378 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [288] 



remarkable display of schooling mackerel. As far as the eye could ex- 

 tend from aloft, in every direction not bounded by the land, large 

 bodies of mackerel could be seen at the surface of the water like dark- 

 ened spots on a disk of silver. The previous year I had witnessed such 

 a display on the north side of the eastern point of Prince Edward Island, 

 when, for at least a distance of 20 miles up and down the island, and, 

 perhaps, even farther, mackerel could be seen schooling in great bodies 

 at the surface of the water; their frequent rushing sounding like the 

 noise made by heavy showers striking on the water. For a greater 

 part of the month of August and until the middle of September, in 1865, 

 the weather was extremely rough in the bay, and the mackerel catchers 

 were, in consequence, prevented from fishing a considerable portion of 

 the time, the catch during this period being slight compared with other 

 portions of the season. During the fall an immense school of biting 

 mackerel were found on the north side of Prince Edward Island along 

 its entire extent, but more especially in the vicinity of Malpec, where 

 had gathered a fleet of perhaps 300 or 400 sail of vessels. Indeed, so 

 abundant were the mackerel off Malpec in October, and so eagerly did 

 they take the hook, that some of the schooners secured almost a full 

 fare in a few days' fishing. The only trouble was to be able to catch 

 and cure the fish fast enough, and at the same time secure an oppor- 

 tunity of stowing them below. Nearly every vessel in the fleet could 

 be seen with their decks filled with barrels of fish, which were stowed 

 in every available place. Great risks, too, were taken by the fishermen 

 in remaining on the fishing-grounds at night, since at that season a 

 heavy gale was liable to spring up at any time, and should they have 

 been caught on a lee shore in their lumbered-up condition there is no 

 doubt but what the result would have been extremely disastrous. As 

 it was, however, no losses were met with in this case. The last impor- 

 tant catches of the season were obtained between the eastern point of 

 Prince Edward Island and the Cape Breton shore, at which time the 

 fish were moving very rapidly to the southward. There can be no doubt 

 but that this school of mackerel could have been followed much farther 

 had the weather not obliged the fishermen to seek shelter. 



In the paragraph on the financial profits of the hook-fishery is an ac- 

 count of the " Kit Karson" bringing home to Gloucester 591 barrels of 

 mackerel on her first trip, which she made in about ten weeks. Her 

 net stock amounted to $6,542. 



1866. — Reported abundance of mackerel on the new England 



COAST. 



f 



Mackerel are reported to be quite plenty. A large fleet of vessels are 

 engaged in taking them. Quite a number of them have been taken in 

 nets by the fishermen in some of the lower Cape towns. — (Barnstable 

 Patriot, June 12, 1866.) 



