110 EEPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES 



school. After ten minutes more the seine ^vas pursed, and in it they es- 

 timated that they had caught 300 barrels of mackerel. A dory was sent 

 with a message on board the schooner, which was managed by the cap- 

 tain and a small boy -, after a little manoeuvering the schooner sailed 

 close to the seine, got a portion of the cork-line on board, so that the 

 catch was brought between the vessel's side and the seine-boat. A large 

 dip-net, with tackle and a long handle, was made ready, and in a few 

 minutes the living mackerel were thrown upon the deck by the half- 

 barrel. The captured fish in the seine became, in the mean time, very 

 uneasy, and rushed from one side of the seine to the other ; suddenly the 

 .seine burst in many places ; they sought to haul in the seine, both in 

 the boats and on board, and after much trouble they succeeded in retain- 

 ing and heaving on board a total of about 50 barrels. The rest of the 

 mackerel escaped through the large holes in the seine. 



As soon as the catch was secured on board they took in all sail and 

 • began on the preservation of the mackerel. With small dip-nets the fish 

 were thrown in a square trough, and from this, as they were cut and 

 washed, they were assorted according to size. The fish was split or cut 

 in the belly (?) about as cod which are manufactured into split fish. 

 WTiile sprinkling them with salt they give them some slight cuts in the 

 back to make the flesh swell and give the fish a fatter and fuller appear- 

 ance. This is a trick which both the sellers and buyers understand. 

 Twelve men are engaged at a time with the salting, while the remaining 

 two men examine and repair the seine. In the space of two and a half 

 hours 47 barrels stood ready salted. For every four barrels of fish was 

 required one barrel of LiA-erpool salt, the packing being done later on 

 shore. 



The next morning at 6 o'clock we were again in the boats, made a 

 new cast, but caught nothing. At 8 o'clock we were again out, went 

 halfway round with the seine, when the whole school sank to the bottom. 

 We caught nothing. The mackerel were wild and shy, played a little 

 at the surface of the water, but vanished quickly, to emerge again farther 

 away. The mackerel-schools were very large this day; for as far as we 

 could see on all sides they were playing on the surface of the water. 

 We made no catch notwithstanding. The captain's attempt to entice 

 the Schools with "chum" also failed. At 11 o'clock we again made a 

 cast, but took only eight mackerel. At 2 o'clock p. m. we made the 

 fourth cast and got a couple of barrels ; at 4 o'clock, another cast, and 

 took 10 barrels, but small mackerel; and at 6 o'clock we made another, 

 but got almost nothing save small fish. This was a laborious day; but, 

 notwithstanding, we were tlie next day, at 5.30 in the morning, again in 

 the boat, made a cast, but instantaneously the school turned around and 

 made their escape. We saw many schools also this day, and at 6.30 we 

 were again on the way after one. This time we were successful. They 

 estimated the catch in the seine at 400 to 500 barrels. They were very 

 large and fat mackerel. After some trouble, the vessel sailed to us, got 



