88 Fisheries of the Gulf of St. Lawrence. 



main in the water all night. The fish roving in the dark through 

 the water, hang in the meshes of the net, which are large enough 

 to admit them beyond the gill-covers and pectoral fins, but not 

 large enough to allow the thickest part of the body to pass through. 

 In the morning early, preparations are made for hauling the nets. 

 A capstan on the deck is manned, about which two turns of the 

 drift-rope are taken ; one man standi forward to untie the upper 

 edge of each net from the drift-rope, which is called casting off the 

 lashings ; others hand the net in with the fish caught, to which one 

 side of the vessel is devoted; the other side is occupied with the 

 drift-rope, which is wound in by the men at the capstan." 



The following is a statement of the number of barrels of Mac- 

 kerel inspected in Massachusetts in each year, from 1831 to 1848 7 

 inclusive : — 



1831, 383,559 1840 f 50 ? 992 



1832, 212,452 1841, 55,53* 



1833, 212,946 1842, 15,543 



1834, 252,884 1843, 64,451 



1835, 194,450 1844, 86,180 



1836, 176,931 1845, 202,303 



1831, 138,157 1846, 114,064 



1838, 108,538 1841, 232,581 



1839, . .. 73,018 1848, 300,130 



It does not appear what proportions of these large quantities of 

 Mackerel were caught in British waters; but it must have been a 

 very considerable share, if an opinion may be formed from the 

 numerous fishing vessels of Massachusetts seen on the coast of 

 Nova Scotia, and within the Gulf of Saint Lawrence. 



From all that has been stated, it must be considered settled, that 

 the Mackerel Fishery, as a branch of business, cannot be said to 

 exist in New Brunswick, although the eastern shores of the Pro- 

 vince, and the whole Bay of Chaleur, offer the greatest facilities, 

 and the most abundant supply of fish. 



It is highly desirable that something should be done to encourage 

 and promote this fishery, which evidently offers such ample re- 

 ward to the energy, enterprise, and industry of the people. 



THE SALMON. 



Of those Rivers of New Brunswick which flow into the Gulf of 

 Saint Lawrence, the two largest, the Miramichi and the Resti- 

 gouche, furnish the greatest supply of this well known and delicious 

 fish ; but all the smaller Rivers also furnish Salmon in greater or 



