FISHERY INDUSTRIES OF THE UNITED STATES. 79 
from a common cork line, but there are two lead lines. The back 
webbing is usually from 3 to 5 feet deeper than the other two. The 
two front nets hang together from the cork line to the front lead line. 
The back, or main, net hangs from the cork line to the other lead 
line. The first and third nets commonly have a mesh of 8 inches 
and 7 inches, respectively, while the middle net has a mesh of 10 or 
11 inches. The front net is called the ‘apron.’ Several reasons are 
assigned for using diver gill nets. One is that they are sunk to avoid 
driftwood or other refuse on the surface, especially during the spring 
freshets. Another reason is that the fish, having encountered so 
many surface gill nets and pound nets in the river below, become more 
timid and swim lower. Diver nets float much more slowly than sur- 
face nets. It is always necessary to clean the bottom of the river 
before setting diver nets. 
The most profitable drift netting is followed from the first of May 
until the latter part of August. Some fishing is also followed in the 
fall, but it is not so profitable then, as the run consists mainly of 
“tuties’”’ or fall chinooks, which sell for a very low price and are 
scarcely worth handling. 
Set gill nets—Set gill nets are much shorter than drift gill nets and 
are fished in small streams or inlets. The two extremes of length 
would probably be 6 and 100 yards, but a fair average might be about 
15 yards. Their depth ranges from 30 to 50 meshes, the number 
varying the same as in the drift net. Linen twine of the same kind 
wade size, as for drift nets is used. It is almost a universal custom 
to set them in eddies, one end being tied to a stake, or some stationary 
object, and the other anchored. Sometimes they are buoyed or 
anchored at each end. They can not be set across a navigable stream, 
as they would interfere with navigation. One man is sufficient to 
handle one or more set nets, a rowboat being commonly used. The 
extent of the set gill-net fishery is small as compared with drift gill 
netting. Silver, chinook, steelhead, and chum salmon, in the order 
of their importance, are the principal species taken. 
Harpoons.—Harpoons are used only in the whale fishery, which is 
centered mainly in Pacific County. One coast-trading steamer 
owned in Seattle also followed whaling incidentally for a short time. 
The harpoon-gun used in the whale fishery is, in reality, a small 
cannon placed on a raised platform on the forward part of the boat. 
The bomb, a sharp-pointed projectile about a foot long, is screwed 
onto the tip of the harpoon. The stem or handle of the harpoon is 
sometimes one solid piece, but more often two pieces united at the 
end. Theadvantage of the latter kind is that it is hght and can be 
sent a greater distance. The head of the harpoon consists of four 
flukes or barbs which are lashed together by spun yarn. The har- 
poon, with bomb attached, is about 5 feet long. When the harpoon 
enters the whale, the spun yarn is shoved off the flukes, allowing the 
latter to open in the body of the whale. At the same time, as soon 
as the bomb enters the whale, it is exploded into many pieces. There 
is usually an interval of two seconds after firing before the bomb 
explodes, this interval depending upon how hard the powder is 
acked in the bomb. The ignition of the powder in the bomb 
ollows the shoving off of the spun yarn from the flukes of the har- 
oon, the latter operation pulling a wire connecting with a fuse cap 
in the bomb. In some instances, but not in this case, an igniter 
