﻿\F)b) 
  THE 
  GULF 
  FISHING 
  GROUNDS 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  2 
  71 
  

  

  for 
  making 
  money. 
  Some 
  of 
  them 
  fish 
  for 
  snappers, 
  groupers, 
  or 
  any- 
  

   thing 
  that 
  they 
  can 
  catch, 
  and 
  which 
  will 
  sell 
  in 
  the 
  market, 
  while 
  others 
  

   go 
  for 
  turtle 
  for 
  a 
  few 
  weeks 
  or 
  months, 
  as 
  the 
  case 
  may 
  be. 
  

  

  4. 
  DISPOSITION 
  OF 
  THE 
  CATCH. 
  

  

  As 
  a 
  rule, 
  the 
  great 
  bulk 
  of 
  the 
  kingfish 
  taken 
  by 
  the 
  Key 
  West 
  

   fleet 
  is 
  sold 
  and 
  eaten 
  in 
  a 
  fresh 
  condition, 
  but 
  occasionally 
  some 
  fish 
  

   are 
  salted 
  on 
  the 
  boats 
  and 
  a 
  greater 
  quantity 
  are 
  split 
  and 
  salted 
  after 
  

   they 
  are 
  landed, 
  the 
  surplus 
  being 
  disposed 
  of 
  in 
  this 
  manner. 
  These 
  

   salted 
  fish 
  are 
  often 
  dried, 
  and 
  to 
  facilitate 
  this 
  and 
  insure 
  the 
  more 
  thor- 
  

   ough 
  drying 
  of 
  the 
  fiber, 
  the 
  thick 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  fish 
  is 
  cut 
  transversely, 
  

   nearly 
  to 
  the 
  skin, 
  at 
  distances 
  of 
  about 
  an 
  inch 
  apart. 
  There 
  is 
  no 
  

   systematic 
  method 
  of 
  drying, 
  as 
  one 
  sees 
  in 
  curing 
  cod, 
  but 
  the 
  fish 
  are 
  

   hung 
  across 
  rails, 
  spread 
  on 
  wood-piles, 
  or 
  disposed 
  of 
  in 
  any 
  other 
  

   manner 
  where 
  they 
  may 
  have 
  a 
  chance 
  to 
  dry, 
  a 
  favorite 
  method 
  being 
  

   to 
  suspend 
  them 
  by 
  the 
  tail. 
  Cured 
  in 
  this 
  way 
  they 
  make 
  tolerably 
  

   good 
  food, 
  but 
  it 
  is 
  altogether 
  probable 
  that 
  a 
  much 
  finer 
  article 
  of 
  

   food 
  might 
  be 
  obtained 
  by 
  smoking 
  the 
  fish. 
  Its 
  texture, 
  and 
  the 
  oil 
  

   contained 
  in 
  its 
  flesh, 
  would 
  no 
  doubt 
  make 
  the 
  kingfish 
  excellently 
  

   well 
  adapted 
  for 
  curing 
  in 
  this 
  manner, 
  and 
  it 
  is 
  certainly 
  possible 
  that 
  

   when 
  so 
  prepared 
  it 
  might 
  rival 
  the 
  halibut 
  and 
  meet 
  with 
  as 
  great 
  favor 
  

   in 
  our 
  markets 
  as 
  some 
  other 
  kinds 
  of 
  smoked 
  fishes 
  that 
  now 
  command 
  

   a 
  high 
  price 
  and 
  a 
  ready 
  sale. 
  The 
  fact 
  that 
  it 
  is 
  seemingly 
  abundant 
  

   and 
  can 
  be 
  bought 
  at 
  a 
  comparatively 
  low 
  figure 
  — 
  the 
  average 
  whole- 
  

   sale 
  price 
  not 
  exceeding 
  2 
  cents 
  per 
  pound 
  for 
  fresh 
  fish 
  — 
  favors 
  its 
  in- 
  

   troduction 
  as 
  an 
  additional 
  article 
  of 
  smoked 
  food. 
  Experiments 
  can 
  

   be 
  made 
  in 
  this 
  direction 
  without 
  great 
  expense, 
  and 
  if 
  found 
  satisfac- 
  

   tory 
  there 
  is 
  reason 
  to 
  expect 
  that 
  capital 
  and 
  experience 
  will 
  unite 
  to 
  

   utilize 
  the 
  product 
  of 
  this 
  fishery 
  in 
  such 
  a 
  manner 
  that 
  it 
  may 
  reach 
  a 
  

   wider 
  field 
  than 
  at 
  present, 
  create 
  a 
  greater 
  demand 
  for 
  the 
  kingfish, 
  

   relieve 
  the 
  fishermen 
  from 
  their 
  present 
  dependence 
  on 
  the 
  Cuban 
  mar- 
  

   kets, 
  and 
  also 
  open 
  the 
  way 
  for 
  the 
  employment 
  of 
  a 
  larger 
  fleet 
  and 
  a 
  

   greater 
  number 
  of 
  men.* 
  

  

  The 
  kingfish 
  sold 
  to 
  the 
  smack 
  that 
  runs 
  to 
  Havana, 
  or 
  by 
  the 
  fare 
  

   to 
  local 
  dealers, 
  had 
  a 
  fixed 
  price 
  (winter 
  of 
  18S1-'S5) 
  of 
  $22 
  per 
  100 
  

   fish, 
  the 
  buyer 
  taking 
  his 
  chance 
  as 
  to 
  the 
  size. 
  In 
  winter 
  it 
  is 
  said 
  

   that 
  the 
  average 
  weight 
  is 
  about 
  12 
  pounds, 
  and 
  in 
  spring 
  about 
  8 
  

   pounds, 
  though 
  individuals 
  are 
  frequently 
  taken 
  that 
  weigh 
  as 
  much 
  

   as 
  30 
  to 
  40 
  pounds 
  each. 
  The 
  fish 
  retail 
  at 
  various 
  prices. 
  For 
  in- 
  

  

  * 
  Being 
  fully 
  impressed 
  -with 
  the 
  importance 
  of 
  this 
  matter, 
  I 
  assumed 
  the 
  responsi- 
  

   bility 
  of 
  calling 
  Professor 
  Baird's 
  attention 
  to 
  the 
  subject. 
  In 
  response 
  thereto 
  he 
  di- 
  

   rected 
  me 
  to 
  purchase 
  a 
  lot 
  of 
  kingfish 
  when 
  the 
  ship 
  returned 
  to 
  Key 
  West 
  on 
  her 
  way 
  

   north, 
  so 
  that 
  an 
  experiment 
  can 
  bo 
  made 
  in 
  smoking 
  them. 
  The 
  fish 
  were 
  obtained, 
  

   but 
  have 
  not 
  yet 
  been 
  sruoked 
  ; 
  therefore 
  the 
  result 
  of 
  the 
  experiment 
  must 
  be 
  given 
  

   at 
  a 
  future 
  date. 
  

  

  