BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES EISH COMMISSION. 243 



Cascumpeque, Prince EdwaPwD Island, August 20.—'- Mack- 

 erel arc Avild and in small scbools ; they keep well off shore. A stroug 

 east wind prevents lishin<;- a larjie part of the time. Some vessels now 

 on the lishiug- gronuds for three weeks and have no fish." 



Magdalen Islands, August 27. — "No mackerel being caught 

 about here." 



Malpeque, Prince Edward Island, August 29.—" A small catch 

 of mackerel of late; over one hundred sail now in port, detained by high 

 wind." 



New London, Prince Edward Island, August 30.—" Weather 

 fine, but no catch of mackerel ; we judge the fish have left." 



A number of vessels have secured good fares of mackerel in the Gulf 

 of Saint Lawrence during the month, but the fleet in general have taken 

 comparatively few. With the exception of a short time during July 

 that mackerel were freely taken to the north of Prince Edward Island, 

 they have not been found in any abundance off the provincial or United 

 States shores. 



The only encouraging feature has been the sharj) and steady advance 

 in prices caused by the light catch and poor prospect. Not until the 

 catch, as compared with the corresponding date of 1885, was over 100,000 

 barrels short, did the price take much of a rise. The first of the month 

 cargo sales in fishermen's order were made at $4.62^ a barrel ; Au- 

 gust 9, 85.87^; August 11, $0.12 J; August 23, $9.75; August 27, $10.75; 

 August 30, 812^-on the latter date, fish that were packed and inspected 

 sold for $9.50 for No. 3's, $12 for No. 2's, $16 to $18 for No. I's. Prices 

 given being for fish that were caught in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence. 

 Mackerel caught off" the New England shore at all times bringing 

 higher prices than from anywhere else : $11 for No. 3's, $14 to $15 for 

 No. 2's, $20 to $25 for No. I's. Extra large bloater mackerel caught 

 off Block Island sold from $35 to $40 a barrel. 



Receipts of halibut have continued light from most of the fishing 

 banks. 



On August 23 the schooner Arthur D. Story, of Gloucester, the first 

 of the Iceland fleet to return, arrived home with 99,000 pounds of hali- 

 but ; only a partial cargo. The master, Capt. Joseph Eyan, reports that 

 for only a short time after arriving was the weather suitable for fishing. 

 After taking part of a cargo he sailed for Greenland to complete the 

 fare, in hopes of more favorable weather. Leaving Isefiord on July 20 

 he soon encountered heavy field-ice in Davis Strait, and for three days 

 was surrounded with ice and snow-storms. Being obliged to abandon 

 the attempt to reach the fishing grounds off Greenland by that route he 

 came direct home by way of the Strait of Belle Isle. Calling at several 

 harbors along the Labrador coast and making inquiries for mackerel, he 

 was told that none had been seen this season. The master reports that 

 the winter was fine, and codfish were taken by the natives all winter. 

 May was favorable for halibut fishing, but from that time gales of wind, 



