HISTORY OF THE AMERICAN MENHADEN. 147 



Capt. P. A. Scott, R. N., commanding the marine police of the Domin- 

 ion, reported, in 1870, to the Commissioner of Marine and Fisheries: 

 "For mackerel-fishing the Americans use pogies and clams, chopped 

 fine, as bait. The pogies are found only on the coast of the United 

 States, and when imported into the Dominion cost about $G i)er barrel."* 



Capt. Charles G. F. Knowles, 11. N,, commanding II. M. S. "Lapwing," 

 cruising on fishing-station No. 4, which includes the west coast of Cape 

 Breton and the east coast of Prince Edward Island, reported to Vice- 

 Admiral Fanshawe, November 7, 1870, in these words : " The bait with 

 which the Americans are supplied is far superior to any which can be 

 procured in this country, to which may be attributed in a great measure 

 the success of the Americans previously to the recent restrictions, 

 although, even now, the local fishermen complain that they have no 

 chance while an American schooner is fishing near them."t 



200. Professor Hind, in his treatise on the Effect of the Fishery clauses 

 of the Treaty of Washington on the Fisheries and Fishermen of British 

 North America (part 1, p. 75), remarks that its value as a bait for cod 

 is, in a considerable degree, superseded by the herring ; but as a bait 

 for " tolling mackerel" it is still in repute, although other fish, similarly 

 treated and finely ground, appear to be equally useful in this respect. 

 The first part of this statement is undoubtedly true, at least as far as 

 the fishermen of the British Colonies are concerned. In regard to the 

 comparative value of herring and meuhaden for toll-bait, there is still 

 room for difference of opinion. 



An average of, perhaps, 250,000 barrels of mackerel is annually 

 caught by the United States vessels, using menhaden bait solely, against 

 110,000 caught by the provincial fleet, which appears to use menhaden 

 bait when it can be obtained, buying it at the rate of $6 a barrel in pref- 

 erence to herring bait, which costs only the labor of catching and the 

 salt for preserving. 



Slivering menhaden. 



201. The method of preparing menhaden for salting, to be used as bait, 

 is very simple. The head of the fish is taken in the left hand of the 

 workman, and with a knife held in the right hand he cuts a slice, longi- 

 tudinally, from each side of the body, leaving the head and vertebrae to 

 be thrown away, or, occasionally, to be pressed for oil. The slivers 

 (pronounced slyvers) are salted and packed in barrels. The knife used 

 is of a peculiar shape and is called a " sMvering knife." The operation 

 of slivering is shown in Plates XXII and XXIII. 



The preparation of macTcerel bait. 



202. The use of menhaden bait for mackerel-fishing was inaugurated 

 in 1835 or 1840 ; the bait is ground up into a mush and salted, to be us ed 



* Third Report Commissiouer Marine and Fisheries, 1871, p. 312. 

 t Third Report Department Marine and Fisheries, 187 J, p. 342. 



