THE RED-SNAPPEK FISHERY. 587 



Aa a rule groupers do iiot become much distorted, but instead have their stomach protruded 

 from their mouths. In such cases the stomach, when pricked, collapses and goes back to its proper 

 place. 



Some of the fishermen have finger " stalls " to prevent the hard lines from wearing and cutting 

 their fingers, but they are not in general use. They are knitted woolen coverings for each separate 

 finger. The Connecticut fishermen have a leather thumb " stall" to use iu their business, so that 

 they can hold the fish, while unhooking and pricking them, by the under jaw, with the thumb iu 

 their mouths, and not suffer from the snapper's long, sharp teeth. 



Both fresh and salt baits are used in snapper fishing. The former is undoubtedly the best, 

 and of the different kinds of shore fish, bluefish (Pomatomus saltatrix) and lady-fish (Elops saurun) 

 are the best, either fresh or salted. 



In the spring, summer, and fall the fishermen get sufficient bait of the lauds just mentioned 

 on the beaches by seining, but in winter they have to depend on that which they have laid by in 

 salt iu the fall, and "bauk bait" is fish caught on the "banks" and used fresh. Snappers are 

 very capricious at times, especially in regard to their food. One hour they will readily accept salt 

 bait, and the next nothing but fresh baits will do. 



In such cases, when no fresh bluefish or lady-fish can be had, sharks, leather-jackets, porgies, 

 and like fish are cut up aud substituted. In this kind of fishing the lines are not dropped quite to 

 the bottom, for there the large fish and groupers remain, and as the fishing goes on it often hap- 

 pens that the fish are tolled near the surface, when much labor is saved. 



Unlike the custom on Key West smacks, these fishermen prick their own fish as they are 

 caught, and much more care is exercised that the fish shall not touch the deck or anything that 

 would injure thorn. When the well is so full of fish that holes in the bottom cannot be seen, no 

 more are put in, for if too much crowded there is risk of losing the whole fare. Eight thousand 

 pounds is a good load, and these smacks do not average more than 5,000 pounds.* 



In winter it is necessary to go 50 or 75 miles eastward from Pensacola Harbor for snappers, 

 while in summer they can be caught within 20 miles of it. The smacks belonging on the coast fish 

 all the year, but are limited in summer as to the amount they shall bring to market. The Con- 

 necticut smacks come to Pensacola in November and remain until May, when they go home to 

 engage in fishing for the New York market. All the vessels in this business average one trip per 

 week. 



Vessels employed by the Pensacola dealers deliver their cargoes as they arrive in port, hand- 

 ling them in bulk, and selling by the pound for fish weighing under 7 pounds, and so much 

 apiece for all over that size. Large fish of any kind are not as salable as small ones, and but a 

 comparatively small amount is taken at any price. 



Those vessels fishing for the Pensacola Ice Company have ice-houses in them and carry ice, 

 so that if they have heavy weather, and the fish will be damaged, they are taken from the well 

 and placed in ice. All fish, both from the well and from ice, are packed away in the dealers' ice- 

 boxes as soon as landed and weighed. The Mobile and New Orleans smacks bring most of their 

 fares to Pensacola, to be shipped to home ports by rail or by steamboats. By doing this they 

 avoid all risks of losing their cargoes by fresh water in Mobile Bay and about New Orleans, and 

 also save much time. The additional expense of shipping in this way is more than balanced by 

 the greater amount of fish that can be landed at Pensacola. 



HISTORY OF THE RED-SNAPPEE FISHERY. About 1845 the red-snapper fishery was pursued 

 in a small way from Mobile and New Orleans, and for a long time the only red-snappers landed 



"The well-smacks are now being superseded by tight bottom vessels and the fish are preserved iu ice. 



