252 HISTORY AND METHODS OF THE FISHERIES. 



it is placed the pump by which the boat is freed from water. The after portion of the boat 

 between the two after thwarts is used for stowing the seine, this being a section 7f feet long by 

 7 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 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. The 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 3J feet 

 from the stern-post. Galvanized iron plates, each provided with a projecting eye, are neatly fast- 

 ened 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 in 1881 a 

 Gloucester firm of boat builders, the principal, if not the only constructors of this style of boat 

 in the United States, built them with smooth garboards, which 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 usually towed astern by a warp, a 2J or 3 inch rope, 20 to 50 fathoms in 

 length. When the vessel is making a long passage the seine-boat is hoisted upon the deck. Most of 

 the larger vessels carry two seine-boats and two seines.* On the largest schooners these boats are 

 both of a large 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; sometimes both. They are taken on deck in rough weather, when making 

 a passage, or when not required for use in fishing.t When a large catch is obtained at the last 

 set of a seine for the trip, 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 occur- 

 rence to see, in any of the large fishing ports, vessels arrive with both dories piled full of mackerel. 



THE SEINE. Two kinds of seines are used. The large seine, used only in connection with the 



*The steamer Novelty, built especially for the mackerel seine fishery, in the summer of 1885, carries four seines 

 and four boats. The latter, when the steamer is cruising, are hoisted to davits, two boats being taken up on each side 

 of the vessel. 



tThe following is the price-list of a reliable firm of boat-builders in Gloucester, Mass., for 1880: 



Seine-boats, including pump, iron breast-hook, outside tow-iron, and iron stem-cap. 



Smooth 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 brass sockets, per set (8) 6 50 



Pursing-gear 8 50 



Patent steering rowlock with socket 1 25 



Pursiug-blocks, per pair 6 00 



Towing iron and pin 2 00 



