232 BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 



a fish would rust like a mackerel or salmon. At last I recollected bow 

 I had seen halibut treated when it was to be smoked, and I decided on 

 that plan. After tbe fish bad been in salt two weeks, I rinsed them in 

 the pickle they bad made, and piled them skin side up, put planks and 

 heavy stones on them, and so pressed out the pickle. After they bad 

 beeu four days under this pressure I found them bard and firm, and 

 beautifully white. I then packed them in boxes, whicb I made for tbe 

 purpose, putting twenty fish in each box and filling - up with dry salt. My 

 intention was to repack them in Victoria and put them in barrels, but 

 on examining- the boxes on my arrival I found tbe fish in such fine con- 

 dition that I was advised by experts of the Hudson's Bay Company to 

 send the fish forward just as tbey were; and so well satisfied were the 

 officers of the company with the plan I had adopted through necessity, 

 that the chief factor, William Charles, Esq., instructed the Company's 

 agent at Massett, Mr. McKenzie, to procure all the black cod he could 

 get from the Indians, to cure them in every respect as I had done, and 

 to pack them in similar packages, as it was thought they would take 

 better in the London market. 



Qualities of the black cod. — I tested the fresh fish in every 

 manner I could think of. I had the livers, and we fried and found 

 them delicious. The females were full of eggs, which I found very 

 small, about the size of herring spawn. This was the 1st of September, 

 but I had no opportunity of ascertaining the spawning season or their 

 spaAvniug ground. I tried the tongues, but did not like them as well as 

 codfish tongues, as they were quite small. 



The fish does not make a good chowder, as it is too fat, the beads, 

 however, after having been salted, we found made excellent chowder. 

 The best way in which the fresh fish can be cooked, is to broil it like 

 fresh mackerel, or roast it before the open fire like planked shad. After 

 it has been salted, as I salted those I put up, it should be cooked by 

 first soaking till the salt is well out, then simply boiled, and served 

 with plain boiled potatoes. Made into fishballs it excels any fish I 

 have eaten. 



The black cod does not bust. — On the 6th day of October, 1883, 

 I gave George Vienna, the fish-dealer on Government Saint Victoria, 

 one of tbe black cod, which he hung up in his stall for every one to ex- 

 amine. On the 17th day of December I examined the same fish, which 

 had been exposed to the^weather in the stall all the time, and it was 

 perfectly sweet. Mr. Vienna said it never would rust; it was too well 

 salted. A gentleman of Victoria, who had eaten of the black eodheartilj' 

 on several occasions, told me that he is unable to eat either salt salmon 

 or mackerel, as the oil of these fish does not agree with his digestion, 

 but he experienced no such effect from eating the fat black cod, and 

 mentioned the fact as something to be noticed. 



Economical manneb of butting ub the black cod. — Kow that 

 tbe experiment of my method of dry-salting the black cod has proved 



