NORTH CAROLINA: THE MORE IMPORTANT DISTRICTS. 485 



THE FISHING FOE MARINE SPECIES OF LITTLE IMPORTANCE. At times the fishermen visit 

 the salt water of the sound with seines, and catch bluefish, mullet, trout, spot, and sheepshead; 

 but there is no regular salt-water fishing, and, according to Mr. C. F. "Watson, the yearly catch 

 of marine species does not exceed 100,000 bunches, or 300,000 pounds, valued at $5,000. 



A description of the river fisheries of the place will be found in the chapter on the shad fish- 

 eries of North Carolina. 



THE WHOLESALE FISH TRADE OF NEW BERNE. As a fish market, New Berne ranks among 

 the most important in the State, and, if credited with the fish shipped from Beaufort by firms hav- 

 ing branch houses in that city, it stands at the head of the list. There are six firms, each doing 

 an extensive business in the shipment of fresh and salt water fishes, oysters, and clams. Formerly 

 the trade was small and confined to the immediate locality, but within the last ten years, owing to 

 the energy of the dealers, it has increased fourfold. Many fish are now sent to all of the larger 

 cities of the Southeastern States, except Florida, and in addition a large number are consigned 

 to the principal dealers of New York, Philadelphia, and Baltimore. The supply of salt-water fish 

 comes chiefly by rail from Beaufort and Morehead City, where several of the dealers h.ave branch 

 houses for buying and packing. A few of the oysters are obtained from this source also, but the 

 greater part come direct from "The Banks" by vessel. 



New Berne has also a trade in salt-water terrapin and "loggerhead turtles" (Chelydra), and 

 in 1879 shipped about 280 dozen terrapin that were taken in Pamlico Sound. The shipping of 

 turtles began about 1873, and has gradually increased until in the fall of 1879 fully 8,000 pounds 

 were sent to the Northern markets. Most of the turtles are gathered in the rivers and creeks dur- 

 ing the months of September and October. 



THE RETAIL FISH TRADE. The retail fish trade of New Berne is controlled wholly by negroes. 

 There are eight fish-stalls in the market at the dock, and four or five men and boys peddle fish 

 about the streets. Probably no city on the coast is so peculiar in its retail trade as New Berne. 

 The coarsest species are not only seen in the markets, but they make up the bulk of the 

 sales. The gar (L. osseus), not seen by us in any other market in the country, is one of the princi- 

 pal food-fishes here, where it is highly prized by the negroes. The other important species are 

 catfish, eels, sturgeon, gizzard-shad, herring, perch, robins, and welchmen. Any surplus of fresh 

 fish at times of over-supply is salted and dried or smoked, and it is not uncommon to see even 

 catfish and other of the coarser species that have been prepared in this way exposed for sale in 

 the market-stalls. 



175. THE FISHERIES OF BEAUFORT AND MOREHEAD CITY. 



THE GEOGRAPHY OF THE REGION. Lying to the southward of Pamlico Sound, and communi- 

 cating freely with it, is a long and narrow sheet of water, running parallel with the coast for a dis- 

 tance of 50 miles. It varies in breadth from 1 to 6 miles, and on account of its shoaluess is navi- 

 gable for vessels of small size only. It communicates with the ocean through Beaufort and Bear 

 Inlets, the former being situated near its center, and the latter at its southern extremity. The 

 portion lying to the north of Beaufort Inlet is known as Core Sound, and that to the south as 

 Bogue Sound. The land on the east is merely a continuation of the sandy banks that occur farther 

 north, and, with the exception of a small portion in the vicinity of Beaufort, it has almost no inhab- 

 itants. Carteret County, which forms the western shore, is very irregular in shape. It is long 

 and narrow, reaching from the Neuse River, on the north, to Bear Inlet, on the south, and extend- 

 ing but a short distance into the interior. Its shores are so frequently interrupted by bays, rivers, 

 and creeks, and the whole country is so cut up by water-channels, that wagons are almost wholly 



