FISHERIES OF SOUTHERN DELAWARE. 537 



The method of settiug the haul-seines iii Indian River and Bay is as follows: The end of the 

 first line, the "land rope," is left with one man on the shore and run out its entire length by the 

 men in the boat, two of whom pull away with the oars, the other one paying away ou the rope, 

 which is from 150 to 200 fathoms in length. After the line is out the seine is set in a semicircle up 

 or down the stream or bay as the tide happens to run; the last end of the seine being always 

 carried out somewhat farther from the land than the end first set. The net being out, the "water- 

 line" is then run to the shore and the men divide themselves up, two pulling away ou the "laud- 

 rope" and two on the " water-line." After the ends of the seine have been drawn to the shore, two 

 men take hold of the lead-line and two others pull in on the cork-rope. The net is then gathered 

 in slowly, the foot-rope being hauled in more rapidly than the cork-line; hence when it reaches 

 the dry beach the fish are finally turned out on the sand. The fish are rarely if ever seen before 

 the seine is set, the fishermen putting their apparatus where they think the best results may be 

 obtained. The wade-seines are set in precisely the same manner as has been described in the 

 notes on the trout fishery. 



4. DISPOSITION OF THE (JATCH. 



The fishermen of Milford occasionally take the spot, principally for their own use, but when 

 a larger quantity than they need is caught they peddle them through the villages and rural dis- 

 tricts in their immediate vicinity. The fishermen of Milton, who engage regularly in the spot fish- 

 ery, as has been stated in another paragraph, form themselves into gangs of two each, one of 

 these men making a specialty of peddling the fish which are caught by his partner. In this way 

 two-thirds of the fish taken are sold in a fresh condition, while one-third is salted. According to Mr. 

 Morris, the average price of the fresh fish at Milton is two cents per p >und, while those which are 

 salted bring $10 per barrel. All of the latter are sold to the country trade. It takes about 

 600 of these fish to make a barrel when they are salted. They are dressed in much the same 

 manner as our common mackerel, being first split and then soaked in water for a considerable 

 length of time until all the blood is removed, after which they are salted. At Lewes, Mr. Burton 

 tells us, the fishermen take their catch to the village in the morning and peddle the fish out during 

 the day, selling as many of the fresh ones as they can. When they get a surplus and cannot sell 

 them fresh, the fish are salted down. Mr. Marshall, of Lewes, estimates that one-third of the catch 

 at that place is shipped in a fresh condition to New York and Philadelphia, one-sixth sold fresh 

 at Lewes and adjacent towns, and one-half salted and sold to the country trade. He gives the 

 average price as eight cents per pound. The spot which are taken in the towns south of Cape 

 Henlopen are either consumed by those who take them or are sold to the residents of the region 

 near which they are caught. A small quantity are sold to the summer residents at Rehoboth 

 Beach. The chief part of those which are peddled are disposed of in a fresh condition, but most 

 fishermen and farmers salt down a quantity sufficient for their own use, which may vary from one 

 and one-half to three or four barrels. 



5. FINANCIAL PROFITS AND LAY. 



The financial profits of the fishermen engaged in the spot fishery are difficult to determine, 

 since the capture of the different species is so interwoven with each other that no reliable or accu- 

 rate data could be obtained. We are told by Mr. Marshall that the average yearly stock of the 

 professional fishermen at Lewes is about $175, ami that of a man fishing at "odd jobs" would aver- 

 age about $50. It is perhaps safe to say that one-half or one- third of this amount would be earned 

 in the spot fishery. As the fishermen own their nets, that is, those who use only pill-nets in 



