774 



THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



The community does not believe that these interests may be pro- 

 tected by free competition, as is the case elsewhere. 



As a rule, one part of the river (the lower) is intended to be 

 fished out in the fall, the other (upper) portion in winter. The 

 fall fishing begins about the 17th of September. On a certain day 

 the " fishing army/ 7 as it is called, moves to the fishing places, 

 which are sometimes very far from home. The Cossack carts con- 

 tain not only nets and provisions, but also the boat used in this 

 fishing. These boats, known by the name of boudara, are so light 

 that two of them may be carried on one cart. 



When the " fishing army " comes to the proper place, the bou- 

 daras are taken from the carts, and early in the morning appoint- 

 ed for commencing fishing they are placed at the edge of the 

 water, right along the river for a distance hardly compassed by 

 the eye. No less than three thousand boats, each containing two 

 men, meet here. To maintain discipline, a chief, or " fishing 

 ataman/' is appointed, and several representatives of the fisher- 

 men are elected to assist the chief. The ataman gives a signal to 

 commence fishing by a cannon shot, and then the crowd rush to 

 the boats, and in less time than you can realize what has hap- 

 pened all the fishermen are in their boats and a peculiar kind of 

 boat racing commences. They put forth their utmost strength 

 and ability to outrun each other, and to be first at the place where 

 the fish have gathered in shoals, these places being known by the 

 reports from the fish wardens. Once here, they throw out their 

 small seines and haul them from two boats. Various kinds of 

 sturgeon (from thirty to six hundred pounds weight), sander, carp, 

 bream, and silurus are the principal fish caught at this fishing. 

 The seines differ, of course, in the size of their meshes, according 

 to the fish for which they are intended ; but no one has the right 

 to use any but the regular size, large seines being admitted only 

 behind the " fishing army." Hence, as in a noble fight, the chances 

 of all combatants are as nearly equalized as possible by the regu- 

 lations above mentioned, fixed place and time, regulated tools, etc. 

 Success depends only on the ability and strength of the fishermen. 



The total catch during the fall seining is from fifty-four mil- 

 lion to seventy-two million pounds, which includes two hundred 

 and sixteen thousand pounds sturgeon and about twenty-one 

 thousand six hundred pounds caviar. 



When fishing, the fishing army always goes down the river, 

 covering from twelve to twenty-four miles a day, and in this 

 way moves after a time to the mouth of the river, which is 

 reached, as a rule, at the end of October. At this time the ice 

 begins to accumulate in the river and closes the fishing season. 



Another army of equal magnitude, consisting of fish dealers 

 with a large number of carts, accompanies the fishing army. 



