SHAD FISHERIES OF THE ATLANTIC COAST. 175 



sluice-openings in dams, whereas navigation on the Koanoke prevents 

 the construction of dams, and the fishermen secure two fiat bottomed, 

 square-sided boats parallel to each other and about (J or 8 feet apart, 

 the boats being held in the current by means of a long sapling project- 

 ing from the bank. A strong axle is placed in a bearing on each boat, 

 the ends of the axle projecting about 2 feet beyond the farther side. 

 To one end of this axle, and sometimes to both, is attached a paddle 

 wheel of rough boards, and in the middle of the axle and occupying the 

 full space between the boats is fixed a large curved scoop of twine or 

 latticed strips of wood, the scoop being so constructed as to shunt 

 the fish into one or both of the boats when they are dipped up by the 

 current acting npon the paddle wheels, whence they are removed at the 

 leisure of the fishermen. The cost of each apparatus is about $15. In 

 189(> there were 75 of these wheels in the lower Roanoke, which were 

 owned and operated principally by farmers living near the river banks. 

 The catch aggregated 3,000 shad and also large quantities of hickv^ries 

 and alewives. 



CHOW^AN RIVER. 



The Chowan is formed by the junction of the Blackwater and Notto- 

 way rivers nearly on the line between North Carolina and Virginia, 

 whence it flows with a sluggish current a distance of 55 miles to its 

 entrance into Albemarle Sound. For the lower 20 miles the river 

 averages 1^ miles in width and 15 to 20 feet in depth. Above Holiday 

 Island the width gradually contracts to about 500 feet near the head of 

 the river. The water is dark and clear, in marked contrast to the muddy 

 water from Eoanoke Eiver. The shad fisheries of Chowan River are 

 somewhat greater in extent than those of the Roanoke, and there is 

 a remarkable difiereuce in the forms of the apparatus used. Bow nets, 

 stake nets, and wheels are not reported, and two- thirds of the catch 

 is obtained by means of pound nets, in addition to which seines are the 

 only important apparatus used. Most of the fisheries are prosecuted 

 between the mouth of the river and Harrellsville. 



There were formerly a large number of seines on Chowan River, but 

 the unprofitableness of the fishery has led to the abandonment of many 

 of them. In 1896 only eight were used, with an aggregate length of 

 9,740 yards and valuation of $12,600, requiring the services of 190 fisher- 

 men. Seven of the seines were hauled on the west side of the river and 

 one on the east. The most important is the one used at the Willow 

 Branch fishery, situated just above the mouth, on the west side, the 

 annual catch by which frequently exceeds 35,000 shad and 1,500,000 

 alewives. The services of 23 fishermen and two steam flats are required 

 to operate it, and 25 shoresmen take care of the catch. The yield of this 

 seine in 1896 was 34,300 shad and 1,500,000 alewives. Of the remain- 

 ing seven seines, two were operated at Coleraine in Bertie County, one 

 below Canons Ferry in Chowan County, and two above Harrellsville, 

 one at Winton and one at Mount Gallon, in Hertford County. The two 

 last-named seines are short, averaging 200 yards each ; the others range 

 in length from 2,300 to 750 yards each. The catch in 1896, by the eight 



