﻿452 
  REPORT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  

  

  appreciated, 
  because 
  they 
  support 
  themselves. 
  When 
  the 
  work 
  of 
  tak- 
  

   ing 
  out 
  the 
  fish 
  is 
  completed, 
  the 
  seine 
  is 
  thrown 
  back 
  into 
  the 
  water 
  

   and 
  the 
  fishermen 
  begin 
  at 
  one 
  end 
  of 
  it 
  and 
  haul 
  it 
  into 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  

   boats 
  in 
  regular 
  order. 
  In 
  this 
  way 
  it 
  is 
  washed 
  and 
  prevented 
  from 
  

   tangling. 
  It 
  is 
  then 
  replaced 
  on 
  the 
  reel 
  or 
  carried 
  ashore, 
  as 
  the 
  case 
  

   may 
  be, 
  and 
  dried 
  ready 
  for 
  use 
  at 
  the 
  next 
  tide. 
  

  

  The 
  method 
  of 
  disposing 
  of 
  the 
  fish 
  as 
  they 
  are 
  taken 
  from 
  the 
  weir 
  

   varies 
  according 
  to 
  circumstances. 
  In 
  most 
  instances 
  regular 
  collect- 
  

   ing 
  boats 
  for 
  transporting 
  fish 
  visit 
  the 
  weirs 
  while 
  the 
  seining 
  is 
  in 
  

   progress. 
  If 
  one 
  of 
  these 
  is 
  present 
  the 
  fish 
  are 
  carried 
  to 
  it 
  by 
  the 
  

   weir 
  boats, 
  and 
  after 
  being 
  dipped 
  with 
  scoop 
  nets 
  into 
  baskets 
  and 
  

   measured 
  they 
  are 
  put 
  on 
  board 
  the 
  collecting 
  boat 
  and 
  transjiorted 
  to 
  

   the 
  canneries 
  and 
  smokehouses. 
  Fish 
  that 
  are 
  too 
  large 
  for 
  sardines 
  

   are 
  utilized 
  for 
  salting 
  and 
  smoking 
  purposes. 
  The 
  proceeds 
  arising 
  

   from 
  the 
  sale 
  of 
  the 
  fish 
  are 
  divided 
  equally 
  among 
  the 
  owners. 
  In 
  

   some 
  localities 
  many 
  of 
  the 
  weir 
  fishermen 
  carry 
  on 
  the 
  smoked-herring 
  

   business 
  quite 
  extensively 
  and 
  utilize 
  all 
  their 
  own 
  catch, 
  except 
  the 
  

   sardine 
  herring. 
  Their 
  boats 
  are 
  much 
  larger 
  than 
  the 
  regular 
  weir 
  

   boat, 
  so 
  as 
  to 
  be 
  suitable 
  for 
  transporting 
  the 
  fish 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  for 
  fishing 
  

   the 
  weir. 
  In 
  cases 
  of 
  this 
  kind 
  the 
  fish 
  are 
  divided 
  among 
  the 
  owners, 
  

   each 
  one 
  taking 
  his 
  share 
  as 
  they 
  are 
  dipped 
  from 
  the 
  seine. 
  

  

  A 
  peculiar 
  custom 
  obtains 
  with 
  reference 
  to 
  dividing 
  the 
  fish 
  or 
  pro- 
  

   ceeds 
  in 
  case 
  of 
  one 
  or 
  more 
  of 
  the 
  owners 
  of 
  the 
  weir 
  being 
  absent 
  and 
  

   not 
  participating 
  in 
  the 
  fishing 
  operations. 
  If 
  the 
  number 
  present 
  is 
  

   not 
  less 
  than 
  two, 
  the 
  weir 
  is 
  seined 
  and 
  the 
  proceeds 
  divided 
  equally 
  

   between 
  those 
  who 
  are 
  there. 
  The 
  investment 
  of 
  the 
  other 
  owners 
  in 
  

   the 
  weir 
  is 
  not 
  taken 
  into 
  consideration. 
  This 
  is 
  what 
  is 
  termed 
  

   " 
  shooliug" 
  the 
  owners 
  who 
  are 
  absent. 
  If 
  none 
  of 
  the 
  owners 
  are 
  in 
  

   attendance 
  and 
  other 
  fishermen 
  discover 
  that 
  there 
  are 
  fish 
  in 
  the 
  weir, 
  

   they 
  are 
  at 
  liberty 
  to 
  seine 
  it 
  and 
  appropriate 
  the 
  catch 
  to 
  their 
  own 
  

   use. 
  The 
  weir 
  is 
  then 
  said 
  to 
  have 
  been 
  "shooled." 
  

  

  Weir 
  boats. 
  — 
  Open 
  sailboats 
  are 
  generally 
  used 
  by 
  the 
  American 
  

   fishermen 
  for 
  operating 
  the 
  weirs, 
  because 
  so 
  many 
  of 
  them 
  utilize 
  a 
  

   considerable 
  part 
  of 
  their 
  catch 
  in 
  the 
  preparation 
  of 
  smoked 
  herring 
  

   and 
  require 
  a 
  boat 
  that 
  can 
  be 
  used 
  for 
  transporting 
  fish 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  for 
  

   seining 
  the 
  weir. 
  The 
  boats 
  vary 
  in 
  length 
  from 
  16 
  to 
  20 
  feet 
  on 
  the 
  

   keel 
  and 
  from 
  20 
  to 
  26 
  feet 
  over 
  all. 
  The 
  width 
  is 
  from 
  7 
  to 
  9 
  feet 
  

   amidships, 
  and 
  the 
  depth 
  from 
  3 
  to 
  3^ 
  feet. 
  The 
  bow 
  is 
  sharp, 
  with 
  a 
  

   moderately 
  raking 
  stem, 
  rounding 
  at 
  the 
  foot. 
  The 
  stern 
  is 
  also 
  sharp 
  

   in 
  most 
  instances, 
  and 
  rakes 
  rather 
  more 
  than 
  the 
  stem. 
  The 
  sternpost 
  

   rises 
  flush 
  with 
  the 
  gunwale, 
  and 
  sometimes 
  slightly 
  above 
  it. 
  The 
  bot- 
  

   tom 
  is 
  straight 
  and 
  the 
  keel 
  is 
  about 
  6 
  inches 
  in 
  depth 
  outside 
  of 
  the 
  

   planking. 
  The 
  stem 
  and 
  stern 
  are 
  both 
  high, 
  and 
  the 
  gunwale 
  has 
  a 
  

   strong 
  sheer. 
  The 
  older 
  boats 
  are 
  clinker-built, 
  but 
  most 
  of 
  the 
  new 
  

   ones 
  are 
  carvel-built. 
  There 
  is 
  a 
  washboard 
  from 
  8 
  to 
  16 
  inches 
  wide, 
  

   with 
  a 
  coaming. 
  The 
  ceiling 
  runs 
  the 
  entire 
  length 
  of 
  the 
  boat, 
  and 
  

   there 
  is 
  no 
  floor. 
  The 
  ballast, 
  consisting 
  of 
  stones, 
  is 
  placed 
  on 
  top 
  of 
  

  

  