﻿LXVIII 
  EEPORT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  

  

  ically 
  the 
  black 
  cod 
  is 
  a 
  member 
  of 
  the 
  Chiridcc, 
  or 
  rock-trout, 
  family 
  of 
  

   the 
  Pacific, 
  which 
  has, 
  so 
  far 
  as 
  is 
  known, 
  no 
  species 
  in 
  the 
  Atlantic. 
  

  

  As 
  in 
  order 
  to 
  obtain 
  the 
  common 
  codfish 
  (G. 
  morrhua) 
  the 
  fish-dealers 
  

   of 
  the 
  Pacific 
  coast 
  are 
  obliged 
  to 
  send 
  large 
  vessels 
  on 
  trips 
  of 
  3,000 
  

   miles 
  or 
  more 
  to 
  the 
  Shumagin 
  Islands, 
  Behring 
  Sea, 
  or 
  the 
  Sea 
  of 
  

   Okhotsk, 
  the 
  occurrence 
  of 
  the 
  black 
  cod, 
  which 
  is 
  found 
  in 
  abundance 
  

   in 
  Puget 
  Sound, 
  Fuca 
  Strait, 
  and 
  from 
  Cape 
  Flattery 
  up 
  along 
  the 
  coast 
  

   to 
  Alaska, 
  may 
  be 
  of 
  great 
  commercial 
  significance. 
  Black 
  cod 
  are 
  not 
  

   common 
  in 
  the 
  markets 
  of 
  San 
  Francisco, 
  where 
  they 
  are 
  small 
  in 
  size, 
  

   weighiug 
  about 
  3 
  pounds, 
  and 
  are 
  little 
  esteemed 
  ; 
  but 
  farther 
  north- 
  

   ward 
  they 
  are 
  better 
  and 
  larger. 
  The 
  fish 
  are 
  found 
  of 
  larger 
  size 
  and 
  

   in 
  greater 
  numbers 
  in 
  the 
  deep 
  waters, 
  at 
  a 
  distance 
  of 
  a 
  few 
  miles 
  from 
  

   the 
  coast, 
  being 
  especially 
  abundant, 
  so 
  far 
  as 
  is 
  yet 
  investigated, 
  off 
  

   the 
  west 
  coast 
  of 
  the 
  Queen 
  Charlotte 
  Islands. 
  

  

  Most 
  of 
  the 
  fishing 
  has 
  thus 
  far 
  been 
  in 
  the 
  hands 
  of 
  the 
  Indians, 
  

   whose 
  appliances 
  are 
  necessarily 
  rude, 
  though 
  evidencing 
  a 
  considera- 
  

   ble 
  decree 
  of 
  skill 
  in 
  their 
  adaptation 
  to 
  circumstances. 
  

  

  The 
  problem 
  is 
  to 
  catch 
  these 
  fish 
  on 
  a 
  bottom 
  that 
  is 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  

   rocky 
  and 
  studded 
  with 
  coral, 
  in 
  about 
  100 
  fathoms 
  or 
  more 
  of 
  water, 
  

   with 
  a 
  current 
  of 
  4 
  miles 
  an 
  hour 
  running 
  in 
  many 
  places 
  most 
  of 
  the 
  

   time. 
  This 
  cannot 
  be 
  done 
  very 
  well 
  with 
  gill-nets, 
  unless 
  possibly 
  

   they 
  may 
  be 
  used 
  as 
  drift-nets, 
  while 
  the 
  hooks 
  of 
  trawl-lines 
  are 
  apt 
  

   to 
  catch 
  on 
  the 
  uneven 
  bottom 
  and 
  be 
  lost. 
  

  

  The 
  best 
  method 
  of 
  curing 
  and 
  preparing 
  the 
  fish 
  for 
  market 
  will 
  

   probably 
  be 
  found 
  only 
  after 
  some 
  experimenting. 
  This 
  cod, 
  though 
  

   fat, 
  does 
  not 
  easily 
  rust, 
  and 
  they 
  may 
  be 
  kept 
  in 
  pickle, 
  like 
  mack- 
  

   erel 
  or 
  preserved 
  in 
  various 
  ways. 
  Already 
  they 
  have 
  been 
  dry-salted 
  

   and 
  sent 
  across 
  the 
  continent, 
  arriving 
  in 
  Washington 
  and 
  Boston 
  in 
  

   good 
  condition. 
  They 
  have 
  been 
  cooked 
  in 
  different 
  ways 
  and 
  eaten 
  

   by 
  several 
  experts, 
  and 
  various 
  opinions 
  have 
  been 
  expressed 
  as 
  to 
  their 
  

   edible 
  qualities, 
  all 
  being 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  favorable. 
  They 
  are 
  somewhat 
  

   different 
  in 
  taste 
  from 
  any 
  Atlantic 
  fish 
  ; 
  but 
  they 
  have 
  a 
  firm 
  flesh 
  

   with 
  a 
  good 
  deal 
  of 
  fat, 
  and 
  are 
  characterized 
  by 
  an 
  oily 
  savor, 
  which 
  

   some 
  call 
  a 
  little 
  " 
  strong." 
  

  

  The 
  way 
  to 
  treat 
  them 
  in 
  order 
  to 
  get 
  their 
  true 
  flavor 
  is 
  -said 
  to 
  be 
  

   to 
  soak 
  them 
  for 
  at 
  least 
  twenty-four 
  hours, 
  changing 
  the 
  water 
  fre- 
  

   quently 
  in 
  order 
  to 
  freshen 
  them 
  thoroughly 
  (this 
  is, 
  of 
  course, 
  when 
  

   they 
  have 
  been 
  well 
  salted), 
  and 
  then 
  simply 
  to 
  boil 
  them, 
  and 
  serve 
  

   with 
  plain 
  boiled 
  potatoes. 
  When 
  cooked 
  in 
  'this 
  way, 
  they 
  are 
  called 
  

   fat 
  and 
  rich, 
  with 
  the 
  flavor 
  of 
  the 
  best 
  mackerel. 
  Made 
  into 
  fish-cakes, 
  

   the 
  strong 
  taste, 
  which 
  sometimes 
  is 
  found, 
  disappears; 
  and 
  when 
  

   broiled 
  and 
  eaten 
  cold 
  they 
  are 
  much 
  liked. 
  The 
  black 
  cod 
  has 
  been 
  

   thought 
  to 
  resemble 
  a 
  bluefish 
  or 
  a 
  quinnat 
  salmon 
  a 
  little 
  in 
  its 
  oily 
  

   taste. 
  Some 
  have 
  declared 
  that 
  when 
  boiled 
  the 
  black 
  cod 
  tastes 
  much 
  

   like 
  halibut's 
  fin 
  ; 
  others, 
  that 
  it 
  closely 
  resembles 
  the 
  corned 
  Newfound- 
  

   land 
  turbot 
  j 
  and, 
  as 
  is 
  well 
  known, 
  halibut's 
  fius 
  and 
  turbot 
  are 
  con- 
  

  

  