154 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [64] 



unfavorable circumstances it may be nearly au hour from the time the 

 first end is thrown out until the "pursings" are on the boat. This de- 

 lay is usually caused by a strong tide, such as is generally found on 

 Georges. The catch of a purse-seine may vary from one barrel to five 

 or six hundred barrels. The seine maybe set eight or ten times in the 

 course of a day without getting any considerable quantity, or, xierhaps, 

 no fish, the mackerel escaj)ing by diving under the "lead-line"; and then 

 a more fortunate set will secure more fish than can by any possibility be 

 taken care of by the crew of the vessel. Under such circumstances it is 

 customary to set a flag from the main-topmast head or main peak. This 

 is to indicate to vessels which may be in sight that more lish have 

 been caught than can be taken care of, and that the skipper is willing 

 to dispose of some of them. This is called "giving the seine away." 

 Sometimes the fish are given away to be dressed on shares, and at other 

 times they are given away without expectation of return.* An ordi- 

 nary crew can dress and salt at one time about 100 barrels of small 

 mackerel or 200 barrels of large ones.t 



Almost incredible quantities of fish can be taken care of in a short 

 time. Vessels have been known to leave New York on one day and 

 return the next day with 200 to 300 barrels of fresh mackerel, while 

 some Gloucester vessels in the course of a week have caught and salted 

 600 or 600 barrels, landing two or three cargoes during that time. 



It sometimes happens that when a large school of mackerel have been 

 taken in a seine, that the fish press down so hard ou the bottom of the 

 net that the fishermen find it difficult, if not impossible, to gather in 

 on the twine sufficiently to "dry the fish up" enough to bring them to 

 the surface. It has been found, however, that by throwing coal ashes 

 into the water along s'de of the seine the fish are caused to rise to the 

 surface, being frightened by the whitish appearance which the ashes 

 give to the sea. When the mackerel rise the twine can be readily 

 drawn in. The same result is secured in another wd,j by the menhaden 



*The schooner Oliver Cromwell, while ou a mackerel cruise recently, had a curious 

 incident befall her. Her seine being out, a school of mackerel suddenly turned, and,, 

 making for the seine, took it down. A vessel in the neighborhood immediately- 

 answered a call for assistance, and swept her seine under that of the Oliver Cromwell. 

 Twenty-three hundred dollars' worth of mackerel were secured, the two vessels divid- 

 ing the catch, the fish selling on an average at nine cents each. The bunt of the 

 seine belonging to the Oliver Cromwell was badly rent by the sudden rush of the fish, 

 or more would have been secured. This is the second time the seine of the Oliver 

 Cromwell has experienced similar treatment, losing all the fish at the first, ou account 

 of the seine giving way and there being no help near.— (New Bedford Mercury, 1875 (?). ) 



t A much larger quantity could be taken care of were it not for the fact that mack- 

 erel, after being kept a certain length of time, grow "soft," and rapidly become unfit 

 for food. This change takes place much sooner when the weather is warm than at 

 other times. The fishermen, however, are generally able to tell pretty accurately how 

 many fish can be dressed and salted before they spoil. When good catches are made 

 for several days in succession the fishermen get no sleep, being constantly employed 

 night and day in taking and curing the fish. 



