[295] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. 385 



as a matter of course, that we would be able to return to the fishing- 

 ground in one or two days at the farthest. The wind came out from 

 northeast on the following day, and continued in an easterly direction 

 almost uninterrupted for nearly two weeks. All of the vessels, includ- 

 ing our own, were kept in harbor almost as if we had been in prison. 

 During the time, however, the fleet managed to get out for a few hours 

 on one or two occasions, but an easterly wind springing up before the 

 vessels had an opportunity of getting an offing compelled them to run 

 back again in the harbor, since it would have been extremely hazard- 

 ous, to say the least, at this season of the year, to have remained out 

 during the night on a lee shore so notoriously dangerous as that on the 

 north side of Prince Edward Island. Though the easterly winds were 

 not so extremely heavy, their long continuance made a heavy swell, 

 which broke with great violence across the bar at the entrance to Mal- 

 X)ec Harbor, and rendered auy attempt to get out exceedingly risky. On 

 one occasion a vessel which started to pass the bar with a light breeze 

 was carried into such shoal water by the current and undertow that she 

 grounded on the sand, and was only saved from destruction by the 

 efforts of her own and the crews of various other vessels. 



While this large fleet was thus kept in harbor, a smaller number of 

 vessels, some 30 or 40, which were around the north cape of the island, 

 succeeded in obtaining a very large catch of mackerel, nearly every one 

 of these vessels getting a full fare in two weeks. By the time the 

 larger fleet was able to leave Malpec the schools of mackerel in that 

 vicinity and about North Cape had evidently departed, and the vessels 

 scattered in different directions, according to the judgment of the sev- 

 eral skippers, some of them going to the Magdalens and the others in 

 the direction of the east point of Prince Edward Island and the north 

 shore of Cape Breton. However, by this time it was late in the season, 

 and the weather had become so boisterous that fishing could be carried 

 on only on occasional days. A few good catches of mackerel were ob- 

 tained about the Magdalen Islands after this, which practically finished 

 the season's work. On the whole, we seemed a fare of 315 barrels, and 

 left the bay about the 20th of October. The mackerel caught in 1866 

 were of large size and of good quality, but were far less abundant than 

 during the previous year. 



1867. — The spring mace:erel fishery. 



The southern mackerel fishery is being prosecuted by the usual num- 

 ber of vessels, and late advices represent the prospect as good. Some 

 of the fleet are landing their mackerel fresh, and obtain very good prices. 

 Mackerel are also reported very plenty off Cape Cod, and some pretty big 

 hauls have recently been made by the Provincetown seiners. The pros- 

 pect for the shore mackereliug fleet is certainly most encouraging. 



The bay mackerel fishery will be quite extensively prosecuted the 

 present season, but the vessels will not engage in it so early as they did 

 S. Mis. 110 25 



