552 GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW OF THE FISHERIES. 



to catcli more than they could if they were fishing separately. In some instaiices they miss their 

 fish, aud the loss is as general as the gain might have been. One man, Lewis, has six or seven 

 helpers, and is very successful, catching more fish than any other united band of the same size. 

 His men fish on shares, each receiving an equal amount at the end of each week. Another man, 

 employing a number of helpers, is stationed at the mouth of a creek where mullet are very abundant. 

 At high-tide, when the fish are likely to be inside, he runs a couple of gill- nets, amounting to nearly 

 200 fathoms, across the mouth of the creek. At low" tide, when the flats are bare, excepting in the 

 channels or holes, he drags all the imprisoned fish out with a small seine. These, together with 

 what were gilled in the net, constitute nearly all the fish that were in the creek at the time of the 

 setting of the nets. 



The gill-nets being made of light twine are badly torn every day, especially those that are 

 left standing a long time in the water. Large fish do much damage to the gill-nets, but crabs are 

 the worst enemies. These climb up the nets, biting the twine as they go. A rent several feet in 

 length is thus frequently made by them. On the shoals and reefs about the islands mullet are 

 caught, whose movements are to an extent dependent upon the changes of the weather; at times 

 they are most abundant offshore, at other times, most abundant inshore, and again plentiful every- 

 where. The boats being swift sailers, a large expanse of water may be searched in a day with the 

 prospect of delivering the fish in a good condition at night. 



DISPOSITION OF CATCH. The fish are turned over to the dealer, who counts the mullet and 

 weighs the "bottom fish," namely, all other marketable kinds of fish. Settlements are made every 

 Saturday night. The fish are sold fresh, only those that remain over being salted. The demand 

 for fresh fish is good, and the difference in the price does not pay for salting. The greater part of 

 the salt fish which appear in the Cedar Keys market comes from more southern fisheries, the 

 remainder being those which are salted lest they should spoil. They are packed in rough boxes 

 and barrels and are seldom prepared with brine. Those that are shipped go to the poorer classes 

 in the interior. For salted mullet the fishermen receive 2 or 3 cents apiece. 



The fish not to be salted, after having been washed in icewater, are packed away with ice in 

 barrels, tierces, and hogsheads. Mullet in their season are bought for so much each, small ones 

 being counted as two for one, or three for two, as the size may be. 



"Bottom fish" include the varieties known as spotted trout, sheepshead, red fish or channel 

 bass, sailor's choice, grunts, flounders, crevalle", black fish, and all other common food fishes. These 

 are bought and sold by the pound. Choice fish, such as pompano, Spanish mackerel, and bluefish, 

 are also bought and sold by the pound, but for a somewhat higher price than the more common 

 kinds. 



The hogsheads in which the fish intended for shipment are packed will hold 500 or GOO mullet, 

 or 700 or 800 pounds of " bottom" fish. A tierce will hold half as much as a hogshead, and a barrel 

 half as much as a tierce. Wooden heads are put on all the packages. Shipments are made by 

 express. Savannah is one of the principal markets ; some shipments are made to all the largest 

 towns of Georgia and Florida and to New York. 



OYSTER BEDS. Several years ago there were some very prolific oyster beds at Cedar Keys; 

 these are considerably reduced in importance on account of their having been exposed to cold 

 weather. About one hundred men are employed in this fishery, using fifty boats. The oysters 

 are all sold to the fish dealers at Cedar Keys, who ship them in shell to the interior in barrels. 

 The tongs are the only implements peculiar to the business, but need no description, being similar 

 to those used at other places. A few pairs of cheap tongs of inferior material have been tried and 



