MILNEK FISHERIES OF THE GREAT LAKES. 13 



one sweep of the seine every hour. In each pond from twenty -five to 

 forty thousand white-fishes, and a number of other species, are penned 

 np every season. 



There are nine ponds belonging to American proprietors, and seven 

 belonging to Canadians. 



10. — IX LAKE ERIE. 



Lake Erie produces large quantities of food-fishes of several varie- 

 ties. The wall-eyed pike — pickerel, as it is incorrectly named in the 

 region — the blackbass, the white-fish, the lake-herring, the salmon- 

 trout, and the sturgeon, are all staple fishes 5 while, besides these just 

 named, a number of species of inferior food-fishes are shipped from the 

 western portion of the lake, under the general class of " soft fish." 



The large quantities of fish that have been taken Irom the western 

 part of this lake indicates the fact that shallow waters are more pro- 

 ductive of numbers than the deeper regions. And this is not only estab-- 

 lished by comparison with the other lakes, but is confirmed by the fact 

 that the eastern, deeper, and larger portion of Lake Erie does not pre- 

 duce anyhing near the quantities. 



The western end, from near Huron, Ohio, is shoal, full of islands, and 

 a very great number of pound-nets are in use, the fish being carried to 

 the adjacent towns ; Sandusky receiving the largest share. In the other 

 part of the lake gill-nets are principally used. 



11. — IN LAKE ONTARIO. 



From the information received from Lake Ontario, it is evident that 

 the fisheries are more reduced than in either of the other lakes. There 

 are few fishermen engaged on the American side, and but a compara- 

 tively small supply of fish afforded. 



12. — BOATS USED IN THE FISHERIES. 



The boats used in the fisheries are of several kinds and constructed 

 on very different models. The "Mackinaw," the "Huron," or " square 

 stern," the "Norwegian," and the "pound-boat," are the ordinary boats. 



The famous "Mackinaw" of the lakes has bow and stern sharp, a great 

 deal of sheer, the greatest beam forward of amidships and tapers with 

 little curve to the stern. She is either schooner-rig, or wjth a lug-sail 

 forward, is fairly fast, the greatest surf-boat known, and with an ex- 

 perienced boatman will ride out any storm, or, if necessary, beach with 

 greater safety than any other boat. She is comparatively drj-, and her 

 sharp stern prevents the shipment of water aft, when running with the 

 sea. They have been longer and more extensively used on the upper 

 lakes than any other boats, and with less loss of life or accident. The 

 objection to the more general use of the Mackinaw is that her narrow- 

 ness aft afibrds too little room for stowage. They are employed entirely 

 with the light-rig gill-net stocks, and are usually from twenty-two to 

 twenty-six feet in length. Lake Superior, the northern half of Lake 



