﻿[85] 
  THE 
  GULF 
  FISHING 
  GROUNDS 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  301 
  

  

  away, 
  circling 
  around 
  the 
  school, 
  the 
  skipper 
  throwing 
  over 
  the 
  seine, 
  

   the 
  last 
  end 
  of 
  which 
  is 
  soon 
  landed. 
  If 
  this 
  does 
  not 
  reach 
  the 
  shore, 
  

   some 
  line 
  may 
  be 
  inn 
  out, 
  but, 
  more 
  commonly, 
  tile 
  men 
  jump 
  over- 
  

   board 
  into 
  the 
  shallow 
  water 
  and 
  drag 
  it 
  in, 
  part 
  of 
  them 
  going 
  to 
  the 
  

   other 
  end. 
  One 
  man 
  is 
  left 
  in 
  the 
  boat, 
  which 
  he 
  quickly 
  shoves 
  

   aground, 
  and 
  then 
  runs 
  to 
  join 
  his 
  companions 
  and 
  assist 
  them 
  in 
  

   landing 
  the 
  seine. 
  All 
  this 
  work 
  is 
  performed 
  in 
  the 
  most 
  rapid 
  man- 
  

   ner, 
  for 
  these 
  Southern 
  fish 
  are 
  exceedingly 
  quick 
  in 
  their 
  movements, 
  

   and 
  no 
  sooner 
  do 
  they 
  find 
  themselves 
  obstructed 
  in 
  their 
  onward 
  

   course 
  than 
  they 
  dart 
  about, 
  seeking 
  some 
  opening 
  to 
  escape 
  from, 
  

   and 
  oftentimes 
  they 
  jump 
  the 
  cork-rope 
  and 
  regain 
  their 
  liberty. 
  The 
  

   mullet 
  is 
  celebrated 
  for 
  the 
  ease 
  with 
  which 
  it 
  will 
  go 
  over 
  a 
  coil; 
  rope, 
  

   as 
  well 
  as 
  for 
  its 
  general 
  habit 
  of 
  jumping, 
  which 
  has 
  earned 
  for 
  it 
  

   the 
  appellation 
  of 
  "jumping 
  mullet." 
  The 
  large 
  bunt-pocket, 
  which 
  is 
  

   a 
  characteristic 
  of 
  the 
  seines 
  used 
  here, 
  is 
  very 
  useful 
  for 
  preventing 
  

   the 
  loss 
  of 
  fish, 
  for, 
  when 
  frightened, 
  they 
  usually 
  rush 
  into 
  this, 
  as 
  it 
  

   seemingly 
  offers 
  a 
  chance 
  to 
  escape, 
  and 
  before 
  they 
  can 
  correct 
  their 
  

   mistake 
  they 
  are 
  drawn 
  to 
  the 
  shore. 
  The 
  catch 
  is 
  usually 
  landed 
  on 
  

   the 
  beach 
  ; 
  such 
  fish 
  as 
  are 
  marketable 
  are 
  put 
  in 
  the 
  boat, 
  and 
  the 
  rest 
  

   are 
  left 
  to 
  die 
  or 
  are 
  thrown 
  iu 
  the 
  water. 
  

  

  Disposition 
  of 
  the 
  catch. 
  

  

  The 
  fish 
  taken 
  by 
  the 
  Pensacola 
  market 
  boats 
  are 
  all 
  sold 
  fresh, 
  some- 
  

   times 
  by 
  wholesale 
  to 
  dealers, 
  who 
  ship 
  them 
  to 
  distant 
  cities, 
  and 
  at 
  

   other 
  times 
  they 
  are 
  hawked 
  about 
  the 
  streets. 
  Formerly, 
  there 
  was 
  a 
  

   police 
  regulation 
  by 
  which 
  the 
  fishermen 
  were 
  prevented 
  from 
  hawking 
  

   their 
  fish 
  until 
  after 
  7 
  a. 
  m. 
  Those 
  arriving 
  before 
  that 
  hour 
  usually 
  

   engaged 
  a 
  stall 
  at 
  the 
  market, 
  where 
  they 
  exposed 
  their 
  fish 
  for 
  sale. 
  

  

  Prices, 
  depending 
  on 
  supply 
  and 
  demand, 
  fluctuate 
  a 
  great 
  deal, 
  and 
  

   there 
  is 
  even 
  a 
  greater 
  diversity 
  in 
  the 
  daily 
  earnings, 
  which 
  vary 
  from 
  

   a 
  few 
  cents 
  to 
  $5 
  per 
  day 
  for 
  each 
  man. 
  The 
  average 
  year's 
  work 
  for 
  a 
  

   man 
  iu 
  this 
  fishery 
  is 
  estimated 
  at 
  $250. 
  

  

  2. 
  SPRING 
  AND 
  FALL 
  FISHERY 
  AT 
  THE 
  EAST 
  PASS. 
  

  

  At 
  the 
  East 
  Pass 
  of 
  Santa 
  Rosa 
  Island 
  a 
  seine 
  fishery 
  is 
  carried 
  on 
  in 
  

   spring 
  and 
  fall 
  that 
  may 
  justly 
  be 
  included 
  with 
  the 
  market 
  fisheries 
  of 
  

   Pensacola, 
  since 
  the 
  catch 
  goes 
  to 
  that 
  city. 
  

  

  Capt. 
  A. 
  Destin 
  was 
  the 
  pioneer 
  of 
  this 
  fishery, 
  which 
  he 
  began 
  shortly 
  

   after 
  the 
  close 
  of 
  the 
  war 
  (1S(31-'G5). 
  At 
  first 
  he 
  salted 
  his 
  catch, 
  and 
  

   this 
  was 
  continued 
  until 
  1870, 
  since 
  which 
  time 
  the 
  greater 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  

   fish 
  have 
  been 
  disposed 
  of 
  fresh 
  to 
  the 
  dealers 
  at 
  Pensacola. 
  The 
  orig- 
  

   inator 
  of 
  this 
  industry 
  is 
  now 
  dead, 
  but 
  the 
  business 
  is 
  still 
  carried 
  on 
  

   by 
  his 
  family, 
  who 
  employ 
  two 
  or 
  three 
  boats 
  and 
  make 
  an 
  average 
  

   yearly 
  stock 
  of 
  about 
  $3,000. 
  

  

  Messrs. 
  Warren 
  & 
  Co. 
  have 
  established 
  a 
  camp 
  at 
  the 
  Pass, 
  and 
  dur- 
  

  

  