BRITISH, COLONIAL AND OTHER CORRESPONDENCE, ETC. 607 



They are of different qualities; those caught from August to 

 October being far superior to the spring herring, and the best of all 

 being the celebrated and well known " Labarador herrings." 



MACKEREL FISHERY. 



The mackerel is one of the most valuable of all the fish that visits 

 the Canadian coast. Unfortunately, it is only these last years that 

 this fish has been appreciated at its real value by the Canadian 

 fishermen. 



During many years the important mackerel fishery in the Gulf 

 St. Lawrence was almost entirely left in the hands of our American 

 neighbours. 



Even now, I am sorry to say, there is not in the whole province of 

 Quebec, where this fish is in great abundance, one single schooner 

 specially employed in this fishery. The fishermen of this province 

 generally contenting themselves with taking mackerel for home con- 

 sumption, or for bait for the cod-fishery. 



The fishermen of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward 

 Island understand their interests better, and they have, every season, 

 prosecuting the mackerel fishery, a fleet of fine vessels, so improved 

 in symmetry as to bear fair comparison with the American mackerel 

 schooners, which are reputed to be the finest vessels, and the best 

 sailers of their class in the world. 



These schooners are usually of from 60 to 100 tons. They have 

 little depth 6f hold, great breadth of beam, take very much fore and 

 aft, and carry large cotton sails, which enable them to sail fast, even 

 with a light breeze. They are met with everywhere in the southern 

 part of the Gulf St. Lawrence, during the months of July, August 

 and September ; and from a distance look more like a small squadron 

 of yachts than a fleet of fishing vessels, so beautiful are their masts 

 and sails, and so neat and clean are they kept. 



But on a nearer approach this is found to be an error, for on the 

 decks of these vessels are to be seen crews of ten or twenty men all 

 occupied either in catching fish, in repairing fishing implements, or 

 in splitting and salting the fish that have been taken; and what is 

 more striking is the order that reigns on board of these schooners. 



The mackerel fishing is carried on in two ways, with the seine and 

 with hooks and lines. 



The mode of seining I have already described in speaking of the 

 herring fishery. Dr. Fortin will tell us how the hook and line fish- 

 ing is done. 



" Before sailing from their port of outfit for the Gulf St. Law- 

 rence, the fishermen provide themselves with several barrels of very 

 fat little fish called " poggies," to serve as bait and as food for the 

 purposes of attracting the mackerel to the surface of the water. At 

 a later period, when the "poggies" are exhausted, recourse is had 

 to the offal of the mackerel for bait, and it is prepared in this way : 

 whole fishes or the offal of fishes, either "poggies," mackerel or 

 others, are chopped up very fine in a machine something like a straw 

 cutter, and then put into a large bucket full of salt water; the mix- 

 ture is then stirred for a long time with a small paddle. 



"As soon as the schooners have reached the places where shoals of 

 mackerel are to be found, they keep cruising backwards and for- 



