﻿238 
  REPORT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  [22] 
  

  

  [Date, 
  March 
  15 
  — 
  Continued.] 
  

  

  One 
  cannot 
  help 
  being 
  impressed 
  with 
  the 
  idea 
  that 
  the 
  distribution 
  

   of 
  red 
  snappers 
  in 
  this 
  region 
  is 
  not 
  what 
  might 
  be 
  expected, 
  and, 
  though 
  

   fares 
  of 
  these 
  fish 
  may 
  be 
  taken 
  on 
  this 
  ground, 
  it 
  is 
  evident 
  that 
  they 
  

   occupy 
  only 
  a 
  very 
  limited 
  area 
  on 
  it. 
  It 
  is 
  certainly 
  remarkable, 
  to 
  

   say 
  the 
  least, 
  that 
  we 
  should 
  have 
  made 
  nineteen 
  trials 
  and 
  caught 
  

   only 
  eight 
  groupers 
  and 
  a 
  single 
  snapper. 
  

  

  Tin 
  1 
  last 
  sounding 
  and 
  trial 
  for 
  fish 
  was 
  made 
  after 
  G 
  p. 
  in., 
  at 
  twi- 
  

   light, 
  after 
  which 
  the 
  ship 
  lay 
  drifting 
  until 
  the 
  next 
  morning. 
  

  

  As 
  soon 
  as 
  daylight 
  (5.30 
  a. 
  m.), 
  on 
  the 
  morning 
  of 
  the 
  16th, 
  the 
  

   work 
  of 
  "trying 
  the 
  ground" 
  was 
  again 
  commenced 
  and 
  coutiuued 
  un- 
  

   remittingly 
  throughout 
  the 
  day. 
  These 
  investigations 
  were 
  made 
  to 
  

   the 
  southeastward 
  of 
  where 
  we 
  worked 
  on 
  the 
  previous 
  day, 
  and 
  a 
  con- 
  

   siderable 
  number 
  of 
  the 
  soundings 
  were 
  taken 
  and 
  fishing 
  lines 
  put 
  

   out 
  on 
  a 
  piece 
  of 
  ground 
  which 
  of 
  late 
  has 
  become 
  quite 
  celebrated 
  for 
  

   the 
  number 
  of 
  good 
  fares 
  that 
  have 
  been 
  taken 
  from 
  it. 
  Nevertheless, 
  

   we 
  failed 
  to 
  find 
  good 
  fishing, 
  or 
  anything 
  approaching 
  thereto, 
  and 
  

   considering 
  that 
  two 
  of 
  the 
  largest 
  fares 
  of 
  the 
  winter 
  were 
  caught 
  

   here 
  only 
  a 
  few 
  days 
  before^ 
  the 
  conviction 
  is 
  forced 
  upon 
  one 
  that 
  

  

  