766 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



trance; and tbe thought of reviving the fisheries of this island cannot 

 be entertained unless a good harbor, or at least a breakwater, is made 

 in its south coast which is quite close to the deep Ems channel. Ne- 

 gotiations were for some time carried on with the inhabitants of the 

 island of Juist, who offered for a small remuneration to bring the full 

 nets in the " Memmertbalge" channel on board the vessel. The road- 

 stead, however, is quite a distance from the island ; and then a road- 

 stead is no harbor, and frequent interruptions could not well have been 

 avoided. Another objection to line-fishing is this, that it requires from 

 ten to twelve men, and that therefore the expense for wages and board 

 would exceed the profits. 



Fishing with the drag-net or trawl-net is considerably cheaper, as no 

 bait is required and a crew of five or six men would be sufficient. 

 Some of the Dutch fishermen say that during some winters they have 

 realized a small sum from such fisheries. Inquiries made in England 

 make these assertions very doubtful, as the sails used on the herring- 

 vessels only permit the use of a very small trawl-net. Experienced Eng- 

 lish fishermen, however, thought that if a " logger " — which, in spite of 

 its graceful shape, is a very solid and strong sort of vessel — got more 

 ballast, and another foremast with all the sails belonging to it, it would 

 make just as successful a trawler as the largest English smack — a cut- 

 ter having a small mizzenmast — and that it would certainly pay to 

 transform a " logger" in the manner described at an estimated expense 

 of $1,500. This might have been done during the winter 1874-'75, but 

 was delayed on account of lack of funds, and with the hope that suc- 

 cessful summer-fisheries would bring some money into the treasury, or 

 at any rate improve the credit of the association. But as this hope was 

 not fulfilled, the misfortunes of 1875 shaking the credit of the associa- 

 tion to its very foundation (with great trouble a loan of $8,750 was ne- 

 gotiated, enabling the association to continue the fisheries), the associ- 

 ation gladly accepted an offer made by five of the largest shareholders 

 to venture an attempt if 1-3 "loggers" were during three winters placed 

 rent-free at their disposal. 



After the negotiations had been carried on for many weeks, an ar- 

 rangement was made which was very satisfactory to the association, as 

 their presiding board was intrusted with the management of the whole 

 affair. They had to do this without any remuneration, to which they 

 agreed cheerfully, as it was in their own interest to encourage the en- 

 terprise, and as all the experience gained by it would eventually prove 

 profitable to them. The " logger " Oldenburg, with a select crew, was 

 sent to Hull, and was in January, 1876, fitted out there. After the fore- 

 mast with all the cordage and sails belonging to it had been removed, 

 a firm mainmast, able to resist the winter storms, was put in position 

 near the middle of the vessel and furnished with entirely new cordage 

 and sails. The mizzenmast remained as it was, and a new Hull inven- 

 tion, a patent cap-rope, which could be placed in four different positions, 



