768 EEPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



The fish found a very ready market iti Hull, aud the vessel could 

 regularly start on another voyage on the second day after its arrival. 

 The voyages lasted : 



First voyage, from January 31 till February 10 11 days 



Second voyage, from February 12 till March G 24 days 



Third voyage, from March 8 till March 27 20 days 



Fourth voyage, from March 29 till April 17 20 days 



Fifth voyage, from April 19 till May 8 20 days 



Eeturu voyage, from May 10 to May 20 11 days 



Total 106 days 



If one takes into consideration that the men had a good deal to learn, 

 it may be presumed that experienced men will during the period from 

 February till the middle of May — the last voyages were always the 

 least profitable ones — make one to two voyages more, and catch more 

 fish ; three or four voyages more can be made at any rate, if the vessels 

 are fitted out immediately on their return from the herring fisheries and 

 can begin the winter fisheries in November or latest in the beginning of 

 December. The English smack-fishers have had a series of very profit- 

 able years, and new vessels have every year been added to their fishing 

 fleet, whose number was only limited by the consideration in how far 

 the increase of the coast population could supply the necessary crews. 

 The markets are but rarely glutted to such an extent that the fish could 

 not be sold. The prices, of course, vary according to the quantity 

 brought into the market, and the Oldenburg was not fortunate in meet- 

 ing high prices. The months of December and January, which in most 

 years are particularly favorable for the sale of fish, were lost to our 

 vessel during the winter 1875-'7G. Comparisons instituted between 

 our results and those obtained by English vessels during the same 

 period have proved that the Emden " logger," with an outfit for winter 

 fishing such as the Oldenburg has got, can obtain the same results 

 as large English smacks. A competent judge estimates the average 

 annual sum realized by the Hull and Grimsby smacks at $5,000, the 

 smaller half of which falls to the months May to October and sometimes 

 to November, and the larger part, about $3,000, to the remainder of the 

 period during which the winter fisheries are curried on. 



