[9] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. 



The appearance of the mackerel schools at the approach of summer 

 in ordinary years has been noticed somewhere in the neighborhood of the 

 following dates: At sea, off Cape Hatteras, March 20 to April 25; off 

 Norfolk, Va., March 20 to April 30; off the Capes of Delaware, April 15 

 to May 1 ; off Barnegat and Sandy Hook, May 5 to May 25, and at the 

 same date along the whole southern coast of jSTew England, and as far 

 east as Southern Nova Scotia, while in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence they 

 appear late in May, and in abundance early in June* 



There appears to be a marked difference between the movements of 

 mackerel and the menhaden, for while the menhaden are much more 

 gradual in their approach to the shore, and much more dependent upon 

 a small rise of temperature, the mackerel make their appearance almost 

 simultaneously in all the waters from New Jersey to Nova Scotia at 

 about the same time. Stragglers, of course, appear much earlier than 

 the dates just mentioned; a few mackerel were observed at Waquoit, 

 Mass., as early as April 19, 1871. 



In the fall the mackerel disappear as suddenly as they came in the 

 spring, but they have only in one instance been observed off the Caro- 

 lina coast, except during the spring run. This is very probably because 

 no fishing vessels ever visit this region later than June. 



The instance referred to is the experience of Mr. Peter Sinclair, a well- 

 known fisherman of Gloucester, who states that he has frequently taken 

 them in great abundance off Cape Hatteras in December, where they 

 are not known at all in the summer season. He has found them in the 



are so boisterous that our nets are destroyed. Some few parties will keep tlieru out 

 iu December in spite of cold and storms.' Mr. White corroborated tins. Mr. Thomas 

 Brackett said he had takeu them often in December, and often in weather so cold that 

 the fish were frozen in removing them from the meshes of the nets, but could remem- 

 ber no dates. Mr. William Duffy stated he saw one once on the 24th of December. He 

 recollected it because it was Christmas eve, and on account of its rarity ; but he had 

 frequently takeu them during December, though having no dates. The nets used are 

 about two fathoms deep, set near the shore iu about five to ten fathoms of water. My 

 own recollections, but without dates, are seeing stops made in very cold weather and 

 frozen ground, which must have been late in November. I think I have now made 

 good my assertion that they linger to December, and that in any future history of 



*The following letter from the skipper of the schooner Edward E. Webster is 

 important, in that it gives the exact positions as well as the dates of some of the 

 earliest captures in 1878, '79, '80, and '81 : 



" New York, April 22, 1881. 

 "Captain Collins: 



" Dear Sir : I have just received your letter of March 14, in which you wanted to 

 know whereabouts I caught my first mackerel. (The first catch) in 1878, April 16, 

 lat. 3G° 10' N., long. 74° 45' W. ; in 1879, April 12, lat. 36° 35' N., long. 74° 50' W. ; iu 

 1880, April 1, lat. 35° 30' N., long. 74° 15' W. ; in 1881, March 20, lat. 37° 10' N., long. 

 74° 05' W. ; aud this trip we got them April 18 in lat. 38° 38' N., and long. 74° 00' W. 

 This is our second trip this season. I have* seen mackerel in lat. 35° 15' N., and long. 

 73° 46' W., which is the fartherest south I have ever seen any. I have been off Cape 

 Lookout many times, but have never seen mackerel there. * * * 

 ' ' Yours, truly, 



"SOLOMON JACOBS." 



