerel oft' Chincoteague March 30. This was the first catch of the season and the earliest ever known on our own coast, ex- cept in 1831. [339] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. 1879. — Fall, fishery of cafe cod bay. Mackerel were abundant in Pro vincetown Harbor on November 22, 1879; one boat caugbt 1,400 in set-nets. — (J. H. Blake, Cambridge, Mass.) 1879. — Shore fishery in cape cod bay. A large school of mackerel came into our bay last week, and many of the vessels get good hauls with their seines, from 120 to 100 barrels; besides that, some of the hook fishermen got from 10 to 30 barrels. They were caught along the Plymouth shore, and from that northward close in to the land. For some days past the wind has been blowing too strong for fishing. A few mackerel are being taken here in gill-nets by our shore fishermen. Some of the fishermen that set bluefish nets got from 60 to 90 large fat bluefish to a man. — (Letter of N. E. Atwood, October 27, 1879.) Notes on the shore mackerel fishery of 1878. The first maclcerel of the season.- — Three weelcs earlier than last year. — The schooner "Lillian" arrived at Lewes on Friday, from a southern mackerel cruise, with ten barrels of fresh mackerel, the first of the sea- son. They found a ready sale at 20 cents each for large, 15 cents for medium, and 10 cents for tinkers. The first arrival last year was the schooner " Seth Stockbridge" of this port, April 25, with 35,000 in num- ber. The "Lillian" belongs in Noank, Conn., a small port near New Lon- don, and sailed March 12th. She reports seeing a good many tinkers, but there was a rough sea and high winds at the time. The mackerel caught by the "Lillian" were mostly small and were sent to New York from Lewes, Del., by steamer, in water. There have been no other re- ceipts at New York or elsewhere so far as reported. — (Cape Ann Bulle- tin, April 6. 1878.) The mackerel fishery. — The early appearance of mackerel this season, and the fact that they are already of quite good size and quality, give promise of a successful shore catch, but it is already evident that l^rices haust rule low in order to compete with the present low prices of all sorts of provisions. Last year the first receipts of fresh mackerel were April 25, and the first receipts of salt mackerel May 4. This year there were fresh mackerel on the New York market April 5, a few being taken off the Delaware coast and forwarded by steamer, and*the first fare received arrived on the 12th, quickly followed by others, so that within a day or two tliere were two thousand "wash-barrels" on the market. The first receipt of new salt mackerel this season was April 22d, and during the [last] week 500 barrels were landed at New York, 450 at Har- wich, and about 25 at Boston. — (Cape Ann Advertiser, May 3, 1878.) New fishing enterprise. — The schooner "Notice," of this port, owned in part and commanded by Cax)t. Kuud Markurson, cleared on EEPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [340] Monday for an experimental fisbinj? trii) on the coast of Norway. Cap- tain Markurson is familiar with the iishing grounds of the North Sea and with our improved methods of mjickerel fishing, which ought to give him success in a field where the operations have heretofore been confined to old-time methods. He tabes out a crew of twelve experienced men and will doubtless dispose of his catch in European markets. The " Notice" is a fine vessel of 66.50 tons burden, Gloucester built, nine years old, and thoroughly fitted for mackereling. This voyage is the fulfillment of an old project, which was first broached eighteen years ago, when the mack- erel fishery of New England was at a low ebb, but Captain Markurson is the first to overcome the dilficulties surrounding such an undertaking and to make the venture. The present time seems a favorable one for the experiment, and we wish the enterprising master and crew abund- ant success in striking out in this new field of industry. — Ca^pe Ann Advertiser. — (St. John's Chronicle, May 17, 1878.) ]MlGEATIO]MS. — THE PROSPECT OF MACKEREL IN THE BAY. — A gen- tleman from Halifax informs us that a pilot of twenty-five years' expe- rience on the Nova Scotian shore, states that he never saw such a large body of mackerel off that coast as he has seen tliis season. They were en route for the bay, and there ought to be a good catch there this season. — (Cape Ann Advertiser, June 21, 1878.) The bat fleet. — The first installment of the Bay of Saint Law- rence fleet have about com[)leted their preparations, and quite a number of the fleet have already sailed. The prospect for mackerel in this re- gion is said to be much better than in the last few years, a large body being reported as passing Nova Scotia on their way thither. The fleet will go prepared to fish with either seines or hand-lines, and it is hoped that their efforts to secure large fares will prove successful. — (Cape Ann Bulletin, June 26, 1878.) 1878. — Notes on the mackerel fisheries in the gulf of saint lawrence, and off j-he new england coast. Late advices from the bay report schooner " Jacob Bacon" high line of the fleet, 225 barrels mackerel, schooner "Eatler" coming next with 125 barrels, and a few other fares ranging from 40 to 80 barrels. The " Charles Haf^kell" left the bay after three (lays' unsuccessful fishing, and ]iicked up a fare of 100 barrels shore tinkers on the way home, where she arrived Monday. The "C. B. Manning" arrived from a shore trip Tuesday with 80 barrels of inferior quality. Schooner "Smuggler" ar- rived yesterday with 130 barrels small mackerel. The only large mack- erel landed here were taken by schooner " Mary Odell " a few days ago, on the Block Island fishing grounds. She brought in a fare of 25 barrels mixed mackerel, of which 15 barrels were extra I's, and sold at a fancy price. The whole number of mackerel arrivals for the week has been 9, but there have been no other fares of consequence. — (Cajje Ann Ad- vertiser, July 19, 1878.) [341] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. The bay fleet.— ,pChe scbooner ''jacob Bacon" of this port, Caj^t. Williaiii Gray, employed in tbe Bay of Saint Lawrence mackerel iisliery, has shipi>ed home by steamer to Boston, from Port Hawlcesbury, 222 barrels good mackereJ. A few otlier vessels are lejDorted with fares from 200 to 300 barrels, of good qnality, and the prospect is considered more favorable than heretofore this season. — (Gape Ann Advertiser, July 26, 1S78.) Schooner "Golden Hind" arrived from a Bay Saint Lawrence trip oa Wednesday, being the second arrival of the season, but there are oth- ers on the way, to arrive in a day or two, The later reports from the bay indicate an improvement in quality and catch, and it is not too late to hope for profitable returns before the season closes. The weather has been rough of late, and unfavorable for fishing, but some good fares are reported. The " Golden Hind " brought 280 barrels mackerel, 100 barrels • of which were taken at one haul of the seine off North Cape. The shore mackerel fleet continne to meet with ill success, and there is little hope for imj^rovement until the mackerel turn southward in the fall. The number of arrivals the past week has been 12 and the receipts some 500 barrels. There is a fair stock on the market, but the call for inferior grades is light. 1878. — Movements of the fishi^tg- fleet. Schooner " Da\id F. Low," Captain Chisholm, arrived home fiova the Bay of Saint Lawrence on Wednesday, with a fare of 200 barrels good . mackerel, being the first arrival and first receipts of bay mackerel at this port this season. Two other vessels fitted for the bay arrived home before tl^e " Low," but neither of them stopped to make a trip, although one secured 19 barrels before leaving to make up a fare of shore mackerel on the way home. One fare of bay mackerel was re- ceived at Boston, last week, by steamer, sent home by schooner "Jacob Bacon," and sold without culling or packing, averaging about 187 pounds to the sea barrel, at $9 per barrel, which would be equivalent to about $11 packed. The first arrival at this port from the bay, last year, was tbe schooner "Eastern Queen," August 15. The shore mackerel fleet have abandoned the Block Island grounds, having made a much smaller catch there than last year. There v.ere some sixty sail engaged in the business, and most of them secured from 3 to 20 barrels of extra large mackerel, which brought about $26 the barrel. The fleet continue to bring in moderate fares of tinker mack- erel, and there are about 1,000 barrels on the market, for which there is little demand. ITumber of shore arrivals the past week, 12 ; receipts, 1,550 barrels. — (Cape Ann Advertiser, August 2, 1878.) The arrivals for (he past week have given a njore hopeful aspect to the fishing outlook, and our wharves have presented the busy ap- pearance which characterized them in more prosperous season. The arrivals have not been numerous, numbering 56 in all, but some f EEPOET OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [342] very j^^ood fares Lave been landed iu the several departments of fishing followed by Gloncester vessels. The receij^ts of bay mack- erel, 1,400 barrels, fill a want that has long been felt, and indicate a much better j)rospect for successful ventures in this line than was antici- pated a few weeks ago. There have been 5 bay arrivals, the schooner '•Eileu M. Adams" being high line, with rising 400 barrels of good qual- ity, and the ' ■ Ealph E. Eaton " coming next about 300 barrels. The shore fleet continue to report a scarcity of large mackerel, though a few 2's and and large 3's, are culled from most of the trips. The number of arrivals for the week has been 6, and the receipts about COO barrels. Schooner "Joseph Garland" brought in a tare of 240 barrels, the "Fleetwing" 190, the other fares being in moderate amounts. — (Cape Ann Advertiser, Au- gust IG, 1878.) Fish of all kinds have been in fair receipt the past week, but the market continues firm except in mackerel, which are somewhat unset- tled, though *no concessions have been made from the inside rates quoted last week. The receipt of 12,000 barrels Provincial-canght mackerel at Boston last week went far to supply present demands, but there is no considerable accumulation of stock on this market. The number of bay arrivals for the week has been 9, bringing 2,800 barrels, and 624 barrels have been received by freighters. Shore arrivals 6, with a catch of G50 barrels.^ — (Cape Ann Advertiser, August 30, 1878.) 1878.— Small catches of mackerel at block island and in the gulf of saint lawrence. The jmackerel fishery. — A large mackerel fleet, including a num- ber of Gloucester vessels, put into Newport harbor oi* Saturday, and report the catch of mackerel very light, in some instances scarcelj^ suffi- cient to feed the crew. The fleet sailed again on Monday. There is no news of especial encouragement from the bay fleet. Mackerel i)ut in an appearance there several weeks earlier than usual, and the boat and net fishermen met with good success for awhile, but the capricious fish seem to have abandoned their old haunts before the arrival of the American fleet. — (Cape Ann Advertiser, June 28, 1878.) 1878. — First arrival of mackekel in boston. Schooner "Ellen M. Adams," of the southern mackerel fleet, arrived in Boston yesterday' afternoon with 70 barrels of mackerel, which is the first arrival of the season at that port. — (Cape Ann Bulletin, Wednes- day, April 24, 1878.) 1878. — First arrival of mackerel at Gloucester. The schooner "Marion Grimes" arrived home from a southern mack- erel-trip, on Wednesday, with about 250 barrels of mackerel, being the first of the fleet to arrive at this port. Her catch was of good quality, [343] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. running nearh^ all large 3's, and was sold immediately upon her arrival at $5.o0 per barrel, with barrel, out of pickle. — (Cape Aun Advertiser, May 10, 1878.) 3878. — First pare op presh mackerel at Portland por the SEASON. The first fare of fresh mackerel at Portland, 60 barrels, received last week, retailed at Scents i)er dozen. — (Cape Ann Advertiser, June 7, 1878.) 1878. — The mackerel pishery in the gulf op saint lawrence. The bay mackerel fleet. — Our correspondent at Port Mulgrave writes as follows under date ot last Saturday : We have had very stormj' weather of late in the North Bay, and the mackerel fleet has done nothing since the 15th. Late arrivals report the prospect good with the hook, but the mackerel do not school lately. The arrivals at the several stopping places hereabouts, since the 15th, have been as follows : Gloucester— '-Bloomei;^^ 70 barrels; '^Cora E. Smith," 250; "Choco- rua,"l'o5; "Commonwealth," 430 ; "Jacob Bacon," 278. Boston—'' M. B. Tower," 400. WcUfleet—'' Gertvnde Summers," 345 ; " Merrimac," 307 ; "Nellie M. Snow," 365; "Sarah E. Smith," 30G. Harwich — "Nettie Moore," second trip. Cohasset—'' Katie Hall," 300. Siccm's l6'/aHrf— "Augusta E. Herrick," 478; "Alice," 715; "Queen of the West," 270. Boothhmj—^' Alice C. Fox," 275 ; "E. K. Dresser," 320. Portland — " Yenelia," 336. — (Cape Ann Advertiser, August 30, 1878.) 1878. — Eeview of the mackerel fishery of the gulp of saint lawrence. The Cape Ann Advertiser gives the following review of the Bay of Saint Lawrence mackerel fishery during 1878: The Bay of Saint Lawrence mackerel fishery by the American fleet, last .year, opened June 7, when the first vessel arrived, and closed No- vember 30, when the last of the fleet sailed for home. The whole number of vessels visiting the bay was 273, of which 125 or 45f per ct nt. were from Gloucester ; Wellfleet sent 29, Portland 15, Boston 14, Booth Bay 12, Newport 10, Swan's Island 8, Provincetown 8, Eockport, Deer Isle, North Haven, Southport, and Bremen 5 each, Camden and Cohasset 3 each, Salem, Eockland, and Dennis Port 2 each, Danversport, Harwich, Essex, Brooklyn, Orleans, Truro, Belfast, Sedgwick, Hingham, Swamp- scott, Portsmouth, Vinalhaven, New London, Bristol, and Perth Araboy 1 each. Of the Gloucester fleet 118 vessels are reported to have taken 28,847 barrels; of these, 8,735 barrels, of a value of $36,725, were caught within the three-mile line. Taking this as a basis, and the American EEPORT OF COMMISSIONER OP FISH AND FISHERIES. [344] catcli iu tlie bay last year was 00,749 barrels of mackerel, of whicli 20,202 barrels, of a value of $84,848, wA^e taken within tlie three-mile liue, for which latter privilege we have paid $450,000 in cash (without including interest) and lu^oiiably as much more iu remission of duties. — (Cape Ann Advertiser, January 40, 1879.) 1878. — Eeview of the new England mackerel fishery. The annual report of the Boston Fish Bureau for 1878 gives the fol- lowiug review of the mackerel fishery for that year: The season opened unusually early. Schooner '' Lillian," sailing March 12, landed the first fresh mackerel iVpril 6, followed a few days later by 50 sail, with from 100 to 150 barrels each of mixed fish of poor quality, the early catch resulting, as usual, in a loss to nearly all as well as an injury to the trade. We hope to see its discontinuance in the future. The catch early gave promise of being larger than for years, \'ery soon fell oif, and was followed with fluctuation and but partial success off our own shores as well as in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, a large fleet going there doing worse than those that remained near home, the fi.sh j^roviug of inferior quality iu either case. The value of the fisheries in English waters to the United States the past season is not far from 0,200 barrels of mackerel of not over |5 a barrel value, the total Bay or Gulf of Saint Lawreuce catch of fish being 62,000 barrels, not over 10 per cent, of which was taken within the three-mile limit. The total Massachusetts catcli was 144,205 barrels, a gain of 39,187 barrels over 1877, the shrink- age in value making the catch no more profitable. Total receipts in Boston in 1878, 143,028 ; in 1877, 142,024. jSTever in the memory of the oldest dealers has the price been as low on inferior grades as this season, while the average pric(^ has not been as low in twenty or more years. Choice mackerel having been scarce all. the season, have sustained a good price, a wide margin from the highest to the lowest ranging from $25 down to $1.50 per barrel. 1879. — Failure of the gulf of saint laweence mackerel fish- eries. Gloucester, Mass., August 19, 1879. Advices from Collector Babso^, who is cruising in the Bay of Saint Lawrence, represent that mackerel fishing in the bay this season is a comjdete failure. Many firms are going out of the business. — (New York Herald, August 19, 1879.) 1879. — Abundance of mackerel off the new England coast, and scarcity in the bay. Bath, Me., August 28, 1879. Dear Sir: It may interest you to know the present couditioi] of the Portland mackerel fisheries, as I learn it from conversation with several of the more prominent dealers of the place. [345] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. They say that mackerel have uot been so plenty off the Maine coast for a number of years. A Large tleet of vessels are fishing between Portland and Mount Desert Island, taking mostly large No. 2's, and all very fat. The vessels "till up" in from ten days to two weeks, some- times bringing in a deck load beside. A good many vessels from dif- ferent parts of the State, and some from Cape Ann, are packing in Porthmd at $1.25 per barrel. All the i)acking houses are kept busy, and it is estimated by Mr. E. G. Willard that they have packed over 7,000 barrels in the three weeks ending August 23. Of these he has bought and shipped over 6,000 barrels to parties in New York. The price for 2's three weeks ago was $o, but under the heavy re- ceipts, prices have gradually fallen, until Saturday they were selling at $4.12i, and Mr. Willard thought that Monday they would reach $4. Vessels fishing in the baj^ have done very poorly, and have mostly returned with " broken trips," or filled nj) on their way home, ofl' this coast. Mr. Charles A. Dyer gives me the following: Schooner "M. E. Torrey" arrived home about August 1 from a mackerel trip in English waters. She was gone five weeks at an expense for outfit of $470. She brought home 200 barrels of fish that sold at $3 per barrel net, of which the crew took one half. This left a loss to the vessel of $170 in money, beside loss of time and general wear. This represents a fair average, he thinks, of vessels in English waters in 1879. During the same time of schooner " M. E. Torrey's" trip the schooner "Alice" landed from American waters 700 barrels of better fish, and stocked $2,500. I know of but one Portland vessel in the bay at the present time, and she has not been heard from since June 25, when she had 20 barrels. Very truly, yours, E. E. EAELL. Prof. Gr. Brown Goode, Uniied States Fish Commission, Provincetown, Mass. 1879. — Mackerel fisheries of the gulf of saint lawrence. The following observations on the mackerel fishery in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence are from the report of Collector F. J. Babson and Alfred D. Foster, esq., who visited the provincial inshore fisheries in the United States steamship " Kearsarge" iii the summer of 1879 : "The principal fishery followed by the American fishermen in the waters of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence is the mackerel fishery. * * * Previous to the reciprocity treaty of 1854 the mackerel fishery was almost wholly in. the hands of the Americans, the provincial tisheruKm confining them- selves entirely to the cod-fishery. This treaty, by opening the markets of the United States to Canadian fish, stimulated this industry, until now Canadian fishermen engage in this fisher^^ on all the coasts of the maritime provinces. The methods of taking mackerel in use by the Canadian and American fishermen difler widely. The Canadians fish EEPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [346] in small boats, going" oat a short distance only from the shore, returning to their homes each night, and using hand lines alone. In Prince Ed- ward Island there were engaged in these fisheries during the year 1878 1,175 boats and only 17 vessels. "Professor Hind, in his confidential report to the Canadian Govern- ment upon the effect of the Washington treaty on Canadian fisheries, speaking of the difference in the modes of fishing used by the Canadians and Americans, says: 'Mackerel catching is a special industry, and re- quires sea-going vessels. The boat equipment so common throughout British- American waters is wholly unsuited to the i)ursuit of the mack- erel so largely carried on by United States fishermen. Immense schools of mackerel are frequently left unmolested in the Gulf and on the coast of Newfoundland, in consequence of the fishermen being unprovided with suitable vessels and fishing gear.' * * * '' The size, quality, and number of mackerel in the Gulf vary ex- ceedingly in different years, sometimes being a mixed quality of large and small, and at other seasons being very poor and of little value. During the present season the mackerel taken in the Gulf have been smaller and poorer than ever before, and will hardly pay even the Cana- dians themselves for taking them. At Prince Edward Island mack- erel can be bought for about $1 a barrel unpacked, while packed, salted, and delivered in Boston they cannot be sold for more than $3, and the dealers there have refused to advance more than $2 upon the mackerel consigned to them. Indeed, the managers of some of the largest fishing establishments upon the island have this summer given up the mackerel fishery and turned their attention entirely to catching cod for the West India market, considering that after paying the expense of packing and transporting the mackerel there was no margin left for any profit. "The number of American vessels in the Gulf varies very much each year. There have been seasons previous to the treaty of Washington when as many as 500 vessels were in the Gulf at one time, but since the treaty has been in operation the number has greatly diminished. By the official record kept by the collector of customs at Port Mulgrave in the Gut of Canso, there appear to have been in the Gulf in 1873, 251 ves- sels; 1874, 164 vessels. This record for the years 1875 and 1876 was de- manded by the counsel of the LTuited States at the Halifax Commission, but was refused by the British counsel, although it was admitted that the records were in their x>ossession. The evidence jjroduced by the United Sta,tes shows that during those years there were not more than 100 vessels in the Gulf. There were in 1877, 60 vessels; 1878, 273 vessels; 1879, 44 vessels. " Of the vessels in the Gulf in 1879, 24 are reported as having obtained 7,045 barrels, an average of 293 barrels each, which would make for the whole fleet, 13,905 barrels taken by American vessels in the Gulf in this year. If one-half of the fish were caught within three miles of the shore, which is a very large estimate, the value of the Canadian inshore [347] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY, mackerel fishery to the United States in 1879 was only $G,8G0 — this is cal- culating the value of the fish at the price for which it can be purchased unpacked in Prince Edward Island, and making" no allowance for the expense of catching the mackerel. In 1878 more American vessels went to the Gulf than any year since the treaty has been in operation. Early, in the season the fishing was poor upon the United States coast, and many vessels went to the Gulf in hope that they would find the mackerel there, but most of them returned at once and did much better on the American shore. The whole American catch in the Gulf, in 1878, was only 61,923 barrels, while 134,545 barrels were taken on our own coast. Every vessel engaged in the Gulf mackerel fishery during the last two years has lost money. * * * "On Friday, August 15, we left Prince Edward Island for the Magda- len Islands, arriving there the evening of the 16th. Under the conven- tion of 1818 the American fishermen have the right to fish on the shores of the Magdalen Islands, without any restriction as to distance. Situ- ated in the center of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, these islands were for- merly the resort of large bodies of mackerel, which remained there aU summer, and until the last few years American vessels found around these islands the best fishing places in the Gulf. "Mr. Fox, the collector and fishery overseer of the Magdalen Islands, testified before the Halifax Commission that in 1861 he counted 500 American schooners engaged in fishing near the islands. Wheu we saw him there, this summer, he informed us he had not seen a single Uni- ted States vessel. In 1877 about 30 vessels fished near the islands; in 1878, only 20, and none of these did well. This year the mackerel catch, at the islands has been a failure; very few have been taken by the in- habitants, and they were all small, not exceeding 13 inches in length. * * * The great dependence of the Canadian fishing industry upon the markets of the United States for the sale of their fish, and the great benefit which they receive from the remission of duties, clearly ajjpear from the returns. Nearly one-half of all the fish exported from Canada goes to the United States, while of mackerel alone nearly four- fifths of the entire exportation is to the United States. In 1877, J 02,698 barrels of mackerel were exported to the United States, and only 28,523 barrels to all other countries. Practically, the United States is the only market for the best qualities of mackerel, and if a i:)rohibitory duty should be imposed, the fishery would be almost abandoned by the Cana- dians. If an average duty of 20 per cent, had been imposed on Cana- dian fish, more than two millions of dollars would have been received by the United States since the treaty of Washington came into force.* 1879. — High line of the mackerel fleet. Schooner "Ada E. Terry," of this port, Capt. Eussell D. Terry, master, has landed this season 4,150 barrels mackerel,, and her net stock is *House Ex. Doc. No. 84, 2d sess. 46tli Congress. EEPOET OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [348] $10,970, sharing $363 to a man, making her high line of the mackerel fleet from New York to New Brunswick. — (Cape Ann Advertiser, De- cember 12, 1879.) 1879. — Eeview of the new England mackerel fishery. In the annual report of the Boston Fish Bureau for 1879 is the follow- ing concerning the mackerel fishery : With few exceptions the spring catch is followed only at a loss, the past season proving no exception. The first to arrive generally realiz- ing a handsome sum, induced the usual number, seventy -five sail, to go south, sailing in March and April. The first to report, schooners "Ellen M. Adams" and " Sarah M. Jacobs," taking 150 and 120 barrels of mixed size and poor quality, on April 13. But a small amount of the spring catch was cured. First fare of salt mackerel landed by schooner '' Cora E. Smith," May 3. As the season advanced and the fish reached our New England coast, finding an abundance of their natural fond, they rapidly improved in condition and remained plenty all the season, and much later than for years past, having been taken as late as December 19. The catch is particularly noticeable for its superior quality, much better than for years, as well as for its uniform size, being mostly 2's and 3's, with very few Vs; and the absence of the very small, or No. 4's, of the two previous years gives promise of a size larger, or at least a fair amount of large fish the coming season. While the early-caught, poor fish realized but $2.50 a barrel, as they improved in quality the demand and price also increased, the average price being $16, $6, and $3.50, for I's, 2's, and 3's. Late in the season our shores were visited by the larg- est mackerel ever seen, of most excellent quality, measuring from 16 to 19^ inches long, weighing from If to 3 pounds each, readily selling from 25 to 30 cents each, and from $35 to $40 per barrel, cured. Our North Bay fieet was, fortunately, very small, only 42 sail from New England, averaging 257 barrels ; aggregate catch 10,796 barrels of small and very inferior fish, one vessel securing but 25 barrels all the season ; while the shore fleet, much smaller than usual, numbering 283 sail, aver- aged 740 barrels ; the average shore catch 209,803 barrels. Total catch of the Massachusetts fleet, 156,125 barrels, against 144,205 barrels in 1878. As to the relative value of the mackerel fishery off the New Eng- land coast as compared to those in provincial waters, it will be noticed our catch began in Aj)ril, ending the middle of December, three-fourths of a year. It is now in contemplation sending vessels south to i>rosecute this branch the remaining three months, making our catch i)erennial, while the provincial catch, with favorable weather, lasts about four months. [The receipts of fresh mackerel in Boston in 1879 were 1 1,724,943 fish in number. This is in addition to the receipts of salt mackerel.] 1880. — The southern mackerel fishery. — early catches. — the fleet for 1880. The tendency in the mackerel fishery is to earlier trips from year to year, the use of seines enabling the fishermen to secure a catch as soon [349] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. as mackerel put in an appcaiancie and before tliey are ready to take tlie hook, and the ready market for the first fresh mackerel proving a temp- tation to enterprising fisberiuen. The first receipts in the New York and Philadelphia markets in 1875 were A]ml 30; in 1S7C), Apiil 24; in 1877, April 25 ; in 1878, April 5; and in 1870, April 14. This year the pioneers of the fleet sailed a month earlier than usual, hoping- by going farther South to make an early catch, and qidte a respectable fleet are now in southern waters, awaiting the first appearance of mackerel. The following vessels comprise the fleet sailing in March : Boston.— ^(ihooner "G. W. Bentley," 1. Booth Bay. — Schooners "Alice G. Fox," "Cyrena Ann," "Cynosure," "Lettie S. Eeed," "Louis and Eose," 5. Chatham. — Schooners "Leiha Liu wood," "Willie Irving," 2. Dennis. — Schooners "Charlotte Brown," "Cora Louise," "Mary Doane," "Quivet," "Titmouse," "Willie Parkman," 6. Gloucester. — Schooners "Bounding Billow," "Chocorua," "Crest of the Wave," "Charles Haskell," "Earnest F. ISTorwood," "Frank A. Smith," "Golden Hind," "Goldsmith Maid," "Fred. L. Webb," "Fred. P. Frye," "Ellen M. Adams," "Edward E. Webster," "Fleetwiug," "Helen M. Crosby," "Joe Hooker," "John W. Bray," "Joseph Gar- land," "Herald of the Morning," "Marion Grimes," "M. L. Wetherell," " Onward," " Ossipee," " Piscataqua," " Eeporter," " Wide Awake," "Vv^illiam S. Baker," "Edward Everett," "Falcon," " Georgianna," "Isaac Patch," "Mary O'Dell," " Madawaska Maid," "Oceanns," "Eat- tler," "Sarah M. Jacobs," 35. Harwich. — Schooners "Kate Florence," "ISTettie Moore," "Phebe and Emma," "Ch'as. H. Kelly," "Isaac Somes," 5. Newhuryport. — Schooners "George W. Brown," "Lizzie Thompson," "Miantouomah," 3. Portsmouth. — Schooners "Gov. Goodwin," and "Daniel Marcy," 2. Portland. — Schooners "Georgie Willard," "Maggie W. Willard," 2. Swafi's Island — Schooner "Alice," 1. Total, 62.— (Cape Ann Advertiser, April 10, 1880.) 1880.~F[RST ARRIVAL OF FRESH JMACKEREL IN NEW YORK. Fresh mackerel — The first fare of fresh mackerel the present season was landed at New York, Saturday, bj^ schooner "Edward E. Webster," Capt. Solomon Jacobs, of this port. She brought in a fare of 20,000, which were sold at 8 cents apiece, making her stock $1,600. — (Cape Ann Advertiser, April 7, 1880.) 1880. — The largest mackerel ever seen. Some of the mackerel taken at Block Island Monday, July 25, weighed 3 pounds 2 ounces, the largest ever seen. — (Cape Ann Advertise]', August 6, 1880.) EEPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [350] 1880. — Abundance of mackerel. — aooD fares. Large schools of large mackerel were reported off Mouhegan on Sun- day. Five vessels did well. Schooner "Alice" of Swan's Island is reported high-line of the bay mackerel tleet, haviug landed and sent home three fares. The schooners "Gov. Goodwin," "Helen F, Tredick" and "Anna M. Kash" of Portsmouth, arrived on Tuesday with 400 barrels of the largest mackerel ever brought to that port. They average less than 100 to the barrel. For several days past the water off the harbor has been liter- ally black with mackerel, those at the bottom crowding toward the top. Fishermen report nothing like it for years. — (Ibid.) 1880. — Millions of mackerel on the new England coast. The vast strike-in of mackerel all along our coast is really phenome- nal. ISTobody remembers anything like it. Thousands were caught yesterday and the day before, even without bait, as if mackerel were as simple as " Hancock Union soldiers " who snap at a bare rebel hook. Every boat, from the craziest old dory to the fashionable yacht, is pressed into service, and there are as many " kits " going to Boston and Lynn, and Salem and Gloucester, as the unwary boy supposes are on their way to St. Ives, when the famous problem of Pike's old arithmetic is propounded. From anj^ look-out the scnools can be seen on the surface of the water, hunting around for somebody to catch them, like bummer politicians seeking for bids. The theory that the mackerel had been depopulated in our waters is annihilated. There are still as good fish in the sea as ever wei^e caught, and apparently more of them. It is said that the mackerel are pursued by the blueiish and the bluefish by the sharks. What is after the sharks is not stated. But our thanks are due to the bluefish in the first degree. They are the ipackerel school- master, and the success of our fishermen is due to the fact that the schoolmaster is abroad in the waters. — (Lowell (Mass.) Courier, July 16, 1880.) 1880. — Mackerel fishery of Gloucester. The records of the United States Fish Commission at Gloucester, Mass., show that the total number of fares of salt mackerel landed at that port in the year 1880 was 722, of which 25 fares were from the bay of Saint Lawrence in American vessels. The total receipts of salt mackerel were 135,774 sea-packed, equal to about 122,200 inspected bar- rels of 200 pounds each, making the total weight of the fish 24,440,000 l)ounds in the salt state, which is equivalent to 36,660,000 i)ounds of round or fresh mackerel. The receipts of 135,774 sea-packed barrels include 125,214 barrels taken by Gloucester vessels, 6,890 barrels taken by vessels from other New England ports, 505 barrels taken off" the United States coast by the schooner " Lertie " of IsTova Scotia, 3,623 barrels caught by boats and traps at Gloucester Harbor, and 3,437 barrels taken [351] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. by LTjiited States vessels iu the bay of Saint i.awrerice. The receipts b}^ mouths were as follows: April, 7 barrels; May, 3,977 barrels; June, 1,730 barrels ; July, 19,105 barrels ; August, 28,030 barrels ; September, 39,534 barrels ; October, 30,996 barrels ; November, 12,395 barrels. The Cape Aim Advertiser record for the year 1880, gives the follow- ing facts couceruiug the mackerel fishery of Gloucester in that year : The mackerel industry employed 175 vessels and about 2,500 men; the number of vessels eugaged in no other fishing branch for the year was 90. Fifteen were employed in mackereliugand the shore fishery; 27 in mackereling, the herring and shore fisheries; and 38 in the mack- erel, Georges and bank fisheries, &c. * * * The Block Island mackereling fleet comprised 15 vessels, the Southern fleet 34, and the Bay of Saint Lawrence fleet 15, all of which were successfully engaged in the offshore mackerel fishery. Most of the southern fleet disposed of their catch, in large proportion fresh, in the Philadelphia, New York, and Boston markets ; the hay of Saint Lawrence trips were failures ; the Block Island catch was smaller than in 1879 ; but the shore catch was larger than for many years, and proved profitable. The total catch is estimated at 129,620 barrels. — (Cape Ann Advertiser, January 14, 188 L) 1880.— Ee VIEW OF THE NEW ENGLAND MACKEREL FISHERY. In its review of the New England fisheries for the year 1880 the Bos- ton Fish Bureau has the following concerning the mackerel fishery : The season opened by the early, or southern, fleet sailing in March. First (jatch reported by schooner "Edward E.Webster," 25,000 fish, April 2. The record of the fleet will be found in the report of the various fleets, and shows another financially disastrous early catch, some of the vessels returning without fish, very few with j)rofit. We have in pre- vious reports mentioned the injurious effects of this branch of the catch, even when followed at a profit, a large catch of poor fish injuring tbe demand later in the season. The past few years fully demonstrates that the sooner the early iatch is abandoned the better it will be for all in- terested. The first catch in the weirs at Cape Cod April 26 ; first new salt mackerel arrived at Boston May 10. The market for a new stock ranged from $5 to $6, vessels doing only fairly up to July 1, the fish and fleet being scattered from Cape Cod to Jeffrey's Banks. Early in July an unprecedented large body of mackerel appeared in Massachusetts Bay, at our very doors. The oldest dealers and fishermen report never having known them so plentiful. They continued in the bay until the close of the season iu December, during which time the entire fleet did well, while many of them made remarkable "• stocks," as will be seen in the reports of individual vessels. The catch was noticeable for the ab- sence of large and very small fish, its excellent quality, however, caus- ing an active demand for immediate consumption. The catch in the North Bay and provincial waters by the American fleet was almost an. EEPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES [352] entire failure, numerous vessels returning without a single barrel. • For- tunately, but a small number of vessels visited those waters, and, not finding fish, returned in time to secure enough of the home catch to save them from a disastrous season. The total catch of inspected barrels by the Massachusetts fleet is the largest since 1874, amounting to 255,986 barrels. This season's catch has been exceeded but ten times since 18G4. The total catch by the Kew England fleet is 349,674 inspected barrels, a gain over the previous year of 99,861 barrels on the Massachusetts catch, and total gain of 129,075 barrels. In addition to our own large catch there has beenimported from the provinces 105,730 barrels, against 84,213 the previous year. The total amount of mackerel received in Boston during 1880 from domestic and foreign ports, with home catch, 190,493 inspected barrels. Our report and table of receipts, number of vessels, and crew, having been confined to salt or cured fish, we wish briefly to call attention to the importance and steady growth of the fresh-fish business, * * * the abundance of mackerel at our doors most of the season resulting in the receiving and distributing throughout the country of 75,000 bar- rels of fresh mackerel. Day after day, for weeks, from 1,000 to 2,000 barrels were received. Notwithstanding this unusually large produc- tion, all were used fresh. For the first year in the history of the busi- ness not a week during the year has passed but fresh mackerel could be bought at reasonable prices. 1881. — What our govUenment paid foe. Inshore catch of mackerel in the Bay of Saint Lawrence by the Glou- cester fleet this year, IS barrels. That's what we helped to pay a twelfth of $5,500,000 for for this year's fishery. Our herring and bait and ice and other supplies we buy at a lirofit to the provincials, who send thousands of barrels of mackerel and quintals of codfish to the Ajueri- can market free of duty, in competition with the American fishermen. — (Cape Ann Advertiser, October 14, 1881.) 1881. — The mackerel fishery of Gloucester, The records of the United States Fish Comuiission at Gloucester, Mass., show that the total number of fares of mackerel received at that port in 1881 was 713. The total number of sea- packed barrels of mack- erel landed was 165,497, equal to 148,948 inspected barrels of 200 pounds each, equal to 29,789,600 pounds of salt mackerel, or 44,684,400 pounds in a fresh condition. The entire catch, with the exception of one fare of 48 barrels from the Bay of Saint Lawrence, was taken oft' the United States coast. The records of the Cape Ann Advertiser for the year 1881 show that the American mackerel fleet from Gloucester numbered 149 vessels, 81 [353] HISTOKY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. of wliicli confined their operations for the year to this department, and the total receipts of salt mackerel were 103,851 sea-packed barrels. — (Cape Ann Advertiser, Jannary 0, 1882.) 1881. — Review of the new enCtLAnd mackerel fishery. The annual report of rhe Boston Fish Bureau for 1881 has the fol- lowing- review of the mackerel fishery for that year: The catch opened unnsually early, schooner "Edward E. Webster," on March 21, taking the first fare, 32,700 mackerel, 800 of which were large, balance medium and small. The first fare of new salt mackerel arrived in Boston May 9, one day earlier than in 1880, schooner "Roger Wil- liams" landing 240 bar. els that were caught off the Jersey coast. May .10, scliooner '-J. S. McQuinn" arrived with tlie first fare of fresh mack- erel, 200 barrels, caught southeast from Sandy Hook. First cargo arrived fresh same date in 1880. May 4tli the first catch was made in the weirs at Cape Cod ; previous year on April 2Gth. March 25 schooner "Lizzie K. Clark" was capsized by a squall and lost, 20 miles from Barnegat; the crew were saveiration of his commission, he shall forfeit twenty dollars for each cask or box so dealt with. Heconery of 2)e)ialties. Ibid., section 17. All the penalties aforesaid, not otherwise herein appropriated, may be recovered in an action of debt, half to the use of the person suing there- for, and half to the town where the offense is committed. Branding of smoked herring. Laws of 1871, passed February 24. Be it enacted, &c. Hereafter no inspection of smoked herring shall be required in this State, but all smoked herring i)ut up in boxes or casks for sale in this State shall be branded on the cask or bos inclosing them with the first letter of the Christian and the whole of the surname of the person put- ting up the same, and with the name of the State and the place where such person lives, and all such fish offered for sale or shipping not thus branded shall be forfeited, one-half to the use of the town where the offense is committed, and the other half to the person libeling the same; and all laws and parts of laws inconsistent herewith are herebj^ repealed. NEW HAMPSHIRE. (General laws of New Hampshire, 1878.) Appointment and qualification of inspectors and deputy inspectors. Chap. 124, Section 1-4. Inspectors of flour, beef, and pork, of potash and pearlash, of butter and lard, of hops, and of fish, shall be appointed by the governor, with EEPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [358] f tlie advice and consent of the council, and sliall hold their offices for the terra of five years, unless sooner removed by the governor and council. Each inspector, before entering upon the duties of his oifice, shall give bond to the State, with sufficient sureties, to the satisfaction of the treasurer thereof, in the sum of two thousand dollars. Each inspector shall appoint so many deputy -inspectors as maybe necessary, removable at his pleasure, and for whom he shall be answer- able, who shall first give bond to him, with sufficient sureties, in a sum not exceeding one thousand dollars, and shall once in six months, or ofteuer if requested, make such returns to him as he may reciuire. All oaths required to be taken by any deputy may be administered by the inspector, and all oaths required to be taken in the inspection of - provisions or merchandise may be administered by the inspector or any deputy, or, in either case, by a justice. If a vacancy shall occur in the office of inspector, his deputies shall continue to perform their duties and shall possess the same j)owers and be subject to the same liabilities as if no vacancy had occurred, until an inspector shall be appointed and duly qualified. The word " inspector" in this title may include deputy inspector. Fielded fish to he ivell preserved. Chap. 129, sections 1, 2. The inspector of fish or some deputy shall see that all kinds of split pickled fish and fish for barreling, intended for exportation, have been well struck with salt or pickle in the first instance, and preserved free from rust, taint, or damage. Such fish as are in good order and of good quality shall be packed in tierces, barrels, or half-barrels; the tierces to contain three hundred pounds, the barrels two hundred pounds, and the half-barrels one hun- dred pounds of fish each, and shall be i)acked with good clean salt, suitable for the purpose ; and the casks, after being packed and headed, with the fish and sufficient salt to jireserve the same, shall be filled with a clear strong pickle. Qualities of pickled fish. Branding. Ibid., sections 3-5. Each cask shall be filled with fish of one and the same kind, and shall be branded "salmon," "shad," " alewives," "herring," or as the case may be ; those of the best quality, caught in the right season, to be most approved and free from damage, shall be branded "cargo num- ber one"; those which remain after the best have been selected, being sweet, free from taint, rust, or damage, shall be branded "cargo number two"; and the thinnest and poorest of those that are sweet and'whole- some shall be branded "cargo number three." There shall be four numbers of mackerel: Tbose of the best quality, not mutilated, measuring not less than thirteen inches from the extrem- [359] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. ity of tLe head to the fork of the tail, free from rust, taint, or damage, sliall be branded "number one." The next best quality, being not less than eleven inches, measuring as aforesaid, free from rust, taint, or damage, shall be branded "number two." Those that remain after the above selections, if free from taint or damage, and not less than thir- teen inches, measuring as aforesaid, shall be branded "number three, large." Those of the next inferior quality, free from taint or damage, shall be branded "number three." All other mackerel free from taint or damage shall be branded " number four." The inspector shall also brand, in plain, legible letters, on the head of every such cask, the initials of his Obristian name and the whole of his surname, the name of the town for which he is appointed, and the abbreviation K. H. All mackerel shall also be branded on each cask with the month in which the same are packed. Inspection of smolced aleicives or herrings. Ibid., sections G-8. All herrings or alewives intended to be smoked and packed shall be sufficiently salted and smoked to cure and preserve the same, and after- ward closely packed in the boxes in dry weather. All smoked alewives or herrings sball be divided and sorted by the inspector or some deputy, and denominated, according to their quality, "first sort" or "second sort." The "first sort" shall consist of all the largest and best-cured fish ; the " second sort" of the smaller but well- cured fish ; and in all cases all fish which are belly-broken, tainted, or scorched, slack-salted not suificiently smoked shall be taken out as refuse. Each box of alewives or herrings so inspected shall be branded on the top by the inspecting officer with the initials of his Christian name and the whole of his surname, the name of the town where it was in- spected, with the abbreviation N. H., the quality, whether "first sort" or " second sort," and the mouth and year in which they were so branded. Quality and size of paclmgefor piclded fish. Ibid., section 9. All tierces, barrels, and half barrels used for packing or containing pickled fish shall be made of sound, well-seasoned white oak, ash, red oak, spruce, pine, or chestnut staves, of rift timber, with heading of either of said kinds of wood, well planed, sound, and well seasoned, the heading of pine to be free from sap ; and shall be well hooped with at least three good and strong hoops on each bilge, and three hoops on each chime ; the barrel staves shall be twenty-eight inches in length, and the heads seventeen inches between the chimes ; the barrel shall contain not less than twenty-nine nor more than thirty gallons, the half barrels not less than fifteen gallons, and the tierces not less than forty-five nor more than forty-six gallons, and each cask shall be made in a workmanlike manner to hold pickle, and shall be branded on the side thereof, near the bung, with the name of the maker or owner. , EEPOET OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHEEIES. [360] Quality and size ofboxesfor smoJced fish. Ibid., section 10. All boxes used for packing and containing smoked alewives or her- rings shall be made of good, sound boards, sawed and well seasoned, the sides, top, and bottom of not less than half inch boards, and the ends of not less than three-quarter-inch boards, securely nailed with wrought or cut nails, and shall be seventeen inches in length, eleven inches in breadth, and six iuches in depth, in the clear. Branding-irons to he furnished the inspector. Ibid., section 11. Every person having fish for packiug or pickling, either in bulk, casks, or boxes, to the amount of twenty barrels or forty boxes in one season, shall furnish the inspector, or one of his deputies, with a brand- ing-iron containing the initials of the owner's Christian name and the whole of his surname; and the inspecting officer shall cause such name to be fairly branded on the head of every cask and on one end of every box of fish insjjected for such person. If he shall refuse or neglect to furnish such brand, he shall forfeit three dollars for such neglect or refusal. Inspection of fish pached ichole. Ibid, section 12. All small fish which are usually packed whole with dry salt shall be put in good casks, of the size and materials above required for pickled fish, and shall be packed close, edgewise, in the cask, and well salted 5 the casks shall be filled with the fish and salt, putting in no more salt than is necessary for the preservation of the fish; and the inspecting officer shall braud each cask with the name of the fish and the quality thereof, whether " first sort ", or " second sort," as in the case of smoked fish aforesaid. Annual report of inspectors and their deputies. Ibid., section 13. The inspector shall make return to the governor annually, on or be- fore the first Wednesday of June, of all the fish of every kind, whether in casks or boxes, which have been inspected by him or his deputies duriug the year iDreceding; and each deputy shall seasonably furnish said inspector with a return of all the tierces, barrels, half barrels, and boxes by him inspected and branded since his last return. Fees for inspection of fish. Ibid., sections 14, 15. The fees for inspecting aud branding each cask or box of fish as pro- vided by this chapter shall be, for each tierce, fourteen cents; for each barrel, nine cents; for each half barrel, five cents; for each smaller cask or box, three cents; for nailing each cask or box, one cent, exclu- sive of the labor of packing and coopering; and twenty-five cents for each certificate thereof given ; and the general inspector shall have and receive from his deputies the sum of four cents for each and every [361] HISTORY OF THE MACKEEEL FISHERY. tierce, and one cent for each barrel or box, and one lialf cent for each lialf barrel or smaller quantity so inspected and branded by any of liis deputies. These charges shall be paid by the owner or person employing the inspecting officer, and may by such person be recovered of the subse- quent purchaser or exporter, in addition to the ijurchase or cost of the lish. Certificate required for shipment of incMed or smolced jUh. Ibid., sec- tions 16, 17. Xo pickled fish or smoked ale wives or herring shall be shipped or ex- ported by water from this State in casks or boxes unless the owner or master of the vessel shall ijroduce to the collector, or other officer au- thorized by the laws of the United States to clear vessels out, a certifi- cate from the inspector or some deputy that such fishhas been inspected, packed, and branded according to law, together with the number of tierces, barrels, half barrels, and boxes thus shipped, the kind and quality of fish they contain, the name of the vessel in which such fish are received for exportation, and the owner or master thereof. The master or owner, on producing such certificate to such officer, shall take and subscribe the following oath : " I, A B, of , do swear, according to the best of my knowledge and belief, that the certificate hereunto annexed contains the whole quantity of pickled and branded fish, smoked alewives, and herrings on board the , , master, and that no fish is shipped on board said vessel for the ship's company, or on freight or cargo, but what is inspected and branded according to law. So help me God." Penalty for transporting uninspected fish. Ibid., sections 18, 19. If any person shall put or receive on board any vessel or other car- riage of conveyance, to transport the same from this State, any pickled or whole fish, or any smoked alewives or herrings, j)acked in casks or boxes, which are not inspected and branded according to law, he shall forfeit not less than two dollars nor more than ten dollars for every hun- dred pounds of pickled or whole fish, and one dollar for each box of smoked alewives or herrings so uninspected. If any pickled or barreled fish, smoked alewives or herrings as afore- said, shall be put on board any vessel, boat, or carriage of cou\'eyance, with intent to sell or exi:)ort the same contrary to law, any justice may issue his warrant to the sheriff, his deputies, or a constable, requii'ing such officer to seize and secure said fish, and carry them to the inspector or deputy nearest to such vessel, boat, or carriage, who shall oi)eu and inspect, pack, and brand the same as is provided in this chapter, and shall detain the same until the expense and charges of seizure, inspec- tion, packing, and all other charges arising from such seizure shall be paid. EEPOET OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [362] Penalty for illegally handing or repacldng. Ibid., sectious 20, 21. If the inspector or any deputy shall brand any cask or box the con- tents of which he has not inspected, packed, salted, coopered, and nailed according to the jjrovisions of this chapter, or shall permit any other person to use his brands in violation or evasion thereof, he shall forfeit twentj^ dollars for each cask or box so branded, and shall also be removed from oflBce. If any person shall intermix, take out, or shift any inspected fish, packed and branded as aforesaid, or shall put in other ftsh for sale or exportation, he shall forfeit five dollars for each cask, package, or box so altered ; and if any casualty shall render it necessary to repack a cask or box of inspected fish it shall in all cases be done by an inspector. Penalty for selling tainted or damaged fish. Ibid., sections 22, 23, If any person s^mW sell or export, or cause to be sold or exported, within or from this State, any tainted or damaged pickled fish, or smoked alewives or herrings, he shall forfeit three dollars for every hundred weight of such pickled fish, and one dollar for each box of such smoked alewives or herrings which shall be thus sold or exported. Pacldng of shellfish. Ibid., section 23. All shelled clams or other shelled fish used for fish bait, hereafter off&red for sale, shall be put in barrels or half barrels of the description required for j)ickled fish ; and the casks shall be filled full and salted sufficiently to preserve the same; if any person shall ofl'er for sale any shelled fish, aforesaid, not packed agreeably to this section, he shall forfeit for each oifense two dollars. Paching of fish for consumption ivithin the State. Ibid., section 24. All kinds of pickled fish wdnch are packed in tierces, barrels, or half barrels, and all smoked alewives or herrings packed in boxes, for con- sumption in this State, and which are not subject to be inspected and branded as provided in case of exportation, shall, however, be packed with only one kind of fish in each cask or box, and there shall be the same weight in each cask as hereinbefore provided ; and for intermixing ditferent kinds of fish in the same cask or box, or for short weight in any cask, the owner or seller shall forfeit the same sum hereinbefore provided for the like offense is such fish were inspected. Fish paclced in small kegs exempt from inspection. Ibid., section 25. Nothing in this chapter shall extend to fish packed in kegs of less than ten gallons. [363] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. MASSACHUSETTS. (General statutes of Massachusetts, 1859, with subsequent amendments.) Aijpointment and qualification of inspector -general and deputies. Chap, xlix, sections 1, 2, 33, 34. Tbere shall be insiiectors-general of butter and lard, fish, hops, leather, and pot and pearl ashes appointed b^^ the governor, with the advice and consent of the council, lor the term of five years, from the time of their respective appointmeuts, unless sooner removed by the governor and council, who, before entering upon the duties of their respective offices, shall be sworn. The inspectors-general now in office shall hold their offices according to the term of their respective commissions, unless sooner removed. Each inspector-general may appoint deputy inspectors, removable at his pleasure, who shall once in every six mouths make such returns to him as he requires to carry into effect the provisions of this chapter. The inspector- general offish shall give bond with sufficient sureties to the treasurer of the commonwealth in the penal sum of ten thous- and dollars, and shall have no interest directly or indirectly in the cure or packing of pickled fish. He may appoint deputy inspectors in every seaport or other town where such fish is i)acked for exportation, ior whose official conduct he shall be answerable. He shall take bonds of each of them with sufficient sureties, and shall receive from each deputy an excise or fee for his com- mission and bond of one dollar, and no more. The deputies shall be sworn either before the inspector-general or some justice of the peace. Pickled fish to he icell preserved and packed. Ibid., sections 'So, 36. The inspector-general and deputy inspectors sball inspect all fish for the ins[)ection of which provision is made in this chapter. Under the supervision of the inspector- general and his deputies, re- spectively, all kinds of split pickled fish and fish for barreling except herrings, and all codfish tongues and sounds, halibut tins and napes, and sword-fish, whenever said articles are intended for exportation, shall be struck with salt or pickle in the first instance, and preserved sweet and free from rust, taint, or damage; and, when the same are found in good order and of good quality, they shall be packed either in tierces containing each three hundred pounds, in barrels containing each two hundred pounds, in half barrels containing each one. hundred pounds,* or in packages containing each less than one hundred pounds, on which *The conclusion of this sentence, from the words "one hundred pounds," is given as amended by act of April 1, 1879. The Revised Statutes of 1859 conclude the sentence as follows: " in quarter barrels containing each iifty pounds, in eighths of a barrel or kids containing each twenty-five pounds, or in kids or packages containing each less thantweuty-fivepouuds,onwhich the number of pounds therein shall bo branded." EEPOET OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [364] the nnmber of pounds therein shall be plainly and legibly branded. Every cask, kid, or package shall be packed with good, clean salt suit- able for the purpose, and, after packing with sufidcieut salt to preserve its contents, shall be headed or well secured, and filled up with a clean, strong pickle. Qualities of pickled fisli. Ibid., section 37. There shall be five qualities of mackerel, three of salmon and shad, and two of other kinds of pickled fish. Mackerel of the best quality, not mutilated, measuring not less than thirteen inches from the extremity of the head to the crotch or fork of the tail, free from rust, taint, or dam- age, shall be branded number one. The next best quality, being not less than eleven inches, measuring as aforesaid, free from rust, taint, or dam- age, shall be branded number two. Those that remain after the above selections, if free from taint or damage, and not less than thirteen inches, measuring as aforesaid, shall be branded number three, large. Those of the next inferior quality, free from taint or damage, not less than ten inches in length as aforesaid, shall be branded number three. All other mackerel free from taint or damage shall be branded number four. Those salmon and shad which are of the best quality for family use, free from rust or dainage, shall be selected for number one and number two, the best of them selected and branded number one, the residue, number two; all that remain, free from taint, and sound, shall be branded number three. Of all other pickled fish, the best which are free from taint and damage shall be branded number one, those that remain, free from taint, and sound, number two. Penalty for illegally iKicldng. Ibid., section 38. Each cask, kid, or package shall be filled with fish of the same kind, or parts of the same kind of fish ; and whoever intermixes, takes out, or shifts any inspected fish which are i)acked or branded as aforesaid, or puts in other fish for sale or exportation, shall forfeit fifteen dollars for each package so altered. If any casualty renders it necessary to repack a cask of inspected fish, it shall in all cases be done by an inspector of such fish. Branding of packages. Ibid., section 39. The inspector shall brand in plain, legible letters, on the head of each cask of fish inspected by him, the denomination of the fish packed or repacked therein, the iuitials of his Christian name and the whole of his surname, and, if a deputy, the name of the place for which he is ap- pointed, the letters Mass., and the year in which the fish are packed; and shall also, when, in his judgment, it may be necessary, nail in a suitable manner any cask iu which fish are packed. [365] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. Piclded fisli inspected elsewhere not subject to reinspection. Ibid., section 42. Pickled fish, duly inspected in the State or country in which it is packed, shall not be subject to reinspection in this State. Inspection of JisJi pacJced whole. Ibid., 'section 43. Small fish, which are usually packed whole with dry salt or pickle, shall be put in good casks of the size and materials required in this chapter for the packing of split pickled fish, and shall be packed close in the cask and well salted ; the casks shall be filled full with the fish and salt, and no more salt shall be put with the fish than is necessary for their preservation, and the casks containing such whole fish shall be branded with the denomination of the fish, and a like designation of the qualities as is before prescribed in this chapter in respect to the quali- ties of other pickled fish. Quality and size of pacT^ages for piclded fish. Ibid., sections .44^, 45. Casks used for packing or repacking pickled fish intended for ex- portation, except casks containing less than twenty -five pounds weight, shall be made of sound, well-seasoned white oak, ash, red oak, spruce, pine, or chestnut staves, of rift timber,* sound and well seasoned, with heading of either of said kinds of wood, and when of pine such heading shall be free from sap and knots, and be planed ; the barrels, half bar- rels, and tierces shall be well hooped with at least three good hoops of sufficient substance on each bilge, and three hoops of the like quality on each chime ; the barrel-staves shall be twenty-eight inches in length, and the heads shall be seventeen inches between the chimes ; the barrels shall contain not less than twenty-eight nor more than twenty-nine gallons each; the half barrels not less than fifteen gallons each; and the tierces not less than forty-five nor more than forty-six gallons each. Each cask shall be made in a workman-like manner, and branded on its side, near the bung, with the name of the maker. The inspector-general or his deputies shall strictly examine and in- spect all casks in which they may be required to pack fish ; and shall reject snch as are not made in a substantial manner and according to the provisions of this chapter. Fees for inspection of piclded fish. Ibid., sections 46, 47. The fees for inspecting and branding, exclusive of cooperage, shall be, for each tierce fourteen cents, each barrel nine cents, each half bar- rel six cents, each cask of a smaller denomination three cents, and, in addition to the fees aforesaid, one cent for each cask nailed as before provided ; and all fees shall in the first instance be paid by the original * The words " of rift timber " struck out by amendment passed January 30, 1867. REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [366] owner of the fisli, or by the person employing the inspector, and may be recoA^ered by them respectively of the j)erson who afterwards pur- chases or exports the same. The inspector- general may receive from each of his deputies for every cask of fish inspected by him the following fees: For each tierce four cents, lor each barrel one cent, for each half barrel,* and all packages less than one hundred or more than fifty pounds, one-half cent, and on all ijackages of fifty jjounds and less, one-quarter of a cent each. Inspection of smoJced alewives or Jierrings. Ibid., sections 48-53. Alewives or herrings intended to be packed for sale or exportation, shall be sufficiently salted and smoked to cure and preserve the same, and afterwards shall bQ closely packed in boxes in clear and dry weather. Smoked alewives or herrings shall be divided and sorted by the in- spector or his deputy, and denominated, according to their quality, number one and number two. Number one shall consist of all the largest and best cured fish ; number two of the smaller but well-cured fish ; and in all cases those which are »belly-broken, tainted, scorched, or burnt, slack-salted, or not sufiiciently smoked, shall be taken out as refuse. Boxes made for the purpose of x^acking smoked alewives or herrings, and containing the same, shall be made of good sound boards, sawed and W'Cll seasoned : the sides, top, and bottom of not less than half-inch, and the ends of not less than three-quarter inch, boards securely nailed, and shall be seventeen inches in length, eleven inches in breadth, and six inches in depth, in the clear, inside. Each box of alewives or herrings inspected shall be branded on the toi) by the inspecting officer with the first letter of his Christian name, the whole of his surname, the name of the town where it was inspected, with the addition of Mass., and also with the quality of number one or number ttco. Herrings taken on the coasts of Nova Scotia, Newfound- land, Labrador, or Magdalen Islands, and brought into this State, shall also be branded with the name of the place or coast where taken. The fees for inspecting, packing, and branding, shall be five cents for each box, which shall be paid by the purchaser; and the inspector- general may require from his deputies one cent for each box inspected, packed, and branded by them. Annual report of fish inspected. Ibid., section 53. The inspector-general shall, in the month of January, annually, malre a return into the office of the secretary of the commonw^ealth, of all the *The conclusiou of the section trom the words "half barrel "is given as amended by act of April 1, 1879. The Revised Statutes of 1859 conclude the section after the words " half barrel," as follows: "half a cent, and for each smaller cask one-quarter of a cent." [367] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. fish iusi)ectecl by Lim and liis deputies during the year preceding the first day of said January, designating the quantities, kinds, and qualities of i)ickled and smoked fish, respectively, and distinguishing tlie quanti- ties, kinds, and qualities of pickled fish of a first inspection from those reiuspected ; and the secretary shall, as soon as may be after receiving such returns, cause the same to be published in any newspaper in Bos- ton authorized to publish the laws of the commonwealth. Fenaliiesfor selling or transporting uninspected Jish. Ibid., sections 54-56. No smoked alewives or herrings shall be exported from this State, unless inspected and branded as aforesaid, under a penalty of two dol- lars for each box exported; nor said alewives or herrings be taken from a box, inspected and branded as aforesaid, and replaced by others of an inferior quality, wirh intent to defraud any person in the sale of the same, under a penalty of five dollars for each box so changed ; provided, that all smoked herrings and alewives, arriving from any other State in the United States and having been there inspected, may be exported in a vessel from this State without being reinspected. Pickled or smoked fish, which has not been inspected and branded according to the provisions of this chapter, put on board of a boat or A^essel, or into a carriage of conveyance, with the intent that the same shall be sold within, or exported from, this State, shall be forfeited, and the inspector-general or a deputy may seize and libel the same. If a master of a vessel or other person puts or receives on board of a vessel, or in a carriage of conveyance, for transportation from this State, pickled fish, or smoked fish, not inspected and branded as provided in this chaptei-, he shall forfeit a sum not exceeding ten dollars for every hundred pounds of such fish, and in the same proportion for any other quantity. Penalty for selling tainted or damaged fish for food. Ibid., section 57. Whoever sells within this State or exports therefrom tainted or dam- aged fish, unless with the intent that the same shall be used for some other purpose than as food, shall forfeit the sum often dollars for every hundred pounds of such fish, and in the same proj^ortion for any other quantity; and ui^on a trial in such case the burden of proof shall be upon the defendant to show for what purjjose such fish was so exported or sold. Penalty for illegally branding. Ibid., section 58. If the inspector-general, or a deputy inspector, brands a eask or pack- age of fish, the contents of which he has not duly inspected, y^acked, salted, or coopered, or permits any other person to use his brands, in violation or evasion of the provisions of this chaj)ter, he shall foifeit twenty dollars for each ofiense, and be liable to removal from ofQce. EEPOET OF COMMISSIONEE OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [368J Quintal defined. Ibid., section 59. When fish are sold by the quintal, it shall be understood to mean a quintal of one hundred pounds avoirdupois, and all contracts concern- ing fish sold in this manner shall be construed accordingly. FacTcing of clam bait. Act of 1867, chap. 347, section 1. When clam Ibait is sold by the barrel, it shall be construed to mean a fish-barrel of not more than twenty-nine, nor less than twenty-eight gallons of clams and not over three gallons of pickle. If a disagree- ment arises between the purchaser and seller respecting the quantity in a barrel, either j)arty may call on an inspector of fish and have the barrel measured; and if it does not contain the aforesaid number of gallons of clams, the seller shall receive pay for the number of gallons it contains, and shall pay the expense of measuring and coopering, otherwise the purchaser shall pay such expense. Bight of inspectors to enter premises. Act of April 1, 1879, section 3. The inspector-general of fish or some one deputy especially thereto authorized by him for that purpose, shall have the right to enter at all reasonable times, upon any wharf, and iuto any store, warehouse, or other place, where the packing of pickled fish is carried on in this State, for the purpose of inspecting, examining, and supervising the packing and inspecting of such fish, and to examine and weigh any package of such fish, for the purpose of ascertaining if the same are fit for expor- tation, in accordance with the requirements of the law. RHODE ISLAND. (General Statutes of Ehode Island, 1872.) Election and qualification of pacl'crs of fish. Chapter 34, sections l;18j chapter 102, section 2. The electors in each town shall, annually, on their town election days, choose and elect * * * one or more packers of fish, * * *. Every packer shall give bond to the town treasurer of the town in which he shall be appointed, in the sum of one thousand dollars, with sufficient surety or sureties, to the satisfaction of such town treasurer, for the faithful performance of the duties of his office. Duties ofpacJcers offish. Chap. 102, section 1. • In every town in which pickled fish are packed up for sale or expor- tation from the State, the packers of such town shall see that the same have been properly pickled; that they are properly repacked in casks, iu good shipping order, with good salt, sufficient in each cask to pre- serve such fish from damage to any foreign port. [369] HISTOEY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. CasJcs to contain only one Mnd offish. Ibid., section 3. Pickled fish, whether codfish, mackerel, menhaden, herrings, or other fish, shall be sorted, and one kind only be put into one cask. Dimensions of caslis J liotc filled ; branding. Ibid., sections 4, 5. Every cask shall be well seasoned and bound with twelve hoops; those of menhaden and herrings of the capacity to hold twenty-eight gallons ; and those for other fish of the capacity, if a barrel, to hold two hundred pounds, and if a half barrel, one hundred pounds, weight of fish ; each cask to be full, and the fish sound and well cured. Every cask, being first searched, examined, and approved by a packer, shall, when i^acked or repacked for exportation, be branded legibly ou one head with the kind of fish it contains, and the weight thereof; or the capacity of the cask, with the first letter of the Christian and the whole of the surname of the packer, with the "name of the town, and with the words " Ehode Island," in letters not less than three-fourths of an inch long, to denote that the same is merchantable and in good or- der for exportation. Qualities of fish. Ibid., section 6. Every cask of jHckled codfish and mackerel offered for sale, or for ex- portation from this State, shall also be branded No. 1, No. 2, or No. 3, to denote the quality of such fish. Fish brought from other States, by fishermen, &g., exceiJted. Ibid., section 7. Nothing in this chapter contained shall hinder any fisherman or own- ers of fish, coming to this State from their fishing trips, from selling or reshipping their fish to any other of the United States without being packed into barrels or half barrels. Penalty for illegally selling fish. Ibid., section 8. Every person who shall offer for sale in or attempt to export from this State any pickled fish which have not been approved by a sworn packer, or in casks which are not branded as aforesaid, shall forfeit fifty dollars for each offense. Penalty for illegally jpacldng or branding. Ibid., section 9. Every person who shall shift any fish from any cask after the same has been branded by the packer, and shall offer to sell or export the same from this State, or shall brand any cask into which the same shall be shifted, or shall brand any cask with the branding-iron of a packer, or with any iron made in imitation thereof, shall forfeit not less than thirty dollars nor more than one hundred and sixty dollars for each offense. EEPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [370] Penalty for fraud. Ibid., section 10. Every packer who shall be guilty of any fraud or neglect in packing any fish contrary to this chaj^ter, or shall brand any cask not thorough^ examined according to the provisions thereof, shall forfeit fifty dollars for each offense. Fees of packers offish. Ibid., section 11. The packers of fish shall be paid for opening, assorting, inspecting, weighing, pickling, packing, or repacking, heading up, nailing, and giv- ing a certificate, if pickled codfish or mackerel, twenty cents for every barrel, and fifteen cents for every half barrel, by the owner thereof: Provided, That for air pickled codfish or mackerel which have been in- spected in some one of the United States, and which shall not, in the judgment of the packer, require repacking, the said owner shall pay to the packer twenty cents only, for unheading, inspecting, reheading, branding, nailing, and giving a certificate thereof; and for all other ex- cept codfish and mackerel, the owner thereof shall pay the packer twenty-five cents for every cask. CONNECTICUT. (Ee vised Statutes of Connecticut, 1875.) Appointment and qualification of inspectors. Title 16, Chapter XV, section 17. The superior court in the several counties may appoint in each town therein not exceeding fifteen inspectors and i^ackers of fish, and shall take a bond of every person so appointed, for the faithful discharge of his duty, in the sum of one hundred dollars, payable to the county treasurer ; and the clerk of said court shall give a certificate of his ap- pointment to each inspector, who may exercise the duties of his office in any town in such county. Pacldng of piclded shad. Ibid., section 18. All pickled shad intended for market shall be split and well cleansed Sind pickled in strong brine, and shall remain in such brine at least :fifteen days before they shall be put up for market, and shall be put up in barrels or half barrels, the barrels containing two hundred pounds .each, and the half barrels one hundred pounds each, of fish well packed, •with a sufficient quantity of salt, and filled with strong brine; and shad so put up shall be of three denominations, to wit: Shad number one, to ■ consist wholly of shad well saved, free from rust or any defect, with the ;head and tail cut off and the backbone taken out, each barrel to contain not more than eighty shad, and each half barrel not more than forty. The. second denomination shall be shad number two, to consist wholly [371] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. of those well saved, trimmed, pickled, and prepared for packing, in the same manner as shad number one, each barrel to contain not more than ninety shad, and each half barrel not more than forty-five. The third denomination shall be shad number three, to consist of such as will not answer for either of the two former numbers, well saved, with the heads taken oft"; and every inspector, who shall inspect and brand the same, shall designate by each brand the quality, weight, and kind of fish con- tained in each barrel and half barrel branded by him, the year when it shall have been inspected, in figures, the word "Conn.," and his own name and the name of the town where said fish was i^ut up. Quality and size offish barrels. Ibid., section 19. All barrels and half barrels containing fish shall be well made, of good seasoned red oak, white oak, or chestnut timber, and each tierce made with twelve hoops ; and each barrel shall be of the capacity of from twenty- eight to thirty gallons, and each half barrel of the capacity of fifteen gallons and a half. , Imported shad not to he inspected. Title 20, Chaj)ter XII, section 10. Any inspector of fish who shall inspect or brand any package of shad imported into this State shall forfeit five dollars to the State. Inspection fees. Title 13, Chapter XXVIII. Inspectors shall receive for packing, heading, flagging, i^ickling, and branding each barrel of fish, twenty cents, and for each half barrel, ten cents. Penalty for fraud hy inspectors. Title 20, Chapter XII, section 12. Every legally- appointed inspector or packer of fish who shall be guilty of any fraud or neglect, for which no other penalty is specifically pre- scribed, shall forfeit six dollars for every offense j and every such in- spector or packer who shall mark or brand any cask containing fish which has not been actually inspected by him, or shall put a false brand upon any cask inspected by him, shall forfeit ten dollars. Penalties for illegally repacking or exporting. Ibid., sections 13, 14. Evry person who, after the inspection and branding of any cask con- taining fish, shall fraudulently take out or change any part of the con- tents thereof, or put into it any fish not inspected, shall forfeit twenty dollars. Every person who shall export, or ship for exportation, to any foreign port, any fish not put up, inspected, and branded according to law, and the master of every vessel, knowingly having on board his vessel any such fish not so put up, inspected, and branded, shall forfeit the follow- KEPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [372] ing sums : The owner, exporter, or shipper, shall forfeit six dollars for every cask containing fish ; and every master of a vessel shall forfeit for every such cask on board, three dollars ; but fish brought from an- other State, and inspected and branded in the State in which they were init up for market, conformably to its laws, and accompanied with such evidence thereof as such laws require, may be exported from this State without any reinspection. 53. EEPEALED LAWS. MAINE. ■ Until the year 1820, Maine was a province of Massachusetts and sub- ject to the same laws, but in that year the province became a separate State and made its own laws. The fish inspection laws enacted by the State of Maine were very similar to those of the mother State. The first law was approved March 22, 1821, and is entitled "An act to pro- vide for the packing of pickled and smoked fish." It reads as follows : Appointment and qualification of inspectors. Be it enacted by the Senate and Mouse of Representatives in Legislature assembled, That the governor, with the advice of council, is hereby authorized and directed to appoint and commission, during his pleasure, in each town and i^lantation in this State where pickled fish or smoked alewives and herrings are cured or packed for the purpose of exporta- tion, one or more suitable person or persons inspector or inspectors of pickled fish and smoked alewives and herrings, who shall be well skilled in the quality of the same, and who, before he enters on the duties of his office, shall be sworn to the faithful discharge thereof, and shall give bond with sufficient sureties to the treasurer of the town or plan- tation in which he is appointed, in the penal sum of not less than five hundred nor more than one thousand dollars, for the faithful perform- ance of the duties of his office. And the selectmen of towns and assessors of plantations, in which such inspectors shall be appointed, shall annually examine the bonds given as aforesaid, and if the bond of any such inspector shall by them be considered insufficient, they shall forthwith notify such inspector of the same, and if any inspector shall for thirty days after such notice neglect to give bond as aforesaid to the satisfaction of such selectmen or assessors, it shall be their duty to give information thereof to the governor, who siiall remove such inspec- tor and appoint some other person to such office. And any person injured by the neglect or misdoings of any such inspector shall be en- titled to a copy of such bond, and shall have a right to bring an action thereon in the name of such treasurer for his own use and benefit } and on producing the original in court and obtaining judgment thereon, execution shall issue for such sum only as shall be found due in dam- ages to the person for whose use any such action shall be brought ; and [373] HISTORY OF THE MACKEEEL FISHERY. the amount thereof being entered by the clerk of the court on the origi- nal bond, the same may be delivered back (by leaving a copy) to the treasurer from whom the same was received. Material and sizes of caslcs for picJded fish. 2. Be it further enacted, That all barrels, half barrels and tierces which shall be made or used for the purpose of packing, or containing pickled fish, shall be made sound of well- seasoned white oak, ash, red oak, spruce, pine, or chestnut staves, of rift timber, with heading of either of the said kinds of wood, sound, well-seasoned and the pine heads free from sap : eaid heading to be well planed ; the barrels, half- barrels and tierces to be well hooped, with at least three hoops on each bilge and three hoops on each chime, all of which shall be good hoops of sufficient substance, the barrel staves to be twenty-eight inches in length, and the heads to be seventeen inches between the chimes ; and to contain not less than twenty-iune nor more than thirty gallons; and barrels, half- barrels and tierces shall be t>randed on the side of the cask near the bung with the name of the maker or owner of said cask, and shall be made, in a workmanlike manner, to hold pickle; the half barrels to contain not less than fifteen gallons, and the tierces to contain not less than forty-five nor more than forty-six gallons : Provided, hoivever, That nothing ooutained in this act, shall extend to fish packed in kegs of less than ten gallons. Material and size of hoxes for smolced fish. 3. Be it further enacted, That all boxes which shall be made for the pur- pose of packing smoked alewives or herrings and containing the same, shall be made of good soundboards, sawed and well seasoned, the sides, top, and bottom of not less than half-inch boards, and the ends not less than three-quarters of inch boards, securely nailed with not less than eight sixpenny nails, and sixteen fourpenny nails to each box, and the top of each box to be planed, and shall be seventeen inches in length, eleven inches in breadth, and six inches in depth in the clear, inside. And all alewives or herrings intended to be smoked and packed shall be sufficiently salted and smoked to cure and jDreserve the same ; and afterwards closely packed in the boxes, in clear and dry weather. Qualities of picTded fish. Branding. 4. Be it further enacted, That it shall be the duty of the inspector to see the salmon, mackerel, shad, and all other kinds of split pickled fish, or fish for barrelling, have been well struck with salt or pickle in the first instance, and preserved sweet, free from rust, taint or damage. And such fish as are in good order, and are of a good quality, shall be packed in tierces, barrels or half barrels ; the tierces shall contain three hun- dred pounds, the barrels shall contain two hundred jDounds, and the EEPOET OF COMMISSIONEE OF FISH AND FISHEEIES. [374] halibarrels one hundred pounds of fisli eacli; and the same shall be packed with thirty-five pounds of good and clean coarse salt, suitable for the purpose, to each barrel; and said casks after being packed and headed up with the fish and sufBcient salt to preserve the same, shall be filled up with a clear strong pickle, and shall be branded salmon, mackerel, shad (or as the case may be) ; those of the best quality, caught in the right season, to be most approved and free from damage, shall be branded Cargo No. 1 ; those which remain after the best have been se- lected, being sweet and free from taint, rust or damage, shall be branded Cargo No. 2 ; and there shall be a third quality, which shall consist of the thinnest and poorest of those that are sweet and wholesome, which shall be branded Cargo No. 3. And the inspector shall also brand in j>lain legible letters on the head of each and every cask, in which in- spected merchantable fish or whole fish are packed or repacked, the weight, and initials of his Christian name, with his surname at large, the name of the town for which he is appointed, and the word "Maine" an- nexed; and each cask shall be filled with fish of one and the same kind ; and if any person shall intermix, take out or shift any inspected fish which are packed and branded as aforesaid, or put in other fish for sale or exportation contrary to the true intent and meaning of this act, he or they shall forfeit and pay fifteen dollars for each and every i)ackage so altered : Provided., however., if any casualty shall render it necessary to repack a cask of inspected fish, it may in all cases be done by an in- spector of such fish. And if any person shall sell or export or cause to be sold or exported, within or from this State, any tainted or damaged fish, he shall forfeit and pay ten dollars for every hundred weight that shall be thus sold or exported. Facliing and branding of codfish., halibut^ &g. 5. Be it further enacted., That all codfish, haddock, hake, pollock, and halibut, pickled, and hereafter offered for sale, shall be packed in casks of the contents required by the second section of this act, each barrel to contain two hundred and twenty-five pounds, and each half barrel to contain one huadred and twelve and a half pounds, agreeably to the rules of i)acking in the fourth section of this act, with sufficient salt to preserve the same. And it shall be the duty of the inspectors to brand with plain and legible figures, the weight of the aforesaid five kinds of fish, in addition to the brands required by the fourth section of this act. Packing and branding of small fish. 6. Be it further enacted, That all small fish which are usually packed whole with dry salt, shall be put in good casks of the size and mate- rials mentioned in the second section of this act; said fish shall be packed close in the cask, and well salted; the casks shall be filled full with the fish and salt, putting no more salt with the fish than is neces- [375] HISTOEY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. sary for tlieir preservation; and the inspector sliall brand all casks con- taining- such inspected whole fish with the name of the fish, and the quality as described in the fourth section of this act. Inspection of smolced alewives or herring. 7. Be it further enacted. That all smoked alewives or herrings shall be divided and sorted by the inspector, and denominated, according to their quality, first sort and second sort; the first sort shall consist of all the largest and best cured fish, of not less than eight inches long; second sort, of the smaller but well cured fish, of not less than seven inches long; and in all cases the following shall be taken out as refuse: all those which are belly-broken, tainted, scorched, or burnt, slack- salted, or not sufficiently smoked. And each box of alewives or her- rings so insi^ected shall be branded on the top, by the inspecting officer, with the first letter of the Christian name and the surname at length of the inspector who inspected the same; and in like manner the name of the owner thereof, with the name of the town where it was inspected, with the addition of "Maine," and also with the quality of first sort or second sort. Certificate required for shipment of piclded and smolced fish. 8. Be it further enacted, That no pickled fish in casks, and no smoked alewives or herrings in boxes, shall be exported from this State by water, unless the master or owner of the vessel shall produce to the collector or other officer authorized by the United States to clear out vessels, a certificate from the inspector that the same has been inspected, packed, and branded according to the directions of this act; and the certificate shall express the number of barrels, half barrels, and tierces, and the number of boxes thus shipped, the kind and quality of the fish they contain, with the name of the master and owner, and the name of the vessel in which such fish are received for exportation. And such mas- ter or owner of every vessel shall take and subscribe the following oath or affirmation before the officer authorized as aforesaid : I, A B, do swear, (or affirm as the case may be), according to the best of my knowledge and belief, that the certificate hereunto annexed, con- tains the whole quantity of pickled and barreled fish and smoked ale- wives and herrings on boaid the , master; and that no fish, smoked alewives or herrings are shipped on board said vessel, for the ship's company, or on freight or cargo, but what are inspected and branded according to the laws of this State. So help me God : or this I do under the pains and penalties of perjury (as the case may be). Shipment of uninspected fish. 9. Be it further enacted, That if any pickled or barreled fish, or any smoked fish shall be put on board of any boat, vessel, or carriage of con EEPOET OF COMMISSIONEE OF FISH AND FISHEEIES. [376] veyance, within this State, with intent to sell or export the same, unless said fish shall have been inspected and the casks and boxes containing the same shall have been branded agreeably to the provisions of this act, it shall be lawful for any justice of the peace in the same county, upon complaint made to him, to issue his warrant to the sheriff or his dep- uty, or to any constable of the town where such boat, vessel, or carriage of conveyance may be, requiring them respectively to seize and secure said fish, and carry the same to the inspector nearest the place where said boat, vessel, or carriage may be; and said inspector is hereby authorized and required to ojien and inspect and to pack and brand the same in the same manner as is prescribed in this act. And it shall be lawful for said inspector to detain the said fish until the exx)enses and charges of seizure, inspection, j)acking, and all other charges arising from such seizure, shall be j)aid. And it shall be the duty of every per- son, when required, to give necessary aid to the officer having such war rant, on pain of forfeiting five dollars for his refusal, to be reco veered by action of debt, or on the case, before any court proper to fery the same; and by any person who will prosecute therefor. Inspection of imported piclded and smo'ked fisli. 10. Be it further enacted, That no pickled or smoked fish, which shall be brought into this State from any other State or government, shall be sold or offered for sale before the same shall have been regularly in- spected according to the provisions of this act; and each and every person who buy or sell, or offer for sale [any] pickled or smoked fish which shall be brought into this State from any other State or govern- ment, before the same is regularly inspected as aforesaid, shall severally forfeit and pay five dollars for each and every hundred pounds' weight so bought or sold; to be recovered by any person who shall prosecute for the same, by action of debt, or on the case, before any court proper to try the same. Penalty for liandling uninspected fish. 11. Be it further enacted^ That if any master of a vessel, or other per- son, shall put or receive on board any vessel or other carriage or con- veyance to transport the same from this State, any pickled or whole fish packed in casks which are not inspected or branded in manner by this act prescribed, he or they, on conviction, shall forfeit and pay not less than five dollars nor more than ten dollars for each and every hun- dred pounds of such uninspected fish. Penalty for exporting uninspected smolced fish. 12. Be it further enacted, That no smoked alewives or herrings which shall not have been inspected and branded agreeably to the provisions of this act shall be exported from this State, under a penalty of two [377] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. dollars for each box so exported; nor sliall any alewives or herrings be taken from any box so inspected and branded and others of an inferior quality be put in their place, with intent to deceive or defraud any per- son in the sale of the same, under a penalty of five dollars for each box so changed. Penalty for illegal branding. 13. Be it further enacted, That if the inspector shall brand any cask, the contents of which he has not inspected, packed, salted, and coop- ered, or any boxes of smoked alewives or herrings which he has not in- spected, packed, and nailed, according to the true intent and meaning of this act, or if he shall permit other persons to use his brands in viola- tion or evasion thereof, he or they so offendiug, shall forfeit and pay, for every cask and box so branded, the sum of twentj^ dollars. Branding-irons. Fish for home consumption, etc. 14. Be it further enacted, That all persons within this State who shall have fish for ijacking and pickling, either in bulk or in casks, to the amount of twenty barrels in one season, shall furnish the inspector with a branding-iron, containing the first letter of the owner's Chris- tian name and his surname at large, and the inspector shall cause the names of such owners to be fairly branded on the head of every cask of their inspected fish ; aud if any such owner of fish shall refuse or neglect to furnish such brand he shall forfeit and pay for such neglect and refusal not less than five dollars nor more than twentj^ dollars ; and all kinds of pickled fish which are packed in tierces, barrels, or half barrels for consumption within this State, and which are not subject to be in- spected and branded as provided for exportation, shall, however, be packed with only one kind of fish in each cask, and there shall be the same weight in each cask as is ];)rovided by the fourth section of this act; and for intermixing different kinds of fish in the same cask, or for short weight in any cask, the owners or venders shall be subjected to the same penalties and forfeitures as are provided by this act for the like offense in the inspected pickled fish. Disposition of penalties. 15. Be it further enacted, That all penalties and forfeitures arising by force and virtue of this act, except the penalties of five dollars men- tioned in the ninth and tenth sections of this act, shall be recovered by action of debt in any court proper to try the same ; one moiety thereof for the use of the town or plantation wherein the offense shall be com- mitted, and the other moiety to him or them who shall sue for the same. Payment of fees. 16. Be it further enacted, That the charges for certificates, inspecting, aud branding shall be paid by the exporter or purchaser, in addition to REPORT OF COMMISSIONEE OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [378] the purchase or cost of the fish ; and bills for the legal fees of inspec- tion and certificates shall, in the first instance, be paid by the original owner of said fish, or by the person employing the inspector ; and all such owners or employers arehereby empowered to demand and recover the amount of said bills from the subsequent purchaser or exi)orter. Inspectors now in office. 17. Be it further enacted, That the inspector and his deputies, legally appointed and now in of&ce, shall continue to hold and enjoy their respective offices until the tenth day of April next. Inspectors to give bonds. 18. Be it further enacted, That every inspector of fish appointed in this State shall, on being qualified for such office, pay to the treasurer of the town or plantation in which he shall reside five dollars ; and it shall be the duty of such treasurers to pay over all moneys so received to the treasurer of this State on or before the twentieth day of January an- nually. Inspection fees. 19. Be it further enacted, That the inspectors shall be paid for each cer- tificate for exportation seventeen cents, and for inspecting and branding each and every cask of fish, as directed by this act; for each tierce ten cents, for each barrel seven cents, for each half barrel four cents, for each box of smoked herrings or alewives two cents, exclusive of the labor and expense of packing and coopering; and the fees for inspecting and the expense for packing and coojjering shall be jDaid by the seller. The following act additional to the preceding law was passed January Inspection ofsmoTced herrings. 29, 1822 Be it enacted, &c., That, from and after the passing of this act, the several inspectors of fish in this State shall be authorized to inspect smoked herrings, scaled and cured in a superior manner, and packed in boxes eighteen inches long, nine inches wide, and seven inches deep in the clear, which boxes shall be made and branded on the cover, in the same manner as other boxes for herring are now made and branded, excepting that, instead of first or second sort, the word scaled shall be inserted. And the inspection and exportation of said herrings shall be subject to the same laws and regulations as are prescribed by law for other herrings. On February 8, 1822, the following law was passed : Inspection in places where no inspector resides. Be it enacted, &c.. That where it shall be necessary to have fish in- spected in any town or plantation where no inspector resides, it shall [379] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. be lawful for any inspector within the county to iusj)ect and brand the same in such town or plantation. The following law was passed February 25, 1824 : Inspection of imported fish. Sec. 1. Be it enacted, &c.^ That all butter, lard ; pickled, dry, or smoked fish, beef, and pork, or other salted provisions that may have been inspected in any other of the United States, may be exported from any x)ort in this State to any foreign port without its being subject to reiuspection, any law to the contrary notwithstanding. The following law passed February 2, 1828 : Inspection of sJiad. Be it enacted, by the senate and house of representatives, in legislature assembled, That, from and after the x>assing of this act, it -shall be the duty of the several inspectors of fish in this state to brand shad bar- relled as specified in the fourth section of an act, passed the twenty- second day of March, one thousand eight hundred and twenty-one, as follows, viz: Those of the best quality, caught in the right season, to be most approved and free from damage, having their tails cut off and back bones out, shall be branded " Cargo Mess^^; those which remain after the best have been selected, being sweet and free from taint, rust, or damage, with their back bones in, and tails on, shall be branded "Cargo No. 1"; and there shall be a third quality, which shall consist of the thinnest and poorest of those that are sweet and wholesome, whicb shall be branded" Cargo No. 2"; anything contained in any act to which this is additional, to the contrary notwithstanding. The following additional law regulating the inspection of smoked herring was passed February 12, 1831 : 1. Be it enacted, &c., That from and after the passage of this act, the several inspectors of fish in this state shall be authorized to inspect smoked herring scaled and packed in boxes eighteen inches long, nine Inches wide, and seven inches deep in the clear, which boxes shall be made (except as to dimensions) in the manner provided by law for pickled and smoked fish, and in addition to the brand now required by law, there shall be branded upon the cover of said boxes, first sort, or second sort scaled herring (as the quality may require), first sort to be not less than eight inches long, and second sort not less than six inches and a half long, and cured in a superior manner. 2. Beit further enacted, That the inspection and exportation of said her- rings shall be subject to the same regulations as are prescribed by law for pickled and smoked fish, and that the act passed Jauuar^^ twenty- ninth, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and twenty- two, entitled " An act in addition to an act to provide for the packing EEPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES, [380] and inspection of pickled and smoked fish," be and the same is hereby repealed. The Massachusetts inspection laws passed in 1810, provided for the appointment of an inspector-general of pickled and smoked fish. This law applied to the province of Maine until the separation in 1820. The new law then passed by Maine did not require an inspector-general, but provided for the appointment of inspectors in the several fishing towns of the Slate. This method of inspection continued until March 14, 1862, when the following law was passed : Appointment and duties of inspector-general and deputies. 1. The governor with advice of the council shall appoint an inspector- general of fish, removable at j^leasure, who shall be commissioned for a period not exceeding two years, and he shall be sworn and give bond with sulficient sureties in the sum of six thousand dollars to the treas- urer of state for the faithful discharge of his duties before entering thereon. 2. The inspector-general shall appoint one or more deputies in every town in this state where pickled fish or smoked herrings and alewives are cured or packed for exportation, who shall be responsible for their neglect or misconduct while acting under him, and when the office of inspector-general becomes vacant, they may continue to discharge the duties of the office until a successor is appointed, and they shall be ac- countable to the state. 3. Every deputy shall be sworn by the inspector-general or by a jus- tice of the peace, and give bond to the inspector- general with sureties to his satisfaction for the faithful performance of his duty, and the bond shall be so expressed as to enure to the use of the state for the time the deputy exercises his duties during a vacancy in the office of inspector- general. 4. Each deputy shall pay to the inspector-general one dollar, as an excise fee for his bond and commission, and the inspector- general may receive from each of his deputies for every cask of pickled fish inspected by him the following fees : For each tierce, four cents ] for each barrel, one cent ; and every smaller package, one-half cent. 5. The inspector-general shall, in the month of January annually, make a return into the office of secretary of state, of all the fish inspected by him and his deputies during the year preceding the first day of said January, designating the quantities, kinds, and qualities of pickled and smoked fish respectively, and the secretary shall publish the same, as soon after as may be, in the state paper, and the inspector-general may require returns of his deputies as often as he sees fit. 6. All acts and parts of acts inconsistent herewith are hereby re- pealed. [381] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. On March 24, 1864, the following amendment to the fish inspection laws was approved : Inspection of maclcerel. 1. Chapter forty, section five, of the Ee vised Statutes is hereby amended by striking out all in said section after the word " therein " in the thirteenth line, and inserting mackerel of the best quality, not mutilated, measuring not less than thirteen inches from the extremity of the head to the crotch of or fork of the tail, free from rust, taiot, or damage, shall be branded number one. The next best quality, being not less than eleven inches, measuring as aforesaid, free from rust, taint, or damage, shall be branded number two. Those that remain after the above selections, free from taint or damage, and not less than thirteen inches, measuring as aforesaid, shall be branded number three large. Those of the next inferior quality, free from taint or damage, not less than ten inches in length, as aforesaid, shall be branded number three. All other mackerel free from taint or damage shall be branded number three small. The inspectors shall also brand in plain letters on the head of every such cask the weight, the initials of his Christian and the whole of his surname, the name of his town, and the letters Me., an abridge- ment of the month, and the year, in figures when packed. The inspector- general of fish shall have no interest, directly or indirectly, in the cure or packing of pickled fish. Tenn of office of inspector-general lengthened. 2. Chapter ninety-nine, section one, of the public laws of eighteen hun- dred and sixty-two is hereby amended by striking out the word " two" and and inserting _^ ye. 3. This act shall take effect when approved by the governor. The present fish inspection laws of Maine were passed February 10, 1875, and abolish the office of inspector-general, which was created in 1862. Each fishing port is now provided with its own inspectors. MASSACHUSETTS. Various inspection laws regulating the packing of pickled fish have been in force in Massachusetts since early colonial days. The following law was passed in May, 1651 : Att a Gennerall Courte of Eleccons, held at Boston, 7th May, 1651. For preventing the deceipt of any person in packing of fish, beife and porke to be putt to salie in this and other jurisdictions, itt is therefore ordered by this Courte and the authoritje thereof, that in every towne w'^^in this jurisdicon where any such goods are packed up for sale, the gager of that tonne, or of the tonne wherein it is putt to sale, or shipt, shall see that it be well and orderly performed, that is to say, beife and i)orke, the whole halfe or quarter together, and so pro- portionably, and the best be not left out ; and for fish, that they bepackt REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [382] all of one kind, and that all caske so i)ackt, be full, and sound and well seasoned setting his seale on all caske so packt, for which he shall receive of the owners, for so packing and sealing, fower shillings p tunne ; but if the gager do only veiw them, and find them good and sufficjent, he shall set his seale vppon them, and have one shilling p tunne for so doing; and if such goods so packt shall be put to sale packt vp in caske without the gagers marke, he shall forfeite the said goods so put to sale, one-half to the informer, the other to the countje treasury, and whereas notw^*^standiug the former law provided, tit. caske and coopers, page the sixth, much damage is still sustained by marchants and men of trade, through insufficiencie and vendue assize of caske, itt is therefore further ordered by the authorytie of this courte, that wheresoever any new caske are found put to sale being de- fective either in workmanship, timber, or assize, as in that law is pro- vided vppon due proofe made before any one magistrate, the said caske shall be forfeited to the informer, and the workmen for his default shall pay tenn shillings a tunn forthwith, to the use of the countye and so proportionable to any greater or lesser caske; and becawse there may be no neglect in the choice of a gager to prevent the abuses in this or any other lawe exprest, itt is further ordered by the authorytie aforesajd, the every toune within this jurisdiccon wherein any caske are made shall yecrely make choice of one fitt man for that worke and imploiment, who, being presented by the constable within one weeke after the choice made, before any one magistrate, shall take the oath belonging to his place, which if he shall refuse, he shall pay the soiue of forty shillings, and another to be chosen in his roome; as also the toune or constable shall either of them suffer the like poenaltie for the neglect of this order, any other lawe, custome or order to the contrary notwith- standing. — (Eecords of Massachusetts, Vol. IV, Part I, p. 39.) In 1652 another law was passed as follows : Att the second Sessions of the Generall Court, held at Boston, the 19th of Oct. 1652. Vppon sundry information of sundry abuses which may arise, and thereby reproach redound to the countrje, by packing of beife, porke in caske that is not full gage, although the packer doe carefully till the same, as the lawe provides, it is therefore ordered by this Courte: that henceforth every packer shall see that all caske he packs any beife, pork mackerill, tish or any other goods in comitted to his care, be of true and full asize and gage, and that he packes the same in no other caske whatsoever on penaltie of tenn shillings for every caske by him packed that is or shall be defective in that respect, one halfe to the in- former, and the other half to the countrie. This order to be the next day published, and posted vp in Boston and Charles Toune, and, by the first opportunitie, in Salem and Ipswich. The oath for packers of beife &c — Whereas, you AB, are chosen a packer of beife porke and other [383] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. thing:s for the toune of B:, you doe here sweare by the living God that you will well and truely packe, all beife, porke, and other things when you shall be thereunto required; you shall packe no kinde of goods but such as are good and sound nor any goods in any caske that is not of a just and full gage; you shall also sett your i>articular marke vpon all caske packed by you; and in all things propper to the j)! ace of a packer you shall faithfully discharge the same, from tjme to tjme, ac- cording to your best judgment & conscjence, So heipe you God. — (Rec- ords of Massachusetts, Vol. IV, Part I, page 105.) The following law was passed November 8, 1692 : AN ACT for regulating the assize of cask, and preventing deceit iu packing of fish, beef, and pork for sale. Be it ordained and enacted by tJie Governour, Council and^ Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same. Sec. I. That from and after the first day of December nest, all sorts and kinds of tight cask used for any liquor, fish, beef, pork, or any other commodities within this, their majesties' province, shall be of London assize; puncheons, eighty-four gallons ; hogsheads, sixty-three gallons; tearses, forty-two gallons ; barrels, thirty-one gallons and a half ; and made of sound, well-seasoned timber, and free from sap. And that fit persons be appointed, from time to time, in all places needful to view and gage all such cask ; and such as shall be found of due assize shall be marked with the gager's mark, who shall have for his pains four pence per tunn ; and every cooper shall set his distinct, brand-mark on his own cask, on penalty of forty shillings. And whosoever shall put to sale any new cask, being defective either in workmanship, timber, or assize, as aforesaid, upon proof thereof, made before one justice of the peace, he shall forfeit such cask and be fined forty shillings. And be it further enacted [Sect. 2], That the justices of the peace, at their first general quarter sessions, to be holden iu each respective county within this province, shall yearly, in every town needful thereof, choose and appoint a fit person or persons to be gagers and packers, and then to swear to the due execution of their office ; which, if any per- son so appointed shall refuse, he shall pay the sum of forty shillings, and another shall be chosen and appointed in his stead. And every gager and packer shall take care that all cask in which he packs beef, pork, mackerel, fish, or other goods committed to his care, be of true and full assize, and that he pack the same in no other cask whatsoever, on pen- alty of ten shillings for every cask by him packed, that is or shall be de- fective in that respect. And if any of the before mentioned provisions shall be packed into half barrels or firkins, the same shall be made in proportion to the assize aforesaid, and be marked by the packer. And for the preventing of fraud and deceit in the packing of pickled fish, beef, and pork to be put for sale, REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [384] Be it further enacted [Sect. 3], That in every town where such goods are i)acked up for sale, the gager or packer of snch town, or of the town wherein they are put to sale or shipped, shall see that it be well and orderly performed; that is to say, beef and pork, the whole half and quarter, and so proportionably that the best be not left out ; and so fish and mackerel, that they be packed all of one kind ; and that all casks so packed be full, and the fish sound and well seasoned, setting his seal on all casks so packed ; and he shall receive of the owners for so pack- ing ancl sealing, four shillings per ton. And if any such provisions be put to sale or shipped off without the i)acker's mark, they shall be for- feited. [Sect. 4.] And it is further enacted., That all sorts of green or pickled fish, sturgeon, or flesh that shall be put up for transportation to a foreign market shall be searched, surveyed, and approved by a sworn packer, who shall take strict care that the »same be put in tight cask of full gage, salted with suitable salt. And such as shall be so saved, and for its condition found merchantable and full, the packer shall seal with such brand-mark as shall be assigned to the town, and such other cut-mark added as may denote the sort of provision and the time when packed. And all such other provisions as the packer shall find wholesome and useful, though for its quality it be not merchantable, he shall cause to be well iiacked, salted, filled, and sealed with the letter R, and such other letters as may signifie the town, specie, and time of packing. And if any master of a ship or other vessel, or any officers or mariners belonging thereto, shall receive such provisions not marked and sealed, as aforesaid, aboard any of their ships or vessels, he or they who shall offend thei-ein, shall forfeit double the value of all such provisions; and he that owns the provisions shall forfeit the same. And if any cooper or other person shall shift any fish or flesh, either on board or on shore, after the same has been so sealed and marked by the packer, and ship and export the same, the packer having not allowed thereof, and anew sealed and marked the cask whereinto such provisions are shifted, all persons acting, ordering or assisting therein, shall be set in the pillory, not exceeding one hour, and shall likewise pay double damages to per- sons wronged thereby. And it is further enacted [Sec. 5], That when any such provisions have lain above three months under the packer's mark, betwixt the months of May and October, they shall again, upon exportation or sale, be viewed or searched by the packer; that is to say, so many of them as may probalily discover the condition of the whole; and if any be decayed or deceitfully dealt with, the packer shall cull and repack the same, so as to distinguish and mark them for merchantable or refuse, according to their condition. And if those who ship or export any such provision shall neglect or refuse such second search or survey, the packer is hereby ordered and impowered to deface his former mark, and for so doing shall be paid as if he had repackt the same. And if the [385] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. owner refuse to satisfle the packer, such jiacker shall have redress on complaint to any justice of the peace, who is hereby impowered to com- pel the payment thereof by distress. [Sec. 7.*] That all fines, penalties, and forfeitures, arising by force and virtue of this act, shall be the one-half to their majesties toward the support of the government of this province, and the other hnlf to him or them that shall inform and sue for the same in any of their majestie's courts of record within this province. Be it further enacted [Sec. 8], That there be a measurer of salt and culler of fish in every seaport town within this province, to be appointed as aforesaid, who being likewise sworn for the faithful discharge of that office, shall cull all merchantable fish and measure all salt that shall be imported and sold out of any ship or other vessel, and shall liave three half-pence for every hogshead of salt by him so measured, to be paid, the one-half by the buyer, the other half by the seller. And one penny per quintal for every quintal of merchantable fish by him culled, to be paid, one-half by the buyer and the other half by the seller. (Acts and resolves of the Province of Massachusetts Bay, Vol. 1, 1G92-1714, p. 49.) Between the years 1692 and 1784 various other laws similar to the preceding were enacted. A comprehensive law w^as passed on No- vember 9, 1784, by which the selectmen of the town, in the common- wealth of Massachusetts, were authorized to choose and appoint search- ers and packers of dry and pickled fish designed for exportation from the State. In this law it is provided that each barrel of pickled fish must contain a sufficient quantity of salt for their preservation ; that mackerel and other barrelled fish be packed all of one kind and in casks well seasoned, containing not less than thirty gallons, and the casks be full and properly branded with the name of the fish therein. The law of March C, 1810, which repealed all previous enactments on the same subject is a very minute and important cne. It provides for the appointment of an inspector-general and deputy inspectors. The former is required to give bonds to the treasurer of the State for the faithful discharge of his duties. The deputies must give bonds to the inspector- general, and he is held responsible for them. In this law we find the qualities of fish more definitely described than in earlier laws. The section on this subject requires that barrels containing pickled fisk "shall be branded salmon, mackerel, shad (or as the case maybe); those of the best quality, caught in the right season, to be most ap- proved and free from damage, shall be branded Cargo No. 1 ; those which remain after the best have been selected, being sweet and free from taint, rust, or damage, shall be branded. Cargo No. 2 ; and there shall be a third quality, which shall consist of the thinnest and poorest of those that are sweet and wholesome, shall be branded. Cargo No. 3; and the inspector shall also brand in plain, legible letters, on the head * Section 6 refers to the packing of tar. EEPOET OF COMMISSIONEE OF. FISH AND FISHERIES. [386] of each and every cask in which inspected, merchantable fish, or whole fish are packed, or repacked, the initials of his Christian name, with his surname at large, the name of the town for which he is appointed, and Mass. annexed for Massachusetts. * * *." The act. passed by the Massachusetts legislature March 28, 1834, says: Sec. 1. Be it enacted, etc., That the inspector-general, or his deputies, shall not be required to brand upon the casks in which mackerel may hereafter be packed, the owner's name, nor the word "cargo." Sec. 2. That the second and fifth sections of the act passed March foiirteenth, one thousand eight hundred and thirty-one, entitled "An act in addition to several acts regulating the inspection of pickled fish," are hereby repealed. Sec. 3. That the inspector- general, or his deputies, shall brand upon every cask of mackerel inspected by him or them the year in which the same is packed ; and upon all No. 3 mackerel, that are usually denomi- nated southern or Block Island mackerel, and all others of a similar quality and descrij)tion the word "South"; and upon all other jSTo. 3 mackerel, the word " ISTorth." Provided, however, that the inspectors shall receive no additional compensation therefor. Sec. 4. That it shall be the duty of the inspector-general, or his dep- uties, when mackerel are presented to him or them for inspection, to select those of the best quality, and such as are fit for family use, for 'No. 1 ; those of the next best quality, being fat, free from damage, of suitable size, and not cut or mutilated in any manner for the purpose of deception, for No. 2; and all others for No. 3, and to brand the casks in which they are packed, accordingly. Sec. 5. That all acts or parts of acts inconsistent with the provisions of this act, are hereby repealed. The Eevised Statutes of 1835, in defining the qualities of pickled fish, say : "There shall be four qualities of mackerel, three of salmon and shad, and two of other kinds of pickled fish ; those mackerel of best quality for family use, not mutilated, of suitable size," free from rust or damage, shall be number one and number two, the best of those selected and branded number one, the residue number tico; those remaining after this selection, of usual size, free from taint, and sound, shall be branded number three; and those of this number that are of the descrijjtion called Block Island mackerel shall also be branded with the word south; all small-size mackerel, free from taint, and sound, remaining after the above selections, shall be branded number four; those salmon and shad which are of the best quality for family use, free from rust or damage, shall be selected for number one and number two, the best of them selected and branded number one, the residue number two; all that remain, free from taint and sound, shall be branded number three; of all other pickled fish the best, such as are free of taint and damage. [387] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. sliall be branded mnnher one; those that remain free from taint, and sound, number ttvoP The act of March 31, 1846, defines the grades of mackerel under four numbers, and reads as follows: "Sec. 1. From and after the passing of this act tliere shall be four numbers of mackerel: Those of the best quality, not mutilated, meas- uring not less thaa thirteen inches from the extremity- of the head to ^the crotch or fork of the tail, free from rust, taint, or damage, shall be branded number one. The next best quality, being not less than eU ven inches, measuring as aforesaid, free from rust, taint, or damage, shall be branded number two. Those, that remain after the above selec- tions, if free from taint or damage, and not less than thirteen inches, measuring as aforesaid, shall be branded number three large. Those of the next inferior quality, free from taint or damage, not less than ten inches in length, as aforesaid, shall be branded number three. All other mackerel, free from taint or damage, shall be branded number four. " Sec. 2. The inspector-general shall not have any interest, directly or indirectly, in the cure or packing of any pickled fish, except so far as a faithful performance of his duty requires. "Sec. 3. The act in addition to an act regulating the inspection of pickled fish, being the one hundred and fifty-fourth chapter of the stat- utes of the year one thousand eight hundred and thirty-six ; the act concerning the manufacture of barrels for pickled fish, being the forty- second chapter of the statutes of the year one thousand eight hundred and fifty-four; and also so much of the third section of the twenty-eighth chapter of the Eevised Statutes; as is inconsistent with this act, are hereby repealed." In 1850 the following law was enacted in Massachusetts, requiring that dutiable imported pickled fish be branded with the word "foreign.'? This law was repealed by act April 1,1879. It had become quite unim- portant, since nearly all fish requiring such branding were those from the British provinces, which, by the treaty of Washington, had been ad- mitted free of duty for several years. The law reads as follows : "Pickled fish of foreign catch, on which an import duty is laid by the laws of the United States, which is brought into this State and here inspected or reinspected, shall, in addition to iho, brand mentioned in the preceding sections, be branded with the word 'foreign' on the head of each cask, barrel, or package, in letters not less than one inch in length, and separate and distinct from the other brands. "If an inspector of fish inspects or reinspects any fish of foreign catch so imi)orted and brought into this State, and refuses or neglects to com- ply with the requirements of the preceding section, he shall forfeit and pay for such refusal or neglect fifteen dollars for every cask, barrel, or package so neglected." BEPORT OF COMMISSIONEE OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [388] CONNECTICUT. The following fish-inspection law was enacted in Connecticut May 31, 1823, and appeajs in the Eevised Statutes of 1849 : ^'Be it enacted, c&c. All pickled shad, codfish, or mackerel, intended for market, shall be split and well cleansed, and pickled in strong brine. Shad and codfish shall be in such brine at least fifteen days, and mack- erel at least forty-eight hours, before they are put up for market, aud^ shall be put in barrels or half-barrels, the barrels containing two hun- dred pounds each, and the half-barrels one hundred pounds each, of fish well packed, with a sufficient quantity of salt, and filled with strong brine. And shad so put up shall be of three denominations, viz: Shad No. 1 to consist wholly of shad well saved, free from rust or any defect, and the head and tail cut off, and the backbone taken out; each barrel containing not more than seventy -two shad, and each half- barrel not more than thirty-sis shad. The second denomination shall be shad number 2, to consist wholly of well saved, trimmed, pickled, and prepared for packing, in the same manner as shad number 1 ; each barrel containing not more than eighty-two shad, and each half-barrel not more than forty-one shad. The third denomination shall be shad number 3, to consist of shad that will not answer for either of the two former numbers, well saved, with the head taken off; and said barrels and half-barrels of fish shall be inspected and branded in the manner hereinbefore prescribed for inspecting beef and pork; and the inspector who shall inspect or who shall brand the same shall designate by each brand the quality, weight, and kind offish contained in each barrel and half-barrel branded by him, and also his own name, and the name of the town where said fish was put up. "All barrels and half-barrels containing fish for market or exportation shall be well made of good seasoned red oak, white oak, or chestnut timber ; and each tierce made with twelve hoops ; and each barrel shall be of the capacity of from twenty-eight to thirty gallons, and each half- barrel of the capacity of fifteen gallons and a half." PENNSYLVANIA. Laws regulating the inspection of pickled fish were enacted in Penn- sylvania in 1835, and, with subsequent amendments, were in force until 1874, when they were repealed by the adoption of a new constitution that abolished the ofiice of State inspector, and left the regulation of the trade to the several cities and towns. Philadelphia has for many years been a large market for pickled mackerel and other fish. Large quan- tities are received here from the North, and, after being repacked, are distributed over the State, especially in the mining regions. A leading fish-dealer of Philadelphia writes as follows : " Fish-inspection laws were in force in Pennsylvania until the adop- tion of the new constitution in 1874, since which time we have had no [389] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. law governing the same. Two different bills have been before the legis lature, both of which failed ; we remonstrated against both, as they dis- criminated against us. Under one section of the law as it existed until 1874 anj^ man in a bordering State could pack goods any weight he saw fit and sell them in Pennsylvania. No local law will remedy the defect. The only way to correct the abuse is by a general law requiring the weight and grade stamped on each package, and failure thereof to be punished by penalty. This would require no inspector, as a violation could be tried and determined before a justice or United States com- missioner, the same as any misdemeanor. Such a law would be hailed with delight by every honest dealer, and leave no argument for the dis- honest ones. From the passage of the law, in 1860, until the repeal of the same, in 1868, our house had their smaller jjackages put up down East, rather than encourage the inspector, which was only in name, no inspecting being done. He would walk into the counting-house, ask how many packages had been made, take what you gave him, and move on. In conversation with a merchant on this subject he told me of an instance where the inspector collected $3.50 fees, and the firm after- ward admitted to packing 2,700 packages." We give below the law as it stood on the statute-books of Pennsyl- vania at the time of the abolishment of inspection laws, in 1874 : Appointment and qualification of inspector and Ms deputies. Act of March 27, 1860, sections 1, 2. 1. The governor shall appoint, for the term of one year, an inspector of pickled fish in and for this commonwealth, who shall give a bond, with sufficient sureties, to the treasurer of the State of Pennsylvania, in the penal sum of ten thousand dollars, who shall have all and singular the powers and authorities and be subject to all and singular the duties and liabilities of such of&ce. 2. Said inspector may appoint deputy inspectors for the city and county of Philadelphia, and in such other cities or towns in this com- monwealth where pickled fish is packed or repacked, and shall be an- swerable for their official conduct, and shall take bonds from each of them, with sufficient surety, in such sum as shall be judged sufiBcient, and the said deputies shall be sworn, either before the said inspector or some alderman or justice of the peace, to the faithful discharge of their duty. When piclded fish need not he reinspected. Ibid., section 3. 3. Pickled fish which shall have been duly inspected in the State or country in which they were packed shall not be subject to reinspcction in this State: Provided, That such fish are sold or exported in the original packages, without being repacked. EEPOET OF COMMISSIONEK Or FISH AND FISHERIES. [390] Duties of inspectors. Penalties for intermixing. Ibid., section 4. 4. From and after this act shall g'o into effect the inspector or his deputies shall see that all kinds of split pickled fish for barreling or re- packing-, intended for sale or export, except herring, haddock, pollock, or codfish, have been well struck with salt or pickle in the first instance, and preserved sweet, free from rust, taint, or damage ,• and such fish as shall be found in good order, and of a good quality, shall be packed or repacked in tierces containing each three hundred pounds of fish, or iu barrels containing each two hundred pounds, or in lialf-barrels contain- ing each one hundred pounds, or in quarter-barrels containing each fifty pounds, or in eighths of a barrel or kids, twenty-five pounds ; each cask shall be filled with fish of one and the same kind ; and if any person shall intermix, take out, or'shift any inspected fish which have been x^acked or branded agreeably to the provisions of this act, or put in other fish for sale or exportation, contrary to the true intent and meaning of the i)ro- visions of the same, such person shall forfeit fifteen dollars for each package so altered : Provided^ however^ That if any casualty shall render it necessary to repack a cask of inspected fish, it shallin all cases be done by an inspector of such fish. FacJcing and repacJcing. Ibid., section 5. 5. All fish that shall be packed or repacked in accordance with the fourth section of this act shall be so packed or rei^acked with good and clean salt, suitable for the purpose ; and after packing said fish with sufficient salt to preserve them, and heading said casks, they shall be filled up with a clear, strong pickle. Qualities of fish. Ibid., section 6. 6. There shall be four qualities of mackerel, three of salmon and shad, and two of other kinds of pickled fish; those mackerel of besft quality, for family use, not mutilated, measuring not less than thirteen inches from the extremity of the head to the crotch or fork of the tail, free from rust, taint, or damage, shall be branded number one ; the next best quality, being not less than eleven inches, measuring as aforesaid, free from rust, taint, or damage, shall be branded number two ; those that remain after the above selections, that are free from rust, taint, or damage, shall be branded number three large ; those of the next infe- rior quality, free from taint or damage, not less than ten inches iu length, as aforesaid, shall be branded number three. All other mack- erel, free from taint or damage, shall be branded number four. Salmon and shad. Ibid., section 7. 7. Those salmon and shad which are of the best quality, for family use, free from rust, taint, or damage, shall be selected from number one and number two : the best of them selected and branded number one, [391] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. the residue number two; all that remain, free from taint, and sound, shall be branded number three. Quality and size of casks. Ibid., section 8. 8. All casks used for packing or repacking pickled fish intended for sale or exportation shall be made of sound, well-seasoned white oak, ash, red oak, spruce pine, or chestnut staves, of rift timber, with head- ing of either of said kinds of wood, and if of pine, shall also be free from sap and knots, and shall be planed ; the barrels, half-barrels, and tierces shall be well hooped, with at least three good hoops of sufficient sub- stance on each bilge, and three hoops of the like quality on each chime; the barrel staves shall be twenty -eight inches in length, and the heads shall be seventeen inches between the chimes ; the barre.s shall contain not less than twenty-eight gallons nor more than thirty gallons each; the halt-barrels not less than fifteen gallons each, and the tierces not less than forty-five nor more than forty-six gallons ; and each cask shall be made in a workmanlike manner. Inspection of casls. • Act of March 27, 1860, chapter 289, section 9. 9. The inspector or his deputies shall strictly examine and inspect all casks in which he or they may be required to pack any fish, and they shall reject all such as are not made in a substantial manner and according to the provisions of this act. Branding of casJis. Ibid., section 10. 10. The inspector or his deputies shall brand, in plain, legible letters, on the head of each cask of fish inspected by them, or either of them, respectively, the denomination of the fish packed or repacked therein, the initials of the Christian name, and the whole of the surname of the inspector or his deputy, as the case may be, the name of the city or town for which such deputy is appointed, the letters " Penn," (for Penn- sylvania), and the year in which the fish were packed. All fish of for- eign catch which shall be brought into this State, and which shall be repacked, shall be inspected or reinspected, and in addition to the brand as required by this act, shall be branded with the word foreign on the head of each cask containing such inspected or reinspected fish, in letters not less than one inch in length, and separate and distinct from the other brands. Inspection fees. Ibid., section 11. 11. The fe^s for inspecting and branding, exclusive of cooperage, shall be, for each tierce, twelve cents; each barrel, eight cents; each half-barrel, five cents; each cask of any smaller denomination, three cents; and in addition to the fees aforesaid, one cent for each cask that REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [392] shall be nailed, which, shall be done in a suitable manner, when in their judgment it may be necessary. Seizure of uninspected fish. Appropriation of proceeds. Ibid., section 12. 12. If any pickled fish which have been repacked, and not inspected or reinspected and branded according to the provisions of this act, shall be put on board of any boat or vessel, or into any carriage of con- veyance, with intent that the same shall be sold within or exported from this State, the inspector, or any deputy, may seize and libel the same; and if upon trial it shall appear that such seizure was lawful, the fish so seized shall be decreed to be forfeited, and shall be sold and disposed of at public sale to the highest bidder; and the net proceeds, after pay- ing the necessary expenses, shall be paid as follows : One-half to the overseers or guardians of the poor in the county where seized, and the other one-half to the inspector, or his deputy, who shall have caused the same to have been seized. Penalty for illegal selling or branding. Ibid., section 13. 13. If any person or persons shall sell within this State, or shall ex- port therefrom, any pickled fish which have been packed or repacked therein, and not duly inspected according to the provisions of this act, shall forfeit the sum of ten dollars for every hundred pounds of such fish thus sold or exported, to be recovered in any court of this State having competent jurisdiction. Any person using a brand for the pur- pose of branding casks of fish in imitation of those used by the in- spector or his deputies, or in imitation of those used by the inspect- ors or their deputies in other States or foreign countries, or who shall counterfeit, forge, or fraudulently impress, or make the brand-mark, or any number or other mark of any such inspection, upon any cask of . fish subject to inspection, or shall fraudulently alter, deface, conceal Or erase any inspection mark duly made, shall, for every such offence, be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and be punishable by a fine not exceeding one hundred dollars, at the discretion of the court having jurisdiction of the offence. Repealing clause. Ibid., section 14. 14. All the acts heretofore in force, regulating the inspection of salted or pickled fish, which are inconsistent herewith, be, and the same are hereby, repealed. — (Approved, March 27, 1860.) ISFame of packer to he branded.* Act of April 15, 1835, section 70. Sec. 70. Every brand and half-barrel of salted fish, liable to inspec- * This section and several of tlie following ones are only partially repealed by the act of Maxch 27, 1860, from which the preceding sections are quoted. [393] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. tion as aforesaid, shall be branded with the initial letter of the Christian name, and surname at full length, of the person or persons putting up the same, or the person selling the same, under penalty of seventy- five cents for every such cask. Mode of inspection. Ibid., section 72. 15. Every cask containing salted fish, liable to inspection as aforesaid, shall be inspected by opening, and, if necessary, by unpacking and re- packing the same, so that the inspector may judge of the soundness and true package of the fish, as well as of the contents of the cask. Branding of unmerehantable fish. Ibid., section 74. 16. If the inspector shall, upon examination find any barrel or half- barrel, containing salted fish, not to be of the proper description, or if he shall find the fish not to be merchantable as aforesaid, he shall erase and effectually deface therefrom the brand-marks ; and if the same can- not be made merchantable, as aforesaid, hy salting, pickling, repacking, and coopering, it shall be the duty of the inspector to impress dis- tinctly, ui3on each barrel or half-barrel, a mark of condemnation, in the manner following : 1. If such fish shall be inspected at Philadelphia, the inspector shall imjjress upon one of the heads of such cask the mark of a cross (thus, X), each stroke of which cross shall be at least two inches and a half in length ; 2. If such fish shall be inspected at the city of Pittsburg, or the borough of Columbia aforesaid, the inspector shall cause the casks to be marked on the bilge with a broad arrow (thus, t), or, if required, secure them for future examination, which ex- amination the owner or person selling the same shall procure to be made within four days. Msh may he hranded after penalty incurred. Ibid., section 76. 17. Provided, That if any fish shall be laden for exportation, or shall be sold and delivered as aforesaid, without being so branded, the inspector may, after the penalty for such neglect shall have been paid, brand the same with his own name, and he may demand and receive therefor, from the person so lading or selling and delivering the same, the sum of six cents for every such cask. Penalty for fraudulent pacMng. Ibid., section 78. 18. If any salted fish, liable to inspection as aforesaid, shall be found, upon the examination thereof by the inspector, to be fraudulently packed, either by the use of improper or unfit substance, or by the intermixture or use of fish of different qualities, the owner thereof or his agent shall forfeit and pay for each and every such cask the sum of five dollars. EEPOET OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [394] When Jish must he reinspected. Ibid., section 79. 19. Salted flsli liable to inspection, as aforesaid, shall, if they have re- mained on hand unsold or not exported during six months after the in- specting and branding thereof, as aforesaid, be again examined by the inspector, and if found to be unsound shall be subject to the regulations provided for the case of salted fish which have not been inspected. CasJcs must he filled. Ibid., section 80. 20. Every cask of salted fish liable to inspection shall be filled up by the owner thereof or by x>ersons emi^loyed by him for that purpose, and be packed or repacked hj him or them, as the case may be, and in all respects completed in such manner as the inspector shall require or direct, under penalty of one dollar for each and every cask. Fees for cooperage. Ibid., section 83. 21. The inspectors aforesaid may also demand and receive such other and further allowance and compensation as shall be reasonable and cus- tomary to allow for the expense and trouble of cooperage in putting- each cask of salted provisions into good and perfect order and con- dition. Cooperage may he done hy owners. Ibid., section 84. 22. Provided^ That the owner of any salted provisions, as aforesaid, or his agent, may employ any person, other than the said inspector, to do the cooperage necessary to put the same in good merchantable order and condition, as aforesaid, and in such case the said inspector shall not be entitled to any allowance on account of such cooperage. Fees for unmerchaniahle fish. Ibid., section 85. 23. The inspectors aforesaid may demand and receive from the owner, possessor, or person selling any salted j)rovisions, as aforesaid, which shall be adjudged to be unmerchantable, or not in the condition required by law for sale or exportation, the same fees as if the same had been adjudged to be merchantable and fit for sale or exportation. On April 13, 1868, a law was approved which repealed the inspection laws theretofore in force. On June 2, 1871, the repealing act of April 13, 1808, was repealed, and the inspection laws of 1860 thereby re enacted. In 1874 the new State constitution was adopted, which abolished all inspection laws in Pennsylvania. [395] HISTORY OF THE MACKEEEL FISHERY. 54. IXSPECTIOK LAWS OF THE BEITISH PROYIlSrCES. DOMINION OF CANADA. [37 Victoria, Chapter XLV; Assented to 26tli May, 1874.] AN ACT to make better provisions, extending to the whole Dominion of Canada, re- siiecting the inspection of certain staple articles of Canadian produce. GENERAL PROVISIONS. Governor may a]^point inspectors of certain articles, and at ivJiat places. 1. The governor in council may, from time to time, designate the sev- eral cities, towns, and other places, or inspection divisions in Canada at and for which, respectively, it is expedient to appoint inspectors of the several articles hereinafter mentioned, or any of them; and the governor may, from time to time, determine the limits of such inspection divis- ions, and appoint, at and for such cities, counties, towns, places, or divis- ions, an inspector of any of the following articles, that is to say: Flour and meal; wheat antl other grain; beef and pork; pot ashes and pearl ashes ; pickled fish and fish oil ; butter ; leather and raw hides. Such inspectors shall hold office during i)leasure, and shall act, respectively, within such local limits as the governor in council may assign to them; and they and their deputies sliall be appointed only from and among duly qualified persons, certified as such by the examiners hereinafter mentioned. Boards of examiners of inspectors. 2. The board of trade at each of the cities of Quebec, Montreal, To- ronto, Kingston, Hamilton, London, Ottawa, and St. John, N. B., and the chamber of commerce at the city of Halifax, shall annually appoint, in the said cities, respectively, and the governor may from time to time appoint in any county in the Dominion, or for any inspection division, five fit and skilful persons, any three of whom shall be a quorum, for each class of articles to be inspected at such city or county, to examine and test the ability and fitness of applicants for the office of inspector or deputy inspector of such articles ; and no person shall be appointed such inspector or deputy inspector who has not been examined by and received a certificate of qualification from the proper board of exam- iners: Provided always, That the governor may, in his discretion, ap- point as an inspector under this act, without a new examination, any person who has been an inspector of the same article under any act ■ hereby repealed. And the board may, at any such examination, permit the attendance of any person or persons of experience and skill in the subject of such examination, and allow them to propose questions perti- nent thereto to the examinee, in order to test his knowledge and skill. It shall be the duty of every such board to grant such certificates, EEPOET OF COMMISSIONEE OF FISH AND FISHEEIES. [396] and such only, as to the qualification of the candidates who present themselves for examination as the knowledge and i)roficiency of such candidates may require or justify. Examiners to take oath. 3. Each such examiner shall, before acting as such, take, before some justice of the peace, an oath in the following form, or to the same effect : '^ I, A B, do swear that I w^ill not, directly or indirectly, personally or by means of any person or persons in my behalf, receive any fee, re- ward, or gratuity whatsoever, by reason of any function of my ofiice of examiner of applicants for the office of inspector or deputy inspector of , except such as I may be entitled to receive by law, and that I will therein well and truly, in all things, act without partiality and to the best of my knowledge and understanding. So help me God." Which oath shall remain in the custody of the justice administer- ing it. Inspector not to trade in articles which he inspects. 4. ISTo inspector shall deal or trade in, or have any interest, directly or indirectly, in the production of any article subject to inspection by him, or sell or buy any such article (except for the consumption of himself and family), under a penalty of two hundred dollars for any offence against this section and the forfeiture of his office. Inspector to taTce oath of office. 5. Each inspector shall, before acting as such, take and subscribe, be- fore some justice of peace, an oath of office in the form or to the effect following : "I, A B, do solemnly swear that I will faithfully, truly, and impar- tially, to the best of my judgment, skill, and understanding, execute and perform the office of an inspector; and that I will not, directly or indirectly, by myself or by any other person or persons whomsoever, man- ufacture or prepare, deal, trade in, or sell, or buy, exce'pt only for the consumption of myself and family, and [insvrt the description of the arti- cles he is to inspect) on my account, or upon the account of any other person or persons whomsoever, while I continue such inspector. So help me God." Deputy inspector to have no interest in articles he inspects, — Oath of office. No deputy inspector shall have any direct or indirect interest by him- self or by any person whomsoever, in any article inspected by him. Deputy inspector to taJce oath of office. Every deputy inspector shall, before acting as such, take and sub- scribe before some justice of the peace, the following oath : " I, A B, do solemnly swear that I will faithfully, truly, and impar- [397] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. tially, to the best of my judgment and skill and understanding, execute !ind iDerform the office of a deputy inspector of , and that I will not inspect, brand, or certifj'- to the quality of any article or thing in which I have any direct or indirect interest on my own account, or upon the account of any person whomsoever, while I continue to hold office as a deputy inspector. So help me God." Such oaths shall remain in the custody of the justice admiuistering them, and any copy thereof certified by the said justice shall be prima t facie evidence of such oaths. Security to he given hy inspector or deputy. G. Each inspector or deputy inspector shall, before acting as such, g^ive security for the due x^erformance of the duties of his office, in such sum as the governor may direct, by bond to Her Majesty, with two sureties to the satisfaction of the governor, to be bound jointly and severally with them, in the form and subject to the provisions prescribed by law relative to the security to be given by persons appointed to offices of trust in Canada, and such bond shall avail to the Crown, and to all persons aggrieved by any breach of the conditions thereof, and such bond shall remain in the custody of the secretary of state of Canada; and any copj^ thereof certified by him shall be prima facie evidence of such bond, and of the contents and tenor thereof, and such copy shall be furnished when required, on payment of a fee of one dollar. Appointment of deputy inspectors when required. 7. Each inspector may, and shall, when thereunto required by the governor, in any inspection division, or by the boards of trade in any of the before-named cities, appoint a deputy, or so many deputies as may be necessary, for the speedy and efficient performance of the duties of his office ; such assistants being duly examined and sworn and giving security, as above provided ; and they shall be held to be dejiuties of the inspector for all the duties of his office, and their official acts shall be held to be (5fficial acts of the inspector, and he shall be responsible for them as if done by himself; and each deputy inspector shall make such returns and reports of his official acts as shall be required of him by the inspector whose deputy he is. Duties and tenure of office of deputy inspector. 8. The said deputies shall respectively be paid by, and shall hold their offices at the pleasure of the inspector; and no such inspector shall allow any person whomsoever to act for him about the duties of his office, excepting only his sworn deputy or deputies, appointed as afore- said. Deputy to act on death of inspector. 9. In the event of the death of any inspector, his senior deputy in- spector shall perform all the duties of the inspector until his successor is appointed. EEPOET OF COMMISSIONEE OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [398] Returns or reports of official acts, under regulations to he made l>y gov- ernor in council. 10. The governor in council may, from time to time, require any and every inspector to make such returns or reports of his or their ofiBcial acts to any i)ublic department or ofi&cer, board of trade or municipal authority, and in such form and containing such particulars and informa- , tiou as he may deem expedient, and may, from time to time, by order in council, make such regulations for the governance of inspectors under this act, or any of them, and o'f parties employing them as such, as he may think proper, and may, by such regulations, impose penalties not exceeding fifty dollars to any person offending against them; and any copy of such regulations printed in the Canada Gazette shall be prima facie evidence of any such regulations, and that they are then in force; and such regulations not being contrary to or inconsistent with this act shall be obeyed by such inspectors and parties employing them as if embodied in this act ; and any offence against them shall be deemed an offence against this act and punishable as such. Disputes toucliing inspection, how settled, where there is no hoard of trade or chamher of commerce. 11. If any dispute arises between any inspector or deputy inspector and the owner or possessor of any article by him inspected, with regard to quality and condition thereof, or relating in any respect to the same, then, upon application by either of the parties in difference, to any jus- tice of the peace for the place in which such inspector or deputy inspec- tor acts, such justice of the peace shall issue a summons to three persons of skill and integrity, one to be named by the inspector or deputy in- spector, another by the owner or possessor of the article in question, and the third by such justice of the peace (who, failing the attendance of either of the parties in difference, shall name for him), requiring such three persons forthwith to examine such article and report their opinion of the quality and condition thereof under oath (which oath the justice of the peace shall administer), and the determination, or that of the majority of them, made in writing, shall be final and conclusive, whether approving or disapproving the judgment of the inspector or deputy in- spector, who shall immediately conform thereto, and brand or mark such article, or the package containing the same (as the case may be) of the qualities or condition directed by the determination aforesaid; and if the opinion of the insDector or deputy inspector be thereby con- firmed, the reasonable cost or charges of re-examination (to be ascer- tained by the said justice of the peace) shall be paid by the said owner or possessor of the article in question, and, if otherwise, by the inspec- tor or deputy inspector: [Proviso, for the re-examination of flour and meal in cities where there is a board of trade or chamber of commerce.] Whenever any difference arises between inspectors as to the true [399] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. quality or grade of any article inspected by one of them and re-inspected by another, such di£ference shall be definately determined by reference to such board of arbitration or other authority as the governor in coun- cil may appoint for that purpose. Fees for re-examination, Jioic to he fixed. 12. The council of the board of trade, or chamber of commerce, if there be one, for each of the said cities or places where inspectors are ap- pointed, and, if not (or in case such council fails to make such tariff, the governor in council) shall, from time to time, make a tariff of the fees and charges to be allowed for such re-examination and all services aLd matters connected therewith, and may also establish rules and regula- tions for the government of the persons re-examining any article on ap- peal from the decision of the inspector or deputy inspector ; and all such fees shall be payable before the delivery of the bill of inspection, or the re-delivery by the inspector of the articles inspected, on which he shall have a special lien for such fees. Penalty in case of neglect or refusal of inspector to act. 13. If any inspector or deputy inspector refuses or neglects on appli- cation to him, made personally or by writing, left at his dwt'lling-house, store, office, or ware-house, on any lawful day, between sunrise and sun- set, by any owner or possessor of any article which such inspector or dep- uty inspector is appointed to inspect (such inspector or deputy inspector not being at the time of such application employed inspecting else- where) forthwith, or within two hours thereafter, to i)roceed to such in- spection, he shall, for every such neglect or refusal, forfeit and pay to the l)erson so applying, twenty dollars over and above all the damage oc- casioned by such refusal or neglect to the party complaining, recover- able in a summary way before any one justice of the peace, on the oath of one credible witness other than such complainant. As to fraudulent alteration or imitation or use of &c.^ of inspector'' s onarTcs, &c. 14. Any person who, with a fraudulent intention, alters, effaces, or obliterates wholly or partially, or causes to be altered, effaced, or oblit- erated any inspector's brands or marks on any article having under- gone inspection, or on any package containing any such article, or coun- terfeits any such brand or mark, or brands, impresses, or otherwise marks thereon any mark purporting to be the mark of any inspector or of the manufacturer or i^acker of such articl-e, either with the proper marking instruments of such inspector, manufacturer or packer, or with counterfeit imitations thereof, or empties, or partially empties, any such package marked, after inspection, in order to put into the same any other article (of the same or any other kind), not contained therein at EEPOET OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHEEIES. [400] the time of such inspection, or uses for the purpose of packing any ar- ticle, any old package bearing inspection marks, or (not being an in- spector or deputy inspector of any article) brands or marks any package containing it, with the inspector's marks, or gives any certificate pur. porting to be a certificate of inspection of any article; and any person who being m the employ of any inspector or deputy inspector, or of any manufacturer or packer of any article subject to inspection, hires or lends the marks or marking instruments of his employer to any person whatever, or connives at, or is privy to any fraudulent evasion of this act with respect to any such marks as aforesaid, shall, for such offence, incur a penalty of forty dollars ; and any inspector or deputy inspector who inspects or brands or marks any article out of the local limits for which he is appointed, or hires out or lends his marking instruments to any person whomsoever, or gives any certificate of inspection without having i^ersonally performed the inspection, or any willfully false or un- true certificate, or connives at or is privy to any fraudulent evasion of this act, shall, for each such offence, incur a penalty of one hundred dol- lars, and shall forfeit his office, and shall be disqualified from ever after holding the same. Assuming title of inspector or deputy inspector without authority . 15. Any person not thereunto duly authorized under this act, who in in any manner whatever assumes the title of insi)ector or deputy in- spector, or issues any bill, certificate, or declaration purporting to estab- lish the quality of any pot-ashes or pearl-ashes, flour or meal, beef or pork, grain, pickled fish or fish oil, butter, leather, or raw hides, shall, for such offence, incur a penalty not exceeding one hundred dollars. Penalties, how recovered and applied. 16. Every penalty and forfeiture imposed by this act, or by any regula- tion made under it, not exceeding forty dollars, shall, except when it is otherwise herein provided, be recoveable by any inspector or deputy in- spector, or by any other person suing for the same, in a summary way before any two justices of the peace for the place, in their ordinary or other sessions, and shall, in default of payment, be levied by warrant of distress, to be issued by such justices against the goods and chattels of the offender ; and where such penalty or forfeiture exceeds forty dol- lars it may be sued for and recovered by any such inspector, deputy inspector, or any other person, by bill, plaint, information, or civil ac- tion, in any recorder's court, or in any court having jurisdiction in civil cases to the amount, and may be levied by execution as in case of debt. And the moiety of all such penalties (except such as may be herein otherwise applied) when recovered shall belong to the Crown for the Ijublic uses of the Dominion, and the other moiety shall belong to and be paid to the inspector, or deputy inspector, or other person suing for the same. [401] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. Limitation of time for commencing suits under this act. 17. Any action or suit against any person for anything done in j^ur- suance of this act, or contrary to its provisions, shall be commenced within six months next after the matter or thing done or omitted to be done, and not afterwards ; and the defendant therein may plead the general issue, and give this act and the special matter in evidence, and at any trial therein, and that the same was done under this act ; and if it appears so to have been done, then the judgment shall be for the de- fendant ; and if the plaintiff is non-suited or discontinues his action after the defendant has appeared, or if judgment is given against the plaintiff' the defendant shall recover treble costs and have the like rem- edy for the same as defendants have in other cases. Payment of cost of inspection, when article is sold subject to inspection. 18. In all cases where any article is sold subject to inspection, the person applying to the inspector shall be entitled to reimbursement of the cost of inspection from the vendor, if such applicant be not himself the vendor, unless an express stipulation to the contrary is made at the time of the sale, or of the agreement to submit to inspection; and such agreement to submit to inspection shall imply a warranty that the arti- cle in question is of the quality for which it is sold, and that all the re- quirements of this act have been complied with as to such article and the packages in which it is contained, unless it be otherwise expressly stipulated. Inspection not always compulsory. — Lien for fees. 19. Nothing in this act ^all oblige any person to cause any article to be inspected, unless such inspection is expressly declared to be com- pulsory, but if inspected, it shall be subject to the provisions of this act, and shall not be branded or marked as inspected unless the said provis- ions have been in all respects complied with, with respect to such arti- cle and the packages in which it is contained. Inspectors and their deputies shall be paid their fees upon the articles inspected by them by privilege and preference over all other creditors, and may retain pos- session of the articles inspected until the fees to which they are entitled under this act shall have been paid. The governor in council may make regulations whenever he deems it necessary to do so, for the apportionment of the fees paid under this act between the inspectors and their deijuties, and for providing for the payment of fees to the examiners appointed under this act by parties who present themselves for examination; and every such regulation may be rescinded or varied from time to time. Inspection laio o/1873 repealed. 20. The act passed in the session held in the thirty-sixth year of Her Majesty's reign, intituled ^'■An act to amend and to consolidate and to ex- EEPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [402] tend to the whole Dominion of Canada, the laws respecting the insnection of certain staple articles of Canadian produce,''^ is hereby repealed, except that such repeal shall not, effect the repeal of any former act or pro- vision of law, any liability incurred, any bond or security given, any action, suit, or proceeding pending, any penalty, forfeiture, or punish- ment incurred for any offence committed, any appointment made in council, regulation, or order made or given and not inconsistent with this act, or anything kiwfully done before this act comes into force; and if, in any contract made before the coming into force of this act, it has been stipulated that any article therein mentioned, shall be subject to inspection, then, unless the contrary be clearly expressed, the intended standard of quality of such article shall be understood to be that estab- lished by the laws in force at the date of such contract; and if the in- spection is made after this act is in force, it shall be made according to standard established. SPECIAL PROVISIONS RESPECTINGr THE INSPECTION OF PICKLED FISH AND FISH OILS. Inspector to provide branding irons. 61. Every inspector shall provide himself with proper branding irons, or stencil i)lates, for the purpose of branding or marking such casks, barrels and boxes as may by him be inspected pursuant to this act; and it shall be the duty of each inspector to know that all his deputies are duly provided in this respect. Inspecting must he in presence of inspector. 62. The inspecting, culling, classing, weighing, packing and branding or marking of any fish or oil shall be done in the immediate presence and sight of an inspector or deputy inspector. \ Duty of inspector. — Size and material of pqcJcages. 63. It shall be the duty of the inspector or deputy inspector to see that all kinds of split, whole, pickled or salted fish, intending for pack- ing or barrelling, and submitted to him for inspection, have been well struck with pickle and salt, in the first instance, and preserved sweet, free from taint, rust, salt-burn, oil or damage of any kind; and all fish or oil intended for market or exportation, and branded or marked as inspected and merchantable, shall be well and properly packed, in good tight and substantial packages or casks— except green codfish packed without xHckle, which may be packed in barrels or packages which are not tight; and all other packages shall be made of the materials and in the manner following: Tierces, barrels, and half-barrels shall be made of sound, well-seasoned [403] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. split or sawed staves, free from sap, and in no case to be of hemlock, and the heading shall be of hardwood, pine, fir, or spruce, free from sap, and planed on the outside, and shall be at least three-quarters of an inch in thickness. Staves for salmon and mackerel barrels shall be twenty-nine inches in length, and the heads between the chimes seven- teen inches. Staves for barrels for herring shall be twenty-seven inches in length, and the heads between the chimes shall be sixteen inches; and the bung staves of all such barrels shall be of hardwood. All casks shall be hooped with not less than twelve sound, good hoops, of not less than one inch in width at the large end for all tierces and bar- rels, and in no case to be of alder. The makers of all tierces, barrels, and half-barrels, shall brand the initials of their Christian names and their whole surnames, and also the letters 8. M. or H., according as the ])ackage may be intended for salmon, mackerel or herrings, at or near the bung staves, under a penalty of twenty cents for every package not so branded. All empty packages shall be subject to the inspection and approval of the inspector or his deputies, Avho shall brand or mark the word "condemned" immediately after the maker's name on all packages that will not pass inspection. In tclmt cases and places inspection shall he compulsory. 64. The inspection of all pickled fish cured for market or exportation, and of all fish-oils, codfish tongues, or codfish sounds, cured for such ])nrpose, and contained in any such packages as are hereinafter men- tioned, shall be compulsory in every province of the Dominion, except Manitoba and British Columbia, at any place where an inspector is appointed by law ; and if any such pickled fish, fish-oils, or other articles aforesaid, in any such package as aforesaid, is sold, or offered for sale, or exported, or shipped, or laden in any vehicle for exportation, or otherwise oifered ,to be exported in or from any place within any prov- ince of Canada, except British Columbia or Manitoba, for which an inspector or deputy inspector has been appointed, without being in- spected under this act, the i)ersou so selling or offering it for sale, or exporting it, or offering it for exportation, shall incur a penalty of not less than one dollar and not more than five dollars for each such of- fence. Inspection to he in accordance with this act. 65. All Pickled fish cured for market or exportation, and all fish-oils, Codfish tongues and codfish sounds, shall be inspected, weighed, or gauged, and branded or marked, only in accordance with this act ; and all green codfish, in boxes or i>ackage8, shall be inspected and culled, and a certificate of inspection for the latter, stating the quality and quantity thereof so inspected, and shipped on board any vessel, shall be granted by any inspector or deputy inspector. EEPOET OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [404] Qualities of fish. — Manner of branding. 66. The various binds of flsli to be inspected under this act, shall be branded or marked of the following denominations respectively : 1. Salmon to be branded or marked " ]S"o. 1," shall consist of the larg- est or best and choicest kind, being well split, the blood being well washed out before being salted, well cured, in the best condition, and in every respect free from taint, rust, or damage of any kind. Those to be branded or marked '^ K^o. 2." shall comx^rehend the best salmon that remain after the selection of the first quality, and shall be good, sound, well split and cured fish, in the best condition, and in every respect free from taint, rust, or damage of any kind. Those to be branded or marked ^'No. 3," shall consist of those that remain after the selection of the first two qualities, but must be good, sound fish, and in every respect free from taint, rust, or damage of any kind. 2. Maclcerel to be branded or marked " mess mackerel," shall consist of the best and fattest mackerel, being well split, having the blood well washed out before being salted, well cured, in the best condition, and free from taint, or rust, or damage of any kind, and shall be such as would have measured not less than fourteen inches, from the extremity of the head to the crotch or fork of the tail, and shall have the head and tails taken off. Those to be branded or marked " Extra ]S"o. 1" shall consist of the best and fattest mackerel, being well split, having the blood well washed out before being salted, well cured, in the best condition, and free from taint or rust or damage of any kind, and shall measure not less than fourteen inches from the extremity of the head to the crotch or fork of the tail. Those to be branded or marked " Ko. 1" shall consist of the best and fattest mackerel, being well split, having the blood well washed out be- fore being salted, well cured, in the best condition, and free from taint, rust, or damage of any kind, and shall measure not less than thirteen inches from the extremity of the head to the crotch or fork of the tail. Those to be branded or marked " No. 2 " shall comprehend the best mackerel that remain after the selection of the first qualities, and shall be prof)erly split and washed, well cured, and in every respect, free from taint, rust, or damage of any kind, and shall be divided into two quali- ties, those from thirteen iuches and upwards, not being sufficiently fat to make IsTo. 1, beiug branded No. 2 large, and those from eleven inches tip to thirteen inches shall be branded No. 2. Those to be branded or marked " Large No. 3 " shall consist of good, sound mackerel, jiroperly washed, well cured, and free from taint, rust, or damage of any kind, and shall measure not less than thirteen inches from the extremity of the head to the crotch or fork of the tail. Those to be branded or marked " No. 3 " shall consist of good, sound [405] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. mackerel, properly washed, well cured, and free from taint, rast, or dam- age of any kind, and shall measure eleven inclies and upwards from the extremity of the head to the crotch of the tail. All mackerel under eleven inches in length, of good, sound quality, and free from taint and rust, or damage of any kind, shall be branded or marked with the words " Small Spring" or " Small Fall" in the place of a number. All short, sunburnt, or ragged mackerel, of whatever class and not otherwise defective, shall be branded and marked " iSTo. 4." 3. Herrings, Gaspereaux, and Alewives to be branded or marked "No. 1" shall consist of the largest and best fish, well struck with salt, thor- oughly cured and clean, and bright in colour; and those to be branded or marked " No. 2 " shall comprehend the best herrings that remain after the selection of the first quality. All undersized heri'ings to be branded or marked " No. 3 " with the word " Small" in addition to the other brands or marks. All ripped herrings shall be branded or marked with the word " Bound" in addition to other brands or marks. All herrings that are not gibbed or ripped shall be branded or marked with the word " Gross " in addition to other brands or marks. All spring-caught herrings shall be branded or marked with the word " Spring " in addition to other brands or marks. The above shall be well cleaned and cured, and in every respect free from rust, taint, or damage. Herrings that are caught at the Magdalen Islands, Bale des Chaleurs, Labrador, or Newfoundland, and brought into port in Canada in bulk and packed in Canada, shall be branded or marked " Magdalen Islands," "Bay des Chaleurs," " Newfoundland," or " Labrador," respectively, in addition to other brands or marks. Herrings packed and inspected in Newfoundland and imported into Canada shall be marked or branded "Newfoundland" without further inspection : 4. Smoked lierrings to be branded or marked "No. 1" shall compre- hend the best and fattest fish ; and those to be branded or marked "No. 2 " shall consist of the poorer, smaller, and inferior fish ; both of these qualities shall be well smoked, free from taint, and not burnt or scorched ; and no red or smoked herrings shall be so branded or marked, unless they be well and sufflciently saved and cured, and carefully packed in good and substantial barrels, or half-barrels ; and if in kegs or boxes, the same shall be of well-seasoned boards, the sides, top and bottom of not less than half an inch in thickness, and the ends at least three- quarters of an inch thick ; and the inside measurement of each box shall be eighteen inches long, and nine inches broad, and eight inches deep, well nailed, and the tops or covers smoothed ; tainted, burnt, scorched and badly smoked herrings, shall be considered "refuse," and may be branded or marked as such without any character. EEPOET OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES, [406] 5. Sea trout to be branded or marked " Xo. 1" shall consist of the largest, best, and fattest kind, being well split, and in every respect free from taint, rust, or damage of any kind. Those to be branded or marked '• IsTo. 2 " shall comprehend the best trout that remain after the selection of the first quality, and shall be good sound iish, free from taint, rust, or damage of any kind. 6. La1rovisions of this chapter when ten casks are ready for his inspection, and he is required so to do under ai peualty of twenty pounds for every default, unless his residence be more than five EEPOET OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [416] miles from the place wliere his attendance may be required; and sliall likewise inspect all tierces, barrels, and half-barrels which are intended to contain pickled fish, and condemn all such as shall not be conform- able to these provisions, and brand those he shall aj)prove upon the bung-stave with the initials of his name. SmoTced herrings, how inspected. 13. Inspectors of smoked herrings shall inspect, and, when necessary, shall cull and repack every box thereof which is intended for sale or ex- portation, and shall for that purpose open, and, after inspecting, reclose and brand the same as hereinbefore directed. Fees of inspectors, and how paid. 14. Every inspector actually performing the duty shall be entitled to receive the following fees for inspecting and branding, viz: For every tierce, nine pence; for every barrel, five pence; and for every half- bar- rel, two pence halfpenny; to be paid one-half by the buyer and the other by the seller; and for each empty cask, one penny, to be paid by the seller. For every box of smoked herrings, one penny-half- jlenny; and for culling and repacking the same, when necessary, two pence-half- penny in addition. Returns of chief inspectors, how made. 15. Every chief inspector shall make a return to the provincial secre- tary of all the pickled fish inspected by him or his deputies; the same to be made up to the last days of March, June, September, and Decem- ber, in each year, and delivered within one month thereafter. Deputy inspectors to account to chief inspectors. 16. The deputy inspectors shall account to the chief inspector under whom they act once in every three months, or oftener if required, for all fish inspected and the fees received by them therefor ; and shall pay over to him one-fifth of the same. Fine for allowing unauthorized parties to inspect fish, and for lending branding irons. 17. No person other than an inspector shall sort, weigh, inspect, brand, or alter any tierce, barrel, or half barrel of pickled fish intended for exportation, unless in the presence and sight, and by the authority of an inspector; and any inspector who shall suffer any person so to act, or shall lend his branding irons in violation or evasion of this section, shall forfeit ten pounds for every ofience. Fine for acting without authority. 18. If any ])erson not duly appointed and sworn shall act as an in- spector of pickled fish, he shall for every offence forfeit twenty pounds. [417] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. Counterfeiting brands, or shifting fish imi)roperly, punishable by fine and imprisonment. 19. Any person counterfeiting or using the brand of an inspector of smoked herrings, or being accessory thereto, or shifting any smoked herrings which shall have been i^acked and branded, or putting in other fish, contrary to or in evasion of these provisions, shall be punished by fine or imprisonment, at the discretion of the court before whom hemay be convicted. Fine for intermixing or improperly exporting piclded fish. 20. If any person shall take out, shift, or intermix any inspected pickled fish which have been duly packed or branded, or shall cause to be exported, in tierces, barrels, and half barrels, pickled fish not duly inspected and branded, or any such cask not duly inspected and branded he shall forfeit five shillings for every such cask. Forfeiture upon masters of vessels for receiving on board uninspected smoked herrings. 21. If any master or commander shall receive on board his vessel any smoked herrings which have not been duly inspected and branded, for the purpose of conveying the same out of the township wherein they were cured, he shall forfeit the value thereof; but no such forfeiture shall exceed fifty pounds for any one offence. Actions for misconduct of deputies ; liability of inspector in such cases, and his redress. 22. All actions for the recovery of penalties or damages on account of the misconduct or neglect of any deputy inspector may be prosecuted either against such deputy or the chief inspector under whom he acts, who shall have his remedy against the deputy, either upon the bond given by him or by action on the case for damages ; and in every such action the judgment recovered against the chief inspector shall be evi- dence of damages against such deputy or his sureties, if the deputy shall have had due notice of the action brought against the chief in- spector. Inspected casks may be reinspected ; deficiencies, how supplied. 23. When any cask of pickled fish branded by a deputy inspector shall prove unequal in quantity or quality to that which may be indi- cated by the brand on the cask, or deficient in any of the requisites hereby prescribed, the chief inspector may cause the same to be rein- spected ; and if it api^ear that the defect arose from the condition of the fish or the bad quality of the cask, or the bad packing or pickling of the fish at the time of the inspection, he may recover the costs and charges of such reinspection from the deputy who branded the same. EEPOET OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [418] FISH OIL. CasTcs offish oil, how branded. 24. On every cask of fisli oil gauged shall be branded or cut with, a double iron the initial letters of the Christian name of the ganger, and the whole of his surname, and the word "cod," "dog," "whale," "seal," or whatever word will express the description of the contents. Ganger' s duty and fees. 25. i^o ganger stall be compelled to leave his residence to gauge a less quantity than five barrels ; and the fees for gauging shall be at the rate of one shilling a puncheon or ninepence a barrel. Fine upon ganger for misconduct. 26. Any ganger who shall falsely brand any cask of fish oil shall, for every gallon, forfeit sixpence. Fine for acting as a ganger without authority. 27. If any person shall act as a public gauger of fish oil without hav- ing been duly appointed and sworn, he shall, for every offence, forfeit five pounds. X. APPENDIX.-THE MACKEREL FLEET. 55. VESSELS E;N^GAGED IN THE MACKEEEL FISHERY IN 1880. The following alphabetical list shows the vessels engaged in the mack- erel fishery in 1880; the rig, tonnage, number of crew, apparatus of cap- ture, fishing grounds frequented, and the home port of each vessel being shown separately. The list includes 4G8 vessels, valued at $1,027,910, or an average of $2,196 each. To this quantity should be added $1,094,450, or $2,339 per vessel, which represents the value of the provisions, boats, nets, salt, barrels, and other necessary apparatus and outfit. This brings the total capital invested in the mackerel-fishing fleet up to $2,122,360, exclusive of the shore property for packing and storiug the catch. The total tonnage of the fleet is 23,551.64, or an average of 50.32 to the vessel. The regular seining vessels carry from 12 to 16 men, while the crews of the smaller craft range from 2 to 6 ; the total number of persons employed on the vessels is 5,043. Of the entire fleet, 235 sail are employed exclusively in the mackerel fishery, while 233 fish for cod and other species in the spring and fall, engaging in the mackerel fishery during the height of the season only. Three-fourths of all the vessels, or 343 sail are provided with purse- [419] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. seines, 5 of them carrying, in addition, a supply of jigs for occasional use. Of the remainder, 81 fish with hook and line, and 44 are provided with gill-nets. The principal fishing grounds are the off-shore waters between Cape Hatteras and Sandy Hook, the Block Island region, the Gulf of Maine, and the Gulf of Saint Lawrence. Accord.ng to the list, 64 vessels fished along various portions of the coast between Cape Hatteras and Mount Desert Island, on the coast of Maine, 6 of them going to the Gulf of Saint Lawrence for a few weeks. Twelve small craft fished regularly in the waters about Block Island, 343 remained constantly in the Gulf of Maine, 31 others divided their time between the Gulf of Maine and the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, and the remaining 18 fished wholly in Brit- ish waters. As the fleet for a few of the Massachusetts ports is shown for 1879, the above facts do not represent the actual condition of affairs in 1880;. for during the last-named year not" over 25 American vessels entered provincial waters. Massachusetts furnishes over half of the entire mackerel fleetj heading the list with 279 sail, valued at $750,895. Maine comes next with 176 vessels, worth $233,715. New Hampshire has 11 sail, valued at 29,300 ; while the Connecticut fleet consists of 2 large schooners, worth $14,000. The four principal mackerel-fishing ports are Gloucester, Portland, Wellfleet, and Boston, these sending 113, 46, 34, and 25 vessels, re- spectivel5\ EEPOET OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHEEIES. [420] o 00 00 >>? ^ ^S M ?r^ W W O O rn 15 jd M flH fl -^,2 1— 1 P3 -=1 W S 5« M S'S D -^ s <^ ^'U g ^ w R Ma O.B P fc.^ w !H=rt b ■^ of s w ,a IB r/j ■*^.j=i h) "§ W 02 7.1 S ;> sc •2 ^ i-(OI:>00000^0 o o ffi OS c^ CO o OS (>i CD c^i Tii 10 oi CO c4 o r-5 CO i> in cN o ir-^ r^ o So o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o 00 00 oooooooooooooocoooo [421] HISTOEY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. . - °5^ S 1^ 0QO^t>ccOM^«!/2Cb(«OP4==^OWfitSoSQCcq|iH(5 o -i. o - - o a, lT 2 o ° OH =°o °° 56 _^ o ° u ' 5 a a -^ -t- ■- . c •;: •- ^ . ° O o 4i '3p'3 §3 a -2 = b-; ^3 «t^ 55 S.9 IS © ^ O rt a o " O -- ■ ffl ■ M av*^ ropi— lomOfiO -302 '-"OOOoOi--COC-li005I>WrHOL--T^OMC> "rrOrOCDCDOOi— iCSOCCJTjic^OrHCO 1-^COr^;OC5(^It:-COlr:tr^■^OTfl>0:0^nCCCX!OOOt^-lHlOCOCQ^n<0(^]^C•^00 CIOOOCOOO
i-lOCOt>OrHC1'' CDL^Th Oi-< O Oi-ii-Hr-ti-(rH» 7^ioicot>oocO'— 'cooosiooot-io--ro'^(rir-t:---r^cQin<>jooooooc3b-oooo O tn rH Th -^ CD "^ 1—1 1—1 CO CD CO CD t- t^ 00 "^ O rH t— CD CO GO iH (M -^ tJ< -^ t* 00 OOOOOOOOOOOCOO-,pS^COOOOOOOOCO©OOODOOOOCOOC)OOOOOOOCiOOO r^r^-^r— r^r^^r^f— r^r-r-p-r—r— ^ O ^ r^ r^ r^ r:^ r^^ r^l^ r^ r:^ r^ r:^ r^ r:^ r:^ r^ r^ r^ r:; r^ r^ 'Zi r^ r:^ f^^ r;^ ^Z:} r^ r^ r^ r:: r^ r^ rZ r^ r^ '^ |[^JS5Boc«?;d6coi3a © P^ CO .0 :f.ww' 5'^ .Bci Ch o ffl a OS ^cococc_^:rs---j^- * 0« « O* ******* * QOO* 000* O* O* O* * * * * O* 00 p-S 1 1 |cqdfxi|| I g-llll-S 5-rlll p| c5^^^ REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [422] m " 5 ^ " t^ 5 a CC CC P-l 03 fL| O P- 1^ t^ 3 o - c5. §2 ^^ ^w OfH 3 Jo, m row IB ro . ffif^ ro ^i| Sis WOQhH ciWPn pqMi3H«S|ZHC5fL|!z;Di.;ziO^ o^ * p3 3 ci a 5 PI 'a c3 o ro 2 ■ o oH o o=M OCl5 a * , 02 e3 0) ;:-;q en c S ^ en o d (^ , CS C3 p hWWPm oob .S fl .S g a .S carl ce §.r2 ci o O o c3 13 o OCCOdJO .9 :k1 ^ .9 S '■* rt =* S a ioC30-*o-^oOf L^ ^ lO T^ T-t t^ O l^ O O ^^ lO ?0 C^ CD ;D O tM CO t> lO gooooooooo'oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooc H.-S.-S cb3 rrj O O ro o s 2 a ^ ro i» o O O OQ Mo =t f^ g cs,a O) ro . -Fa o ^ _ ^^ ^ -^1' ^ "" S H §a %rH a fe'^ S'3 a.- cH a s &; fe s [423] HISTOKY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. » IBM pq m o ^^ m eS ^ c3 OO O O O m m ro D w fe - ~ "rH „ -^ - i: M © m -^ 73 in HJ o •/.' '£ - - - - o S r. pqpLiOoORWcbiziP^OccoHvjccO^^iPmi 5t§PRp-S| « t» ^ --^i-H^ ^ k-a ci ■*^ 5 c« 9 .2 'S ?• 'rt a % O iO 05 O ^% . « 5 « 3 3g^§ OOOO ^ a: ^ CM o:=M PhcS P-ts ■ oars ra o c^ 3 ■ o 5 35 3 no C3 O S « ® .9 § a. P oH=s o. p.' 05 C 5 'a m o :^ 1^ )^2o o ci 3 •9 11 -.-. il|l ill "S a ^^^a ^cK's^ o'o^'; 3 o 5"3 -33 3 C Oct; 3 ® © 3-3 'Sri -3^ pl^ o o ffl' ■ Bp; 3 S^ £ rao;::3'»o'S'?3S?ooo;:3o'»ooooooo.S«coooe:=;oaio 6 ^ r-^ O ^3 ci u ^ pw (i)^'3'3^'3 Gj r;:; ^3 '3 ^3 7: ^3 '3 f— » o'3'3'^ '3'3^'^ o^:^ Hfl^ OOh Hfl '0^*oc3C5TJ^coOlOcoc■l^cc<^■^^^t>f^^^oc^ol"^t^o5Ccooo IffOSCSlf^O^^T-iOCCiCQOOOOO-^iOCSS^^CDOCDCOCOCDOClCXMCsr^QC^Mt— '0500S05COQOCit><^»0»OiH{Mr^OO(MlO-5li oomoocsrcOT-tcDOc: t^^lO-^rJ^mCNl^CO "^t^L^t iOlOOCC>iOTHt^OTl'»-^t^t>"^t D C^ CO O -Tf oooooocooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo '3'3'3'3'3'3'3'3rcc3'3'3'3'3'3'3'3'3'3'3n3'3'3'3'S'3'3'3'3'w'w'3'3'3'3-3'3'3r3'3'3'3'3'3'3'3'T5 'C'^ -3 r;; S 0) S p4f S* 1^ o^ H3. °IS3 ;5 i::; <1 < f-5 '^ ■ >^S c5 ci cS « 9 ^ . , . 3 3 •^a^-S >..>.3 ^5 "i;-t^ rssssrspirrs^-t -s So^r cS? KEPOET OF COMMISSIONEE OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [424] 02 ; d ' ^ OD o ^ _ -■" — ^ =s.2 5g ^a "k 9 " 5 P a CO 5 - ■ "^ 3 t- o ?? 1 ^ s g 3 t; s p a .fl-2 2 3 ^S3 ■9 .=^ ^1 3-i 53 to CO^Of-H THOt-l>-CiO»am ^3 >-2 05 9 ctscS a o.S c/jcr. m Tj t>-..s Ha^a-r^o— 'ago *^:^-aP[i; r^ a a o ^^13 § S 2 cS^C? jiOii -a^ pf [425] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. o m a ni n.P: 6 S ^ ^ CD M si '3 o m ;- o O o III 5 E5 as ■-, r^ ii .-— <1 .- fcT ci.*^ :'ooooo--»h'"oo fee (i .S^«3 !t-( ai ^ cc o^ an I = o ^1 •cs o -2a 5 =3 -^ J\ ^ ' ^ Mb -3 iJ o m o o d ® a ci a ■« a -g a V- o --4- (^ Cm o: '-^ :^| oD a a (D rt M = oo'S =^5a = =, a ^ o o OS i'^'w'^'wfJ- O'^'^'^r 000 OS . a S • ce a :Mf5 a iSi . a S UPh a ■ ^ P OS "i^ 7 s Tf r-H ^ t^ OS CO Tf ^ »-t tH rH Its (M T)( -* 00 Tf 1-H tH t-H f^ !M00-*(MC»«C0^1O-*lomTHTl00OCoe©C ) 00 ;0 00 CO 00 rH O CO > . ':' S „ ='■ L'- L'-"^ .2 .2 .2 -, ^ a S^S2= 2 2 i1 § 3 I 2 I 5 i-S g--^y a a a a r^ 2 .S .a •'" t> ■ wH^- -o-^is ss-s-i 3 j: a 5 s s a 3 ■' :' •; o^^?^ =^ 2 5-§ f g §-3 §''^.^^ c: a a a J z: '^ ~ its .;; "''►^'3ti£53s EEPOET OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [426] aa cu S si CI t-^ oT< ^ on ^ n g||: i^-;^ 1 § g S;:^ sp! -S cs 2^W> ° ?, o 1- to c C3 ^ 53 ^ Sa 13 © i>a .M s^:;^ O : 3 f ^t^ = oo o -^ o 5 o o o o ow^cd OM cvi o o ^M-^v. z: a- IS: o o " a 3 : 11 &'^'^ S 5 P'3 5' CO C3C , , ,, c'5 ' ' ■ P '"S O'S ' ' a'5 PI'S So'5S'S?0'S?oooS?oooo3o?ooooooo3?oo3«':=;™' =1 i^di f- Ofln HfM ■ c3 :i tzfoiMfi^oCLi w£ •**'rt'COU^O'^C*rrtiTiHt>'<*:C!iriCQCVI ^'■^•■^(MO^OOCDXCNOCMlOCC-^CO t- -^ O lO O CO "^ T H05a5-<:^OlOOCOOe*? Tt csi iM i-i t- c m (TO CD «0 CO <-! fl §ooooooooocoooooooooooooooc o o o o o o o ^9 o o o [427] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. o a) .9.3 a ci ■5.9 S 3'ts III el's '^.9 1 ^11 - o ^ 3+5 =S ^1 la < -^J O O '4- o o tw o o '■ ^■^ o^r^ o l-I i.n a- Ob :3 p,=3 s;= P cS S o ? liobociJ cS-p-^ ft ci -g -;; -^ 73 a ci '5 "^ © fi Ci PJ 4J .9 'S .9 "S .9 iics ^ '^ r— <0 Si a u o 0-5 ? o-s Ph ; iSi^CS ;rtw V 02 5fi Z a a'3 pOCO!OaSCOtHOlOCO»rt»OOCOOOOCartlOOOOi-Ht^^^Ir*t^^-H^'^t-COCOCqc»C5COOt>-0:)C^.^t-l« HOicOrHOi-HC00050it>^t:7CCQO^a5CDl©CD lOThCCCOO'^tM.^OCSO^r-.ir^r-iC St>ibTHCOtOOSCJQOT-ICCI><050tC>!Oint-OOOI>CO 0-*t-«Oi-lt-C5 0COtOI£> l-Ot-in a oooooooftSoooooooooooooooooocooooooooooooooooooccio £=a £;'« t?^ cso ® a;9.2 9 ci-C ;W.S:33 ^3^ 3Si O c a S ai £ C3 t> 2 :> Sq la :-c3 cic'o'-^'o i""^ is .i"^'9 .i — a ft ! a 5^cb ^ t; ^.2 §a t> p ^§« p3 ,0 ^s^3fgsf3?a«;^;^;zi;^^^i^?^?^ b.'. '-^. r^ r^ ■■^ ■^ /-^ r- r^ 'r' ,--~^ - . EEPOET OF COMMISSIONEE OF FISH AND FISHEEIES. [428] *ta * s ^J^ C c o ? hS T. 1^ ^ -iJ- - 5 - r-" ^ ^ c o-^S 2,ii C^aWKCW HI;'*:'-' o=H o c^s o c K o a 5' ^aiSS-^S^^s ©-So ^_ (S 2 " ;^s S-g ^'^ o iK o c occoooo-g to c.a ■ ' o • c o 5 a

< io o^ r:j OS (M tH P ^ 9 2 [429] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FTSHEEY. ;ocio „ „ _ a Xrz f^a';: cboo 'Oo 'o . • .0PC300C!; ;pM liiH ''a> ' ' a ■ O o • '"P'o S-^lDO-^0'+t^X»0^^-^^OS'MWCOOC30l0 10QOOCS-*OCO'-'-e*«OC3 I>OCO'^:OI>'*'-H10lOi-H"^OW[MC3C3CO-<*tOir:t-T-li-'I>C'JO!M-*«5030C0005C»?0*Ol:^OCs:DOOCOC04n rH CJ ?H iH rH I:^ O f-i CO tH CQ fl-l •'^ CD tH O i^S rH 40 CD t^ tH r-t iH CO ITi *H » CO O 05 CO I:~ O 5d tC t^ t^ CO i-i CO -^ IT- lO ocooooooooooooooooocooooooooooooooeoooooooo o o o £ a bH^ a § p cs HHE-'t3 pa!^c ocso-^S as act; SCO . a; £ £ a s s « |;> r^ ri; >!S 5 c. c5 c. p £ - -S|;S;a-25!S;2^ = S.3g| fHh REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OP FISH AND FISHERIES. [430] XT. APPENDIX.— STATISTICS OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY IN THE GULF "OF SAINT LAWRENCE. 56. THE CATCH OF MACKEREL BY AMERICAN SCHOONERS IN CANA- DIAN WATERS, 1873-1882. The followiug: statement, prepared by Colonel David W. Low, of Gllou- cester, shows the extent of the mackerel fishery as pursned by Ameri- can vessels in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence since the year 1873. The number of vessels and their catch in the years 1873 to 1877, inclusive, is compiled from the reports of the collector of customs at Port Mulgrave, l^ovsi Scotia ; the number of vessels in 1878 and 1879 is from the same authority; the catch for 1878 and subsequent years and the number of vessels in 1880 and 1881 is from reports of the Boston Fish Bureau. The estimates of value and the catch within the three mile limit are from authentic sources. The value includes the labor of crews "mess- ing" some of the fish by soaking, scraping, and cutting ofi' their heads, thus increasing their market value. The quantity of mackerel caught within the three-mile limit, one-third of the total catch, is considered by competent authorities to be a very liberal estimate. The unusual number of vessels in the gulf in 1878 was caused by false reports and telegrams of great quantities of mackerel there. American vessels in the gulf- mackerel fishery must average four hundred barrels of mackerel each at ten dollars per barrel to pay the expenses of outfit, insurance, deprecia- tion of vessel, crew's share, and master's commission. The mackerel fishery hy American vessels in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence for the years from 1873 to 1881, inclusive. [Compiled by Col. David W. Low.] Year. "3 i r o o a ^^ .23 |i o Value when sold in United States per barrel, packing- off. Total value in United States of whole catch when sold. Number of barrels caught inside three-mile limit, libelal. Value in United States of macker- el caught within three-mile limit, liberal estimate. 1873 254 164 95 64 60 273 44 34 3 1 88, 012 63, 078 13, 006 5, 495 8,365 11, 001 7,885 1,626 687 1,046 77, Oil 55, 193 11,380 4,808 7,319 61, 923 10, 706 7,301 470 275 $10 46 6 25 14 18 11 60 11 10 4 15 2 50 7 72 8 50 8 50 $805, 535 344, 95G 161,368 55, 773 81, 241 256, 980 26, 990 56, 364 3,995 2,125 25, 670 18, 308 3,703 1,603 2,439 20, 641 3, 599 2, 4rf3 156 95 $26S, 508 114 987 1874 3875 53, 785 187C 18, 594 1877 27, 072 85 660 1CT8 1879 8,997 1880 18, 783 1, 326 1881 1882 717 Total 992 236, 476 "7'59 1, 795, 327 78, 827 598, 429 Tearly average catch per vessel, 238, [431] HISIORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. ALPHABETICAL INDEX. Page. Abundance of macterel 13, 14, 15 in Bay of Fundy, 1839 234 on George's Bank, 1868.* 302 in Gloucester Harbor, 1845... 239 in Gloucester Harbor, 1866... 292 in Gloucester Harbor, 1870. .. 310 in Gulf of St. Lawrence, 1848. 242. in Gulf of St. Lawrence, 1863. 284 in Ipswich Bay 287 in Ipswich Bay and at Cape Cod 281,282 in Maine bays, 1845 239 on Maine coast, 1849 243 on Maine coast, 1860 273 on Maine coast, 1865 286 off Malpec, 1865 288 in Massachusetts Bay, 1833 . . 226 in Massachusetts Bay, 1859 . . 269 in Massachusetts Bay, 1868 .. 301 in Massachusetts Bay, 1880 . . 351, 352 off Monhegan Island, 1880 350 off New England coast, 1629 -'35 217 on Kew England coast, 1815.. 239 on Ife-w England coast, 1854.. 257 on New England coast, I860.. 273 on New England coast, 1866. . 293 on New England coast and scarcity in the bay, 1879 .... 344, 345 on Nova Scotia coast, 1843 237 about Sable Island, 1847 240 at Small Point, Maine, 1871 .. . 316 Adams, M.L 306 Adriatic, mackerel in 4 Agassiz, Professor 24 AUerton, Mr. Isaac 115, 110 American fishery, importance of, 1832 226 schooners annoyed by British cruisers in Bay of Chaleur, 1852 251,252 vessels not annoyed by British cruisers in the bay, 1863 303 vessels in Gulf of St. Lawrence, 1869 305 vessels in Gulf of St. Lawrence, 1875 328 Amherst Harbor 45, 46 Ammodytes americanus 18 Anadromous fishes 6 mackerel never 40, 43, 44 Anderson, Capt. James 338 Ann, Cape 47,83,241,276,282,284 Annisquam 291 Anticosti 4,315 Pago. Apparatus and methods of fishing . . 52, 73, 85, 98, 113, 115 Appearance in Barnstable Bay, 1838 234 difference in the time of, at the Magdalen Islands and at Waquoit, Mass 46 Appendix .' 354 Arrivals from Chaleur Bay, 1850 246 from George's Bank, 1842 236 on George's Bank, 1878 338 from St. Lawrence Bay, 1853 255, 2:56 1867 297 1868 303 high prices, &c., 1873 325 prospects, 1859 270 slim doings, 1868 304 unprofitable trips, 1855 269 and shore fleets, 1860 274 Ashby, Capt.Benj 22 Aspee Bay 82 Atwood, Capt. N. E..3, 15, 24, 26, 38, 82, 91, 107, 108, 110, 117, 122, 145, 225, 226, 331 experience in mackerel fisheries, 1839-1840 . . 234 1841-1851.. 247 experience in St. Law- rence Gulf fisheries, 1835, 1838 . . - -227, 228, 229, 233 Babson, Capt. Eitz J 89,297,345 Capt. Gorham 16, 78 Bad season in Gulf of St. Lawrence, 1871. . 315, 316 Baird, Prof. S. F 5-6,10,17,25 Bait 58-59 amount consumed 89 and apparatus for its preparation 87-92 price of 90 fish 19 miU 91,92 miU, first on Cape Ann 223,224 mill, introduction of, 1823 222 Baker, Captlsaiah 77, 116 Baltic 4 Barker, Christopher 77 Bamegat 9,253 Barnstable Bay 276,300,314 mackerel fleet in, 1838 .... 233 Harbor 306 Barry, Hon. James 101,143,144 Basse 27 Bathic migration 6 Baxter and Bragg "^44 Bay fishery, 1858 265 1866 -291 1869 307 HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. [432] Page. Bayfleet, 1867 296 1873 323 1878 340,343 arrival home of, 1873 325 disaster to the, 1851 249 the early, 1862 281 1858 265 first start of, 1866 289 1873 322 fitting away of, 1859 269 1868 301 from Gloiicester, 1858 265 increase in the, 1858 203 alarge, 1867 296 sailing of the first of the, 1861 . . 278 small, 1875 329 Baymen, 1855 260 1868 303 1869 308 arrival of, 1858 263 1865 286-287 1866 294 1869 307 light fares of, 1869 308 poor success of, 1842 237 Bay of Chaleur,higfarein, 1849 243 poor luck in, 1849 243 Bay trip, quickest ever made, 1850 246 Bean, Dr. T. H 15 Belle Isle, Straits of 3-4 Berdick, William 274 Bermudas 4 Billingsgate Point 276 BirdEock 82,83 Birds, attraction for 41,43 BlackKock 257 Blanchard, Capt. Miles 311 Blatchford, Capt. Henry 53 ISTathariiel . 220 Capt. Sam'l 79 Blindness 10,12 Blinks 26 Block Island. . . .33, 47, 49, 344, 145, 253, 294, 333, 334, 341. 349 Block Island, largest mackerel ofi", 1880 .. 349 fleet 351 Boat-fishing in Maine, 1837 230 Bobhing mackerel 118 Bonaventure 245, 274, 294, 321 Bonne Esperance 316 Boone Island 16, 18, 49, 79, 83, 314 BedBugs 16 BoothBay 311 Boston 114,339 Bay 268 mackerel industry, 1877-1881 210 Boys in the mackerel fishing 298 Brackett, Mr. Thomas 9 BradclleBank .33 Bradley Bank 21, 22, 23, 46, 82, 245, 261, 267, 282 284, 287, 294, 298 Breeze, a mackerel 33 Breton, Cape 82,295,321 Island 30,31,40 Brevoortia tyrannus 88 Page. British cutters in Bay of St- La-wrence dis- guised to insare the capture of Ameri- can schooners, 1852 251 British provinces, mackerel exports, 1873- 1879, 1857-1873, 1853-1876 217 Broiled mackerel 136, 137 Brown, Dr. Robert 20 Samuel 219 Capt. Warren 8 Brownell, Jonathan 77 Bruce, Sir Frederick W. A 290 Bufflngton, Mr 321 Bumham, Andrew 223 Grorham 91 Capt. Simeon 219 Butler, General 321 Buzzard's Bay 22, 25 Cahoon, Capt. Abraham 336 • Caiss, Edward 85 Camden 23, 136 Cameron, Daniel 82, 85, 88 Mr. John 92 Canada fishery, 1873-1879 214 including Prince Edward Island, 1869-1880 216 mackerel exports, 1873-1879 214,215 Canadian fishermen, disinclination for mackerel catching, 1872 320 fishermen, lack of interest ex- hibited by, 1871 314, 315 fishing industry, dependence on the United States 847 Canning, 1845 239 industry, origin and develop- ment 131-137 methods and statutes of 131-137 Canso 299 Gut of 41, 346 Strait of 31, 94, 102, 103, 111, 263, 274, 285, 209, 336 Cape Ann, fishing ofi", 1825 and 1831 222 1839 234 Cape Cod 12, 24, 32, 41, 128, 241, 245, 282, 284 Bay, fishing in, 1802 218 1855 258 1869 306 1877 337 large schools off, 1848 243 Capture, dates of 9, 10 latitude of 9 Careoftheflsh 98-100 Cargoes, landing the 75 Carolina coast 9 Cascumpec 299 Cashes Ledge 83 Cat-thresher 109 Cayenne 16,17 Chaleur, Bay of. . 19, 40, 82, 239, 241, 245, 262, 265, 294 Charleston 10 Charlottetown 251,308 Chatham 83, 89, 110, 241, 244, 319 Chatte, Cape 82 Chauncy 's Creek 332 Chedahucto Bay 31,111 Cheticamp 82.280,286,299 [433] REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. Page. H2 39 341 4 Chincoteague Shoals Chisholm, Capt Christiania Fjord Chronological history North American mackerel fishery 218-354 Church, Capt. David T 123 Clark, A.Howard 66,115,162 WiUiam 119 Close of season, 1828 224 1850 246 Clupea aestivalis 90,91,109 harengas 18 Cogswell, General William 150 Cohasset 265 Cohasset hooker, good catch of a, 1860 274 Cold waters, partial to 7 Collins, Capt. J. W.. .19, 21, ?2, 27, 32, 33, 38, 143, 276 reminiscences of, 1849. 244 '50. 245 '51. 249 '52. 253,254 '53. 256,257 '54. 258 '55. 260,261 '56. 261 '57. 262,263 '58. 267 '69. 270,271 '60. 274,275 '61. 279,280 '62. 282,283 '63. 284 '64. 285 '65. 287,288 '66. 294,295 '67. 298-300 '68. 305 '69. 309 '70. 313,314 '71. 319 '72. 321 '73. 326 Cooked mackerel 133, 134, 135 Copepoda 15 Crabs 30 Currents, effect of, on mackerel food 30 Cushing, Hon. Caleb 46 Dana & Co 159 Davis, "Uncle" George, reminiscences of, 1819-1859 .• 223,224 Davis, Gideon L 223 Dates of appeara-nce and disappearance .41, 42, 43, 44, 47 for successful fishing 39, 40, 44, 47 Deane, Samuel 116 Deblois, Capt. E. T 77 Deep water haul 79 Delaware 83 Capes of 9 coast 339 Denmark (Eastern) 4 Destructive gale in Gulf of St. Lawrence, 1873 325 Dimock, Daniel 317 Pago. Disappearance H Discophores l^ Disinclination to take the hook 226 Dissection 10, 1 1 Dogfish 28 Double Island Harbor 3 Drag-net fishery, the most extensive 108, 109 Drag-seining HC Drailing for mackerel 117, 118 Drift-net fishing 109.110 Duffy, Mr. William !• Dunn, Mr. Matthew 25 Dyer, Mr. Charles A 345 Earll, Mr. E. E. 3, 79, 85, 88, 131, 345 Early appearance ofi' Cape Ann, 1869 306 catches, 1871-1881 112,113 1878 338 days. Cape Ann mackereling trip, ]815-'20 '. 223 fishing off Cape Cod, 1671 218 methods of the mackerel fishery. . . 115-119 start for the bay, 1858 263 1860 273 East Point (Prince Edward Island) 46, 82, 257 Eastport, Me .21,107,136 EggEoek 310 Eggs, mackerel 25, 26 Elizabeth, Cape -- 40 Enemies 27-29 English Channel 4 Escuminac Point 82, 242, 267, 282, 287, 294, 300 Essex - 105 Existing laws 254-372 Failure of bay fishery, 1877 335 the fishery, 1843 238 almost total, 1841.. 236 sad results of, 1868. 304,305 mackerel on George's Banks, 1845 Western coast, Nova Scotia, 1832 Saint Lawrence Gulf fishery, 1879 Spring mackerel at the Magda- lens, 1876 Fall fishery at Cape Ann, 1860 in Barnstable Bay, 1870 Cape Cod Bay, 1849 1860 1869 1871 318,319 1879 339 mackerel in Cape Cod Bay, 1838 231 school on Nova Scotia coast, 1861.. . 279 Fattening the fish 100,102 Fees of the inspector-general 147, 162 Financial profits of the mackerel hook fishery 103-105 239 226 344 332 277 311 244 276, 277 306 Fire Island , First American vessels in the bay, 1876 . appearance, 1875 arrival from the bay, 1860 1861 1862 253 332 328 273 298 381 HISTOKY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. [434] Page. First arrival from the bay, 1 865 286 1866 291 1867 297 1868 302 1869 307 1875 330 scarcity re- ported,1853. 254 inBoston, 1878 342 at Gloucester, 1878 342, 343 Irom the south, 1855 259 3869 306 1870 310 fare from G-eorge's, good haul, 1873 . 333 of the season, a big stock, 1875. 329 mackerel caught off Cape Ann, 1873 . 322 in Mass. Bay, 1863 283 1870 311 of th e season, 1852 250 taken, 1861 277 seizure of an American vessel for 'fishing off Prince Edward Island, 1852 251 voyages from Cape Ann to George's Bank, 1822 221 voyages from Cape Ann to Gulf of Saint Lawrence, 1830 224 Pish, Hon. Hamilton 6 Island 247 taking care of 73-75 Fisher, Captain 23 Island Sound 15 Fisheries, 1871 317,318 bill, passage of, 1873 321,322 Fishermen 49,83,84 continued labor and fatigue of. 69, 70 death of experienced, 1863 283 extracts from records and rem- iniscenses of 217 Fishery, 1870 311 almost a failure, 1858 265 partial failure of, 1858 265,268 Fishing grounds 21, 48, 49, 82, 83, 112 349 ! Fitzgerald, Mr. John Fleet for 1828 1870 1880 at the Magdalens, 1875 expected home, 1866 fitting for the bay, 1862 in Barnstable Bay, 1860 in Gloucester, 1862 movements of, 1878 341,342 in Saint Lawrence Gulf, 1834 236 Fly-hook 86 Food 15,16,17,18,19,20,21 Foreign mackerel, United States consump- tion of, 1872-1881 Fortin .' Foster, Alfred D Fox, Mr Fraudulent packing 152, 153, 155 French coast, fishery on, 1868 305 Fresh-lish business, steady growth of, 1880 352 214 3,44 345 346 Page. mackerel in Boston, 1869 306 mackerel, first arrival in New York market,1873 322 1877 332,333 1880 349 mackerel, first fare at Portland, 1878. 343 Frye, Captain 327 Fundy,Bay of 4, 10, 40, 41, 49, 83,249, 254 Gaff 87 introduction of, 1823 221 Gammurus dentatus 20 loricatus 20 mutatus 20 pinguis 20 sabini 20 Gannets 18, 27 Gasp6 ...15,245,257 Bay 320 Cape 82,258,274 Gaspereau 25 General discussion of fishery, 1870 312, 313 Geographical distribution 3, 4 George, Cape 46 George's Bank .7, 8, 49, 83, 236, 239, 280, 282, 296, 297, 302, 309 bank, large fleet on, 1875 329 large haul on, 1873 324 big trip from, 1872 321 George's, good catch on, 1869 307 good fares from, 1867 297 good trip from, 1868 302 large school on, 1867 296 shoals 33 Georgetown (Prince Edward Island) 82, 106 German Ocean 4 Gibbers 73,74 Gifford, Mr 52, 122 Gigging, protest against, 1836 228 and seining, protest against in present century 121-123 Gilbert, Moses 220 Gill-net fishery 107, 112 in Barnstable Bay, success of, 1870 309 at Cape Cod, growing im- portance of, 1859 268 in Cape Cod Bay, success of, 1858 267,268 Gill-nets, large catches in 107, 108 Gill-netters from Provincetown, good catches of, 1869.- 306 Gill-netting, advantages of, 1859 269 at Dennis, 1870 312 Gilpin, Dr 8,10 Giving the seine away 64 Gloucester 241, 283 baymen, success of, 1858 266 fisheries, 1873 326 fishery, 1870 312 1881 352,353 fleet, the large vessels in, 1821 . . 220 Harbor, mackerel in, 1853 255 large school in, 1861. . . 278 Goode, G. Brown 5, 6, 8, 224, 345 Gordy, Mr. J. P 59,73 Grades of mackerel 139 [435] REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. Page. Grand Manan ----- 12,23 Island 83 Grant, President 321 Gray, Capt. William 80,341 Green Cove 8 Greenport 54 Grey, Capt. John 85,92 Grey vrire, Mr 8 Growth and size, rate of 26, 27 Gulf fishery, 1S76 334 Gulf of Maine, fishing in the, 1874 327 1875 328 St. Lawrence, close of season, 1852. 252, 253 American vessels in, 1873-1881 429 poor quality of fish, 1854 258 fishing in, 1859 270 good fares, 1862 281 arrivals from, 1859 . - 271, 272 Gunnison 223 Halifax 40,131,240 Halifax Harbor, large hauls in, 1855 260 Hall, Mr 23 Hamilton Inlet 3 Hand-lining from decks of vessels, intro- duction of, 1804 219-220 Harbor temperatures 7 Harding, Capt. King. . .7, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 37, 38, 242 Harger, Oscar 28 Harwich 339 Harwichport fishery, 1864 284 Hatleras, Cape 3, 9, 10, 41, 42, 112 Henlopen, Cape 113 Henry, Cape 7,10,328 Herrick, Capt. WUliam 113 Hibernation 5, 8 Higgins, Mr 52 Higgins and Gilford 55 Higgin son, Francis 13 Higii line of the bay fleet, 1869 308 fleet, 1857 262 1866 293 1867 298 1879 347,348 Provinoetown fleet, 1874. 327 seining fleet, 1874 327 piice of bay mackerel, 1875 330 for mackerel, 1869 306 Hinckley, Mr. Benjamin F 43 Hind, Prof. H. T 3,5.18,21,44,346 on the causes of the al- leged annual variation in the numb er of mack- erel observed 35,37 on the causes of irregu- lar movements 29-35 Hingham 265 fishery, 1815 220,221 1837-38 231 1844 238 extinction of, 1876 333 fleet, success of the, 1843 237 Holmes & Co 238 Homeward passage and disposition 102-103 Page. Hood, Port 82,280,299 Hook-and-line fishing off New England coast 276 Hooked and seined mackerel, relative quality of 143 Horton, Capt. E. A 332 Capt.I. N 325 "Horton," largo stock made by the, 1873. 324, 325 Howes, Capt. Ainsley 259 Hull 115 Hurlbert, Capt. R. H 22,23 Hyannis 239 Implements, methods, and results of mack- erel dragging 107-1 12 Improvement in mackerel on the south coast of Nova Scotia, 1872 320 packing salt mackerel and other fish 132 Increase in the price demanded for li- censes to fish in British waters, 1868 301 Inferior quality of bay mackerel, 1869 307 takbn in Canadian waters, 1871 315 Influence of tbe fishery on the welfare of the flshingtowns, 1868 304 Inspection of No. 4 mackerel, 1835 227 laws 147-162,354 British Provinces, 1874.. 395^18 Canada, 1874 395-412 Connecticut,1875 370-372 Maine. 1875 ' 354-357 Massachusetts, 1859 .... 363-368 New Hampshire, 1878 357-303 Nova Scotia, 1851 412-418 Ehode Island, 1872 368-370 of pickled mackerel, Maine, 1804-1820, 1864-1878 , 1864-1881, 194-202 of pickled mackerel, Massa- chussetts, 1804-1881 164-190, 191 of pickled mackerel, New Hampshire, 1804-1820, 1864- 1881 202,203 Ipswich Bay 32,293,314 Itinerary of voyage to St. Lawrence Gulf. 105-107 Jack, Cape 46 Jacobs, Capt. Sol 9,112,113,338,349 Janovin, Capt. George 262 Jeffries Ledge 47 Jewett, Capt. B. F 80 Jig 85,86 invention of 220 Jigging mackerel 93 Jones, Mr. J. Matthew Ill Joselyn 27 Jost,H.S 320 Joyce, Capt. H. B 12,13,112,327 Kelly.Dr 34 Kenney, Capt. Nelson A 60 Kenniston, Mr. George B 43 Kettle Island 22,88 Key West 10 Kyaok 109 Labrador 3-4 current 33 La Chance, Capt. L. H -15,46 HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. [436] Page. Xast arrival from the bay, 1858 264r-266 Late school in Massachusetts Bay and at CapeCod, 1859 272 Latham, Captain 112,338 Latitude, range of 4 Lavoie, N 315, 316, 320 Laws, petitions, and protests 119 Le Barre Harbor 326 Lee-bowing 97 Legislation for the protection of mackerel . 119, 123 Le Have 7 Bank 17 Leighton, Capt. Andrew 22 Lewes, Del 331,339 License required by C an adian Government from American vessels fishing in Gulf of St. Lawrence, 1866, 1 867 290, 296, 297 Life-history of the mackerel 3-29 Line-fishery, exceptional hauls 96 List of American vessels engaged in the mackerel fishery, 1880 420-429 Little, E. H 145 Long Island 21,49,260 Sound 41 Lookout, Cape 1] 3 Loss of many schooners in the Bay, 1852. . 253 Low, Maj.D. W 89,91,105,305,328 Lowe, Capt. Francis 115 Lowry, Mr 89 Loyd, Thomas 10 Lucky haul at Provincetown, 1877 333 streak 82 vessels, 1875 328 Lunenburg 317 Lurvey, Abraham 85, 118, 220 Lyle, H. M 248 Mackerel hook fishery 81-107 Mackerelmen, discouragi ng prospects for, 1841 235 poor doings of, 1837 230 1844 238 Mackerel pocket 17 mint 18 shark 28 Macrura 15 Maddocks, Capt. Joseph 82 Maddos, Mr. Luther 78 Magdalen Islands.. .21, 22, 30, 31, 40, 82, 94, 247, 261, 280, 284, 294, 295, 299, 309, 326 Elver 271,274 ' Maine coast, fishing on the," 1860 276 Gulf of 49,83 fishery, 1864 285 mackereling in, 1825 222 Malpec 249, 288, 294, 299 Manomet Ponds 238 Margaree Islands 82, 280, 286, 299 Margaret's Bay Ill Market fishermen, good luck of, 1872 319-320 for mackerel, 1832 225 1858 266 1859 272 running for the .- 75 Markurson, Capt. Knud 80, 81, 339, 340 Marr, Capt. Chester 17, 99 ! Page. Marshall, Capt. William 221 Marston, Eobert 219 Martha's Vineyard 45 Martin, Capt. S.J 69,70,71,72 Martinicus Eock 49, 83 Massachusetts Bay 314 fishery, 1876 832 fishing in, 1870 310-311 catch of mackerel for 1838. 231 fisheries, extent of, 1837.. 229 fleet, 1880 418-419 Mather, Eichard 13 May, Cape 41,112 Mayo, Henry & Co 133 Mr. Noah 40 McLain, Captain 76 McLean, Capt. Geo 337 McMann, Captain 80 Meccatina 316 •little 4 Mediterranean :... 4 Mehlman, Ca pt. David N 42 Menhaden 7 Menhiggm 13 Merchant, Capt 85, 218, 219, 220, 222, 224, 225 Capt. Epes W 92,99 Capt. George, jr .52, 57, 71, 78 James 220 Merrimac Eiver 89 Methods of curing, past and present 145, 147 Mexico, Gulf of 4 Migration s 5-6-12, 31, 32 northerly 12,13 Milk Island 22,24 Mingan , 4 Islands (Labrador) 82 Miramichi 82 Bay 267,309 Miscou Point 22, 46, 82, 245, 282, 294 Mitchill,Dr 39 Mr. Charles 131 Modeof fishing 92-98 Moisie 315 Monhegan, Me 110 Island -. 49,83,254 Montauk 294 Point 83 Morgan, Captain 234 Mount Desert Island 107,345 Eock .49, 83, 244, 254, 334 Mount Louis 271, 275 Movements of mackerel, influence of blue- fish on, 1850. 244,245 Movements of the mackerel schools, ob- servations of American fishermen 37, 41 Mulgrave, Port 332,346 Mystic Eiver 54 Nantucket 13 Shoals 23,31,83,112 Nealley, Mr. E.J 43 New Bedford. 54 New Brunswick 22, 50 fishery, 1852 254 and Nova Scotia fishe- ries 1871.317 [437] EEPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. Page. Kowburyport flaliery, 1863 283 tleet, 1860. 273 fleet, past aud present, 1873. 324 ■vessels in Saint Lawrence Guif,1853 257 vessels, small number en- gaged in the Soutbeni fishery, 1870 309 llfeTVComb, Capt. Darius 52 New England coast, large school off, 1877. 337 New England fishery, 1856 261 number of vessels lathe bay, 1878.. 337,338 review of the, 1878 . . 344 1879.. 348 1880.. 351,352 1881 . 953 fleet, 1879-'80-'81 . . 206, 208 south coast of 83 New England vessels, big catches by. 1876 336,337 New Enterprise 339,340 NewfoumUand 12,39 New London 54 Newport, good catch off, 1875 329 Harbor 342 large ca^ch at, 1875 330 large haul at, 1875 330 New York 114,339 Night fishing, introduction of, 1837-1841.. 230 a new feature in the mack. erel fishery, 1841 235 Neman's Land 33,34,294 North American fishery, products for 1880. 127-131 North Cape 22,46,341 Northern limit 3 Norton, B. H 249 Norway, coast of 25, 340 Notre Dame, Bay of 46 Nova Scotia 12 big catch off, 1851 248 1877 "... 333 • eastern coast of 83 fisheries, 1839-1846 240 schooner bound south, the tables turned, 1877 333 Western, mackerel in 1853. 254 Numbers, fluctuations in 37, 38, 42 Oakes, Elisha M 219 Capt. W. H 78 Olsen, Captain 7 Omniastrephes illecebrosa 28 Orphan Bank 46, 82, 245, 294, 298 Ottawa 301 Overfishing destroying the fishery, 1838. . 233 Packard, Dr 33 Professor 3 Packing, cost, and quantity of salt needed. 140,142 Parsons, Capt. John 115,220 Passing Cape Cod, 1875 330 Pate, Captain 82 Pelagic fish 12 Penobscot Bay 2.3,128 Perley, Mr 4,12,111,254 Pettingell, Mr. Moses 42 Page. Petition for the repeal of the law provid- ing for an inspector-general of fish 156-100 Phalaropes 17 Pharo, Mr. Edward 102 Philadelphia 114 Phillips, Mr. Barnet 5 Phosphorescence 109 Pictou (Nova Scotia) 249 Pierce, Miles 80 Pigeon -hill ground 82 Platyouichus ocellatus , 15 Pleasant Bay 326 Plen^^^y oft' Newburyport, 1858 264 reported at Western Nova Scotia, 1852 250 Plows 100-102 Pocket or spiller 71-73 Poey 10 Pogies - 79 Pollock 17 Pool, Captain 251,252 Porpoises 28 Port-au-Port 82 Portland 25, 83, 245, 345 Portsmouth and Gloucester Harbors, big schools in, 1837 230 fall fishery, 1837 231 Prices 26 1827 - 225 1836 238 1850 246 1852 250 1859 270,271,272 1865 286,287 1866 290,291 1868 3C3 1869 306,307 1873 322 advance in,1861 279 1866 293 in Boston market, 1804-1832 218 of canned mackerel 135 enhanced by the demand for ship- ment to California and Australia, 1857 262 for fresh mackerel. New York, 1870 . 312 in Massachusetts, 1830-1881 210 Prince Edward Island 22, 23, 33, 245, 247, 2.57, 261, 263, 267, 280, 282, 284^ 287, 288, 294, 295, 299, 309, 320, 346, 347 Proctor,Mr. J. O 89,158 Profitable shore fishing, 1870 310 ProspecT, Upper 333 Provincetown 7,26,28,239,248 fisheries, 1876-18.>6, inclu- sive 331 fishery, 1872 320 Harbor 10,269,276 Prussia (Eastern) 4 Pteropoda 20,21 Purse-seine, attempted use of, in Norwe- gian waters 80 bio; catches with, 1865 286 big haul in a, 1866 291 HISTORY OF THE MACKEEEL FISHERY. [438] Page. I'urse-seine, dimensions of an average-size deep-water 57 fishery 48,81 history of tlie use 78,80 protest against the us e 122 successful use of, off Cape Ann, 1859 209 successful use of, off Cape Ann, 1860 275 Purse-seining, successful, on New Eng- land shore, 1853 255 Pursing up. 61 Quicktrip, 1874 327 Quick bay trips, 1861 278 Quinan, Mr. Francis 317 Eace, Point 327,328 Katcliff, Capt. WiUiam 78 Reappearance on the Labrador coast after 40 years' absence, 1871 316 Eeceipts and prices, 1853 255 Keciprocity treaty, effect of, on Nova Scotia, 1869 307 EedBay 3 seed 17 Ee-enactment of prohibitory laws, 1702. . 120, 121 Eefusal of mackerel to take the hook at all times 38-40,42-44 Eeinspection, pickled mackerel, Massa- chusetts, 1850-1881 192 Kemon, James M 315 Eental of Cape Cod fishery, 1677 218 Kepeal of prohibitory laws in Massachu- setts, 1692.. 119-120 Eepealed, inspection laws, Maine 372-381 Massachusetts 381-388 Pennsylvania, 388-395 Eeproducfcion 21-26 Eeview of fisheryfor 1853 256 Pwhode Island 90 Kich, Mr. A. B 40 Eichmond's Island 79 Eideing, Mr. William H 5 Eisor 80 Eissoa 18 Eobinson, Captain Daniel 223 Eockport, Mass., large fishing station, 1836 238, 229 Eopes, Charles 158 Eough weather in the bay, 1866 292 Eowe, Capt. Joseph 22 Eozier,Cape 274,275 Euslico 316 Sable, Cape 40,230,250 Island 83 Salem 89 Sales, 1867 298 1881 353 prices, &c., 1828 225 Salmon Bay 3 Salt mackerel 135,136 fishery of Gloucester, re- ceipts for 1880 350, 351 S.ilting the fish 98,99,219 Sandy Hook 9,114,260,294 Point 116 Sars, Professor 25,35 Dr. G. O 32 Scarcity, 1828 225 1836 1 228 1837-1841 230 1847 240 1850 244 1852 252 1858 263 1861 277 1867 296,297 off Cape Ann in late autumn, 1850 245,246 attributed to bluefish, 1868 304 comparative, 1866 291, 292 carious reason for, 1841 235 in early summer, 1849 243 and extreme high prices, 1853 .. 255 on New England coast, 1834 227 1873.... 325 in Nova Scotia, 1843 238 in St. Lawrence Bay, 1838 . i 234 1860 273,274 1875 330 early in the sea- son, 1866. .. 290 Gulf, 1838 232 1860 277 1868 302,303 offshore, 1875.... 329 reported in St. Lawrence Bay, 1852 252 reported in St. Lawrence Bay, 1861 279 unusual, in St. Lawrence Bay, 1806 290,291 fall mackerel on New England shore, 1842 237 small mackerel in Massachusetts Bay previous to 1830 224, 225 School, large, 1872 321 of Cape Ann, 1852 252 of CapeCod, 1873 325 in the eel grass, 1876 332 Schooling mackerel, display of, 1865 288 Schools in Gloucester Harbor, 1859 269,270 1868 303 Schooners stranded ia the bay, 1857 262 Scomber grex 39 Scudder, Fred., & Co 244 Seaconnet, E. A 77,89,90 Sea- fie as 32 herring ' 6 Season good for mackerel, 1864 284 Sea-urchins 30 Sea-worms 30 Seine 56,58 cost of 103,104 boat, and its fittings 52, 56 boats, price-list of 55 Seiners, good catches by, 1869 306 success of 321 Swampscott, 1853 255 [439] KEPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. Page. Seining by day, met liods of 59, 65 financial profits of 75, 76 by night, methods of 57,65-71 prohibition of, 1864 119 successful at Isle of Shoals, 1852. . 250, 251 to be tried in St. Lawrence Bay, 1868 301 vessels fitted for 50 Sellman, Mr. Henry 136 Seven Islands, Labrador 19, 82, 97 Shore and bay fisheries, prices, &c., 1873. 324 fishery in Cape Cod Bay, 1879 339 a good stock in the, 1873 324 notes on the, 1878 339 fleet, 1853 256 1865 286,287 1866 293 offCape Ann, 1804 219 1858 264 arrival of the, small number of arrivals from the bay, 1875 . 330 doingsof the, 1858 266 great d isasters to the, 1869 .... 308 ill success of the, 1878 341 small catch by the, 1877 333 success of, 1861 279 ,1866 293 1869 307 and George's fleet, doings of the, 1868 303 Shore-loving fish 4 Shoremen, South, success of, 1842 237 Simpson, A."W 3 Sinclair, Capt. Peter 9,271 Skip-jack 10 Small catch, 1836 229 1860 273 in June, 1875 329 by Newburyport fleet at the South, 1860 275 by New England fleet, 1843 . 238 of St. Lawrence Bay and shore fleets, 1867 298 in St. Lawrence Gulf, 1870 . . 310 catches at Block Island and in Gulf of St. Lawrence, 1878 342 of the mackerelmen, 1877.. 334 fall catch in the bay, 1869 308 fleet . from Gloucester, 1859 268 receipts and unusual scarcity, 1851 . 248 spring catch, 1858 264 Smith, Capt. Henry O 82 John 27 Capt. Joseph 51, 56, 67, 68, 69, 112 S.I 28 Capt. Sylvanus 88 Snappers 16 Snow, Mr. Josiab 41 South Channel, large schools in, 1848 242 Southern Channel 42, 47 fishery, 1862 280 1863 283 1068 301,302 1873 322 beginning of , 1 815 .■ 220 Page. Soutliem fishery, decline of, 1859 268 early catches, 1880 348, 349 notes on, 1861 277 1870 310 1878 338 success of, 1 862 281 fishing, light fares, 1874 327 fleet, 1860 276 1866 289,290 1876 331,334 1880 349 first arrivals of, 1868 301 in Glouces- ter, 1873.. 322 at Newport, 1873 323 poor success of, 1858 263,264 sailing of, 1875 328 the first of the, 1873 322 slim doings of, 1856 261, 262 success of , 1859 269 1870 310 unfavorable news from, 1861 278 uniisual success of, 1867.. 296 limit of mackerel 3 South shore vessels, success of, 1870 309, 310 Spawn 35,36 effect of rain on 36 temperature on. 36 Spawning season 21, 22, 23, 24, 25 Spikes 26 Spirialis Gouldii 15 Splitters 73,74 Spoffbrd, Mr. Amherst 79 Spring fishery, 1838 232 1859 268 1860 277 1861 278 1866 289 1867 295 1868 300 1870 311 1873 322,323 1874 327 1875 329 1876 334 1877 332 1878 338 in Cape Ann Bay, 1870 311 Barnstable Bay, 1855... 259 Cape Cod Bay, 1861 .... 277 at the Magdalen Islands, 1858 265 on the United States coast, success of 1853 257 Spring and Gulf fishery 276 seine 77 Southern fishery 112, 115 Springing up 97 Squalus americanus 71 St. George, Bay of 82,282 Cape 82,280 St. Margaret's 316 St. Mary's Bay 4,13 HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. [440] Page, St. La-svrence Bay fleet, 1880 351 flsliery, hostilities of Canadians cause loss to Ameri- can -ves- sels, 1870.. 314 outlook for, 1866 289 small catch, 1871 318 Gulf, favorahle reports from, 1862 ; 281 fisheries of 1879 345-347 fishery, 1870 311 1876 332 a new feature in, 1859.... 269 review of, 1878 343-344 and. !N"ew England coast fisheries, 1878. 340 surface temperatures in 34 St. Peter's Harbor 247 Staples, Capt. J. S 112 Star Island 251 fish 30 Starbuck, Mr 202 Statistics of the inspection of mackerel from 1804 to 1880 162,217 the mackerel fishery in 1880. 123,125 Maine 193 Massaohu setts 162, 163 !N"ew Hampshire 202 Tlni ted States 203-206 Steele, Mr. George 158,159 Stellwagen Banks 33 Stone, Mr. William 311 Btonington 34 Storer, H. R 4,23,24 Story, G. V 316 John 92,219 Studies of the movements of the mackerel schools 29-48 Success of the Cape Cod and Cape Ann maokerelmen, 1837 230 a Gloucester schooner, 1876 .. 382 Successful bay trips, 1858 264 day's fishing, 1858 264 George's trip, 1874 337 Sullcod 18 Summer limit 20 Sunday-keepers, 1866 293 Swampscott market fishermen, success of, 1870 312 Swan's Island 113 Sweden, soiith coast of 4 Sydney 82,284 Harbor 300 Sj'lvester, Felix 315 Table of quantity and value of Canadian fisheries, 1880.... 180 Page. Table of quantity and value of New Eng- land fisheries, '80 129 showing coastwise movements of the mackerel 47, 48 the period and yearly dif- ference in number of days between the first appear- ance of the herring and the mackerel at the Mag- dalen Islands from 1857 to 1876 45 Tackle, new fishing 77 Tallman, John 77 Tarr, Capt. Benj 219 Mr. Moses 10 Temperature, eflfeot of, on local movements of mackerel 33,34 variations in 20 Terry, Capt. EusseU D 347 Thomas, Nathaniel 119 Thurlow 85 Thysanopoda 15, 16, 17 Tides, effect of 20 Tinkers 26 Tolling or chumming up 92 Tom'sBay 333 Tory, James A 317 Towns of Cape Cod built up by their fish- eries 248 Treat, Mr. U. S.. 44 Treat, Noble & Co 239 Turner, Capt. James 117 Tusket Islands 250 United States and Canada fishery, 1873- 1881,1873-1880 209 fishery 48 fishery, 1831,1834-1838,1851, 1864^1881 209 imports pickled mackerel, 1824-1841, 1850-1881 211, 213 Unprofitableness of the mackerel fishery, 1847 240 of the St. Lawrence Gulf fishery, 1873-1877 336 Varanger Fjord 4 Yenning, W. H 315,317,320 Verrill, Professor 4,28,33 Yessels 49,52,84,85,113 loss of, by destructive gale at St. Lawrence Bay, 1853 256 in the mackerel fleet, ] 851 249, 250 and men engaged in the Glouces- ter fishery, 1862 280 Vineyard Haven 336 Islands 47 Sound 12,22,107 Voss, Adolph 91 "Waquoit, Mass 9 "WatchHill 34,334 Watson, Capt. Edward 243 Capt. Nathaniel 78,79 Webb, Capt. Henry 22,24 Weir at Cape Cod, big catch in a, 1869. ... 307 1877.... 333 [441] REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. Page. "Wc'irs, good catch in Nova Scotia, ] 877 Xi3 Wellfleet 228,248,266 schooners, success of the, 1869.. 308 South 276 "West Indies 4, 10 Wbales 28 "White, Mr 9 "Whiteaves, Mr. J. F 18,39 TVhituiore, Captain 251 "Wilcox, Mr. W. A 133,135 "Wilkins, Mr 23 "Willard, Mr. E. G .72,159,345 Capt. Henry 17 Pase. "Winds and tides, effects of 36,37 "Winthrop, Governor 13 "Winter quarters, seeking 30,31 "Wintering, place of. 40,43 Wlxon, Captain 243 "Wolff, Mr. Julius 136 "Wonson, George 220 John 8, 220 Samuel -jiu "Wood, Capt. Charles P 224 Tai-mouth 250 N. S., good catch at, 1851 248 Young mackerel, growth of 24, 25 j: LBJa'OS Q