HISTORY OF THE FISHES OF MASSACHUSETTS. 239 



its swimming-bladder. The city of Astracan exports every year several thousand 

 tons of pickled sturgeon and caviare for consumption in the Russian empire ; and 

 Odessa much larger quantities for Greece, Italy, France, and other parts of Europe. 



" When ■ the catching of the sturgeons on the Oby, the Volga, Jaik, and Don 

 begins, there arrive at these places, from the remotest parts of the Russian empire, 

 a considerable number of merchants, who purchase the fish and prepare them for 

 transportation. The average price of one fish, without the roe and swimming-blad- 

 der, is generally $ 4. A large one, which weighs over two hundred pounds, is 

 sold at from $ 4 to $ 6, and contains forty pounds of caviare, or prepared roe, 

 which is sold for $ 1.50. 



" The flesh is fat, very palatable, and much better in the summer, after the fish 

 has been some time in fresh water. That which is not eaten fresh is cut into 

 large slices, salted, peppered, broiled, and put in barrels, where it is preserved in 

 vinegar, and fit for. transport. A considerable quantity of their flesh is smoked. 

 The wholesale price of pickled sturgeon is from $6 to $12 a hundred-weight. 

 The caviare is prepared in three different manners, namely : — 



" 1. Two pounds of salt are added to forty pounds of roe, and dried upon mats 

 in the sun. The price of forty pounds is $ 1. 



" 2. Eight tenths of a pound of salt are mixed with forty pounds of roe, then 

 dried upon nets or sieves, and pressed into barrels. This is sold for a little more. 



" 3. The best caviare is that when the roe is put into sacks made of tow-cloth, 

 and left for some time in a strong pickle. These sacks are then suspended, in 

 order to let the salt, watery substance run off, and finally squeezed, after which 

 the roe is dried during twelve hours and pressed into barrels. This roe, of which 

 forty pounds are sold for $ 1.50 at the place, is that which is sent all over Asia 

 and Europe as a considerable article of commerce, and known by the name of 

 caviare, and is eaten with bread like cheese. 



" Another very profitable part of the sturgeon is the swimming-bladder, of which 

 isinglass is made. For this purpose it is cut open, washed, and the silvery glu- 

 tinous skin exposed to the air for some hours, by which process it can be easily 

 separated from the external skin, which is of no use. This glutinous skin is 

 placed between wet cloths, and shortly after each piece is rolled up and fastened 

 in a serpentine form on a board ; after they are partly dry they are hung up on 

 strings in a shady place. 



" This valuable and extensive article of commerce is the isinglass of our shops, and 

 is sold there for about $ 50 a hundred-weight. 



