BULLETIN OF THE I Nll'Kl) STATES PISH COMMISSION. 443 



The small licet from New England in the Gulf of Saiut Lawrence found 

 the mackerel fishery very uncertain. At times fish were abundant, at 



others scarce, while the size was .small and quality inferior. Twenty- 

 two sail returned to land their cargoes or complete them off the New 

 England coast^ where they remained. Twelve sail, all belonging at 

 Gloucester, comprise the North Bay mackerel fleet from the United 

 States at the close of the month. 



From a daily record at the leading ports the following extracts re- 

 lating to the mackerel catch are given : 



August 7.— Daring the past week the mackerel fleet landed at all 

 ports 40,150 barrels of sea-packed mackerel. We have only one record 

 of so large an amount ever having been landed in one week, that being 

 the week ending September 12, 1884, in which 42,319 barrels were 



landed. 



The large amount of the past week was taken mostly off the New 

 England coast, the amount received the past week from North Bay 

 by 11 sail being 4,005 barrels, and by railroad, from Gloucester vessels 

 that remained in hopes of finding large fish, 736 barrels. 



August 9.— Eighty sail were fishing between Ipswich Bay and Isles 

 of Shoals ; 20 sail were off Marblehead ; a large fleet were working 

 west from the Bay of Fundy ; the Block Island and Cape Cod fleets 

 were working east ; the North Bay fleet nearly all left the Gulf of Saint 

 Lawrence for the New England shore or home ports. But few fish 

 taken during the past week in any direction. 



August 10. — Twenty-one arrivals at Gloucester landed 5,855 barrels 

 of mackerel, taken as follows : One from off Block Island, 100 barrels; 

 2 from Massachusetts Bay, 280 ; 9 from the eastern shore and Bay of 

 Fundy, 3,120 ; 2 from the North Bay, 760 ; 7 from Barnstable Bay, 1,595. 



Boothbay, August 14. — Much fog, and few mackerel being caught. 



August 17. — Continued foggy weather has detained 60 sail of seiners 

 in this harbor. Clear weather to-day sends them to sea. 



August 24. — A strong southerly breeze brings in 75 sail of the mack- 

 erel fleet for a harbor. ' 



Gloucester, August 17. — The mackerel fleet continue scattered from 

 Cape Cod to the Bay of Fundy. A few good hauls made the past week 

 in Massachusetts Bay. Schooner Volunteer has taken 300 barrels there 

 during the past two weeks. Fish are of good size and quality. 



August 20. — Large quantities of mackerel now in Massachusetts Bay, 

 but too near the rocks for much of a catch. These fish are the largest, 

 fattest, and best found anywhere, and bring from one to two dollars a 

 barrel more than mackerel caught to the eastward or in -the Gulf of 

 Saint Lawrence. 



August 28. — The mackerel fleet are now scattered from off Monhegan 

 to Mount Desert. Fog and rough weather continue much of the time. 

 Mackerel are mixed with large quantities of alewives, and only a light 

 catch is being taken. Fish now arriving mostly caught well to the 



