﻿258 
  REPORT 
  OP 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  [42] 
  

   G. 
  FINANCIAL 
  PROFITS 
  OF 
  THE 
  SPONGE 
  FISHERY. 
  

  

  The 
  average 
  annual 
  gross 
  stock 
  of 
  a 
  first-class 
  vessel 
  of 
  30 
  to 
  40 
  

   tons, 
  with 
  a 
  crew 
  of 
  13 
  men, 
  is 
  variously 
  estimated 
  at 
  from 
  $5,000 
  to 
  

   $0,000, 
  while 
  those 
  most 
  familiar 
  with 
  the 
  business 
  say 
  that 
  a 
  stock 
  ex- 
  

   ceeding 
  $9,000 
  is 
  seldom 
  made. 
  

  

  The 
  "lay" 
  is 
  very 
  much 
  like 
  that 
  obtaining 
  most 
  generally 
  on 
  New 
  

   England 
  fishing 
  vessels, 
  particularly 
  those 
  of 
  Gloucester, 
  the 
  vessel 
  

   furnishing 
  food 
  and 
  equipment, 
  and 
  the 
  crew 
  receiving 
  one-half 
  of 
  the 
  

   proceeds 
  of 
  the 
  sales, 
  which 
  is 
  divided 
  between 
  them, 
  the 
  cook 
  sharing 
  

   like 
  the 
  others. 
  A 
  man 
  who 
  earns 
  $300 
  to 
  $400 
  a 
  year 
  is 
  considered 
  

   fortunate, 
  while 
  the 
  average 
  is 
  estimated 
  to 
  be 
  not 
  exceeding 
  $250. 
  

  

  B. 
  — 
  The 
  smack 
  fishery. 
  

  

  The 
  smack 
  fishery 
  of 
  Key 
  West 
  has 
  always, 
  we 
  were 
  told, 
  depended 
  

   principally, 
  if 
  not 
  wholly, 
  on 
  Havana 
  for 
  a 
  market. 
  Therefore, 
  any- 
  

   thing 
  which 
  affects 
  the 
  fish 
  trade 
  at 
  that 
  port 
  seriously 
  influences 
  the 
  

   prosperity 
  of 
  this 
  particular 
  fishery. 
  Until 
  within 
  a 
  few 
  years 
  past 
  the 
  

   duties 
  levied 
  on 
  American-caught 
  fish 
  in 
  Cuba 
  were 
  comparatively 
  light, 
  

   and 
  the 
  smack 
  fishermen 
  at 
  Key 
  West 
  were 
  prosperous. 
  But 
  when 
  the 
  

   present 
  duty 
  was 
  put 
  on 
  it 
  was 
  almost 
  prohibitory, 
  and 
  practically 
  de- 
  

   stroyed 
  this 
  branch 
  of 
  the 
  fishery, 
  or 
  at 
  the 
  best 
  caused 
  it 
  to 
  be 
  pursued 
  

   under 
  the 
  most 
  discouraging 
  conditions. 
  All 
  who 
  could 
  do 
  so 
  without 
  

   too 
  great 
  a 
  sacrifice, 
  sold 
  their 
  vessels, 
  most 
  of 
  them 
  going 
  to 
  Spanish 
  

   parties 
  at 
  Havana. 
  Those 
  which 
  remain, 
  some 
  ten 
  sail, 
  ranging 
  from 
  

   29 
  to 
  4G 
  tons, 
  it 
  is 
  said 
  are 
  run 
  at 
  a 
  loss, 
  and 
  we 
  were 
  assured 
  that 
  

   they 
  can 
  be 
  bought 
  at 
  a 
  very 
  low 
  figure. 
  Several 
  of 
  them 
  lay 
  in 
  Key 
  

   West, 
  temporarily 
  unemployed, 
  one 
  was 
  engaged 
  in 
  carrying 
  kiugfish 
  

   (caught 
  by 
  boats) 
  to 
  Havana, 
  and 
  another 
  had 
  been 
  employed 
  in 
  the 
  

   fruit 
  trade. 
  Some 
  of 
  these 
  were 
  remarkably 
  fine 
  vessels 
  of 
  their 
  class, 
  

   well 
  modeled 
  and 
  rigged, 
  and 
  constructed 
  of 
  the 
  most 
  durable 
  material. 
  

   But 
  they 
  are 
  poorly 
  adapted 
  for 
  anything 
  besides 
  what 
  they 
  were 
  built 
  

   for; 
  therefore, 
  when 
  fishing 
  is 
  unprofitable, 
  it 
  is 
  as 
  difficult 
  to 
  sell 
  them 
  

   as 
  to 
  find 
  paying 
  employment. 
  

  

  THE 
  FISHING 
  GROUNDS.- 
  

  

  The 
  fishing 
  grounds 
  most 
  generally 
  resorted 
  to 
  by 
  the 
  smack 
  fishermen 
  

   are. 
  off 
  the 
  west 
  coast 
  of 
  Florida, 
  in 
  from 
  2 
  to 
  about 
  7 
  fathoms 
  of 
  water 
  

   (and 
  rarely 
  so 
  deep 
  as 
  15 
  fathoms), 
  the 
  region 
  lying 
  between 
  Charlotte 
  

   Harbor 
  and 
  Anclote 
  Keys, 
  being, 
  perhaps, 
  the 
  most 
  favorite 
  locality, 
  

   nere, 
  on 
  the 
  shore 
  soundings, 
  they 
  fish 
  for 
  red 
  snappers, 
  groupers, 
  and 
  

   other 
  species 
  which 
  are 
  in 
  favor 
  in 
  the 
  Cuban 
  markets. 
  Prof. 
  Felipe 
  

   Poey 
  gives 
  the 
  following 
  list 
  of 
  the 
  food-fishes 
  carried 
  from 
  Key 
  West 
  to 
  

   the 
  markets 
  of 
  Havana, 
  which, 
  in 
  this 
  connection, 
  seems 
  of 
  especial 
  in- 
  

   terest. 
  Writing 
  to 
  Professor 
  Jordan, 
  from 
  i 
  I 
  avana, 
  under 
  date 
  of 
  March 
  

   9, 
  1882, 
  he 
  says: 
  "I 
  have 
  received 
  from 
  an 
  old 
  fisherman 
  (now 
  dealing 
  

  

  