FISHERIES OF THE PACIFIC COAST IN 1899. 565 
The whale fishery continues to show a decrease in the number of 
vessels engaged. The business of 1899 was the most satisfactory for 
several years, having fewer disasters and larger returns. With ten 
less vessels engaged than in 1895, the receipts of 1899, when compared 
with that year, show a gain of 96,206 pounds of whalebone, 26,540 
gallons of sperm oil, and 5,263 gallons of whale oil, the gain in the 
value of products taken in 1899 over those of 1895 being $108,482. 
The fleet of 1899 comprised ten steamers and six sailing vessels 
belonging in San Francisco, and one steamer and five sailing vessels of 
New Bedford with headquarters in the former city. The San Fran- 
cisco vessels captured 101 bowhead, 7 right, and 6 sperm whales; the 
New Bedford vessels took 14 bowhead, 10 right, and 103 sperm whales. 
Some of the vessels were quite fortunate, the steamer Beluga lead- 
ing, with 32 bowhead whales, that yielded 53,000 pounds of whalebone; 
the steamer Jeannette being next, with 18 bowhead whales and 33,400 
pounds of whalebone. Others were less fortunate, some having very 
little bone or oil. 
The following table shows the decrease in the number of vessels 
during recent years: 

Home port. 1892. | 1895. | 1899. 




SSEUID TAG ESCO) rater etter er era eke yn nae oy ete minis a aieic Greinic ecietelsio o wretmatn cls Ratio me | 36 | 22 16 
Biya Heed eed ee See ers a teem etek basa Sa alpine Berciaaee Ha Sitbarelnin oSinioe eee | 21] 10 6 
TLIC 2. eR Pam lek 5 Ps SS CSe Rae LO OR A aay | 32) 22 

The statistics of the whale fleet having headquarters at San Fran- 
cisco in 1899 are as follows: | 




















; seg pee : | Value of | Advances | No. of 
Home port. | No. | Tonnage. Value. outfit. | FOC aime acre 
| 
| Fa =: * | : 
SHIBHTAN CISCO, s54cce saet ee soeeet Ue 16 | 4,416 $575,000 | $374, 000 | $57,560 | 638 
Mewaneutoraietess ce sce nese cece sce | 6 | 1,951 | 89, 000 | 85, 000 | 20,900 | 247 
TICS RD ES gee Se ee | 22 | 6,367 664,000 | 459, 000 | 78,460 | 885 
| | 
Products. 
Home port Whalebone Spermoil. | Whale oil Trade bone Trade | 
port. A | op teal | u 2 e. furs. | Total 
aoe ss a | |__| -valueot 
Lbs. Value. | Galls. Value.| Galls. Value. | Lbs. | Value. Value. products. 
= —_— ee Se = =| 26 wee 8 SEES —— 
San Francisco...... 201, 225 | $425,550 | 9,633 ($38,625 | 53, 235 |$15, 373 | 6,167 |$10, 722 3, 422 $458, 692 
New Bedford ......| 36,500 TOTP 104, O92 1b2,. 189) | 5o,077) |) 105923) ||. o-ss-<|on cece as ee | 117, 987 
Total -f-=sc 237, 7295 495, 425 94,525 35,814 106,312 | 31,296 | 6,167 | 10,722 3, 422 | 576, 679 
| | 



Del Norte County.—The fisheries of this county are not of much 
importance except to the ranchers and Indians-living near Smith or 
Klamath rivers. Smith River enters the Pacific near the Oregon 
border line. A cannery here has been idle for several years. Dur- 
ing 1899 there was only a light run of salmon in Smith River; the 
catch was salted and amounted to 24,000 pounds. The single cannery 
near the mouth of Klamath River packed 1,600 cases of salmon, using 
