[57] HISTORY OF THE MACKEREL FISHERY. 



its center is marked by a line tied around it or tucked through its strands, 

 but more frequently now by a brass swivel, into which the purse-rope is 

 spliced, and which serves the double purpose of marking the center of 

 the line and preventing it from kinking.* 



When the vessel is not searching for fish the seine is stowed on a 

 grating forward of the house, between that and the after hatch. This 

 grating is a frame- work, about 8 to 10 feet square, made of boards from 

 4 to inches in width, crossing each other at right angles. The board- 

 ing is supported on a frame-work of joists. The top of the grating is 

 4 to G inches above the surface of the deck. When two seines are car- 

 ried, the grating must be wider. When the seine is stowed in the boat 

 or upon the deck, it is always "salted down" to prevent it from rotting 

 or burning. From a bushel of salt to a barrel or more is used, accord- 

 ing to the necessity of the case. When the seine is thus stow r ed, it is 

 often protected by a canvas cover. 



* The following dimensions of an average-sized deep-water mackerel purse-seine have 

 been supplied by Capt. George Merchant, jr., of Gloucester, Mass. : 



Total length of seine when hung, 203 fathoms. 



Depth, 1,000 meshes, or about 21 fathoms. 



Size of mesh in all its parts, 2 inches. 



Length of ••bailing-piece" or "bunt," 500 meshes; size of twine, 12-9. 



Depth of "bunt" or "bailing-piece," 500 meshes. 



Length of " sides," each, 300- meshes; size of twine, 20-9. 



Depth of " sides," each 500 meshes. 



Length of " under." 1,100 meshes; size of twine, 20-9. 



Depth of "under," 500 meshes. 



The central section of the mackerel purse-seine, that portion composed of the bail- 

 ing-piece, sides, and under, is generally spoken of as the " bunt," though the bunt 

 proper constitutes only a small portion of it. Capt. Joseph Smith, of Gloucester, says 

 that at present the whole center of the seine (including the bunt, sides, and under) is 

 made of one size of twine, 20-12, this portion being 1,000 meshes square. 



There is sometimes considerable difference in the length of the wing and arm of one 

 end of the seine from that of the other, though some are constructed with both ends of 

 equal length. Many of the seiners prefer to have the bunt of their seines a little to 

 one side of the middle of the net. In such cases the ends are, of course, of unequal 

 lengths. It may also be mentioned that a border of stout twine (size 20-9), 15 meshes 

 deep, extends along both the top aud bottom of the wings and arms of each end of 

 the net. 



Size of first wing, 125 yards long in the web, 1,000 meshes deep ; size of twine, with 

 the exception of that for the border, 16-6, hawser-laid; size of first arm on the same 

 end of the net as the wing just described, 125 yards loug in the web, 1,000 meshes 

 deep ; size of twine, exclusive of that in the border, 20-G, hawser-laid. Size of wing 

 No. 2, on the other end of the net, 150 yards long in the web ; depth, 1,000 meshes; 

 twine, 16-6, hawser-iaid. Size of arm No. 2, 150 yards long in the web; depth, 1,000 

 meshes; size of twine, 20-6, hawser-laid, exclusive of the border. 



Captain Merchant writes: "We always use for hangings 6-thread manila right and 

 left rope. In Boston factories they sometimes use 9-thread manila for bridle-rope, or 

 'loops,' as they are occasionally called." These loops, to which the purse-rings are 

 attached at the bottom of the seine, are one part of the hanging-rope, and are made 

 three fathoms long, the spaces between them being the same distance. Thus it will 

 be seen that the purse-rings are about 6 fathoms distant from each other. Captain 



