﻿[47] 
  THE 
  GULF 
  FISHING 
  GROUNDS 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  2G3 
  

  

  resorted 
  to 
  by 
  the 
  fishermen 
  in 
  preference 
  to 
  the 
  waters 
  nearer 
  Key 
  

   West, 
  where 
  the 
  same 
  species 
  occur, 
  but 
  are 
  not 
  so 
  plentiful. 
  

  

  The 
  smaller 
  species 
  of 
  food-fishes, 
  with 
  which 
  the 
  Key 
  West 
  market 
  

   is 
  well 
  supplied, 
  occur 
  in 
  greater 
  or 
  less 
  numbers 
  in 
  the 
  immediate 
  

   viciuity 
  of 
  the 
  harbor, 
  about 
  the 
  adjacent 
  keys, 
  and 
  on 
  numerous 
  coral 
  

   patches 
  known 
  to 
  the 
  fishermen 
  and 
  which 
  abound 
  in 
  the 
  channel 
  be- 
  

   tween 
  the 
  islands, 
  within 
  a 
  radius 
  of 
  10 
  or 
  12 
  miles, 
  beyond 
  which 
  

   distance 
  they 
  are 
  rarely 
  sought, 
  though 
  occasionally 
  boats 
  go 
  farther 
  

   off. 
  Indeed, 
  so 
  far 
  as 
  our 
  observation 
  extended, 
  the 
  boats 
  seldom 
  go, 
  

   in 
  winter, 
  more 
  than 
  2 
  or 
  3 
  miles 
  from 
  the 
  market 
  wharf, 
  and 
  we 
  often 
  

   saw 
  them 
  fishing 
  within 
  a 
  short 
  distance 
  of 
  a 
  little 
  mangrove 
  key 
  that 
  

   is, 
  perhaps, 
  not 
  more 
  than 
  a 
  mile 
  and 
  a 
  half 
  from 
  the 
  market, 
  and 
  in 
  

   many 
  cases 
  they 
  were 
  certainly 
  not 
  more 
  than 
  half 
  that 
  distance 
  off. 
  

   Many 
  varieties 
  of 
  these 
  fishes 
  feed 
  about 
  patches 
  of 
  bottom 
  in 
  the 
  

   channels, 
  on 
  which 
  there 
  is 
  a 
  coral 
  growth, 
  and 
  we 
  often 
  observed 
  them 
  

   in 
  great 
  numbers 
  immediately 
  beneath 
  the 
  roots 
  of 
  the 
  mangroves, 
  on 
  a 
  

   little 
  islet 
  near 
  the 
  harbor, 
  that 
  was 
  of 
  coral 
  formation, 
  and 
  about 
  some 
  

   parts 
  of 
  which 
  the 
  water 
  was 
  quite 
  deep. 
  Favored 
  here 
  with 
  unlimited 
  

   means 
  of 
  escape 
  from 
  their 
  enemies 
  by 
  darting 
  about 
  among 
  the 
  man- 
  

   grove 
  roots, 
  or 
  hiding 
  beneath 
  the 
  projecting 
  points 
  of 
  the 
  coral 
  shore, 
  

   it 
  seemed 
  to 
  be 
  a 
  spot 
  well 
  suited 
  to 
  the 
  habits 
  of 
  such 
  species 
  as 
  

   could 
  here 
  find 
  sufficient 
  food 
  either 
  on 
  the 
  bottom 
  or 
  among 
  the 
  schools 
  

   of 
  tiny 
  fishes 
  that 
  inhabited 
  the 
  same 
  locality. 
  The 
  sudden 
  approach 
  

   of 
  a 
  boat 
  invariably 
  caused 
  a 
  general 
  stampede 
  among 
  the 
  larger 
  species 
  

   that 
  have 
  their 
  haunts 
  about 
  the 
  keys, 
  and 
  if 
  one 
  depended 
  on 
  first 
  

   impressions 
  he 
  would 
  invariably 
  decide 
  that 
  the 
  place 
  was 
  destitute 
  of 
  

   fish 
  life, 
  except, 
  of 
  course, 
  he 
  might 
  see 
  some 
  of 
  the 
  little 
  minnows 
  scurry- 
  

   ing 
  away 
  among 
  the 
  mangroves. 
  But 
  hold 
  your 
  boat 
  perfectly 
  still, 
  

   and 
  in 
  a 
  short 
  time 
  you 
  will 
  be 
  both 
  surprised 
  and 
  pleased 
  by 
  the 
  num- 
  

   bers 
  and 
  varieties 
  of 
  fish 
  that 
  show 
  themselves 
  in 
  the 
  clear 
  translu- 
  

   cent 
  waters 
  beneath 
  you, 
  coming 
  from 
  you 
  know 
  not 
  where, 
  and 
  vanish- 
  

   ing 
  as 
  mysteriously 
  at 
  the 
  slightest 
  noise 
  or 
  unusual 
  movement. 
  

  

  But 
  this 
  digression 
  has 
  been 
  made 
  more 
  for 
  the 
  purpose 
  of 
  giving 
  some 
  

   idea 
  of 
  the 
  habits 
  of 
  the 
  fish 
  than 
  to 
  define 
  the 
  fishing 
  grounds, 
  for 
  the 
  

   boats 
  seldom 
  go 
  alongside 
  the 
  shores, 
  at 
  least 
  not 
  nearer 
  than 
  to 
  anchor 
  

   just 
  outside 
  the 
  shallow 
  reefs 
  that 
  generally 
  surround 
  the 
  islets, 
  where 
  

   the 
  depth 
  drops 
  suddenly 
  from 
  a 
  few 
  feet 
  to 
  several 
  fathoms, 
  and 
  where 
  

   is 
  often 
  a 
  favorite 
  locality 
  for 
  many 
  kinds 
  of 
  food-fish. 
  

  

  There 
  are 
  some 
  red-snapper 
  grounds 
  that 
  are 
  resorted 
  to 
  occasionally 
  

   by 
  the 
  Key 
  West 
  fishermen. 
  But 
  these 
  banks 
  are 
  not 
  to 
  be 
  compared 
  

   in 
  importance 
  to 
  those 
  off 
  the 
  west 
  coast 
  of 
  Florida, 
  if 
  we 
  may 
  judge 
  by 
  

   the 
  account 
  given 
  by 
  those 
  who 
  have 
  visited 
  the 
  former. 
  One 
  of 
  these 
  

   grounds 
  is 
  near 
  the 
  entrance 
  of 
  the 
  ship 
  channel 
  to 
  Key 
  West 
  Harbor, 
  

   another 
  is 
  2 
  miles 
  east 
  of 
  American 
  Shoal, 
  one 
  about 
  1 
  mile 
  southeast 
  

   pf 
  Pelican 
  Shoal, 
  and 
  a 
  fourth 
  2 
  miles 
  east 
  of 
  Sombrero 
  Key. 
  These 
  

   spots 
  are 
  small 
  in 
  area, 
  with 
  depths 
  of 
  18 
  to 
  25 
  fathoms. 
  

  

  