THE SEA FISHERIES OF EASTERN NORTH AMERICA. 179 
Q. Have geologists or paleontologists satisfied themselves of that by actual cases 
of the preservation of animal substances for a long period ?—A. Yes; we have per- 
fectly satisfactory evidence of that. About fifty years ago the carcass of a mammoth, 
frozen, was washed out from the gravel of the river Lena, I think, one of the rivers 
of Siberia, and was in such perfect preservation that the flesh was served as food for 
the dogs of the natives for over six months. Mr. Adams, a St. Petersburg merchant, 
came along on a trading expedition, and found it nearly consumed, and bought what 
was left of it for the St. Petersburg Academy of Science—the skeleton and some por- 
tion of flesh—which were preserved first in salt and afterward in alcohol. Well we 
know the period of time that must have elapsed since the mammoth lived in the are- 
tic circle must be very long. We know we can talk with perfect safety of ten thou- 
sand years. The geological estimate of it is anywhere from fifty to a bundred thou- 
sand years; we cannot tell. There is no unit of measure; we know it must have been 
some hundreds of thousands, and probably it would have remained in the same con- 
dition as much longer. 
Q. Now, to come to a practical question, is this a mere matter of theory or of pos- 
sible use? For instance, could this method be adapted to the preservation of bait for 
three or four months if necessary ?—A. The only question, of course, is as to the ex- 
pense. There is no question at all that bait of any kind can be kept indefinitely by 
that process. I do not think there would be the slightest difficulty in building a re- 
frigerator on any ordinary fishing vessel, cod or halibut, or other fishing vessel, that 
should keep with perfect ease all the bait necessary for a long voyage. I have 
made some inquiries as to the amount of ice, and I am informed by Mr. Blackford, 
of New York, who is one of the largest operators of this mode, that to keep a room 
ten feet each way, or a thousand cubic feet, at a temperature of 20° above zero, 
would require about 2,000 pounds of ice and two bushels of salt per week. With that 
he thinks it could be done without any difficulty. Well, an ordinary vessel would 
require about seventy-five barrels of bait—an ordinary trawling-vessel. That would 
occupy a bulk something less than 600 feet, so that probably 43 tons of ice a month 
would keep that fish. And it must be remembered that his estimate was for keeping 
fish in midsummer in New York. The fishing-vessels would require a smaller expend- 
iture of ice, as these vessels would be surrounded bya colder temperature. <A stock 
of 10 to 20 tons would in all probability be amply sufficient both to replace the waste 
by melting and to preserve the bait. 
Q. Have you any doubt that some method like that will be put into immediate and 
successful use, if there is sufficient call for it?—A. I have no doubt the experiment 
will be tried within a twelvemonth. Another method of preserving is by drying. 
Squid, for instance, and clams, and a great many other kinds of bait can be dried 
without using any appreciable chemical, and can be readily softened in water. Ino- 
ticed lately in a Newfoundland paper a paragraph recommending that, in view of the 
fact that the squid are found there for a limited period of time, the people should go 
into the industry of drying squid for bait, so that it would always be available for 
the purpose of cod-fishing. I think the suggestion is an excellent one, and I have no 
doubt it will be carried out. 
Q. Now, what is the supply of bait for codfish on the American coast?—A. Well, 
as the codfish eats everything, there is a pretty abundant stock to call upon. Of 
course, the bait-fish are abundant, the menhaden and herring. The only bait-fish 
that is not found is the caplin. The herring is very abundant on the American coast, 
and the alewives enormously abundant. Squid are very abundant of two or three 
species, and, of course, clams of various kinds. Then we have one shell-fish that we 
possess. It is never used here, although it is very abundant; but it is almost exclu- 
‘sively the bait for trawling on the coast of Great Britain. This shell-fish is known 
s the whelk, or winkle. 
Q. Isit a kind of mussel?—A. No; it is a kind of univalve shell [submits speci- 
men], and is almost exclusively used for the capture of cod in England on deep-water 
awl-liners, It is not used here at all, 




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