60 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



The idea of catcliiug lisli with seines in the opeu sea has been enter- 

 tained long since, bnt as far as I know it has only been carried out in 

 America by the introduction of the purse-seine, with which large num- 

 bers of mackerel, herring, shad, menhaden, and other coast fish are 

 caught. Whenever a school of fish makes its appearance it is quickly 

 suiTounded by the seine, by one boat rowing in a circle whilst a dory 

 lies still with the one purse-string and the one pulling-string (!), until 

 the whole net is out in the water, whereupon all four strings are brought 

 together on the boat, on whose railing there is a stationary arrangement 

 for drawing the net together, which, when closed, forms a complete sack 

 or purse, from which it derives its name, and which holds the fish, often 

 amounting to several hundred barrels for a single haul. By means of 

 large hooks the fish are then hauled up into the vessel, which lies ready 

 to receive them. The length of these seines is from 150 to 220 fathoms, 

 their depth in the middle from 15 to 30 fathoms, but at the ends only 

 from 6 to 10 fathoms. The size of the meshes varies. The central por- 

 tion forming the purse contains the smallest meshes (about 2^ inches 

 between the knots), made of the strongest cord; then follows on each 

 side of the centre a portion with larger meshes and thinner cord, and 

 still larger meshes and thinner cord at both ends, all calculated to make 

 the handling of the seine as easy as possible. Such a seine (about 200 

 fathoms long and 25 to 30 fathoms deep), fully equipped with good cork 

 floats (about 700) and nut-shaped weights weighing about seven-eighths 

 of a pound each fastened at short intervals along the bottom rope, with 

 the exception of the centre piece, which generally is without weights, 

 so it can quickly be pulled together, and with either galvanized lead or 

 brass rings (weighing 2 to 3 pounds) through which the two pulUng- 

 ropes pass from end to end, costs from $800 to |900. Only the best cot- 

 ton thread or the finest hemp cord is used for these seines. The boats, 

 which are well built and constructed in the most practical manner, cost 

 about $300 apiece. Instead of bark or catechu, tar is used for fixing 

 up seines which have been in use for some time. After having been 

 put in boiling tar, they pass between rollers to make them pliable and 

 to squeeze out the superfluous tar. 



Many difidculties had to be overcome l^efore the idea of the purse-seine 

 was carried out practically; but all these difficulties were conquered by 

 American energy and perseverance. These difiiculties consisted chiefly 

 in making the seine as light as possible and having the purse of a suit- 

 able size and shape in proportion to the seine itself, and in the method 

 of drawing the net together. At first the following method was followed : 

 Before the seine was set a large and heavy leaden weight, with two 

 blocks of iron, was, by means of ropes, lowered to the bottom in the 

 place where the seine was to be set; then the seine was gradually rowed 

 out into the water, pulled together at the bottom, and finally hauled up 

 into the boat. All this process consumed considerable time and labor, 

 and during the pulling together at the bottom many fish were lost, whilst 



