THE COAST FISHERIES OF TEXAS. 399 



through Sail Luis Pas-s. East Bay lies between Bolivar Peninsula and 

 the mainland It is 15 miles long and varies in width from 1 to 7 nules. 

 The average depth of water in this tributary is from 5 to 7 feet. Trinity 

 Bay lies north of Galveston Bay, and into this tributary the Trinity,. 

 San Jacinto, and smaller rivers emi)ty. On account of its distance from 

 the sea and the number of rivers emptying into it, the waters of Trinity 

 Bay are quite fresh. The average dei)th of water in this tributary is 

 between U and 11 feet. AVest Bay separates Galveston Island from the 

 mainland, and is about 2:V miles in breadth and 23 miles in length; It 

 is very shallow, being at no point more than 7 or 8 feet in depth and in 

 some places is forded by cattle. Oyster Bay, sometimes called Christ- 

 mas Bay, is a tributary of AVest Bay, and most of its waters find out- 

 let through San Luis Pass. The area of Galveston Bay and its tribu- 

 taries is estimated at 505 square miles, Laguna Madre with an area 

 approximating 811 square miles being the only larger body of water 

 in Texas. 



The abundance of fish in Galveston Bay seems to have somewhat 

 decreased during the past several years, and the crews seining here 

 catch on an average a less quantity per seine than those in the other 

 important fishing sections along the coast. Although quantities of 

 fish are shipped into the interior from Galveston Bay, yet at times the 

 catch is not sultlcient.to supply the local demand, and large consign- 

 ments are received from other fishing ports. The great bulk of the 

 catch is sold at Gah^eston Gity, but occasionally some of the boats run 

 up Buffalo Bayou and dispose of their catch at Houston, while a few 

 fisli are sold at Wallisville, Harrisburg, and other villages on the shores 

 of Galveston Bay. More of the so-called "cheap fish" are saved by 

 Galveston Bay fishermen than elsewhere along this coast. This is due 

 to the larger local demand among poor x^eople. 



The total number of professional fishermen living around Galveston 

 Bay and its tributaries in 1890 was 440. Of these, 284 lived on the 

 island of Galveston, 52 on Bolivar Peninsula, 48 at Buffalo Bayou and 

 O^'ster or Christmas Bay, and some on the mainland between Virginia 

 Point and Chocolate Bayou. All of these men depended on oystering 

 and fishing for a living, except those on Bolivar Peninsula and on the 

 middle and western part of Galveston Island, who gave attention to 

 truck farming as well as to the products of the bay. Besides these 

 regular fishermen, about 150 men engage at times in fishing with cast 

 nets, crab pots, etc., and 90 men were constantly emjiloyed in trans- 

 porting and marketing the fishery prodncts. 



The fisherks lyrosccntcd. — The bay-seine fishery and tlic oyster indus- 

 try are the two principal fisheries i)rosecuted in this locality, and the 

 persons engaging in one of these do not as a rule engage in the other. 

 Several minor fisheries are also carried on, as the surf seine the shrimp, 

 flounder, crab, and cast-net fisheries, and the line fishery for red snap- 

 pers and other fish. 



