IMPORTATION OF BLACK BASS. 179 



possible with ice. I stayed by the tanks all night, 

 pumping in air every few minutes, and keeping 

 people from meddling with them. When daylight 

 came I examined the tanks and found five fish 

 dead, which I removed at once. It was now 5 a.m., 

 and the ship was to sail at 6 a.m. I got some men 

 to assist me in changing the water in the tanks. I 

 had one spare tank, which I filled first, and then 

 reduced the temperature from 75 dcgs. as it came 

 out of the hydrant to 58 degs., then placed the bass 

 in it, and so on, until I had given them all fresh 

 water. We sailed at 6 a.m. sharp. When we got 

 out to sea a few miles, I made arrangements with 

 two of the steerage passengers to assist me on the 

 voyage. It was then 9 a.m., and I gave them in- 

 structions what to do. After this I arranged with 

 my men to keep watch two hours each, and to 

 relieve each other at meal times. I always took 

 four hours' watch in the night. I then roused 

 one of the men, and gave over the fish in good 

 order. If there were any dead I always took them 

 out at once. I made it a point never to go to my 

 cabin at night. We got on very well the first day, 

 as it was cooler ; but after this we got into the 

 Gulf Stream. The air and sea were both very 

 hot, the atmosphere 85 degs., and the sea 78 degs. 

 It was during these five days that we lost most 

 fish. We cleared the water every day by 

 straining it through flannel ; all the- thick and 

 dirty water we threw away, and added fresh 

 water by melting ice. The sixth day out we got 

 into cooler weather, and the fish commenced to 

 do better, as the temperature of the atmosphere 

 dropped to 57 dcgs. We used very little ice, 

 unless to make fresh water with. We kept on 



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