266 REPORT OF COMMISFIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [30] 



morning until 5 o'clock in the evening we were passing through this 

 school of cod-fish, and as we were sailing at the rate of 6 miles an hour 

 we went through 69 miles of them." 



The usual track of sea-going vessels bound from the eastward to New 

 York, and going outside of George's, is about on the parallel of 40° north 

 latitude, and as this is the latitude where Tile-fish have been found 

 most numerous, it is more than probable that the track of the Plymouth 

 was the one indicated on the map. The term " ofi" the George's Bank," 

 as used by sea-faring men, is very indefinite, being commonly employed 

 in the most general sense. It is therefore presumable that the eastern 

 limit of the dead fish seen by the Plymouth's crew was very near that 

 which is given. 



On the 10th of March the Eachel Coney, as stated elsewhere, sailed 

 through the fioaiing Lopholatilus, a distance of 40 miles while running 

 for the South Shoal light-ship. Her position is given so definitely that 

 it is unnecessary to discuss it. . 



Four days later (on March 14), the bark Sidon, bound in through the 

 South Channel,* fell in with these dead fish. The account says : " In 

 latitude 40°, longitude 71°, from 1 p. m. until dark they sailed through 

 large numbers of dead fish floating on the water. The weather was 

 cold and stormy, with strong northwest wind." 



It is easy enough to decide on the course steered (though no mention 

 is made of this), since the vessel would undoubtedly be heading nearly 

 for the South Shoal .light-ship, close-hauled, on the port tack. The 

 difQculty is to decide just how long she sailed through these fish before 

 reaching the position given above. Only one locality being mentioned, 

 it seems probable that this was noted late in the afternoon. If we al- 

 low this it will be seen that the vessel's track, for " 40 or 50 miles in 

 which she passed through the fish," would be along the edge of the 

 ground where Tile-fish have been caught, and where they were seen by 

 other vessels ; indeed, its northern end crosses the track of the Ply- 

 mouth, while its entire length is nearly parallel with the northeastern 

 end of the route through the dead fish made by the Navarino eight days 

 later. 



The next day (March 15) after the floating fish were seen by the 

 crew of the Sidon, Captain Eich sailed through them a distance of 50 

 miles, on a west by south course, from latitude 40° N. and longitude 

 70° W., to latitude 39° 43' K and longitude 71° W. He gives his po- 

 sitions with exactness — the only one to do so— and this is of very great 

 assistance in determining the routes sailed over by other vessels pass- 

 ing near the same locality. 



* The broad channel between Nantucket Shoals and those on George's Bank is 

 called the " South Channel." Vessels coming from the south, especially from the 

 "West Indies, as this one was, and bound to ports in Northern New England, usually 

 pass through this channel, and, if practicable, shape their course so as to pass out- 

 iide, but within sight of, the light-ship on the South Shoal of Nantucket. 



