BULLETIN OF THE UXITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 447 



The season began off Block Island and gradually worked eastward, 

 striking- the southern part of George's and then across George's, and on 

 the shore grounds, particularly Jeffries' Bank, where all of those landed 

 here were taken. I have talked with the skippers of the vessels and they 

 say this is tbe best year they ever had, both because the fish are plenty 

 and prices good. Tlie captain of the Village Belle, of Newjiort, who 

 was here last week, Wednesday, said he caught 31 swordfish in a week's 

 cruising off' Noman's Land, all big fellows, and in one day he had 7 fish 

 struck and captured. He sold the catch at Newport, as did many of 

 the other vessels. Jle had just come here from his cruising south of 

 Cape Cod. The fleet has been north of Cape Cod for tbe past fortnight 

 or three weeks, and they are now cruising from abreast of Boone Island 

 to Mount Desert Eock. The schooner Morrill B03', of Gloucester, Capt. 

 Eussell Gill, fitted out for swordtishing July 16, and has landed since 

 that date 40 swordfish, about 13,000 pounds, without beads and tails, 

 realizing 5J cents per pound at Portland. The fleet now land much of 

 their catch at Portland, which is the only market east of here. Some 

 go to Boston. The only other landing places that I know of are New 

 Bedford and Newport. I will report any further information I can 

 gather about this fishery. 



Mackerel. — Mackerel are very abundant on the New England coast, 

 though small in size. The price is very low, only $3.50 ]ier barrel, in- 

 cluding the barrel — that is before they are packed. In the bay of Saint 

 Lawrence, Gloucester mackerelmen have in some cases done well, secur- 

 ing full fares of large fish that sold for $10 to $11. Tbe catch by the 

 Gloucester fleet in tbe bay in August was between 7,000 and 8,000 

 barrels as against 33,000 barrels on this shore. Tbe season bids fair to 

 be a great one for mackerel. During tbe last few days they have been 

 close in sbore about Cape Ann. Traps along shore hereabouts taking 

 large quantities were full of mackerel this morning, but no sale for them, 

 as the canneries here have shut down. Tbe cannery of J. J. Burns & 

 Co. is probably i^ermanently closed and tbe firm in litigation with 

 numerous parties — a regular failure resulting from poor management. 

 The factory of James G. Tarr & Bro. is closed for a short time on ac- 

 count of the low price of tbe canned product. 



Gloucester, Mass., September 2, 1884. 



The past week has been a busy one in some branches of the fisheries, 

 particularly the mackerel fishery and tbe swordfish fishery. In the 

 George's Bank codfishery the number of arrivals has been twenty-four, 

 with fair trips. From tbe Grand Bank there have been several arrivals 

 with full fares. The second vessel of tbe Greenland fleet to arrive 

 reached here September 1 with 90,000 pounds flitcbed halibut and 

 50,000 pounds of cod. Tbe sword fishermen have landed about 200 

 fish during tbe week, and report them still abundant westward of here. 



