[3] NEW ENGLAND SWORDFISH FISHERIES. 235 



dated October 13, 1884: "There was a swordfisb rau ashore here hist 

 week, about 12 feet long, 6 feet around, and weighed 700 pounds." 



Xumerous specimens of penuelhi, encysted worms, and other sword- 

 fish parasites were collected at Gloucester during the season by Capt. 

 S. J. Martin and sent to the National Mustmm for examination. The 

 l^ennella were generally imbedded in the flesh of the fish, with the 

 extremities i)rotruding from the surface. In cutting up the fish for 

 salting, several specimens of encysted worms were found in the solid 

 meat. Some large specimens of swordfisb suckers, or remoras [Ilemor- 

 opsis hrachyjytera), were also secured by Captain Martin and forwarded 

 to the Museum. 



In the capture of the swordfisb the ordinary harpoons or darts were 

 commonly employed, though some of the vessels were also supplied 

 with hari^oon-guns. These were nothing more than cominon shotguns, 

 ZS'o. 10 bore, with the har])oon-head fitted to the end of a wooden rod 

 fired from the gun. To the harpoon-head was attached a line for hold- 

 ing the fish wlien struck. Captain Swett, of schooner Alice Norwood, 

 hailing from Biddeford, is said to have introduced this new method of 

 capturing the fish. The lower end of the iron used with the gun is 

 lanceolate-shaped and is connected by a central shank with two im)va- 

 ble toggles that fold close to either side of the shank and that sprea<l 

 apart when the harpoon line is drawn taut. A sample of this pattern of 

 iron has been presented to the National jMuseum by Mr. Leavitt, of 

 Saco, who used it Avith a pole instead of with a shotgun. 



This specimen is about 5 inches long, with a socket or hole in the 

 upper end, in which the ramrod is inserted. Midway of the length of 

 the iron is a hole for fastening the harpoon line. 



The most common pattern of dart has two lanceolate blades, each 

 about li inches long and connected by a central shank, making the 

 whole length from 1 to 5 inches. In the middle of the shank, between 

 the blades, is a hole for attaching the harpoon line, and in the head of 

 the shank a socket for the iron at the end of the harpoon pole. 



The swordfisb is struck either from the pulpit at the end of the bow- 

 sprit or from a small rowboat. Mr. Edward Leavitt states that nearly 

 one-fourth of all the fish taken the past season were struck from boats. 

 One vessel carried a whaleboat rigged for striking and holding the 

 fish, but the general custom when fishing with boats was to throw over- 

 board a half-barrel buoy attached to the harpoon line. Wlien the 

 weather is calm the fishermen prefer striking from a boat rather than from 

 the vessel. The fish is then hauled alongside the vessel, killed with an 

 ordiiuxry whale lance, and lifted by i)urchase-blocks to the vessel's deck. 



About midday is said to be the best time to catch these fish, espe- 

 cially if there has been a breeze and it dies away calm. Very few can be 

 taken in rough water, but in calm sunshiny days in August they are to 

 be seen in all directions on the fishing grounds, sometimes thirty or forty 

 appearing in a few hours. 



