THE SEA FISHERIES OP EASTERN NORTH AMERICA. 177 



destroyed the young fish, and the others were that they interfered with the nets. 

 They complained that the trammel-net especially, which is a particular kind used in 

 England, was fouled by these lines and injured. 



Q. On the other hand, the net was in the way of the trawl ?— A. No ; the trawl 

 was in the way of the nets. The trawlers didn't care about the net, but the net fish- 

 ermen did complain of the trawl. But I have looked carefully to find whether there 

 was any complaint against that line, and I haven't found it. There may be, but I 

 am quite confident it has not assumed anything like the antagonistic features and 

 impression of magnitude that it has in the United States and America generally. 



Q. We mean by the trawl a long line weighted or anchored which sinks to the bot- 

 tom and has A. It has branches three feet long. That is called a long-line or 



bultow. 



Q. Then at intervals there are buoys ? — A. Yes. 



Q. To show the position. They are usually in a straight line ?— A. In Europe there 

 are generally several shorter lines united in one long line, so much so that on the 

 coast of Great Britain they have . a line of trawls sis or eight miles in length. In 

 America the trawling on the banks is generally by means of five shorter lines radiat- 

 ing from the vessel, but in England the trawling is done generally on a large scale, 

 without rowboats, directly from a vessel of forty or sixty tons, and the entire series 

 of lines is united in one and sunk. 



Q. They are hauled in from aboard the vessel, and not from a boat at all? — A. Yes. 



Q. Now, what do they call that which we call a trawl, if it is used at all ? — A. 

 They call it a long-line or bultow. 



Q. What bait do you find to be the best for codfish ? — A. Well, I can't say I find 

 any bait to be the best, because I never caught many fish, but I know that every- 

 thing of an animal nature, and to some extent vegetable, has been used for the cod. 

 Generally, in America, our bait consists of herring, menhaden, mackerel, a portion of 

 the offal of the fish, sea-birds of various kinds, clams, squid, and the various species 

 of shells, and in fact anything that can be got hold of. 



Q. Well, now, what are the methods of preservation of this bait ? We have heard 

 of their using salt clams, &c. Has much attention been paid to the possibility of 

 greater preservation of the bait than we have ever yet had ? — A. Yes ; the science of 

 preserving bait, as well as of the preservation of fish on shipboard, is very low in- 

 deed, far below what can be applied, and I have no doubt will be applied, both iu 

 keeping fish for food and in keeping it for bait. 



Q. Now, will you state what observation you have made respecting the method of 

 preserving fresh bait from the start all the voyage through ? — A. As a general rule it 

 is now preserved either by salting or freezing. Of course they keep it as long as it 

 will remain without spoiling, and when you have to carry it beyond that time, either 

 ice it or salt it. Salting, of course, is a very simple process, but it alters materially 

 the texture and taste to such a degree that fish or other bait that under certain cir- 

 cumstances is highly prized by the fish is looked upon with a great deal of indiffer- 

 ence when salted. Now, there are special methods of preserving the fish or bait by 

 gome chemical preparation, which preserves the fish without giving the saline taste. 

 There are preparations by means of which oysters or clams or fish can be kept in so- 

 lutions for six mouths without getting any appreciable taste, and without involving 

 the slightest degree of deterioration or destruction. One process submitted to the 

 group of judges, of whom I was chairman, was exhibited by an experimenter who 

 placed a great jar of oysters iu our room prepared in that way. I think about the 1st 

 of August those were placed in our room and they were kept there until the middle of 

 September, for six weeks during the hottest portion of the centennial summer, and 

 that washot enough. At thoend of that time we mustered up courage to pass judgment 

 upon this preparation, and we tasted these oysters and could not find them affected 

 We would have preferred absolutely fresh oysters, but there was nothing repugnant to 

 the sensibilities, and I believe we consumed the entire jar. And we gave the exhib- 



S. Mis. 90 — -12 



