MILNER REPORT OF THE TRIANA TRIP. 357 



The following comparative table of inspections for the Washington 

 markets during the years 1873, 1874, and 1875, is taken from Mr. C. Lud- 

 ington's comparative statement of the inspection of marine products for 

 these years : 



Comparative table of inspections of food-fishes* in the Washington market for the years 1373,, 



1874, and 1875. 



It is probable that the Potomac has the largest seines in use in the 

 United States; the only ones at all approaching them in size are the large 

 menhaden seines t of Long Island Sound and the Atlantic coasts of 

 Massachusetts and New Jersey. The ordinary 1,000-fathom seines in 

 use at the present time are very much the same in dimensions as those 

 of former years ; so that it is possible to obtain quite a correct compara- 

 tive estimate of the fisheries of former times and the present. 



A large number of the seines referred to above are of 1,000 fathoms 

 length. The one at Stony Point, owned by the Gibson heirs, is 1,600 

 fathoms long,J and lines and seine together measure four and two- 



* In explanation of the names and terms used in the table, the shad is the ordinary 

 Alosa sapidissima ; the herring, the Alewife of the north (Pomolobus pseudoharengus) ; 

 the Tailor, sometimes called Hickory-shad (Pomolobus mediocris); the Sturgeon, the 

 ordinary Acipenser brevirostris ; the bunches offish include white perch (Morone Ameri- 

 cana); yellow perch (Perca flavescens) ; the bull-heads (Amiurus atrarius) ; the catfish 

 (Amiurus albidus) ; the pickerel (Esox reticulatus) ; and several species of Cenirarchidas, 

 Catoslomidai, &c. 



t The menhaden seines in present use are generally " purse-seines." 



t Description of Stony Point Seine. — Wings: 140 meshes deep, 3-inch meshes. Back, 

 100 fathoms long, 225 meshes deep, 2£-inch meshes. Entire length of seine, 1,600 

 fathoms. Lines: Land-end, 7 coils rope (150 fathoms to a coil.) Boat-end, 11 coils 

 rope. An auxiliary line extends to the under side of the bag known as the "quarter- 

 line." As the bag approaches shore it is from time to time drawn upon to relieve the 

 strain upon the wings. No leads are used, the heavy bottom line (3-inch rope) keep- 

 ing the net down sufficiently, and even this is sometimes supplied with block-runners 

 to keep it from sinking into the mud. Cork line, 2-inch rope, 4 corks to a fathom on the 

 wings ; 6 corks to a fathom on the back. Boat, 65 feet long ; 11 feet beam ; round-bot- 

 tomed ; 30 oars. 



Engine at land end, 8 horse-power ; engine at boat end, 14 horse-power. The boat- 

 line is shifted from time to time to sheaves set in the beach as the brails are drawn 

 together, or the current drifts the seine down stream. 



Men : Two seine captains, 5 assistants, 2 engineers, 4 net-menders, (white) ; 60 seine- 

 haulers, 3 cooks, (negroes.) 



One lighter scow, 30 tons burden. A tug, chartered for the season, tows two lighters 

 and a schooner. A third lighter is necessary, as an empty one is left wheruthe loaded 

 one is taken away. The yearly expenditure is from $12,000 to $15,000 on this fishery. 



